Tag Archives: August blooms

Yesterday’s Surprise

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Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)

I watched a presentation from the JC Raulston Arboretum on Wednesday about using cut flowers from one’s garden to create arrangements. One of the presenters shared Hedychium growing in the Raulston gardens in Raleigh, NC.

With such a dearth of rain this summer my passalong ginger lilies have looked pitiful, I thought to myself I probably won’t see any blooms in my garden this year. But in the side garden early yesterday morning I spotted rising out of the foliage a raceme of sweetly scented blossoms.

Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)

Some common names for this plant are Butterfly Ginger, Butterfly Lily, Cinnamon Jasmine, Garland FlowerGinger,  LilyWhite Garland,  LilyWhite Ginger.  Do the flowers remind you of butterflies?

Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)

Late August Garden

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I have promised myself someday I will return to painting (but this month I did not).

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

Waterlogue. Vibrant

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Waterlogue. Vibrant

Lantana camara (Common lantana)

Waterlogue. Rainy

Southern Border

Waterlogue. Rainy

Tulbaghia (society garlic)

Waterlogue. Rainy

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Waterlogue. Rainy

Zinnia

Waterlogue. Bold

Zinnia

Waterlogue. Rainy

Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe)

Waterlogue. Bold

An August Sunday Album

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My grandmother’s mossy front yard held a magical surprise and each summer I was delighted by the appearance of her spider lilies. Finally in 2015 I added some to my own garden and today was the magical day they burst forth into bloom.

Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)

Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)

Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)

Usually there are plentiful zinnias to use indoors butI have left them outside for now, the few zinnias from a second sowing. Finally they are in bloom, six or seven weeks later than normal due to the rabbit “crisis”.

Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia

Nearby, asclepias has rebloomed.

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Plant)

There are other small pleasures.

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Unknown dahlia

Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’ (Garden phlox)

Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)

Lantana will continue well into October. On any given day it is a popular gathering place for butterflies and skippers. Today there were six Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, yesterday swallowtails and a couple of monarchs.

Lantana camara (Common lantana)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

The oakleaf hydrangea leaves point toward autumn, as do changes in light and pulsating sounds of cicadas, but mostly there is just a knowing deep inside, an inner sense that fall is near.  Every time I stepped outside this past week I felt it.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Top Ten Blooms – August 2019

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I enjoyed seeing Chloris’ Top Ten August Blooms this morning and decided on a whim to join in this month. I have not spent enough time in my garden this year. I knew there would be zinnias and dahlias but honestly was relieved to walk around and find I could meet the requirement of sharing ten different blooms. These are what I saw today.

Flowers in my garden at early morning were still bathed in rainwater after yesterday’s storms.  Rudbeckia laciniata  is growing in three different parts of the garden. Flowers are giving over to cones, but there are a few fresh blooms.

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)

Perovskia atriplicifolia has struggled some years, but is doing well in the Southern Path.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

This salvia is spreading slowly through the southern border, but never overreaches. In the past it took breaks before reblooming in cooler days, but this summer it has shrugged off dry weather and heat and kept going.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ has been given more space and sun this year. It responded to being cut back sharply in early spring. This is invasive in some places and I would not miss having it but it has been difficult to dig out. Despite its butterfly-attracting reputation, it doesn’t seem to draw much attention.

Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)

Lantana camara has been a magnet for swallowtails and other pollinators, though I saw only one butterfly this morning while I was taking pictures.

Lantana camara (Common lantana)

Leucanthemum bloomed profusely for weeks this summer. This morning a lone flower stood bravely among drying seeds.

Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)

Physostegia virginiana, a passalong from my garden mentor, Virgie, began blooming this week.

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)

Cleome has bloomed cheerfully all summer. It reseeds freely but is easy to remove.

A new addition to the garden in 2019, Crinum ‘Powellii’ looked promising as I left for the beach at July’s end. When I returned August 4 it had already bloomed.

Crinum ‘Powellii’

You can see I didn’t think through the color scheme when planting the Crinum, just hurried it into the ground before weeds came any closer.

Crinum ‘Powellii’

For my final selection I must share a few dahlias. Many did not survive but I enthralled with the blooms on these plants that made it.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

I invite you to check out Chloris’ top picks for August at The Blooming Garden. You are in for a treat with offering from her Suffolk garden and from others around the globe.