Tag Archives: late summer blooms

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana With Spider Lily

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana With Spider Lily

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana With Spider Lily

We’re still in the throes of health issues but finally back home. A quick skip around the garden today yielded some nice flowers but I had only a few minutes to arrange them. I knew I wanted a tower of spider lilies and the other flowers fell in line.

Lycoris (Spider Lily)

In A Vase On Monday – Ikebana With Spider Lily

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia ’Serena Blue’
Angelonia ’Serena Purple’
Dahlia Decorative ‘Great Silence’
Lycoris (Spider Lily)
Zinnia
Foliage
Container
Black metal suiban. 4 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Japan.

Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)

Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)

As always thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

A Week Into September

Spider Lily (Lycoris)

Out of the hospital, my husband is in a rehab facility to restore his mobility and strength. I’m happy to see improvement and am so very touched by your many kind well wishes for us. Our daughter’s recent visit was good medicine.

September is moving along at a fast clip. I have taken only a brief few minutes most days to pass through the garden. There are several standouts I wanted to share.

More Spider lilies opened and I can’t get enough. I’m fascinated by these flowers steeped in my childhood.

Spider Lily (Lycoris)

Spider Lily (Lycoris)

Planted last year this Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ slept through its first season, but this year it has done well. It began waking up in July and finally is in bloom.

Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ July 25, 2022

Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ August 28, 2022

Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ Sept 5, 2022

Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ Sept 7, 2022

Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ Sept 7, 2022

Finally, the dahlias are holding on. Two new ones this year are particularly fetching and have managed to charm me into dreaming about ordering more dahlias next year.

Dahlia ‘HS Date’ (Single)

Dahlia ‘HS Date’ (Single)

Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)

Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia) with Sedum ‘Thunderhead’ in background

Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)

Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)

The Borders In Early Morning Light

Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)

Our house faces due east and the garden sits in back. Early sunlight slips in through the side yards, the narrow openings between our house and the those of our neighbors. It soon pours in along the back fence that marks the western border of the garden. From there it slowly tracks eastward up toward the house until by noon the entire garden is flooded in harsh summer light.

Being in the garden as the early light enters is my favorite way to experience it. Admittedly a bit unruly in appearance, this summer the southern border (north-facing) has filled out with a myriad of blooms. Two days ago I discovered the first spider lily had popped up among an ambitious patch of black-eyed Susans. I have loved these flowers since childhood and although these particular ones are more pinkish than red, I’m delighted to see them again.

Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)

Looking behind this shrubby Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ the spider lily is visible emerging out of the yellow black-eyed Susans.

Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage)

Zinnias, once easy for me to grow, have struggled in past years but a few finally are making their presence know. Pollinators flock to them, including lately the swallowtail butterflies.

Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia

Cactus Zinnia

Zinnia

Airy drifts of sky blue salvia serve as generous way stations for bees, butterflies and other insects.

Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)

Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)

Bees are fond of this darker Black and Blue saliva and hummingbirds have a regular daily route through this border. The smaller honey bees have been absent the past few weeks and mostly I see the large carpenter bees.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

The tiny flowers of orange coneflowers have just begun to open. These came from the local North Carolina Botanical Garden years ago. They are fairly insignificant but do return faithfully.

Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower)

A small patch of coral bells are in flower. The leaves always look shabby by this time of year. This is Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’.

Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)

Moving around to the southwestern edge of the garden, the Peacock Orchids are beginning to flower. After one day the dark maroon center has turned brown. I don’t think they will last long. Beside it the oakleaf hydrangea ‘Lil Ruby’ has been disappointing this year.

Peacock Orchid (Gladiolus acidanthera)

I usually plant gladiolas in a grouping, but this year I interspersed corms throughout the borders, where they have added some interesting color and textural contrast. In the western border facing the back of the house, this one is Gladiolus ‘Performer’.

Gladiolus ‘Performer’ (Large Flowering)

Gladiolus ‘Performer’ (Large Flowering)

Gladiolus ‘Performer’ (Large Flowering)

More dahlias didn’t make it than did but I am happy with all the buds and blooms on Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’.

Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

After trimming back some of the echinacea some new flowers have formed.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Lastly a foxglove opened this week. Only the second of five to flower I had not expected to see any more. It’s a tiny little thing but gardens do have a way of offering up sweet surprises.

Foxglove ‘Dalmatian Peach’

Peacock Orchid

Peacock Orchid (Gladiolus acidanthera)

Yesterday I noticed flowers had formed on the Peacock Orchids. This is the first year I’ve grown them so wasn’t sure what to expect. An Iris family member, the foliage is similar to gladiolus (unlike my glads these stalks stand quite erect).

Peacock Orchid (Gladiolus acidanthera)

The first opened this morning revealing a gently nodding flower, white with tinges of pink on the tips of the petals and a dramatic maroon center. The flowers seem rather delicate, but I read they like hot afternoon sun so they should find themselves at home in this garden.

Peacock Orchid (Gladiolus acidanthera)

Peacock Orchid (Gladiolus acidanthera)

Wordless Wednesday – Mid-September Juncture

Reblooming Iris germanica ‘Immortality’

Iris germanica ‘Immortality’

Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’

Dahlias From The Garden – No ID

Zinnia elegans ‘Purple Prince’

Zinnia elegans ‘Purple Prince’

Zinnia elegans ‘Purple Prince’ and Common Lantana

Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’

Lycoris radiata (Spider Lily)

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ and Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower)

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl

Summer has been extremely dry and hot which may have affected flower formation in dahlias as well as other plants. We are beginning to get some rain again which should help increase flower shape and production.

An anemone type, Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’ was planted June 25 and offered its first two blooms on Saturday with another on Sunday. I hoped to feature this new addition to my garden in today’s vase but I will have to wait for more flowers and then we’ll see.

Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’

Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’

Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’

Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’

Two Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ flowers opened this week, more luncheon plate than dinnerplate in size—still lovely. Unlike the specimen from last week’s vase, these have the characteristic mocha pale-pink coloring typical of this hybrid.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl

Materials
Flowers
Cosmos ‘Bright Lights’ Mixed Colors
Dahlia Anemone ‘Totally Tangerine’
Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’
Dahlia Border Decorative ‘Gallery Pablo’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Zinnia elegans
Foliage
Chrysanthemum
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Container
White ceramic shallow bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In A Bowl

Sincere thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cheer

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cheer

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of materials gathered from our gardens.

Today I planned to feature Dahlia ‘Petra’s Wedding,’ a ball-type dahlia.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cheer

It ended up taking on a support role when the larger orange Dahlia ‘David Howard’ and a bright yellow cactus zinnia were introduced.  A few stems of Cosmos ‘Bright Lights’ reinforced the citrusy colors.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cheer

The dahlias are not flowering in great numbers so I added everything else that looked fairly presentable. Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ returned from last year. Most of its flowers are more pink than the iconic pale pink and coffee ones, but there were a few of those last year.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cheer

Dahlia ‘Gallery Pablo’  is a low-growing Border Decorative dahlia. This mature one sits tucked into the lower center of the vase. It has lost a few of its petals along the way.

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cheer

This is D. ‘Gallery Pablo’ in its youth with tiny flowers of Heuchera (Coral Bells).

In A Vase On Monday – Summer Cheer

Materials
Flowers
Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)
Cosmos ‘Bright Lights’ Mixed Colors
Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’
Dahlia Border Decorative ‘Gallery Pablo’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Zinnia, Cactus Flowered Mix
Zinnia elegans ‘Purple Prince’
Foliage
Chrysanthemum
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Dutch’ (Dutch Lavender)
Container
Hand-thrown Seagrove Pottery (olive-artichoke)

As always thanks to our host Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for providing this opportunity to to share our vases. Visit her to discover what garden surprises she and others are offering this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Last-Of-Summer Orb

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

Tomorrow fall officially begins. Autumn equinox arrives on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 9:31 A.M. EDT.

Today, on the last day of summer, this spherical floral design features zinnias and dahlias circling round a supportive framework of gardenia stems and a sheaf of oakleaf hydrangea leaves.

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

Although summer is ending, I expect dahlias and zinnias to serve as the mainstay of color in the garden first frost.

