My Poor August Garden

Hello Everyone! Am I the only one that has
been waning as the garden wanes down?
I think I need a vitamin E shot or just need to
start Spring over again. LOL!

This time of the year as Fall gets nearer I start
dreading the dying of the flowers and what the
weather ahead will be into winter instead of just enjoying
what is left to bloom yet in the garden.
Seems like I always get a little down at this time of the year.
I enjoy the Fall colors of the leaves and its flowers, don’t
get me wrong, but my mind just is geared some how
to go from August right into winter cold and snow.
I know its my problem and not yours. LOL!
Plus this has to be the hottest summer we have
had for a while but I still am not going to complain about
the heat because of nightmares of last winter.
Even the annuals this year are starting  to look worn
and faded out from the days of heat and high humidity.
The hikes twice a week this summer have left my
daughter and I a little melted on some of those humid,
92 degree days. I am huffing and puffing, red in the
face and then some kids go flying by me jogging and I
want to trip them for all of their energy and stamina. LOL!
To be young again and know what I know now, as the
old phrase goes. 
{Heavy sigh}
Oh well, on to my poor August garden……

The Becky Shasta Daisies are about done now. There are a few
more buds coming on where they have been trimmed back
and dead headed. The poor pink double blooming impatiens
behind them are looking faded out and may be getting too
much heat and sun to their liking.

The  Blue Ice petunias and red Nicotiana have had to have
a drastic cutting back and the planters look worse than I ever
remember for this time of the year.

But there is hope in a few new blooms. The Anemones
are starting to bloom and Queen Charlotte is spreading
like crazy and looking pretty in the shade.

 

But poor Party Dress Anemone is missing some
of her foliage and has shredded leaves from an attack
of beetles. I wish I had taken a picture of the beetles
because I had never saw them before or had a problem
with these ones before. The truth is that I was so
aggravated upon seeing her covered with them and the
damage they had done that I just ran to get the pesticide
to kill the things. They also defoliated my white anemone
too. Those won’t be eating them anymore.
{Insert Clint Eastwood spaghetti western music for effect, LOL!}

The white and blue Bellflowers are getting a few
new blooms since they were cut back. I will take the
few blooms, grasping at any color now for the beds.
Never try to take a picture of a white bloom in direct sun.
Will the old and forgetful excuse get this picture by you?
Talk about a glaring white Bellflower.

The Caladiums are still looking pretty in the
shade bed beside the front porch.
I am over the “they were suppose to be white and green”
thing now. (Or maybe not )

The dahlias that were grown from seed are still blooming.
This one is from the Figaro seeds and has a double bloom
where the Victoriana’s were single blooms..
Seems that most of the seeded ones that sprouted this
Spring are yellow or white. Is there something about white
and yellow seeds or do they just package more of these colors
to the mixed seeds?

Edinburgh Dahlia is still blooming with its bright, big blooms.
I will not show a shot of the plant because it happens to have
a bed in the middle of it that the little black kitten thinks
is his very own.

 

It is bad enough that they like laying in the flower pots,
amongst other things they tried to do there that I will not mention,
but the three little kittens have taken over my potting bench.
Do you know how many times I have had to straighten up
that pot with the junk and fly swatter in it? A smart person
would have just moved the whole mess rather than keep putting
everything back or used the flyswatter on the kittens. LOL!
Please do not upset the geranium pot!

This is a new dahlia for this year. Meet ‘Mary Eveline’.
I just love her wonderful blooms besides she was only
half price this spring.

Mary Eveline wanted a profile shot.
Okay maybe I did.

The Blue Bird Delphinium has gotten a new stem
of blue blooms for me. I am saving seeds to grow some
more for the garden. Cannot never get enough of this color
of blue  in my garden.

Another picture of the Fancy Dress petunia showing yet
another of its different variegations on its blooms.
This petunia has been one surprise after another this summer
and maybe that is a good thing.

 

Gazania Big Kiss White Flame is just now taking off
good. It took forever to get to blooming and I have two
others from seed that have not bloomed yet. Maybe by
Fall they will bloom (or not).
This could deter me from trying to grow them from seeds
again in the future. They are reminiscent of my all summer
until blooming experience with Stock flowers last year.
What a waste of good container space and soil they were.

 

What is wrong with this picture?
Besides the fact that I am not a lover of Marigolds I mean.
Well yes, they do grow anywhere but people they just
flat out stink.Just maybe not as much as Datura do though. Yuck!

What is wrong is that they were suppose to be French
Vanilla Marigolds with white blooms. For the white I could
have put up with the stink, and I could except even the yellow,
but, oh, I hate the color orange and this one is plain ugly.
Another mix up to add to the many surprises this summer
that have showed up in my plant world.

Now the one plant that has just gotten better this summer
through the hot, dry and humidity is this Walkers Low Nepta.
It is even putting up with the yellow clay on the garage banking
so now I am wondering if in the end it will take over the world
since they will grow in my dirt. Scary.

This is the first year that I have grown Penta’s and I am
really liking them and so do all of the little winged critters.
Maybe I like them more because they are taking up the slack
in the planters just now .

The white penta is just starting to bloom after a slow start.

The Sweet Peas just have a few blooms left. The blooms
were few and late this year because of some garden person
who is always moving plants decided to move them after they
painted the garden shed. Not naming names though LOL!

 

Diana Clare Pulmonaria wanted to show off her frosty
textured leaves. I love this flower so much not only for its
weeks of blooms in the spring but for its wonderful foliage
all summer long.

 
 

Coreopsis Limerock Ruby got another flush of blooms
after her hair cut. I really love this coreopsis and I will
have my fingers crossed this winter in hopes that she
is a little protected in her spot in the bed and will survive
to come back next year.
One can always dream or save the seeds.

The Adonis pink tall phlox has a few smaller blooms after
it was deadheaded. I have had to fight mildew on the phlox
and Bee balm all summer.It has been a very bad summer for it.
The Bee balm looks so bad that I am thinking of moving it to the
woodland bed and do something different in that bed.
Plants that do not grow well are finding themselves demoted
and living in the woodland bed. If it keeps going my woodland
garden is going to be HUGE!

 
In fact the only bee balm that I have that has not gotten
mildew is the Pink Petite which keeps getting blooms as it
is deadheaded. It may end up being the only one left in that
flower bed by next year. I did forget though  that I just planted a new Raspberry monarda there and I am watching it for signs of mildew on its leaves as it gets settled in. Does anyone grow
this Raspberry one and does it suffer from mildew too?
I hope I do not have to move it to the  woods.

So there is still some faded colors and a couple of new ones
in the garden but it is looking sad in the garden around here
and drooping fast now along with this gardener.
To you who have still wonderful blooms because you have
planned your gardens much better, well, I am just jealous
and will have to enjoy your blooms.

Until The Next Time
Happy Gardening Everyone,
Lona