The Tired August Garden

I guess it's my own fault that my garden looks tired in August. I should plant more perennial flowers that bloom in late summer. I do use zinnias and dahlias for this purpose, but they're behind this year. Still, my garden is looking a little droopy right now. But I won't show you the weak spots. I'd rather hide behind the things that are doing well.

Zinnia bouquet

Cut and Come Again zinnias

Rain drenched lily

Sunflower gift from the birds

Tired or not, there are still plenty of bright spots if you look for it. It makes it easy to skip over the bare spots. My favorite part of late summer is to watch for the butterflies that hang out here. If you've followed my blog at all, you probably already know this about me. I never do get tired of watching for them.

First monarch spotted this year

Red Spotted Purple, not often seen nectaring on flowers

A ragged black swallowtail

Unknown skipper with his proboscis tightly curled

I do find that August finds the gardener herself to be tired also. It's too hot to be overly ambitious. It's not a good time to start any projects anyway. I do a little weeding and deadheading, that's all that really needs to be done. Even weeding is no longer a major task, because my beds have filled themselves in with plants, ground covers, and mulch. Normally watering would be a big task this time of year, but we're having a rainy summer. You have no idea how much I appreciate that!

Sunset hyssop with a visitor

Winter hardy dahlia

Karly Rose grass

Even though some of my garden is less than stellar this time of year, I can always count on my hydrangeas for late summer blooms. I only have three, but they are much loved. The newest one is Little Lime. It's a bit hidden, but it will get larger eventually. I also have Endless Summer hydrangea and Little Quickfire. Endless Summer doesn't bloom as reliably as it once did. Last summer I think it only had three blooms, but it's much more floriferous this year. It blooms on old and new wood, so I can't quite figure out the pattern. We've had mild winters that would not necessarily zap the old wood blooms, and still the blooms were weak. This winter was fairly mild, yet all old wood was killed, and I still have a much better bloom set. Little Quickfire is another story. It's only about three years old, and every year I get more and more blooms. I just love it! This was a trial plant given to me by Proven Winners, and it has lived up to that name. Caladiums make a nice companion to hydrangeas.

Little Lime hydrangea with caladium companion

Little Quickfire in foreground, Endless Summer behind, with more caladiums

Unknown Costco caladiums

Now that I'm speaking of a tired August garden, I see that it is only the perennials that are tired. I'm coming to realize that I use annuals to fill any perennial gaps this time of year. I suppose that's my own method of working around it. I'm not a perennial garden snob by any means! After all, annuals give you that bit of zing that can make a summer garden so stunning. I've noticed more compliments from the neighbors this year, so I must be doing something right.

Dragon wing begonia hanging basket 

Unknown Costco caladiums

Mandevilla, a summer must-have for me

First of my signature zinnias, Queen Red Lime

Sunflower gift from the birds

My patio is on the sunny south side of my house, and the only shade comes from an umbrella. We thought about adding a pergola or large cantilevered umbrella, but it would affect the sun loving plants I grow there. So we just make do. If it's not too hot, the umbrella gives just enough shade to enjoy a quick iced tea break during the day. But after dinner, the sun goes behind the nearby houses and we can fully enjoy our "veranda" time. With drinks and books at hand, I sit with my camera watching the birds comes and go. Petey the hummingbird doesn't like to pose, of course, but sometimes I get lucky. The house sparrows have filled the birdhouse again, and this is the most skittish mama bird I've ever seen. It will be a miracle if her babies get enough to eat, as it takes her a good 20 minutes or more to get up her nerve to bring her treat inside. She watches from afar for a long time, getting slowly nearer, alights on top, then scoots off, again and again. We keep a finch sock filled for the goldfinches, but when the coneflowers are around, they prefer them.

Hummingbird at rest, a rare sight! 

Skittish mama bird

Goldfinch on fading coneflowers

Tired or not, my summer garden still brings me so much joy. I grow it for my own enjoyment, but I had to admit that it pleases me to get such compliments from neighbors and friends. I'm trying to bring a little corner of sunshine to the world. And I think I've succeeded!

Lilies and friends

An exuberant corner

Cherry Cheesecake hibiscus

Sunset hyssop, Black eyed susans with bottle tree

Black eyed susans and plumbago

Resurrection lilies with companions