
What a mess August has made of my September blooms! Well, it isn't all of August's fault, some of the blame lies with the first two weeks of September, too.
Oh, and June and July have to own up to what they did, too. And just yesterday Hurricane Ike, or what was left of it, came through and tried to blow everything away.
Here's what happened...
I mostly remember this summer as starting out very wet in June, then being very comfortable and enjoyable in July with moderate temperatures and rain when we needed it. Then in mid-August, the rain disappeared and didn't return until this past week.
I've never seen plants dry up so quickly and the lawn seemed to go dormant almost overnight.
My
Then when the rain stopped and the water wasn't right there in the first few inches of dirt, the plants had no deep roots to go after deeper reserves of moisture and therefore just dried up.
What do you think of that
But now the rain has returned and the plants are growing and flowering again, so all is not lost and I have high hopes for fall.
The Verbena bonariensis pictured above has been blooming for a few weeks. I generally let it self sow a bit and come up here and there in the garden becomes it blooms late when not a lot of other new blooms are around.
I'll have to remember that the August "lilies" (Hosta) provide a good show in September, too.

And they still have a sweet scent to them!
Notice that the lawn has turned green again? It was very tan a week or so ago before we got some rain.
I have sedum (Stonecrop) all over the place, partly because it is an easy plant to dig and divide in the spring and I keep moving it around, dividing it each time.

Nearby is Sedum erythrostictum 'Frosty Morn'.

My best blooms this month are these Colchicums.

