Dahlia 'Catching Fire'. Center look like an eyeball to you too?
Garden Blogger's Bloom Day. As always, thanks to for author Carol J. Michel for the theme. Bloom Day, the 15th of each month, is the day gardeners from many different places post their flowers of the day.
'Creme de Cafe' Dahlia, hiding from the sun?
The Dahlias have suffered from the August heat, but most are still looking fairly good. 'Funny Face' and its variations, all in the same clump:
Creme de Cassis', stingy with its beauty. Maybe next year it will be better? 'Catching Fire'. Yeah, he's staring at me...
Ageratum still going. Getting down there once with snips for a little deadheading helped. Such a color!
The red Pentas planted last year looks great. Some roses still flowering, like 'Rouge Royale', which is a light but steady bloomer: 'Golden Celebration' paired with the beloved unknown indigo Agapanthus. Sweet!
This August, as is typical, the Lagerstroemias are stars:
'Dynamite':
The foliage is drought-stressed, which is worrisome:
The happiest Lagerstroemia in the garden this year was purchased in 2016. 'Ebony Embers' by the mailbox. At the bottom of the sloping west side planted area, it gets the most water.Lagerstroemia 'Purely Purple' has produced its first
flower cluster since purchase in 2018. It struggled in its
original location. Moved last spring, it's happier:Sort of purple. Some might call it lavender-pink:
This is the across-the-street neighbor's Lagerstroemia. We have a nice view of it:
Aloe castilloniae's little flower stem:
And the plant itself, also petite. The first flower opened. Just for fun, I looked around for another blooming Aloe for pollen. Aloes are generally not-self pollinating. A. dhufariensis had a a single open flower loaded with pinky-coral(!) pollen.
I introduced it to the castilloniae. A successful cross would be a hoot. Not counting on it.
Fenestraria rhopalophylla decided to bloom after getting a few splashes of water over the past few months. Cute little plant, sweet little flower:One of the random Gaillardia that appeared this spring is 3' tall, but this one has decided to stay 8". At any height, the bees are at them. Salvia 'Wendys Wish':Zinnias. They've made this summer so cheerful in comparison to last year's.
Splashes of color still, despite the heat. The oldest Calylophus 'Southern Belle' (on the left) and one new last year (on the right) got a couple of soaks and a splash of liquid fertilizer. They burst forth with a new round of flowers.
Thank you, 'Southern' ladies!
August is also lizards on the prowl for delicious earwigs: Baby Lizards learning their world:
Touches of color in the entry garden--better than last August's bedraggled green.
Another round of Hemerocallis:
Adding a patch of Salvia nemerosa 'Blue Hill' helped the area considerably. Moved in the winter of 2019-20, it did nothing last year, but took off this spring. It gives several rounds of bloom if deadheaded. Honeybees love it.
And the rabbits don't eat it:
A photo from upstairs, to consider what to do with the area this winter. A mass of Zinnias, Cosmos, and Catharanthus for next summer seems like a good idea. Dainty Echeveria 'Imbricata':
And Yucca 'Bright Star' gives August a kick of glamour. Heat? No problem!
Like sculptures carved from butter:
Despite the temperatures and grim weather events...
...Happy August blooms!
OMG, that first Dahlia is stunning! Well, all the blooms and plants...(and your view)! are. We've had and continue to have perfect weather here in S. Wisconsin this summer. I'm savoring it because, as you know, we have four-plus months of death and dormancy here. Gotta be thankful for the lush days with warm temps and just enough rain. I hope you'll get some precip and a break from the heat soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are getting good weather! Savor, indeed--"just enough rain" is the best thing possible. Happy you liked the pictures--thank you!
DeleteYour August garden is looking great, HB, despite the heat. I love the 12th photo of the Lagerstroemia. Your survey of your Lagerstroemia collection may have single-handedly convinced me to plant one on my south side. The dahlias look fantastic too. I considered buying 'Catching Fire' a few years ago but its price at the time put me off; however, it's going on my wish list for next year. Could the Agapanthus be 'Elaine'? It reminds me of the one I've got, which is blooming for the first time this year, after all the others have given up for the season. Mine came from Annie's.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely adore the Lagerstroemias. Have not a bad thing to say about any of them. There are so many of different sizes you can pick the size you want to fit your view-sensitive location.
DeleteSomeone else also thought that indigo it might be 'Elaine', so I will buy one to compare. Thanks! Do you like the color? I hope so!
That is definitely an eye on the first Dahlia. Your garden looks happier than it probably is by the lovely photos you've shown. Despite your location, I actually recognized most of the flowers. I am going to go looking for some Salvia Blue Hill is the rabbits don't bother it. thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking to try a G. 'Rozanne' surrounded by S. 'Blue Hill'--that might protect 'Rozanne' and it would be more attractive than the wire cylinders currently protecting all the 'Rozanne's.
DeleteMust admit, if something in the garden looks bad of which there are some, I don't take a picture of it. I'm making a serious effort to stick to the water restrictions and some plants are looking pretty grim.
Lovelines all around! I wish I could have as many Lagerstroemias around me as you do - they are such great trees! Wonder if they would grow in Sweden...? Anyway, Fenestraria is a superb name for that succulent with those little "windows" up top. Love it!
ReplyDeleteWalters Gardens introduced somewhat hardier Lagerstroemias. Root-hardy with root protection?? Freeze to ground but grow back enough in one season to flower as a short shrub.
DeleteYest the Fenestraria were named for the "windows" on their tips. Most of the plant stays under sandy or duff layer to protect itself from herbivores, with just the tips exposed. Some of the Haworthias do the same thing. Accidentally grew a Haworthia that way, and it thrived!
Gorgeous blooms. Yes the dahlia does look like an alien staring at you. Too funny. I always think Fenestraria are doing the same. An eye on a long stalk. Those Lagerstroemias are beautiful. Hopefully the 'stressed foliage' doesn't mean anything more serious.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly do not have to paint a wall orange to get color in your garden!
ReplyDeleteActually there's a wall down in the gully I've often been tempted to paint blue or purple. Something besides the dirty yellow it is. Hasn't happened--yet.
DeleteSo much beauty in what is arguably the toughest month of the year in California gardens!
ReplyDeleteDahlia 'Catching Fire' eyeball: I immediately thought of the Spanish movie "Pan's Labyrinth." Here's why.
Aloe castilloniae x dhufarensis? Just the thought of it makes me drool. Please keep us posted.
The Pale Man in "Pan's Labyrinth": exactly. Kinda scary.
DeleteThere appears to be one pod forming on casty x dhufy, but whether it will ripen, and if actually contains any viable seeds, and whether I can actually grow them---big ifs!!