August Blooms

Morning Glory (Ipomoea nil 'Chocolate')

Just the last couple of days have felt different when I go outside. It's still hot, but the nights have started to get cooler and for the most part, the humidity has decreased. There are more bugs - spiders in particular - and the chewing ones are really taking their toll on the garden. The hint of fall suggests that summer has begun to wane.

But there is still plenty for me to ooh and ahh over when I do a garden walk-through . . .

Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Sarah Christine')
This is the largest daylily I've ever seen, measuring nine inches across! I got this one from Barb Wolff last summer. It was just a seedling then and didn't bloom, but I got five very large blooms from it this summer. It's actually still in bloom, with one more bud yet to open. That's 'Frans Hals' on the right in the background. I love that one, too.

Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) in a double form.















Appleblossom Grass (Gaura lindheimeri) - This appears to only be hardy to zone 6, but I'm going to attempt to overwinter it outside here in zone 5 by mulching heavily. It's the Energizer Bunny in my Japanese Garden. It just blooms and blooms and blooms . . .












Hardy Geranium or Cranesbill (Geranium 'Rozanne') - I started three small ones in the fall, purchased from Big Dipper Farm. Only one made it through the winter and they replaced the other two. The one that wintered over got HUGE! The two newer ones, planted this spring, did well also, and I have no reason to believe all three won't winter over this year, since the newer ones have had all summer to get established.

Clematis 'Mrs. Robert Brydon'
I LOVE this clematis! I purchased it last summer from Bluestone Perennials and it was small, so I never got to see it bloom. This year, it grew like crazy, and while it's not a vining clematis, it grows tall and can be trained to 'vine' around a support. It started blooming a week ago and it's loaded with tiny light blue bells. Very, very pretty dark green foliage and blooms!

Dahlia 'Who Dun It' - Probably the prettiest of the dahlias I have. Grows quite tall at four feet or more and color doesn't fade in the sun like the other ones I have. The Japanese Beetles like it, too.









Sneezeweed or Helen's Flower (Helenium) - I got these from Michigan Bulb and while they were a bit small, they didn't stay that way for long! Very robust and lovely daisy-like blooms starting a couple of weeks ago. Looks a bit like the gaillardia bloom, but it's much smaller and refined.











Purple Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus) - I got these seeds planted late (mid-June), but they wasted no time in playing catch-up. They remind me of sweet pea blossoms. I'll save the purple bean pods since this is an annual vine, and I'll plant them again next year, but earlier. Pretty purple foliage, too.

It is believed that Thomas Jefferson grew this vine at his home at Monticello.

French Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Endless Summer® Blushing Bride') - I've only had this one about a month, but I love the shading on the mophead blooms.














Coreopsis 'Jethro Tull' - This is supposed to be a cross of 'Zamfir' and 'Early Sunrise.' I had 'Zamfir' for a couple of years and it was really bothered with powdery mildew, but this one doesn't seem to have that problem in the same location. This hot, dry summer has probably been a good test for powdery mildew resistance.

Toad Lily (Tricyrtis 'Tojen')
I've got several toad lilies, but this is the first to bloom. It provides the shade garden with a lovely splash of color. They always remind me of tiny orchids.