summer – Page 2 – Fine for Friday

Mid Summer 26 July 2024

I am proud of the progress in my garden this year. After a lot of hard work, it is at a stage that I can really enjoy it. As much as possible, I have tried to listen to the garden rather than trying to force it to do my will. It reminds me to treat life in the same way. Be patient. Be tolerant. Enjoy.

The garden is in such good shape for this time of the year. The temperatures have moderated and the rainfall is adequate. Summer tasks are now routine. I am deadheading perennials and some weeding which is much less this year as the perennials have filled in the open space.

As usual, I will be posting on the Six on Saturday group. The routine is to post 6 photos of the day or of recent vintage. Gardeners from around the world join. Come visit. Take 6 of your own and join us. The rules are easy.

Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk. Jim Stephens is our host.

The brown eyed Susan is a favorite in my garden. It reseeds and has just begun blooming so it is a welcome addition to the blooming plants.

The Dragon Wing Begonia will display well until frost.

The Coreopsis is a self seeder and can be a little pushy but I forgive it since it is so charming.

I have shown you this Caladium before but they are in rare form this year.

The Dahlia attracts the pollinators. I started these from seed several years ago and they are acting like hardy perennials.

I had to show you this double rainbow that appeared yesterday evening as we were coming out of a restaurant after dinner.

Happy Gardening!

Jeepers Creepers 19 July 2024

The summer perennials are gorgeous this week and the crape myrtles have reached peak blooms. After some rain, there is a deep and diverse color palette. I am hoping your gardens are progressing as well as mine.

On Saturdays, I join the #sixonsaturday group of gardeners from around the world. It is very interesting to see the variety of plants. I hope you will join us. It is very easy to post your own photos. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk. The gathering is hosted by Jim Stephens. You can find the posting rules on the link.

These two will explain my title for this week. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummelaria makes a wonderful filler plant as well as a wonderful ground cover. It is a hardy perennial here in the South East USA. It really perks up this urn of Sedum “Autumn Joy”.

The creeping cucumber strictly speaking is a weed but a fascinating one. Melothria pendular is a native here and the vine is delicate. I have not ventured to eat the little fruits. I will leave that to braver souls than me.

Similar in name is a Crape Myrtle “Natchez”. Genus is Lagerstroemia. This cultivar is old timey. There are many popular and more compact cultivars now. I like this one because the red bark shows up so well in winter.

The oak leaf hydrangea cultivar “Ruby Slippers” is beginning to lose some of the ruby color and adopting the bronzy color of the fall.

The encore azalea is in its second blooming of the year. We will have a third bloom before the end of fall.

This prolific Black Eyed Susan is in its third and most glorious to date season. Although this cultivar is not as showy as the “Indian summer” which I have, it is far more hardy. It is putting on a eye catching show.

Grateful for gardening this year as a diversion from the political scene.

Happy gardening!

Summer Solstice 21 June 2024

It happened yesterday. The summer solstice occurred yesterday afternoon about 4PM here in the Central Time Zone. Summer is here. Now the daylight hours will gradually ratchet back. It is hot here and it will remain so for the next 10 weeks.

I have been busy harvesting blueberries and tomatoes. I planted some beans from seed but they have yet to appear above the ground. My perennials are doing so well that they have crowded out the weeds which is a good thing. The blooming plants have really been impressive this year.

Tomorrow, as has become customary, I will be joining the Six on Saturday group and sharing my blog with 6 or so photos. Others from around the world will do the same. Come and see. Better still, come join us and share six of your own. Our host is Jim Stephens and here is the link to find the Six on Saturday site. https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

I started a lily garden 2 years ago and have grouped several species of the together. Here are two of my favorites at the moment. I started the Iris from seed given to me. The oriental lily was purchased on line. This patch can be seen out the dining room window.

The Peacock orchid is new to me. It is several weeks later than my other glads and not as tall. They are staying upright so far without need for staking. Yeah!

The phlox is in its third year and performing admirably.

The Tithonia is a pollinator magnet which really pleases me. It is a showy bloomer, sturdy upright and about 4 feet tall.

The next two photos are not from my garden but from a walk in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens yesterday.

The anemone is a native and striking alone or in the grouping in which I found it.

The skipper really stands out against the green leaf upon which it is resting. The skipper has love grass as a host plant of which there is plenty nearby.

I hope your weather allows you to enjoy the outdoors. I hope your garden is thriving and that your plans are working out.

Happy Gardening!

Father’s Day 16 June 2024

Gardening is my sanctuary. It is a harbor in the storm. It is work and it is time consuming but the rewards are great. If a plant displeases me, I have learned to discard it. If I like a plant, I can nurture it.

