Garden Journal August 9, 2009

More warm sunny weather with a little rain (and some irrigation) continue to make both plants and gardeners happy. The arrival of new blooms in the garden has slowed significantly and many plants are nearing the end of their summer display but the annuals are kicking in and providing color.

The prettiest area in the garden right now is outside our kitchen windows where we have a birdbath, and three feeders featuring different kinds of food to attract a variety of birds. We have planted the area with several different grasses and some other plants that we think give a prairie look: black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’, both pink and white) and coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ and ‘White Swan’).

My summer phlox (Phlox paniculata) are finally hitting their stride. The white phlox ‘David’ has been blooming a long time and is a real trooper. It is quite disease resistant and remains vigorous even when it is afflicted with mildew late in the season.

‘Geraldine’s Dream’ is a Farmer’s Market find with a long bloom time and hot pink flowers, described by others as ruby red.

My favorite is ‘Bright Eyes’. It has been in one of my gardens for fifteen years and I would not be without it. It too is mildew resistant and has a long bloom time, although not as long as ‘David’.

‘Little Laura’ was a find at the Farmer’s market and has been a sturdy, front of the border member of my phlox collection. At less than 24” it combines short stature and vivid violet flowers. I especially like it with the blue-green foliage of rue (Ruta graveolans)

The lantana ‘Citrus Blend’ from Proven Winners Luscious series loves the heat and is growing vigorously in the formal garden. I paired it with a common marigold both with round flowers in a combination of oranges and reds but differing in size.

I paired a yellow varietaged lantana with ‘Golden Sword’ yucca (Yucca filamentosa) and black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’)

This huge yellow dahlia came from a big box store and has thrived in my garden. When I planted it I didn’t take into account that the flowers would face the sun and so I am now forever looking at its backside when I am in the garden.

In the white border the delicate white species lily (Lilium speciosum album) made its appearance just as the pale torch lily ( Kniphofia uvaria ‘Candlelight’) rebloomed.

The variegated lirope with its companions, lamb’s ear and variegated boxleaf euonymus, edge a section of the white border near by.

The leaves of canna ‘Wyoming’, create a reddish purple background for Salvia farinacea  ‘Victoria’ and red celosia.

The star of the rose garden is the hybrid tea ‘Pope John Paul’. It is covered with flowers right now after a long recovery period from the hard winter. We didn’t think it would come around, but it has and is covered with blooms.

The flowers are fragrant and we often cut them and bring them inside to enjoy them up close.

The ‘mini with the mostest’ this week is the pink ‘Cupcake’. The bush is covered with inch sized flowers.

The buds look like hybrid teas when they start to open.

The flowers open almost flat and reveal layers of small fluffy petals.

As Meryl Streeps new movie comes out so does my floribunda rose ‘Julia Childs’. My ‘Julia Childs’ is very fragrant and one blossom will perfume a whole room.

Humm…. I think I’ll go cut some roses for the house.