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

In A Vase On Monday – Last Of Summer Orb

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’
Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower), Seed heads
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Zinnia
Foliage
Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Vase
Melon Bowl, Vendanges (Blue Trim) by Ceralene, A. Raynaud et Cie, Limoges, France

One more vase today

This is a different arrangement I prepared especially for my husband who is recuperating after an illness. Increasingly he has admired my In A Vase On Monday posts and over the past months he has commented many times how nice it is to have flowers in our house all the time. While the materials used are nearly identical in both arrangements, I actually prefer this one. The proportions and scale feel more balanced, the flowers are looser and more energetically placed, the supporting gardenia foliage buoys and lifts the design. As these are imbued with healing and love I hope these flowers serve to cheer and uplift everyone today.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place in a vase this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase of cuttings from our gardens.

I gathered as many flowers as I could Friday during a brief foraging opportunity and left them to condition overnight.

This Week’s Garden Bounty

Dahlias color the garden this month, and especially striking right now are the dinnerplate varieties.  I find these large flowers compelling but I long for more interesting and compatible outline and filler materials to set them off.  Russian Sage and Verbena bonariensis are not vase-happy for long but they’re what I had on hand.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

Stems of Baptisia foliage are energetic and lively but I overdid their use initially and ended up removing quite a lot.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

My late crop of Zinnias needed dead-heading and so were not at their best. I added just a few for a splash of surprise and texture variation, along with one faded D. ‘Gallery Art Deco’.

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia sp.
Salvia yangii (Russian Sage) , previously known as Perovskia atriplicifolia
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Zinnia
Foliage
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Vase
Dark blue matte ceramic jar

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

In A Vase On Monday – Dahlias In Blue Vase

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower-filled vases across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place in a vase this week.

In A Vase On Monday – Posy Poses

In A Vase On Monday – Posy Poses

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

This week I pondered what else to do with dahlias and zinnias, the two summer staples of my still very dry garden this year. Both have a “cut and come again” nature that keeps the house filled with fresh flowers.

Zinnias had the limelight last week so I limited today’s offerings to simple monochromatic posies using my two most productive dahlias: Dahlia ‘David Howard’ and D. ‘Gallery Art Deco.’ Without producing rain, cloudy overcast skies have teased relentlessly, making it a challenge to capture the flowers at their best, but I hope you can see the earnest expressions of beauty on their faces.

In A Vase On Monday – Posy Poses

I admire D. ‘David Howard’ for its apricot-orangey color range and the subtle softness of its rounded petals. Its dark foliage is also an asset. This matte-glazed vase in complementary blue came from an Eno Festival artist many years ago.

In A Vase On Monday – Posy Poses

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

D. ‘Gallery Art Deco’ is pretty as a sunset. Its petals are slightly twisted with pointed tips.

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

For this quick arrangement I placed a spray of gaura into the floral pin of a favorite Ikebana vase, followed by a few stems of D. ‘Gallery Art Deco’ and a Sedum ‘Autumn Joy.’

In A Vase On Monday – Posy Poses

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’ and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Foliage
Container
Small matte-glazed blue ceramic vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase. Rectangle Blue Zen (6.75L x 3.75W x 2H inches)

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden encourages us to share a vase highlighting what is growing in our gardens.

First an update from last week: Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ was indeed mislabelled. The vendor suggested Dahlia ‘Labyrinth’ mistakenly was shipped instead. In spring I will receive a replacement for the order. Thanks for your helpful comments and suggestions about it.

This week’s vase is a mixed bouquet of late summer flowers presented in a basket.  Reflecting the shape of the basket, I fashioned a (mostly) round table design.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

Zinnias predominate.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket. This dark wine-colored zinnia is a stand-out.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket.  A dahlia peeks out in front among a sea of zinnias.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

Most of my vases are designed to be viewed in front. That takes less time and requires fewer flowers. But there were lots of dahlias and zinnias available this week, so it was a good chance to experiment with creating a view all around.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

I should have considered stem length of the materials on hand in relation to the size of the basket and cut longer stems, especially dahlia stems. In trying too hard to preserve future blooms, I had skimped. The result is most of the dahlias I gathered were too short to be included, so they are scattered in little vases outside of today’s feature. They are still enjoyable but my thrift left me shy of flowers needed to assemble the design easily.