It is the verge of summer and it is Father’s Day. It is US Open weekend. It is a weekend that carries great meaning. It cannot be ignored and it must be honored and respected.

I have 6 photos to share. Tomorrow, I will post this blog while I join the Six on Saturday group. Gardeners from around the world will be posting their 6 photos from this week.

This cultivar of Hypericum has a delicate beautiful bloom. I like the leaf color. This is the first bloom since transplant last year.

The rose is in its second blooming cycle of the year. The knockouts do well here and there is no problem with blackspot.

The Miss Huff is a large and almost shrub size lantana. It loves the heat of summer.

This Rudbeckia is the lone survivor of 6 that I planted last spring but it is in such good for this year.

The Stoke’s Aster loves the part shade area in which it is located. It is reseeding or colonizing so it has spread since its introduction a few years ago.

The limelight hydrangea is a paniculata which does well in sunnier locations. It is white and it is becoming increasingly popular in this area.

Hope you are getting plenty of garden time. Happy Father’s Day to fathers and to those who have played the role of father’s.

Happy Gardening!

The Hint of Fall Continues 15 Sept 2023

The signs are definitely increasing. The leaves have begun to change color and more and more are falling. The temperatures continue to moderate. All the plants seem a little “thinner” somehow.

The fall tasks seem more urgent now. It is time to prune the perennials which was begun today. The compost bin is beginning to fill with items other than grass clippings.

The fall bloomers are becoming more showy and there are buds on the camellias that are swelling.

It has been dry here the last two weeks but a heavy shower is fall in the afternoon as I put this blog together.

So come, lets take a walk in the garden. Don’t mind the rain! It will stop soon. We can shelter under the tree canopy if we are getting too wet.

These plants are definitely in fall mode. The oak leaf hydrangeas are showing the bronze coloration of the panicles. The Rudbeckia after a glorious summer bloom are living up to their name of “Autumn Gold”.

The dianthus are in containers. They have come out of their summer lull and the blooms are increasing.

The dayflower appeared in the yard without an introduction. The blue color attracted my attention and I found with my Seek app that it was a perennial native. I was very pleased to welcome it.

The inland wood oats are a shade tolerant plant which is unusual for grasses. The seed heads are becoming a golden color now. They are very attractive.

The encore azaleas are blooming for the second time now. I apologize for the blur since you cannot appreciate the delicate stamens. This plant is finally coming around from last winter’s bitter cold spell. I am glad to see that.

I will be joining the Six on Saturday group tomorrow. Come join us as Jim Stephens hosts us. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

Happy Gardening!!

Hints of Autumn 8 Sept 2023

The temperatures are forecast for to be a little cooler this week. The days are measurably shorter. The rainfall has declined. These are features to be expected in Alabama this time of year.

It is time to begin some fall chores and think of some spring planning. There are spent plants to remove and some leaves to rake. The dry conditions mean some watering needs to be done.

I have returned from a trip to Canada for a 50 year med school reunion and a visit with family. It was wonderful to reconnect. Time to re-engage with the garden.

So come join me for a little tour of what’s in the garden today. It feels a little cooler. We can sit in the shade if you like and visit as we talk about several of the individual plants. Here are the photos of the week:

The limelight hydrangeas continue to impress with their beautiful panicles of blooms. The bloom color is mostly white but shades of copper are appearing which is striking against the lime green leaves.

The American beauty berry (Callicarpa Americana) has been a reliable garden feature this year. It is now giving that extra show with the purple berries. I have not seen any birds feasting on these yet.

The chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are putting on quite a show. I will be watching them closely and intend to chop the tops off before the seeds spread. That will save a lot of work later.

The sedum is definitely beginning to show its fall bronze.

The obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) is quite happy in its location near the fountain. Its royal color blends nicely with the remaining yellows of the Black eyed Susans

The gardenia is slowly recovering this year from the historic cold of last December. I am optimistic. It has a good chance to thrive and become its majestic fragrant self in the years to come.

I will be joining the #SixonSaturday group tomorrow. If you have the chance, swing by and look at around the world gardeners sharing their photos. It can be found at this link, https://gardenruminations.co.uk hosted by Jim Stephens each Saturday morning.

Happy Gardening!!

Its Labor Day Weekend

I am out of town this week but I took the liberty of taking some photos last week. It has cooled down a little. It is feeling more like fall. It seems that summer has hurried by but that may only been another illusion of mine.

We have had an irrigation problem at the Corner Garden. I will show you a photo that I took illustrating the source.

