My August Blooms: The Big Picture

Yesterday, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, it rained here. The deluge started the previous day, and before last evening our rain gauge (four-and-one-half inches) overflowed. I did not take bloom-day photographs in the rain. I took pictures a day late, and to make matters worse, the zoom/macro feature on my camera doesn't work since I dropped it last week. Consequently, today there are no macro photos of flowers, but just the 'big picture' of my August blooms.

Although the garden was rather wet when I stepped out onto the back porch this morning, I welcomed the cooler temperatures the rain brought. I am glad to see there are blooms-a-plenty in my hanging baskets and planters.

My favorite tea-pot planter is shown bottom-right, filled with coleus.

Stepping off the porch, I see the viburnum I planted in the spring enjoyed the extra long drink it just received. It grew a little, and while not very big yet, I have great hopes for it growing large enough to hide the ugly pasture fence.

Viburnum (bottom front)

I head toward the Woodland Walk with my poor, broken camera. The Grass Garden looks healthy. The Turks' cap lilies have finished blooming and the Chinese lanterns already cast their Hallowe'en glow.

Zebra grass, Chinese lanterns, Autumn Glow sedum, ladies' mantle and Turks' cap lilies.

Chinese lanterns glow under a canopy of zebra grass.

In the Woodland Walk the only bloom I find is a small, white foxglove.

The goldenrod is budding, but no flowers.

Four paths in the Woodland Walk are named for grandchildren. This one, Calvin Court, is named for a nephew.

In the shade garden, the turtlehead is opening its first pink blooms.

Turtehead Chelone 'Hot Lips'

I find some flowers blooming in the pond garden as you can see by today's lead picture. On closer inspection I see liriope is blooming on the water's edge.

Liriope 'Big Blue'

The water lilies have not opened their petals this early in the morning.

In the beds around the pond there are still some colorful blooms: butterfly bush, daylilies and zinnias strut their stuff.

Butterfly Bush Buddleia Dividi and Daylily Hemerocallis 'Chicago Apache"

The beautiful annual, Cleome, is at its best following the rain.

Spider Flower Cleome and Butterfly Bush

I fill some of the gaps when perennials decline with pots of zinnias and canna lilies.

One of my most reliable plants, and a beautiful groundcover, the perennial geranium is still lovely.

Cranesbill, Perennial geranium

A crocosmia adds a vibrant shot of red to the rose garden.

Montbretia Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

Many of the purple cone flowers have gone to seed, and the goldfinches love them. They visit my garden regularly during the day. They always fly away, however, before I can get a picture.

Purple cone flower Echinacea purpurea

The picket-fence garden that borders the kitchen garden is very colorful with purple obedient plant, yellow black-eyed Susan, and red roses.

The 'volunteer' pumpkins growing out of the compost bin have turned orange already.

I planted zinnias and marigolds in the kitchen garden. Look how high the corn is in the lower field, now.

Marigolds at the back, and beets at the front of this raised bed.

The peas and beans are finished, but there are still flowers and fruit on the squash plants, although I don't believe I've had as many zucchini as usual this year.

I check out the dill seed heads for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, but none this year.

Next, I check the milkweed. Wow! I am elated to find my first monarch caterpillar. I am so.o.o excited! I planted the milkweed especially for this purpose, and I am delighted it payed off so quickly. I wish my macro was working, but I manage to get an acceptable picture.

Feeling very happy, I pick a bunch of cottage-garden flowers and carry them to the Woodland Walk. As there are few blooms there, I decide to cheat a little, and place a vase in my favorite seating area.

Obedient plant, black-eyed Susan, zinnias, and roses add color to the Woodland Walk.

I am a day late, but I am going to head over to Carol's wonderful blog, May Dreams Gardens, and check out what is blooming in gardens all over the world. Happy belated Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Pamela x