Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
All around us for weeks there have been tremendous downpours, but we have been missing most of the activity, just had lots of gray sky. There was a nice rain last night though. I need to invest in a rain gauge someday. We usually just measure by whether the big dip in the street’s pavement in front of our house is full of water. It is a pretty reliable measure. Although this morning it was not full, I was happy we had not been passed by completely.
The sun was back out today. I had time for a very quick tour of the garden this morning and enjoyed seeing the Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea) in the early light.
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
An Echinacea purpurea mysteriously appeared in the meditation circle this summer. It is compact, only a foot tall, and has rather oddly formed flowers, as if it is trying to be a double.
These older flowers are the ones that first caught my eye a few days ago.
Echinacea Purpurea
Echinacea Purpurea
This morning there were several freshly blooming flowers.
Freshly blooming Echinacea Purpurea
Also in the meditation circle’s path, the pinking shear circumference of this rain-washed white Dianthus flower caught my eye.
Dianthus ‘Ideal Select White’
pbmGarden 
Glad you got the rain. I’ve never grown sweetpeas. They are beautiful.
Mine are a passalong plant I’ve had for years. This perennial variety is not fragrant, but the annual ones are supposed to smell very nice.
Beautiful!! Thankful for the rain, we had rain too but it was so hard all the flowers are gone.
Sorry, that’s a cruel rain.
I’ve been noticing the perennial sweet peas this year and may end up giving them a try again in the garden. I grew them once as a child from seed taken alongside the road, and I guess because of that I always thought of them as weeds. But now the flowers speak for themselves!
Julie/gardeningjules showed a gorgeous white one I’d like to try. It is ‘White Pearl’ Sweet Peas. Hers had a lot more flowers than mine.
Your Sweet Peas are so pretty! They’re beautiful, delicate flowers aren’t they? And the vining habit makes them extra special!
Thanks! It’s a surprise for my sweet peas to be looking so nice at this time of year. Usually they are burned to a crisp by the hot sun, so this is especially wonderful to see them blooming again.
Your photos are absolutely gorgeous, love the sweet peas.
Thanks Charlie, I’m trying to work on improving my photography so I appreciate your comment. The sweet peas are a passalong plant that I’m always happy to see in bloom.
Beautiful Sweet Pea! I didn’t know that there is a perennial Sweet Pea. Will have to try growing it.
Thanks, the sweet pea is a passalong that holds nice memories for me. Julie/gardeningjules showed a gorgeous white one I’d like to try. It is ‘White Pearl’ Sweet Peas. Hers had a lot more flowers than mine. Here is the link to her pictures: http://gardeningjules.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/in-a-vase-on-monday-simple/
The plants in your garden will have enjoyed the rain. We are waiting for some, it has been dry for too long here and hopefully will rain tonight and tomorrow.
I have some perennial sweet peas too, but my flowers are never very good!
Hi Pauline, sure hope the rain showed up for you as promised. It makes such a difference.
Great news about the rain, I know just how it feels to know that all around are having some and you’re not. It does magical things in the garden. Good of the Echinacea to be dwarf for the Meditation circle.
So true Christina, the rain does magical things in the garden. I’ll move that Echinacea eventually–it’s time to rework most of the meditation circle.
Rain is a lovely welcome sight when you have been waiting so long, we are still waiting here and also live in a spot which regularly gets bypassed by rain.
Hope you get some nice restorative rain soon Julie. It’s frustrating to see those rain clouds drift right on by.
Thanks Susie, glad to report that following cleaning the windows we had a good amount of rain last night!
We haven’ had any rain for ages, what a delight when it comes and everything looks so fresh. Lovely photos; your little Echinacea is so pretty.
Thanks, I’ll have to find a better home for that echinacea soon. Hope the rains find you soon.
Good to hear you have had some rain at last. The sweet peas and dianthus look very pretty and refreshed!
Yes, the rain was a relief. No more forecast for another week but now the temperatures are reaching 80F, not 90+F so maybe the plants can manage. I love the way rain drops look on flowers, makes them more photogenic.
Love your sweat peas – beautiful. My Echinacea are finished but I haven’t deadheaded yet. I’m enjoying them even though they are tired. I don’t have any Dianthus but yours are lovely. 🙂
Thanks Judy. Most of my echinacea are finished also. I deadheaded a few but left some for the goldfinches. I like dianthus but it needs way too much deadheading and seldom do I get around to it. I need more carefree plants I think.
I always love my garden the most ‘after the rain’ and yours looks lovely! I particularly admire your perennial sweet pea – I have not grown these but must get some ordered for next year – I am amazed that you have flowers so late in the season. Looking at your echinacea reminds me that I found a self seeded sedum growing happily in my woodland earlier this week – if I had planted one in the dark shade of that area it would never have survived!
Lovely sweet peas. There is a possibility that those coneflowers are infected with aster yellows – you might want to check in google images.
Jason, thanks very much for clueing me in about aster yellows. I will inspect the plant later this morning. Articles led me to know there is also a coneflower rosette mite, yet unnamed, that distorts the flowers not the leaves. It seems to be coming in on flowers from the growers. (And I thought it was just interesting and novel–didn’t occur to me the plant might be diseased). Thanks.
I was just about to mention aster yellows when I saw Jason’s comment. You’ll need to pull the entire plant and throw it away. They can’t be saved, unfortunately. We’re finally getting some rain. Yay! My garden is soo thirsty. Love that dianthus. :o)
Guess I better get rid of that echinacea. I was trying to convince myself it was coneflower rosette mite, which might not be so terrible, but no use in taking chances. Hope your garden enjoys your rain. We really had a lot the past few days.
Glad for your rain…there are double flowering echinacea that get about 3ft tall, but as others have said if they develop aster yellows, then dispose of them if you must. I am doing that here as I find it. Hopefully it is not aster yellows.