Seasonal Page: August: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! Page 3

Just when you thought you were done with Crocosmia, there's one more! This is a pretty large and colorful variety and I replaced it after losing one due to lack of attention (mainly, not getting it planted and leaving it in a pot over the winter...stress and soreness can do that to a person!). Hopefully, this one will not fall prey to a harsh winter. I don't know if you can really make out the colors in the throat from this photo, but they really are striking. If only the flowers faced up more, they would be perfect.

The next bunch of photos have two things in common...these plants all grow near the front entry and they all happen to be pink (actually...I lied...two of them are not, but they are still very soft in color). There's really too much pink and not enough contrast for my tastes near the entry at this time of year, but I haven't made it a priority to change that yet. I'm just grateful to have anything that will provide interest in August! (Complaining again...)

 

	This is the entry in August with the Heather coming into bloom. The variety is Calluna vulgaris 'H.E. Beale.' I cut it back severely this spring because it had sprawled over everything and it surprised me by coming back in an attractive way. I had my doubts! That Cousin "It"-like clump of grass is Carex 'Frosty Curls.' It looks more sage colored in the spring but is getting yellowed during this time of year. It will receive a major haircut in late winter.
I hope you can make out the detail on this close-up of Calluna vulgaris 'H.E. Beale.' Each little flower is doubled and looks like a tiny old-fashioned cabbage rose. Scanning this photo reminded me that I need to cut more of this plant to tuck into a dried arrangement. Heather is attractive dried, but each time the kids bump the arrangement, those little pink balls fall everywhere. I have a lot of bare stems where there used to be graceful sprays of pale flowers! Maybe treating with sealer will help slightly.
	Here's a bug's eye view of a small Heron's Bill...Erodium chrysanthum. The plant is suited to rock gardens because of its small size. Those flowers are probably about half an inch across and the height of the whole plant might be about 5 inches. It is easy to grow in our sand and makes a cute frontal plant or edging in the perennial border. I love gray plants and the crisp cut foliage on this one is always attractive.The flowers are slightly paler than in this photo.
Old fashioned hardy Fuchsias are easy to grow in our Zone 8 Northwest climate, but this is the one I prefer for its soft color and grace. It is called 'Maiden's Blush' and although you can't tell very well by the picture, the centers of the flowers are a soft lilac. The hotter and later in the summer it gets, the heavier it blooms. Ultimately, these get quite tall and sprawly, so give them room. They are easily grown from cuttings.
	I practically laid on the sidewalk to take this photo. A modest Ajuga flower looks pretty good to the eyes in the dreary month of August! The other leaves belong to those ubiquitous mauve Violets and a hardy Geranium (volunteer 'Lancastriense').

Not exactly a bumper crop, but I scared away some cute little birds while taking this picture. They love the tart fruits of Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum). We had better fruit set than last season, but still not what this plant is capable of. Notice in the background that some of the leaves are already turning color.
	Our little 4" Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' is progressing and makes a stunning combination with the blue spikes of Perovskia...even if it is flopping!
It seems to me they've changed the Latin nomenclature of this plant, but I'll always refer to it as Verbena bonariensis! The tiny florets practically glow in the dark and it is fascinating how these beacons of color seem to be suspended in mid-air by long, nearly leafless stems. This is a delightful addition to any garden. If given some open space, it will reseed itself nicely and never shades out its neighbors.
Kind of a contrasty picture, but I put it in anyway. I love these little Johnny Jump-Ups (Viola tricolor) in the softer shades of yellow and violet. Here, they have placed themselves near a small Catmint with charming results.