I had to compensate by using all the zinnias in bloom with less choice about color. Some of the zinnias were also too short, but I think in the end the basket of flowers turned out fine—an explosion of seasonal color.

The irregular heights lend a more casual, informal quality to this week’s vase, in keeping with the basket theme. That’s my story anyway, though I see no reason to resort to using a Sharpie to prove it.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

I purchased baby’s breath for use as a light and airy filler. Included along with it from my garden are sky blue salvia and rosy gaura. Underpinnings of silvery artemisia and lavender serve as concealer foliage.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

 

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Tsuku Yori No Shisha’
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Gypsophila (Baby’s breath)
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)
Zinnia
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Ellagance’
Container
Round woven basket with handle

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Late Summer In A Basket

Top Ten Blooms – August 2019

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.

Recent Blooms As Summer Wanes

Reblooming Iris

Reblooming Iris August 27, 2016

It feels a bit strange, but welcome all the same, to see a bearded iris reblooming. This one is a pass-along and I do not know its name. This image is from August 27. The flowers lasted but a short time under the strong summer sun.

Reblooming Iris

Reblooming Iris August 27, 2016

There’s been essentially no rain for 6 weeks so the garden looks sad. A few blooms here and there lift my spirits, but can do only so much. I do have a few photographs of flowers taken over the last couple of weeks to record and document the waning days of Summer 2016. Today seems to be bloom day so the timing works well. Some of the pictures from September 2 have water droplets that disprove my memory, but the rain was brief, not the quenching, restorative kind.

Zinnia

Zinnia – September 2, 2016

Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

Tradescantia (Spiderwort) – September 2, 2016

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Herbstfreude)

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Herbstfreude) – September 2, 2016

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Herbstfreude) (Stonecrop) September 15, 2016

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Herbstfreude) (Stonecrop) September 15, 2016

Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage)

Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage) – September 2, 2016

Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage)

Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ (Autumn Sage) – September 2, 2016

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower) – September 2, 2016

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower) – September 2, 2016

Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower)

Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower) – September 2, 2016

Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower)

Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower) – September 2, 2016

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' (Black-eyed Susan)

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ (Black-eyed Susan) – September 2, 2016

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant) – September 2, 2016

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant) – September 2, 2016

Marigold

Marigold

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

Periwinkle (Vinca)

Periwinkle (Vinca) – September 2, 2016

Gardenia jasminoides

Gardenia jasminoides – September 2, 2016

Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata 'Nicky'

Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata ‘Nicky’ – September 2, 2016

Euphorbia 'Shorty' (Shorty Spurge)

Euphorbia ‘Shorty’ (Shorty Spurge) – September 2, 2016

Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)

Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower) – September 2, 2016

Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)

Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush) – September 2, 2016

Artemisia 'Powis Castle' (Wormwood)

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood) – September 2, 2016

With apologies to anyone who is sensitive to spiders, this intrepid garden sentry has been a constant presence for several weeks. Just after I discovered it (and almost backed into it), the Yellow Garden spider relocated to its current location from the other side of the tree. It is also sometimes know as Writing Spider.

Argiope aurantia (Yellow Garden Spider)

Argiope aurantia (Yellow Garden Spider) -August 27, 2016

Argiope aurantia (Yellow Garden Spider)

Argiope aurantia (Yellow Garden Spider) – September 2, 2016

With the pressing heat the garden has not been tended for weeks. I made a quick stop this afternoon in search of Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) to replace Angelonia, the stalwart of the meditation circle from June until frost.

I should have shopped at a better garden center but it is unlikely I will have time to get to one. At this store the available snapdragons were generically labelled and although I had hoped for white ones, the choices were either “unknown” (because no flowers had opened) or yellow or this multicolored one that I chose. It sports mixed flowers of red, pink, coral and yellow and should add some pep to the labyrinth.

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) – September 15, 2016

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)

Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) – September 15, 2016