Determined to be more organized this month, I toured my gardens and divided plants into four groups: New Blooms, Reblooms (plants cut back that are on their second bloom), Continuing Blooms, and Annuals. I also decided to highlight the "Top Ten Newbies" for August. The above plant is a new one purchased only yesterday from Ace Hardware, and leads the list. It's a spectacular, large plant with several blooms: Black-Eyed Susan 'Cherokee Sunset.' Rudbeckia hirta.
This "vignette" was replanted recently with some new selections, my favorite being the Echanacea Sundown "Evan Saul.' It is a beautiful companion to the Sunset Hyssop. The other new plant in the middle foreground is a Mojave Sage Salvia pachyphylla. I have tried previously to grow this, so I hope this one makes it this time.
Echanacea Sundown 'Evan Saul'
Just barely making the August list, I have two blooms on the Japanese Anemone. This is now a huge plant in it's fourth year and gives me so much pleasure until the first frost.
Lobelia Cardinal Flower
Speedwell
Mallow
Salvia greggii Autumn Sage Purple
Aster New York 'Alert"
PlumbagoAlso (not pictured) purple, white and bronze mums, and Blue Mist Spirea.
REBLOOMS include: Salvia Blue Cloud, Salvia May Night, Salvia Royal Crimson Distinction, Blue Montana, Dianthus Firewitch and others, Wild Geraniums, Beacon Silver, and Clematis, and Rose Campion.
CONTINUING TO BLOOM: This is quite a list. Cosmos, Coreopsis, Sunset Hyssop, Coneflowers (purple and white) Rudbeckias (three kinds), Russian Sage (lots of it), Agastache, Roses, Daisies, Penstemons, Yarrows, Sedums, California Poppies, Orange Carpet Hummingbird, Corsican Violas, Blue Bells of Scotland, Hollyhocks, Baby's Breath, and Hollyhocks.
ANNUALS include Cutting Garden mix, Pink Bubblegum and other Petunias, Zinnias, Marigolds, Celosia, Wax Begonias, Impatiens, Verbena, and Salvia Victoria Blue.
It will be interesting to see how many will be in the "New" category for September. This list continues to get smaller. I have decided that one of my goals for next year is to plant more fall bloomers.
15 comments:
Wow,I love that Cherokee Sunset. You have nmany beautiful plants blooming now. I see that I have to get to back to some of my old favorites. I have been so focused on dalilies, I have given up on some of my old fiends that I spotted in your garden.
Bev, your list is so extensive for August - what a variety of lovely flowers! I can see why you couldn't leave the 'Cherokee Sunset' at the hardware store -it's gorgeous. It looks like your plumbago is the hardy Ceratostigma plumbaginoides rather than our semi-tropical kind.
We have some plants in common, but the bloom times are different. Are the overnight temperatures significantly cooler than the daytime highs? My suspicion is this makes a big difference.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
wonderful flowers.. I love the salvias you have reblooming.. My dianthus won't rebloom until fall, when it cools down.. Hoping the clematis will again as well. great pics.
Marie, thanks for visiting. Yes, that Cherokee is really stunning, and I'm amazed that it was at the hardware store, let alone... it was on SALE! Can't beat that.
Annie, yes indeed, the plumbago is the hardy kind. No tropicals here, that's for sure. We have very fluxuating temps here. This time of year it isn't quite so drastic, but it still gets down to high 50's and low 60's. We have a lot of plants that love the cooler evenings. That's why you can have some of the more tropicals, huh?
DF - Thanks for visiting my blog. Salvias are some of my favorites and I miss them with they go out. This second bloom isn't as great, but they still add so much to the garden. Same with dianthus.
Bev, great job on the pictures. I like the Cherokee too. I planted Russian Sage last fall and I've enjoyed it so much, I'd like to get a few more.
Robin, I see by your blog that you have lots of blooms also. The Zinnias are beautiful and I love the lavender.
Bev... I'm right behind you trying to think of more flowers that will START blooming in August so that there is something new in the garden in late summer.
Your flowers and gardens look wonderful as always. Thanks for participating in Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
That is a pretty mallow! Such wonderful contrasting stripes coming out of the center. I like the lil insect on it too.
Beautiful flowers again!
Lovely as usual, Bev! You certainly do have some star performers. I wish I had some plumbago, but I'm already wondering what I'm going to do with the blue Russian sages that will arrive next week from High Country Gardens!
Carol - Yes, I think in the Spring we get so excited about what will soon be in bloom and August seems long away. Suddenly, here it is!
Salix Tree - Isn't it amazing how nature patterns such beautiful, simple designs?
Marie - I'm glad you like my flowers.
LR - YIPPEE!! The Russians are coming!! And Plumbago would look lovely planted beneath them since they do well in shade. Let me know how the new plantings go.
Beautiful pictures, Bev... and I do believe that's an 'Orange Carpet' zauschneria snuggled up to the left of your Russian sage, right? I'm glad to see I'm not the only one--and glad to get a few more ideas about what to put around these two from you. :)
Thanks Blackswamp Girl. Yes indeed, it is Orange Carpet. I've got a little theme going here of orangey/pinkish blooms in this area. Next year I'm going to move the Dragon's Blood sedum next to the Orange Carpet because I don't care for the color combination when the sedum is in bloom next to the orange.
.... did I mention earlier that I have my zauschneria/Russian sage combo next to a whole lot of 'Fuldaglut' sedum?!! lol. 'Fuldaglut' doesn't bloom for me for whatever reason, so I'm not too worried about the clash, but I think it's funny that we have this similar combo going on. Especially being thousands of miles apart.
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