	Meanwhile...back in the North bed, the Rhododendron 'Hurricane' continues to sprout new leaves after being unceremoniously cut back with a pruning saw in June. Still not a lot showing on the other plant, but buds are breaking.
This is probably the third or fourth picture I've shown of the clusters on Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan Honeysuckle...shrub). The other bush is growing near the deck...this one is in the Ash Bed with a neighboring Achillea 'Coronation Gold.' I just saw a small bird eating these berries yesterday. He spent quite a bit of time jiggling the branches around in his attempt to pick them off. The ripe ones are quite squishy and almost black! During this hot weather, a bird could probably get a bit tipsy eating them!
	There are still a lot of unopened buds, but Aster 'Professor Kippenburg' is beginning to get some color, at long last. I tried to catch a photo of a Skipper on this plant a couple of days ago and if it turns out, I'll put it in later.
Stokesias have a beauty all their own. This one nearly died of neglect in a dry spot under an apple tree, but amazingly, it held out and I moved it when we reworked the bed (near the driveway). I hope next year it will show signs of increase and produce more flowers.
Flowers aren't the only beauties in the garden...what can compare to the bloom on a cluster of Italian Prunes? This was the biggest clump on the tree (sad little tree...but it still produces) and if the birds don't pick them all off, we'll be eating these by the first week of September.

	I showed this earlier in the season, but since it's still putting out flowers, I've included it again. It's a Salvia hians. This plant produces very large, hairy leaves which, when crushed, produce a fruity smell. The flowers each have a white marking on the lower lobe and when the Hummingbirds are with us, they love them. Alas...they departed over a month ago!
With a backdrop (and cushion!) of Sedum 'Autumn Joy', here's a photo of a small Fuchsia called 'Santa Claus' (could NEVER guess why!). If I gave it more water and feeding it would probably get taller...this plant never goes over 1.5 to 2 feet.
	A closer view of the opening florets on a head of Sedum 'Autumn Joy.' It looks like washed out Broccoli before the color begins and as the summer progresses into fall, these heads will go through stages ranging from pink to brick red. Even when they have gone to brown, the heads remain an attractive structure in the winter garden. You can't smell it, but these little flowers are very sweet and honeybees LOVE them (when we even have honeybees...sigh).
Another lovely Penstemon and one of my favorites! This is Penstemon 'Garnet' and I had to crawl over plants and contort myself to get this picture...should have turned the camera the other direction, but that probably would have been the straw... The little touch of lavender-blue showing behind is Aster frickartii 'Monch.' You can't have too many of those! Penstemons can be kind of temperamental, but this one continues to return for me year after year. I would grieve its loss if it didn't show up some spring...and promptly would get another!

	The first emerging Colchicum of fall. If you look closely, you can see some pointy pink buds coming up underneath. These come up in clusters and although a washy color, are a welcome sight in August to September. In the spring, long strappy leaves will come up and it might take you awhile to figure out what they are, since the flowers were long past and came up with no foliage the previous season!
The kids complain about green in flowers, but I love the many subtle shades represented in an aging Hydrangea head. This was cut from a bush at my sister's place and I can't tell you the variety except to say it is a Hortensia type.
While grooming in back, I accidentally broke off a Dahlia stem, so stuck it into the jar with the Hydrangeas. I love this picture except it would have been good if ALL the flowers were in focus. That blue Hydrangea to the left came from the same plant as the one shown above.

It took a bit of patience, but this Bumblebee finally worked his way around from the back to where I could snap a picture. The flowers are Caryopteris...a short shrubby plant that has brilliant violet-blue flowers. They are actually more colorful than you can appreciate from the picture.

Have I said recently how much I hate the month of August? My father died this month and it seemed fitting. I probably would have disliked it anyway just because I don't do heat very well...and from this photo you can see that our lawn doesn't either! This isn't a very good shot, but I took it so you could see the difference between the two halves of the Rose Frontal. I got the right side weeded this spring and mulched. The side to the left of the pointy evergreen still has grass and weeds. The Artemisia 'Powis Castle' is making a showing, but from here that's about all you can see! Hopefully, next spring will be a different story.

It makes me happy just to look at this little Skipper. I spent hours as a small child trying to catch these little guys while they were feeding on my mother's Marigolds (she would edge the back beds with them). Have you ever tried to catch a Skipper? They are very quick and extremely elusive! I seldom succeeded. Don't despair...I usually put them in a jar to watch for awhile and would eventually turn them loose. The Aster is 'Professor Kippenburg.'

This page last updated on September 3, 1998.

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