September Bloom Day

Once again, thank you to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Blogger's Bloom Day. Please visit May Dreams Gardens for this month's Bloom Day post and comments and visit the other blogs. You'll see some beautiful gardens.

I must confess I took these photos on the 14th, but I think the flowers are still there, don't you? Again, this month, I'm surprised at what I see blooming. I'm seeing very real signs of the move into fall, but after not being out in the garden for a while, I wasn't prepared to find some surprises.

I bought some Dahlia 'Roodkapje' because Ranter Michele at Garden Rant recommended them. What I didn't know, since I've always had such bad luck with dahlias, was how these things would bloom their heads off. This one has been in constant bloom for more than two months. I love their clear red flowers with their sunny yellow centers.

This spring, my Master Gardener friend Kathy gave me three passalong Leucanthemums of unknown variety. While they were nice sized, I didn't expect the quantity of bloom I got. I thought they were done blooming a week or so ago, but today I found this surprise. This is the last one.

I expected to see Rudbeckia fuldiga 'Goldsturm' blooming, and I wasn't disappointed. It's still in its nursery pot, but it will be going into the ground as soon as the drip irrigation system is here and we rework the border.

I also expected to see Echinacea purpurea 'Pink Double Delight,' because it was just coming into bloom when I brought it home several weeks ago. What I didn't expect was how much I was going to fall in love with its cheerful pink self.

One thing I did not expect to see was more bloom from Salvia 'Eveline.' I planted her in the early spring, when she was covered with bloom spikes. After they bloomed out, I trimmed them off. I was rewarded with a few more spikes in July. Again, I trimmed them off when they were spent. I thought that was it for the year, so imagine my surprise when I found this today.

Maybe I'm "cheating" to include these Ilex verticillata berries, but they are as beautiful as any blooms to me. Last year, even though I watered, the drought caused them to drop all their berries.  Since they'd been moved the year before and planted the year before that, they've never had more than a few berries. I'm thrilled with the crop we have this year.  Another story about these mystery winterberries.  They came from a wholesale nursery and were a bargain at $5.00 each. They were labeled Cornus alba 'Sibirica' which they obviously were not. I was happy to have them, and at such a bargain price, that I can tolerate not knowing the variety.

Here's another plant whose variety is unknown. This Solidago has been in my garden for a number of years. I think it is the prettiest Solidago I've ever seen, and I love the leaves - they are almost round. I meant to take a photo of the entire plant, but I got distracted by the "friend" on one of the flowers. I'm guessing this friend is some type of wasp. Anyone know just what type?

My last photo this month is another unknown variety. Sigh.  It's sedum, and it might be Neon and it might not. It was one of the first perennials I bought when I began gardening in ernest, about sixteen years ago. Needless to say, it is very prolific, and its progeny grace many of my friends' gardens. What I love about it is its bright pink color and that it blooms as many other plants are beginning to fade. Did I also mention it's a butterfly and bee magnet?

I still have a good many things blooming, although some of them are beginning to look tired.  Here's a partial list:

Heliopsis 'Summer Nights'

Echinacea 'Coconut Lime'

Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue'

Crocosmia 'Bright Eyes'

Boltonia asteroides 'Pink Beauty'

Sedum spurium 'Fuldaglut'

Dahlia Impression 'Fantastico'

Triteleia Corrina

Dragon's Wing begonia

unidentified little pink zinnias

tangerine calibrachoa

unidentified purple cuphea

Buddleia davidii 'Petite Plum' - and there nothing petite about it!

Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting my garden. Stop back by again soon! And don't forget to see the other lovely gardens by viewing the comments over at this month's bloom day post.

Comments

[Carol, May Dreams Gardens]

I really enjoyed this visit to your garden and your showcase of "the unexpected". I don't know what kind of wasp that is, but it looks busy on that Solidago. You've shown that many perennials will produce just a few more blooms later in the season, if you deadhead them or cut them back once that first flush of bloom is over.

Thanks for joining in for bloom day!

[joco]

What a lovely colourful collection you have put up for us to see.