I especially like how they come up through the sedum groundcover. It makes it less obvious that there is no foliage, just flowers.
And now the nearly complete list of blooms...(subject to updating!)
Stonecrop Sedum (see above)
Variegated False Dragon's Head (Physostegia virginiana 'Variegata')
Chrysanthemums (they have a new botanical name, too, Dendranthema morifolium)Shasta daisies (just a few)
Marigolds
Zinnias
Impatiens
August Lilies (a passalong Hosta)
Veronica bonariensis
Dead Nettle (Lamium maculatum 'Aureum')
Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea)
Chocolate Mint
Spirea 'Limemound'
Hydrangea 'Endless Summer'
Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'
Hemerocallis 'Stella d'Oro'
Tall Phlox, white, pink, white with pink center (Phlox paniculata)
Potentilla fruticosa
Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes)
What's blooming in your garden? I'd love to have you join us for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. It's easy to particpate. Just post on your blog about your mid-September blooms and then come here and leave a comment so we can find you.
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Comments
I am totally subscribing to your excuse--er, theory, by the way. I think that my plants must have gotten all lazy, too, because they seemed to do the same thing yours did. I hope that they all learned their lessons! lol.
Your colchicums are very pretty. I love seeing them popping up through the little sedum foliage.
Here is my September bloom collection:
http://ewainthegarden.blogspot.com/2008/09/gbbd-september-2008.html
Greetings,
Ewa
Colchium seems too fragile for Autumn somehow. Very pretty though.Wish I had some. Well, I had some but lost them.:-)
My September bloom post is here
http://transitionalgardener.blogspot.com/
Your Colchiums look very pretty and your sedums look great, they seem to be much further along than mine at the mo. I'm very surprised that the Verbena bonariensis has only been in flower for a few weeks in your garden as it has been flowering in mine for months now. Perhaps there is a bigger difference in our climates then I thought?
Happy GBBD Carol!
I adore those colchicums - what a lovely subtle colour. And sorry to hear you've had trouble with Hurricane Ike - we don't have such things as hurricanes here (thank goodness) but we've been having all the rain... and some... beginning to feel like I live on a sodden, drafty lump of rock just off the coast of Europe these days! (but the sun is out today so maybe I'm being a little over-judgemental!)
Sedums are just lovely at this time of the year aren't they? I was tempted by 'Frosty Morn' last week but resisted. Your warning about floppiness has made me think agai. I'm a bit of a lazy gardener when it comes to staking and the rest of my sedums are holding their heads up high at the moment in spite of my shocking neglect of them! I love the way they attract loads of butterflies and hoverflies at this time of year.
My contribution's here - plus a new sparkly slideshow in my sidebar.
This is my first bloom day using the new wordpress bog, hope you enjoy it and thanks as always for putting on this show.
http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/
Frances
Hi Carol - done my GBBD post for this month, felt bad as I missed August as I was so fed up with the weather but the sun is shining now and really lifting the spirits.
My post went up a day early:
http://meadowviewthymes.blogspot.com
Thanks for hosting Carol!
This has certainly been a strange summer....I've also noticed the taxonomists have been at work! Happy Bloom Day,
Gail
clay and limestone
We've had the same weather here, just west of you in Illinois. My windblown flowers are on my GBBD post today. Thanks for sponsoring Bloom Day once again!
Good thing I took shots the day before the record rains hits us here in Chicago. We've now got over 8 inches and might get more today.
I have my GBBD post up.
My post is up this morning at http://gardengirl-lintys.blogspot.com/
Thank you for all you do for the garden blogging community, and for hosting GBBD each month!
Your sedum look very impressive. Mine are just starting to peek out.
I've been looking forward to Bloom Day for a couple of weeks and have some pics from New Mexico and some from my garden in NY. I thought I might have a Peace rose and rose of Sharon to share today. They're not ready yet, but here's where you can see what is:
www.nyackbackyard.blogspot.com
In spite of your garden not being up to its usual snuff due to weather issues, it is still quite lovely. And I love colchicums too! They really save the "garden day" in the late fall. If you like those you should look into some of the other varieties out there. Not that I am trying to be the great tempter here. . .
I don't know if I have ever adequately thanked you for beginning this meme. It has been one of my favorite blogthings to do. Thanks Carol!
I noticed that the August lilies (Hosta plantaginea) had the strongest scent in the rain. Maybe the scent couldn't waft about the garden with the rain pouring down like a wall. I've never heard the common name "Witch's Moneybags" for Sedum. It must have something to do with the foliage. I hope you'll be flattered by my theft of the idea of growing the Colchicums through the prostrate Sedum. I have both plants, why have I never put them together?
Thank you for hosting GBBD - my post is up.
Regards
Karen
http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/september-garden-bloggers-bloom-day/
The Colchicums are beautiful! I love it when beautiful things poke up through a wonderful groundcover. Unfortunately in my garden it's usually weeds poking up.
My Bloom Day post is up, my garden is a little worse for wear after the winds that came through yesterday. Here's the link:
Inconsequential Blogger Bloom Day Post
Thanks for hosting Bloom Day, Carol, and Happy Gardening!
My GBBD post is up now, too.
http://societygarlic.blogspot.com/
Thanks for hosting!
My Blooms
I "cheated" with my GBBD post somewhat. I finished my Sunday post at nearly midnight, so I figure maybe I can do both subjects with one post? ;-)
Have a great day!
But aren't you being a little hard on the plants by calling them lazy? With all that water saturating the ground didn't they have to use their surface roots or drown? It's not their fault Nature shut off the sprinklers!
I have a GBBD post on my blog, too.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
_________________________________
Check out my veggie garden blog:
http://veggiegardenblog.blogspot.com/
Here is my post.
My loombay ayday ostpay is here:
http://back40feet.blogspot.com/2008/09/bloom-day.html
My bloom day post is here:
http://thesuniskillingme.blogspot.com/2008/09/bloom-day-september-15th.html
Gail
clay and limestone
Your garden looks and sounds absolutely magnificent.
Kim
My post is here:
http://calgarygardencoach.typepad.com/calgarygardencoach/2008/09/whats-blooming-in-my-calgary-zone-3-garden-in-september.html
You reminded me that I have colchicums SOMEWHERE in my beds - I need to keep an eye out forthem, hate to miss 'em.
My blooming post is up now at:
http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2008/09/early-fall-bloom-day.html
I got around to making a post today, so if anyone would like to check out my garden, please stop by and visit.
Here is my, very little, post, http://jardimcomgatos.blogspot.com/2008/09/em-flor-gbbd-post.html
Back to garden talk: please visit me at: http://bannersbyricki.com
http://metaphyta.blogspot.com/2008/09/bloom-day-september-15-2008.html
Mine
Jan
Always Growing
I love the color of your first sedum picture. I remember growing up my Mom called those "live forevers."
Here is my bloom day post.
http://www.gardenfreshliving.com/2008/09/blogger-bloomda.html
My cup-and-saucer vine is blooming it's head off! I just love the changing colors of the blooms!
http://www.motherearthsgarden.com/september-garden-bloggers-bloom-day/
Kiss of Sun bloom day post is up
http://sharingnaturesgarden.blogspot.com/2008/09/bloom-day.html#links
http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2008/09/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-dahlias-in.html
-Heirloom Gardener
www.getgrounded.wordpress.com
Carol, Those Colchicums are absolutely amazing! I want some, too, but I seriously doubt if they can grow in Austin. Thanks for posting them for me to admire.
(And my apologies for being such a dufus that I don't know how to make my blog link from this comment, you'll have to cut and paste)
Robin at Getting Grounded
I have one August 'lily' blooming but forgot to take a photo of it. Imagine that! Yours are wonderful, as are your sedums and oh, lucky you to have some Cold Climate colchicums! They're gorgeous!
My post is late again, but it's up.
Happy Bloom Day Carol!
My post is up (a little late, this month.)
Regards,
Katarina
And, if you are just arriving and think you missed bloom day, feel free to post anyway, we'll be glad to see what you have blooming, too!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
June was floods, July and August were bone dry and now it seems like we may be back to some degree of normalcy here in southern Wisconsin — if we don't get a freeze first.
My garden can be seen here:
http://eachlittleworld.typepad.com
I hope I can get online more often to check on everyone's blooms!
www.nancysgardenspot.blogspot.com
Thanks once again for hosting GGBD! What an interesting list you have - I love your sedums and Colchicums. Our gardens will be looking quite different next month - or will they :-D
I see you have visiting my contribution already!! Thanks for your kind comments :-D
Here's a link for anyone else that might like to hear about my September Blooms :-D
Things sure look different compared to last year. Even with our drought conditions last summer I had better looking blooms then.
--Curmudgeon
Microbial Lab September Bloom Day Post
http://cottagemagpie.com/gardening/blog/blooming-sep08.html
~Angela :-)