Bloom Day August 2018

 If you don't look too closely, the garden looks pretty good after six weeks of horrific heat.  So, turn a blind eye to scorched foliage, dead plants, and insect damage.  Let's look at pretty flowers instead.

The floral stars of August for several years now have been the 'Dynamite' Lagerstroemias.

This year, too. Not quite in full bloom just yet

   Lagerstroemia 'Ebony Glow' aka 'Black Diamond Blush' was  planted last year. 

  The 'Ebony'/'Black Diamond' series is often mentioned as a good substitute for purple-leafed plum trees, which have serious disease issues.  They are similar in size and both are deciduous.  The plum blooms in spring, the Lagerstroemia in summer.  After growing them for a few years now, what strikes me the most is this:  although both have dark foliage, the plum's foliage has a distinctly purple/reddish cast to it, while the Lagerstroema's is more purely black, at least in our intense and constant sunlight.  The black foliage, while arresting, doesn't blend as well into surrounding greens as does the plum's.  It stands apart.  More careful design required for best appearance.  But still, irresistable.

  'Black Diamond Purely Purple' is yet another new Lagerstroemia in the garden, purchased a few weeks ago.  This cultivar is described as being a 6' shrub rather than a small tree.  Not super purple, more of a lavender-pink, but it is a youngling--perhaps the purple will purify once it is established. 

Clematis flowers still, here and there.  'Comtesse Bouchard':

The Hemerocallis bloom on...
'Elizabeth Salter'

 I don't remember the name of this one.  Blue eyed something, or something blue eyes.  In less harsh weather the outer edge of the "eye" has a blueish tinge to it. 

The Dahlias bloom on, too. 
 'Holland Festival':

'Catching Fire'.  This one is very late every year--this is the first flower.  Possibly the location where it is planted has soil that stays cool longer than the rest of the garden, causing the Dahlia to grow later than all the others.  Or is it just a late-growing Dahlia?  

 Dahlia 'Bride of Frankenstein'?  I don't know what is going on with this one. 

The Hunnemannia blooms on, too.  This outlasts California Golden Poppy, Eschscholzia californica, by months.  It blooms through September and into October. 

 The roses also bloom on, despite heat and chili thrips.  Many damaged flowers, but a few manage to be beautiful.
'Comtesse de Provence'

 'Julia Child'

The remarkably consistent 'Souvenir de la Malmaison'.  One of the best ever roses.

   A few others.  Echinopsis 'Fuzzy Navel'

 Tecoma stans 'Bells of Fire', though only planted about six weeks ago, has grown, held up to fierce heat, and continues to flower.  Tough, hard working plant!

 Not hard at work, Natasha takes a nap.  
But she's a beauty, too.  

 Happy flowers to you!  Bloom Day meme by May Dreams.