That Salvia is something special; such a delicate lilac. And the Goldenrod is one I don't know and much nicer than my common one. I'm ignoring the wasp ;-)

I like the size of your pictures: just big enough so you don't need to click and enlarge.

Sorry to read that you have been poorly. Something like that takes a chunk out of your life.

[Racquel]

Gorgeous blooms Kim! I really like your Echinacea Pink Double Delight & Salvia 'Eveline'. Gorgeous shades of pink. Looks like you still have alot blooming in your September garden. I think the Ilex berries count with their vibrant red coloring. :)

[Frances]

Hi Kim, what crystal clear photos and the flowers aren't bad either. I love your blue wasp, so unique. I have several winter berry hollies, they do need a male pollinator, that I almost included with the bloom day post too. We didn't get any berries last year either, but they are loaded this year. Hooray! Love everything about your blog. Thanks for bringing me here with your comment!

Frances at Fairegarden

[gail]

Kim,

Hello! The Dahlia is indeed a gorgeous color, the red with the yellow center is a perfect duet. You may have discovered the best salvia out there, Eveline is a lovely blue and repeat-repeat bloom is rather exciting! Btw, your photos are excellent. Again, I am glad you are back! Gail

[Cameron (Defining Your Home Garden)]

Kim, I'm so glad that you visited my blog because I was able to follow you back to yours! You have gorgeous flowers! I'm going to add your blog to my blogroll so that I (and my readers) will be regular visitors here. Happy Gardening! Cameron

[Mr. McGregor's Daughter]

If I hadn't taken some of my photos on the 11th & 12th, I'd have had nothing but soggy looking mush. All your Daisies (& Daisy lookalikes) are beautiful. I especially like the Echinacea's petals with the fringed edge. Many years ago I used to be able to ID Solidago ulmifolia, S. altissima, S. nemoralis, & the zigzag one. (Can't remember the name anymore.) I'm wracking my brain trying to remember one with roundish leaves. Nothing's coming. Maybe later, when I'm doing something else it'll come to me. Whatever, it's a pretty thing.

[Mr. McGregor's Daughter]

If I hadn't taken some of my photos on the 11th & 12th, I'd have had nothing but soggy looking mush. All your Daisies (& Daisy lookalikes) are beautiful. I especially like the Echinacea's petals with the fringed edge. Many years ago I used to be able to ID Solidago ulmifolia, S. altissima, S. nemoralis, & the zigzag one. (Can't remember the name anymore.) I'm wracking my brain trying to remember one with roundish leaves. Nothing's coming. Maybe later, when I'm doing something else it'll come to me. Whatever, it's a pretty thing.

[Mr. McGregor's Daughter]

If I hadn't taken some of my photos on the 11th & 12th, I'd have had nothing but soggy looking mush. All your Daisies (& Daisy lookalikes) are beautiful. I especially like the Echinacea's petals with the fringed edge. Many years ago I used to be able to ID Solidago ulmifolia, S. altissima, S. nemoralis, & the zigzag one. (Can't remember the name anymore.) I'm wracking my brain trying to remember one with roundish leaves. Nothing's coming. Maybe later, when I'm doing something else it'll come to me. Whatever, it's a pretty thing.

[Victoria]

Hi, Kim, thank you so much for visiting my blog, which gave me the chance to come over here and visit. Your garden is GORGEOUS. You're too modest!
I don't even live in the States, so I hesitate to say this, but my son, who is a bit of a bug freak, reckons that wasp is a thread-waisted wasp. What looks like a sting on the end of its tail is actually for laying eggs, he says.

[Northern Shade]

Salvia 'Eveline' is a wonderful shade of lavender. It's always nice to have a re-rebloomer to extend the garden colour. Your red berries stand out against the green leaves. Have you skipped Autumn directly to Christmas?
I like to know exact varieties too. Curse those capricious labels, but a bargain evens things out.

[Mr. McGregor's Daughter]

I think the Goldenrod with roundish leaves might be Solidago rigida. I posted a photo of the leaves in my post "Little Class on the Prairie."