Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - September 2018

What better way to kick off September GBBD than with a picture of anenome 'September Charm'?! 

In the wee hours of Monday, September 10th....it rained. I mean, real, measurable rain. The kind that leaves puddles behind. Who knew I would need to celebate such a thing...but it hasn't happened since late May?

It is normal in the Pacific Northwest to have a summer dry spell, in the past it's been from July thru September, but this year the facet in the sky closed up with a tiny exception, in April. That is a long time to go without rain for a place that is 'suppose' to be mild and damp.

I've been keeping a regular watering schedule to keep the blooms fresh. I've added some plants that are more water wise and if this past summer is any indication of the changes to come for our region, I'll continue to modify my garden with more water-wise and pollenator focused plants.

Here are some plants that were a hit during the hot and dry summer...and are still blooming into September:

salvia 'Black and Blue'

Saliva 'Black and Blue' has been the best plant that I added to my front pollenator garden. I have never had so many hummingbirds visit the garden..and then just stay. I planted four of these beauties and they have pumped out the true, blue blooms all. summer. long. I'm trying to figure out where I can put more of these plants in. However, the real test will be in the winter months...will it winter over..unlike salvia 'Amistad', which suffers during our cold snaps.

I keep salvia 'Amistad' in containers. I winter them over in our garage. This has been a good way to keep most of the plants alive during winter. I'll try the same thing with salvia 'Wendy's Wish' this year. This salvia was new to my garden this year as well. I've been trying to incorporate plants that hummingbirds love. Salvia's are a hit with both the migrating 'Rufus' and year round resident 'Anna' hummingbirds.

salvia 'Amistad'

salvia 'Wendy's Wish'

Another plant the hummer's love and one that keeps pumping out blooms all summer long is agastache 'Apricot Sprite'. I also keep this one in containers as it wants well draining soil. I don't have a slope or loamy soil in my garden to place it in the ground. This agastache has lived in my containers for the past six years. I've had no problem keeping this plant going year after year. I'm quite partial to coral hues in the garden.

agastache 'Apricot Sprite'

The echinacea has bloomed all summer and keeps on going. Echinacea purpurea is a staple in my garden, but I also like some of the hybrids.

echinacea purpurea

 Delivering blooms as promised and providing a sweet scent, is lonicera japonica 'Halliana'. This honeysuckle was recommended by a fellow garden blogger and boy was she right! No aphids, just pretty white blooms that age to a buttery yellow and gently perfume.

Hall's Honeysuckle - lonicera japonica 'Halliana'

Summer blooming heath 'Firefly' is a four season favorite. Like, hands down the best four season plant I have. The foligage changes color each season and in summer, there is the additiion of tiny little purple blooms again the coral tipped foliage.

calluna vulgaris 'Firefly'

In the backyard, helenium is the plant that provides fantastic, summer long blooms. 'Mardi Gras' is a performer while 'Salsa' providese a pop of late season color.

helenium 'Mardi Gras'

helenium 'Salsa'

My summer garden would not be complete with our rudbeckia. I love the long lasting blooms and they continue until a hard frost.

rudbeckia 'Goldstrum'

Here are some blooms that pop up in late summer and bloom through frost. Below aster douglasii, a native to the Pacific NW, dots my backyard garden. I get more starts every year and transplant them around to get even more blooms. It is a wonderful bloom for bees in late summer.

aster douglasii - an PNW Native

One of the larger, late summer blooming anenome is 'Honorine Jobert'. This beauty stands tall, around 4 feet and sends up many white bloom, dotted with a green center and ringed in bright yellow. This anenome clumps nicely in my garden but can get expand quickly in ideal conditions. 

anenome 'Honorine Jobert'

Late summer blooms that pack a punch in the Rainy Day Garden are the hardy hibiscus. Below, hibiscus moscheutos 'Pink Clouds' has 12 inch wide blooms. I can't tell you how often I get compliments on these blooms.

hibiscus moscheuto 'Pink Clouds'

Hibiscus moscheutos 'Jazzberry Jam' has a shorter and more shrub like statue. The blooms get as big at 9 inches but are a bold shade of fuchsia pink.

hibiscus moscheutos 'Jazzberry Jam'

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is just starting to bloom and the bee's are loving it. I know, this is a plant that has been around the block, but this is the first year I've had it growing in the right conditions. It isn't falling over!! It's sturdy and frankly..exceptional at acting as a prop for the plants behind it. I need more. No. I need to completely redesign my pollenator garden to incorporate more. Yes. No. Yes. Hahaha!

Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

I have a few more plants that are blooming but here is where I'll leave this post. My crowing achievement. Inside, the plumeria cutting that I brought at the Hawaiian Botanical Gardens in March of 2017, bloomed. Can you believe it?!! I've never smelled such a spicey, sweet scent. This accomplishment outshines everything. I am the worst at growing plants indoors.  This is a triumph. 

Wishing everyone a happy Garden Blogger's Bloom Day! Join Carol at May Dreams Garden to find more Bloom Day posts.

Cheers, Jenni