joene's garden » anemone

Rainy Connecticut for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

joenesgarden — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:47:58 +0000

With my Connecticut gardens receiving soaking downpours – pushing three inches of rain since early yesterday morning – I have some soggy additions to the August 2011 Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Carol, at May Dreams Gardens hosts this garden-fest on the fifteenth of each month so garden bloggers from all over the world can share what's blooming in their gardens.

Gomphrena and ageratum happily soak up the rain.

Autumn Joy sedum will soon burst into pollinator-attracting blossoms.

But phlox blossoms are putting on their final show.

The classic white zinnia I started from seed are off to a late start but that's okay … they will brighten the beds during late summer/early autumn.

Hydrangea paniculata and buddleia would have a flurry of bee and butterfly activity if not for the rain.

Just two days ago I caught the morning sun glinting off of the last of my Hemerocallis Hyperion. With such a sweet lemony scent, I hate to see it go.

The new-to-my-garden Knock Out Rosa 'Radyod' has lived up to its promise to bloom all season. It took just a brief flowering break in July after delighting me with many flowers during early summer. More buds stand ready to open after this flower fades.

Most of the Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer' blossoms – an Endless Summer selection – have shaded to their late summer purple-blue tinge. But one large blossom shows off the early summer blue and the late summer tint.

One of my favorite blossoms, scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue', has flowered since late spring. Deadheading is the key to keeping this perennial in steady bloom.

Some flowers of an unknown variety of variegated hydrangea macrophylla still look fresh and cool blue.

And, in spite of leaf-nibbles from hungry … and unwelcome … deer, plus weather fluctuations from hot and humid to cool and soggy, anemone blossoms started opening a week or so ago and will … Mother Nature willing … continue into September.

That's it from my zone 6a Connecticut gardens. Be sure to visit May Dreams Gardens to enjoy what other garden bloggers' have shared.

Categories: Bloom Day, Gardening, Perennials & Annuals.
Tags: ageratum, anemone, buddliea, daylily, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, gardening in Connecticut, gomphrena, hydrangea, rose, scabiosa, sedum, zinnia.

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Flowers surviving in dry, dry conditions

joenesgarden — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:16:16 +0000

My August 2010 gardens are parched in spite of regular watering. Still, on this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day there's color to be found in my south central Connecticut gardens.

Cosmos and Grandpa Ott morning glories (ipomea) revisit every year.

Echinacea and anemone are August stand-bys.

Zinnia angustifolia dance with lavender and coleus.

Browsing deer have finally left perennial sweet peas to bloom and a bee shows his hind end while engrossed in a pumpkin blossom.

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, eggplant, and beans are calling for harvest and even our lack of rain doesn't keep raspberries from promising a prolific late summer crop.

A look back to August 2009 shows more in bloom last year in my gardens. This year the double lilies are scorched from the heat and done blooming, phlox are looking tired, and Endless Summer hydrangea long ago declared an end to their fresh blue blooms by turning shades of purple and green.

And in looking back I found the subject of my next GOOPs – Gardening Oops – post. Visit again on September 1 to read the next in my series of GOOPs. As a long-term gardener I'm not afraid to admit my faux pas or to share them with you. If you're up to admitting one of your gardening mis-steps, come back September 1 to share it with me and fellow GOOPs posters.

Now, however, head to May Dreams Gardens for more delicious photos of gardens in bloom this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Categories: Bloom Day, Gardening, GOOPs-Gardening Oops.
Tags: anemone, coleus, cosmos, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, gardening in Connecticut, gardening oops - GOOPs, morning glory, purple coneflower, squash blossom, sweet pea, zinnia.

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Late bloomers - Anemone

joenesgarden — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:48:44 +0000

Spring and early to mid summer are filled with so many blooming plants and shrubs – it's an explosion of color. By late summer, though, many gardeners are searching for some fresh blooms. There are perennial stand-bys – echinacea, Black-eyed Susan, agastache, an occasional lavender or day lily re-bloom, phlox, scabiosa – which, depending on rainfall and temperature extremes, may or may not offer color. And in my gardens I still have annuals - petunias, gazania, verbena, salvia, heliotrope, gerbera, morning glories, moonflowers, cosmos, and impatiens – showing off among coleus, dusty miller, petite licorice, and Tricolor and Marguerite sweet potato vines.

But during late summer, new blossoms are always welcome and a few – hydrangea and late blooming stonecrop sedum such as these in the photos to the left and right, plus other stand-bys like sweet autumn clematis, asters, and Rose of Sharon - really stand out.

One of my favorite late summer bloomers is Anemone (commonly known as windflower). In my south-central Connecticut garden, this perennial begins blooming in late August and often continues blooming until frost. Both white and pink flowering anemone offer fresh color in otherwise tired looking beds. My main planting sits in front of a rhododendron bush and receives about 6 hours of sunlight during the peak of summer.

The leafy portion of the plant (shown below) grows about 3 feet high, but the blossoms reach up to 5 and 6 feet. I planted some of the many anemone babies from the mother plant in an area that receives much less sun and has poor soil, and while this planting is shorter (1-2 feet tall), it still produces many blossoms in what would otherwise be an uninteresting location. Deer occasionally nibble on the leaves and blossoms, but in my yard they have not yet completely defoliated the plant.

Consider anemone when seeking ways to brighten up late summer beds. If you have a spot where anemone can spread – which it does via underground runners – let it go. Otherwise be sure to dig or pull out these runners each spring to keep the plant in check. Without control my anemone would easily overrun neighboring clematis, foxglove, and iris. Still, the late summer blossoms make this springtime chore well worth the effort.

Categories: Gardening, Perennials & Annuals.
Tags: anemone, hydrangea, late summer bloomers, sedum.

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-a tardy entry

joenesgarden — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:48:21 +0000

September 16, 2006 – and birthday wishes to my first-borne. Yesterday was Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day; a monthly event originated by May Dreams Gardens when garden bloggers post whatever is blooming in their gardens for everyone else to see. Travel and some computer issues (lost many photos including those of my peegee hydrangea) kept me from posting yesterday but - better late than never – here's what's blooming in joene's garden.

Moonflowers are in full glory.

I planted about six vines in a large pot, gave them 6-foot tall bamboo poles to climb, watered regularly, and wound the vines around each other to create the pot of moonflowers in the photo on the right. Here the tender vines are safe from munching deer.

Anemones begin blooming in August and continue till frost.

Butterfly bushes also bring late color.

Bees love sedum and late blooming coneflowers.

Hummingbirds love morning glories.

Cosmos, phlox, scabiosa.

Ageratum, salvia, and tropical hibiscus.

Other bloomers include Black-eyed Susan, many grasses and annuals, hydrangea, other phlox, a yellow daylily that's putting out a second burst of color, garlic chives, bush beans, eggplant, cucumbers, and a volunteer sweet autumn clematis I rescued after two - perfectly centered in front of my front porch - plants succumbed to the jaws of some unknown underground creature.

Categories: Bloom Day, Gardening, General, Perennials & Annuals.
Tags: ageratum, anemone, coneflowers, cosmos, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hibiscus, moonflowers, morning glories, phlox, scabiosa, sedum.

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