Thursday, August 11, 2011

A Slower Garden or Gardener

 

Is everyone in a gardening slump or is it just me?
Even with the cool down I cannot get motivated.
Or maybe it is just that the days are getting shorter.
Maybe it is because the blooms are slowing down now.
Or maybe it just because I am feeling old this week.
All of the Above???? Most likely. LOL!

Gladiola  This is my one  and only Gladiola in the garden.
It has came up for a few years now and I still do not know where it came from. One summer it just appeared in this bed.
I love the Gladiola flowers but I am not a fan of staking them up.

 Helenium2_Yellow
This is the first year that I have grown Helenium’s.
Somehow I thought the blooms were larger than what mine seem to be from other gardeners pictures. They are pretty little things though and I am in need of the color this late in the summer.

 Katydid
Rembrandt Dahlia blooms are not the prettiest dahlia to start with but when it edges are chewed up it looks kind of sad. LOL! This one will not be saved.

Edinburg_Dahlia
Edinburg Dahlia I have had for a l0ng time and it keeps cranking out the blooms every year. Mary Evaline did not grow this year for some reason and she was a beauty in the garden last year.

Dahlia_MaryEveline 
Mary Evaline

Redskin_Dahlia2
The new Redskin Dahlias that I grew from seeds are starting to bloom now.

Redskin_Dahlia
I love the dark foliage on these dahlias and have sweet white alyssum growing from seeds around them.

 LuckyStar2_Echinacea
Echincea Lucky Star is winding down now but I may leave the seed heads for the Goldfinches.

 Lobelia_MM_Sunlight
Monet Moment is still blooming away and I have loved this flower this late in the summer. It is a perennial and I am hoping it will also reseed in the bed.

Scabiosa_RitzBlue
Ritz Blue Scabiosa is blooming but the Wirral Pride chrysanthemum wants to lay on top of it so changes had to be made here.I love the blooms on my Wirral Pride but it has weak stems gardeners. Are you all taking gardening notes for changes this fall?

 BillWarrinerRose_Droplets
Bill Warriner roses are putting on another showing. This rose has been a great repeat bloomer this summer.

Bonica_Roses The Bonita Rose has bloomed all summer also but it still has not turned the pretty pink its pictures showed of it. By the way I have received now answer from Wayside Nurseries about replacing it so I guess they do not want my business.
Their prices are high to begin with but I wanted this rose.
Just passing this fact along to fellow gardeners.

BlueClips2_Campanula
The Blue Clips bellflowers are putting on a few more blooms since they were cut back.

Hummingbird_Moth

Clear Winged Hummingbird Moths love the phlox in the garden. They are so fun to watch.


Happy Gardening,
Lona

19 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

For me, I think it's a combination, of getting older, and the dog days of summer. I just have no energy at all.

You have some lovely blooms as always. I'm sorry that Wayside Nurseries is treating you shabbily.

I love your favicon.

Hope you feel more energetic and renewed soon.

FlowerLady

Sunray Gardens said...

The blooms might be slowing down Lona but what you have going is gorgeous. Those Dahlias are beautiful. I think we all are tired after this long heatwave.
Cher Sunray Gardens

Netty said...

Beautiful blooms this week! I love the Dahlia's and Phlox. The photo of the Hummingbird moth is fabulous!
Oh yes - I have been making notes for next year. I take notes every year, but actually doing what the notes say each spring is the hard part!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful flowers and Photos Lona.
I'm feeling the same. I dont know what's causing it but what ever it is I wash it would go away!

Jim Groble said...

The flowers look great. We have a hummingbird moth in our yard but I can't seem to get a shot. It loves our impatiens. i hope some cool weather has headed to your part of Ohio. jim

Patsy said...

I see more of the clear winged hummingbird moths then ever before.Just a few years ago I had never seen one.
Love your Echincea Luck Star, I just have the pink.
My roses have not been very pretty this year. So I am looking for autumn to lift my sprits.

elaine said...

I am glad someone else feels the same way - I always look forward to the autumn when the gardening year begins to slow down and you can start putting the garden to bed for the winter.

Becca's Dirt said...

I think many of us are feeling it Lona. I love my gardens but there are times when I don't want to walk into the gardens or do anything. The heat here is awful. All I want to do is sit in the air conditioned room and watch TV. I think we will feel lots better when the seasons begin to change.

BernieH said...

I think we all go through the gardening blues at some time or other. For me, it's during our horrid summers. Right now though I'm enjoying every minute of getting out into the garden.

Your Redskin Dahlias are wonderful. The foliage is a definite drawcard. Love Edinburg Dahlia! What a shame Mary Evaline didn't turn up this year. She's a beauty.

A Garden of Threads said...

I agree, a slump for sure. It has been so hot and humid, the garden and I have given up until the cooler autumn arrives. I hope you enjoy the garden this weekend.

greggo said...

Im just getting old

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Yes, all of the above. Super hot here....hard to do much in the garden. I have Helenium for the second year and I will say, it is the most color in the garden, small blooms perhaps, but loads of them. It has bloomed since early spring and is still going strong.
Love your dahlias, do you dig them up?

Serenity Cove said...

I know what you mean. I blamed it on the heat and lack of rain but yesterday I got in the mood again and got some stuff done. Mostly weeding and cutting my daylilies back. It's that time of the year I always wonder "why did I plant all these flowers"??

Stephanie said...

Lona, I must say you many wonderful colours and beautiful blooms in your garden.

c. Joy said...

Thanks for all the wonderful pictures. My Texas garden has been cooked this summer - some of the fault is mine, I just didn't get to the weeding and mulching like I should have, but I chose to blame the weather/heat. Your blog has inspired me to get busy. Thanks. cJoy

GRACE PETERSON said...

Lona that last photo is to die for! It couldn't have been easy to take. Did you sit there for like, hours waiting? LOL Love the Glad too. Yes, you could say I'm in kind of a slump. For me it's the fact that the garden is starting to look crispy and tired. The plants are crowding each other and, well, gone is its spring freshness. Thankfully our weather has been really cool this summer so things aren't quite as bad as they usually are. Thanks for the tip on Wayside. They won't be getting my business either.

Unknown said...

Thank you for posting the hummingbird moth, I've not seen one in the 8 years since I left MI. they do love that phlox.
You have beautiful dahlias, your photos are stunning.

Kerri said...

I'm enjoying this milder weather for working in the garden. The damp soil after the rain makes it so much easier to work in the soil as well. The heat and humidity zaps our energy and enthusiasm for sure.
Dahlias are a favorite of mine. Yours are gorgeous. I hope you can replace Mary Evaline. She's a beauty!
I love Monet Moment. It's a Cardinal flower, right? I've never grown them. Must give them a try.
That's a wonderful shot of the hummingbird moth. They're hard to capture because they move so fast. I'm seeing lots of them this summer.

Cassy said...

You have a beautiful flower collection on your garden. My favorite is the Gladiola.

Cassy from Acoustic Guitar Lessons