“The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes
This Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (hosted by Carol at May Dream Gardens) on the 15th of September is truly bittersweet as we come to a close on summer. But this is the time of year we see certain flowers, and they bring us joy through the last days of summer and on into autumn. Some flowers like the begonia above are still going strong while others are a faded memory.
I love this quote by Holmes because it conveys how I feel when I see those yellow leaves on the trees. I stare in horror at first knowing summer is ending and much like any gray hair I might have (if I had any) I tend to ignore the signs of the changing of the seasons for as long as I can. But there are so many lovely blooms in the garden that I have to share them with you.
Lovely Japanese anemones popped up recently. I love the way the buds seem to stay suspended in mid-air on thin stems and then slowly unfurl their stunning pink petals. I always smile when I see one in the late garden. A vision of loveliness standing out in a withered crowd.
The asters are dancing in the meadow. Not as many as last year, but maybe more will pop up. I’m not sure who is happier to see the asters me or the bees. The bees cover the asters in the garden most days. I have to be careful when I weed or garden around them. There could be dozens covering a bush all trying to get the last drop of pollen. I do not want to get in their way.
Another flower that pops up now are the Toad Lilies. It is such an exotic flower. I have many varieties of these beauties. Most are distinguished by the purple spots inside the petals. They remind me of an orchid. How can anything this exotic survive our harsh winters? I only wish they bloomed longer.
A favorite native that blooms in late summer is Chelone or Turtlehead. Pollinators love to climb right inside to get the goodies found there. I do so treasure this flower.
This lovely daisy is ‘Clara Curtis’. I planted it in honor of my mother-in-law, Clara. It has an amazing pink flower. It originally was in a small bed in the front of the house. Even though it was labeled a dwarf plant, it grew to over 4 feet tall and wide. I moved it to the back and although it blooms, it is a bit leggy and not as nice a plant as it was in the full sun out front. I may move it yet again to give it the proper conditions to thrive and bloom in all its glory.
Some plants are sending out a second flush of flowers. This dwarf echinacea has decided to bloom some more. A few others around the garden are following suit since the rain and cooler temps. I am happy to greet them.
Can you guess what this wonderful bud is? It is my ‘Crystal Fountain’ clematis ready to bloom again. It is covered in blooms. Can’t wait to see it again. Was hoping other clematis would rebloom, but this is the only one so far.
A surprise was the appearance of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’. I have planted this before and it never came up. This year it wonderful winged petals caught my eye as they were opening…Isn’t this the loveliest of surprises to have blooming. I have not spied the hummers at this plant yet, but I am sure they are visiting. They are known to love this plant as much as I do. I can’t wait for it to grow in more and multiply next year.
One of my longest lasting blooming flowers is this Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’. It blooms in my garden from late spring, all through summer into fall. The gorgeous white flowers dance on wire wands as the wind blows through them. I love watching the dancing butterfly flowers as do the pollinators. This plant is on the side of the pond in a fairly dry area covered with stones. It loves the heat.
One of the most beautiful shrubs flowering this time of year is the Caryopteris. I finally found just the right spot for these beauties to grow. A bit on the dry side with ample sun. The large background picture is of Caryopteris ‘Snow Fairy’ with its gorgeous cream and green variegated leaves. The flowers are small and hard to see, but they look like a small orchid. Bottom left is Caryopteris ‘Summer Sorbet’ another variegated variety. The leaves are chartreuse and dark green. Stunning against the blue flowers here just about to open. Top left is a more common variety called ‘Bluebeard’. Lovely blue/purple flowers blooming.
So as this last Bloom Day of the Summer fades to Fall, what will our gardens have in store for us? I dream of warm Fall weather, lots of blooms and many more veggies to harvest.
“But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my possessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head … The harvest has dwindled, and I have grown apart from the intense midsummer relationship that brought it on.”– Robert Finch
Shameless Book Flaunt–For those that have asked, you can order the book, The Moment I Knew, from the publisher Sugati Publications where more of the proceeds go to the womens’ groups. Free shipping from the publisher as well. You can also order it from Amazon. I hope you enjoy the book and I would love to hear your feedback on my poems.
Special Note: All flowers pictured here are from my garden. Flaunt your flowers at Tootsie Time this Friday where she hostsFertilizer Friday. I’ll be flaunting mine.
Monthly (usually around the 10th) I guest blog at Walkabout Chronicles. Stop by to read my post on Mindfulness!
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