Come take a stroll with me through the garden. We can sit in the shade whenever you like. I might even be able to provide you with a glass of “sweet tea”. It will be refreshing. If you are able, come join us Saturday morning when Jim Stephens hosts us at this website https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. This will allow you to join the Six on Saturday crowd as we tour gardens throughout the world.

The Stokesia is blooming again. It is feeling the cooler temps that are approaching.

The Blackberry lily continues to produce some beautiful blooms.

The crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp) is blooming madly. Less prolific this year but still awe inspiring.

The Gomphrena “strawberry fields” has been outstanding this year.

The Encore Azalea (this one may be “Autumn Royalty” is nicely blooming. This variety has 3 blooming periods a year although this has been this year’s first blooming.

The Limelight hydrangea is in its first year and has been blooming for 3 months now. This cultivar is “Bobo”

I mentioned an irrigation issue and here it is. This is at the Corner Garden and we will need some professional help here. Keep you posted.

Happy Gardening everyone!!

Fall Approaches 19 August 2023

The days are still hot but the plants are showing signs of fatigue. Most of the blooms are spent and the seedheads are prominent everywhere. Some plants have gone through the yellowing phase and now are approaching the brown phase.

There has been a lack of rain this past week so I have had to do some watering. As you will see, I have run into a problem with the irrigation system that I hope to be able to have fixed soon.

The Ginger Lily is just beginning to show signs of blooming. It is beautiful. It was a gift from another gardener but I do not know the cultivar.

The dahlia is magnificent and is nicely standing out against the rudbeckia in the background.

The Hardy Hibiscus has given some late blooms. It struggled this spring so I am really proud of this one.

The Purple Heart is related to the spiderwort which is a native with blue flowers. This variety spreads easily with a low ground cover like habit. Pink flowers are very striking against the purple stems.

The Obedient Plant is a fall blooming native which is just beginning to bloom. It is also known as false dragonhead of the mint family. It is easy to grow as it is a self seeder.

Picture number 6 is an unexpected problem. I am now trying to get this irrigation leak sorted out. I will let you know next week.

The weather should cool some over the next few weeks and I hope to show you fall bloomers as well as leaf color.

Join us on #SixonSaturday with our host Jim Stephens. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/.

Until next week, happy gardening!!

Fall Approaches 11 August 2023

The recent rains and continuing warm temperatures have allowed the garden to keep blossoming. It is lush and full of blooms. Keeping up with the weeds is another story.

Seedheads are becoming more abundant which the birds especially a group of goldfinches seem to be very happy about.

The black-eyed susans are definitely the showstopper again this week. These are a new addition from a local nursery. I misplaced the cultivar name.

The oak leaf Hydrangea quercifolia is beginning to show the bronze coloring of the fall foliage.

The limelight hydrangeas have been magnificent this year. The American beautyberry is just visible to the left. They are fronted by bearded iris and roof iris. The bluebird house was occupied twice this year.

The hardy mums are beginning to bloom. The cultivar is again an unknown.

The lorapetalum had been a 12 foot shrub but it was decimated by the December freeze. The new growth seems healthy so the trunks were cut back to two feet.

This is the other Rudbeckia which has done so well. The “Indian Summer” did suffer from the winter cold and several plants were lost but those which survived have been so beautiful.

Hope to have you join us on Saturday morning for our Six on Saturday group. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

Happy Gardening!

Summer Heat 28 July 2023

We will be at or above summer norms for the next 10 days. It is mid 90’s today so 35 C. Our group of workers were out this morning at the Corner Garden early. By 830, it was 90 or 32 C. There were thunderclouds to the west of us but despite the noise and a couple of bolts of lightning in the distance, there was no rain on us. The irrigation system will have to suffice for now.

The garden is past its peak now. The plants look fatigued from all the heat but it is still very beautiful.

Here are my six for today.

The Canna Lily is a showstopper even though it has morning shade. These have been transplanted from an area which seemed to suffer from leaf roller disease. They are happier here.

The salvia is still thrilling. I named it blue because I couldn’t find the full name. It looks wonderful against the yellow of the Black eyed Susan.

The coneflowers are definitely fading in color. I have left the seedheads on since the yellow goldfinches love to feast on them in the fall and winter.

The daylily is still producing. Unfortunately, not sure of the name here.

The Lamb’s Ear has the tall flower stalk. It blends well with the Shasta daisies behind.

The sedum is beginning to show some bronzing of the flower head which will become more pronounced as the days progress.

Saturday mornings a group of gardeners from around the world share their 6 best photos in the forum hosted by Jim Stephens at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. Come join us, bring your cup of tea or coffee and enjoy the beautiful plants.

Happy Gardening!!