Sunday, September 15, 2019

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: September 2019


I wasn't sure what to expect when I returned from my trips to Utah and Arizona; I was pleasantly surprised to find so many blooms. Of course, the kitchen garden looks rather overgrown and messy. My first job must be canning the remaining beets. There are still lots of zinnias, marigolds, and the beautiful nasturtium 'Empress of India' that won Best of Show when I entered it in the West End Fair. I see the corn has grown high in the field behind the potting shed.

Top: Messy kitchen garden and field corn. Bottom: Beets and 'Empress of India',
The feathery cosmos plants haven't produced too many flowers yet in the cutting garden.

My biggest surprise in the Cottage Garden was the blooming foxglove 'Foxlight Plum Gold'. It usually blooms from early summer to fall. This year, foliage but no flowers all season -- until now.

Foxglove 'Foxlight Plum Gold'

Every month I photograph the hydrangeas to show how their colors change. Today, 'Pinky Winky' is a much deeper pink while 'Annabelle's' white petals are blushing prettily. Roses are making a last showing.

Top: Red rose 'Double Knockout,' Bottom right: Hydrangea 'Pinky Winky'. Bottom left: Hydrangea 'Annabelle'
The asters are late this year

I was amazed to see shasta daisies still blooming ...

Shasta daisies (needing deadheading)

Another surprise -- blooms on the clematis that I cut down to the ground in the spring when it had spots on its leaves from a virus. It looks healthy now.

Clematis spp.

My favorite fall-blooming shrub, Caryopteris 'Dark Knight' is making a statement in the Cottage Garden.

End of summer blues: Caryopteris 'Dark Knight'

The Proven Winners' 'Blue chip' buddleia that I planted this year (to replace the invasive butterfly bushes in my garden) kept its promise to bloom all season.

Miniature butterfly bush Buddleia Lo and Behold® 'Blue Chip'

In the Serenity Garden, sedum 'Autumn Joy' is making splashes of pink color as turtlehead blooms begin to fade. Leaves are falling. Many of them are from the old catalpa tree that we scheduled for removal next month. I'll tell you its story then.

The Serenity Garden today

One plant I didn't want to bloom is the Japanese stiltgrass that surrounds my gardens. This invasive annual grass spreads through a high production of seeds. Cutting it down before it goes to seed is the best control method. Unfortunately, some of it had gone to seed before Duane could remove it with the weedwacker. I'll be solarizing the areas closest to my flower beds with the hope that I can restrict its dreadful progress. For more information about Japanese stiltgrass read my article HERE.

Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)

Today is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and I'm linking with the lovely Carol who hosts everyone's favorite meme at May Dreams Gardens. Her garden fairies have beautiful blooms to show us this month.

Happy GBBD, dear gardening friends. I look forward to checking out what is blooming in your gardens today.

Pamela x





I love reading your comments. I hope you leave one so I’ll know you visited! I look forward to visiting your blog in return.

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful blooms! Love the Foxglove!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

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    1. I'm glad it finally bloomed but disappointed it didn't flower earlier. It's a tender perennial that doesn't survive our winter so I treat it as an annual.

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  2. Such a wonderful assortment of blossoms. It is hard to pick a favorite but I do especially love that clematis.

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    1. The clematis was a big surprise. It never rebloomed before. Maybe I should cut it back after its spring flowering every year.

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  3. I have a giant cosmos that had two flowers at least a month ago, and nothing more yet. I wonder what's keeping them from flowering? It's the biggest cosmos plant I've ever seen! I like your "messy" kitchen garden!

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    1. Strange that your cosmos is behaving like mine. I wonder too ...

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  4. Your kitchen garden looks just how it should at this time of year, full and productive. Gorgeous blooms, I love the nasturtium in your first photo, such a zingy colour.

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    1. Thanks, Jo. And you would know with all the years you kept your fabulous allotment in England. I wonder if you miss it?

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  5. Beautiful garden..Fern leave cosmos creates quite a good scene in summer months.Lovely shade of foxglove...blomming vine of clematis spp. looks dramatic beside that Garden figurine.Happy Bloggers Blooms day.

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    1. Thanks for visiting from India. I just popped over to your excellent blog, Arun, and I see you start it with a picture of a nasturtium, too. We grow many similar plants -- this amazes me.

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  6. How nice to have foxgloves and coneflowers bloom along side one another. That would never happen in my zone. I have been removing Japanese siltgrass from our property for year. Fortunately it is easy to pull but problem is there is so much of it! Happy Bloom Day!

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    1. I can't believe how fast Japanese stiltgrass is spreading through our property.

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  7. Thank you for the link about Japanese stiltgrass. It might be what I have growing in a flowerbed. Now that I have read the article, I will take a closer look. If it is that, I will be more diligent in weeding it.

    Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry

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    1. It pulls out very easily, but if left uncontrolled it will overcome desirable plants. Good luck.

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  8. Oh, that Foxglove is gorgeous--worth the wait for sure! You have lots of lovely blooms still going strong. We are having a warm, wet late summer/early fall, so many plants are doing well here still, too. I usually have a mix of Cosmos foliage and flowers, too. Both are great in cut flower arrangements, aren't they? Cheers!

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    1. Zinnias and cosmos are the staples of my cutting garden.

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  9. As the summer winds down, you have so many beautiful blooms in your garden Pam and the nasturtium certainly must have been a nice surprise to come home to. I hope you enjoyed your trip to Salt Lake City. Someday, I hope to meet you in person. Keep enjoying those lovely gardens!

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  10. There's always so much to catch up on when we return from a trip, isn't there? I feel your pain with regards to the stiltgrass. I have a few areas that I've been trying to get under control (unfortunately, those weeds are perennials) and it's been an uphill battle. I'm thinking that next year, I'll bite the bullet, take that area out of commission and solarize it.

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  11. Its looking lovely, Pam! My cosmos were just plumes too until the last few days; now the are all open and its looking better and better. :) Best of September to you!

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  12. Here too, I revel in dark nasturtiums and fragrant (indigenous) Buddleja.

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  13. Your September garden still looks wonderful. It's very strange how plants are flowering at different times of year. I always enjoy seeing the same plants appear in both of our gardens.
    Sarah

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