Late Summer Garden

Some areas of my garden are definitely suffering right now as we are in desperate need of rain. I love summer, but even I am tired of the heat this year. Months of mid- to upper-90s, not to mention the constant high humidity which puts the heat index well over a hundred most every day, and very little rain have taken a toll this summer but there are a few areas that I have managed to keep watered, including a lot of containers. (I’ll be rethinking just how many containers I have next year.) Click photos to enlarge.

-

^ A grouping of containers. Look how big the purple fountain grass is! I have it in a large container underplanted with silver dichondra. The other containers have annuals including verbena, marigolds, african daisy, angelina, bubble gum supertunias, dusty miller and black pearl pepper.

-

-

^ Flower bed above gazebo (Ignore the crispy sparse grass)

-

-

^ More containers on the patio, including fuchsia,
coleus, petunias, wandering jew and impatiens.

-

-

^ Spring bulb bed overplanted with annuals and containers, including elephant ears, dark purple alternanthera, red sunpatiens, red dragonwing begonias.

-

-

^ Gorgeous Persian Shield plant with impatiens in the secret garden. This one gets partial sun and the color is much more intense than the ones that get more sun in the patio and gazebo flower beds.

-

-

Agastache Heatwave
^ Love this plant, except that it is almost SIX’ TALL! I am definitely going to have to cut this clump back earlier next year, or move it to another area. I had no idea it got this tall. I have it tied up after it flopped during a storm.

-

-

  
^ Edge of patio and tiered container, includes perilla magilla, persian shield, impatiens, ferns, wandering jew.

-

  
^ The garden arch on the bridge over the creek is new this year. I wanted something (besides morning glory) that would cover the arch quickly and planted scarlet runner beans here in early July. The vines have already covered the arch. Creekside plantings include profusion zinnias, begonias, torenia, marigolds, coneflowers and more.

-

  
^ Gazebo bed with varieaged caryopteris, black pearl peppers, dusty miller and marigolds. The black pearl peppers are ripening to a bright red now. I’ll have plenty of seeds this fall!

-

-

  
^ (L to R) Creekside planting with lantana and profusion zinnias, torenia, forget me nots, black eyed susans, daylilies – Another view of the gazebo and slope bed – Perilla Magilla, one plant fills a huge space

-

  
^ (L to R) Crape Myrtle still blooming – new small water feature bought on clearance recently, to be used in flower bed next year with seating area – hanging baskets of petunias and supertunias in the August heat

-

-

How’s your garden doing during these hot days of August?

-

-