What’s Blooming!

As I said yesterday, it’s been a little hot to work in the garden much except at the bookends of the day.  I did see a sign at one of the nurseries by our house that had 50% off perennials!  So, you know I had to check it out.

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They had a clearance on annuals and for some reason they had perennial agastache in annual pots for $2.  I am currently in love with that flower, so I picked up one of them.  And I got this Salvia to stick in the back for the hummers.

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I also got a columbine and a heuchera for the shade garden.  

I also figured I would try the shasta daisy.  For whatever reason, that is a flower that I like, but it doesn’t like me.  However, this one was only $3 so I figured I would try again:

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I really need to concentrate on shade plants now.  I have a giant flower bed to fill up!

The irises that I planted just a week ago actually are taking hold – all 3 of them. I was surprised at the early growth:

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That bodes well for them getting nicely established before winter.  Yay!  I can’t believe I am already excited about next year’s flowers.  😳

The cardinal flower:

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It’s such a beautiful color.  They talk about this as a hummingbird magnet and it’s true!  There were 2 of them on it today.  I have a couple other small cardinal flowers that didn’t bloom this year, so I will be set next year!

I seem to do really well with nurturing plants back from the dead or just regular plants, but I struggle with plants from seed. I planted some marigold and teddy bear sunflowers back in spring and they are so small still:

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Maybe by Thanksgiving they will be blooming.  🙄 

I cut my delphinium down after they were done blooming and now new growth and blooms are appearing:

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Enchanted Evening:

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For a first year bare root rose, there have been a lot of blooms. 

Last gasp of the lily:

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I am going to go back and look for more of these, which should be on clearance because they will be past bloom.  I wish I could just drop a bunch of money and buy whatever I want, but with so much space to fill, I have to get the biggest bang for my buck, even though it means patience for the first couple of years.

The hydrangea has the craziest huge blooms on it.  Check this out. My hand holding the bloom is splayed out and you can’t see it.

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I harvested some blooms for inside. I usually don’t bring in too many flowers from the garden because I like to leave them out there to last longer, but I will be pruning this anyway in the fall.  Of course, as soon as I brought in the bouquet and set it on the table, Pixie started chomping on it, so I have to put it out of reach.  This is why I can’t have nice things.

The rain came through last night and the weather will be just about perfect for a ride tomorrow. High of 80 and sunny.  Yay!  I sense a cupcake coming on 😀

7 thoughts on “What’s Blooming!

  1. debby

    I love that hydrangea. I’m the same about not usually cutting too many flowers, but I cut a few from that one for the same reason.

    So that second picture is a red salvia? I really like that flower. I”ll have to look for it next year. The blue ones do really well in my garden.

    I can’t remember if you’ve had columbines before. Have you had good luck with them? I had them for years (in pots) and they did great. Then when I started putting things in the ground, they self-seeded a lot, which was good, but this year they got mildew (in our dry drought) and I cannot get rid of it. I’m going to get some stuff next spring and start in right away. Its also on my flowering almond, which is irritating.

    Have a fun ride tomorrow. Its very fun watching your garden progress. Oh, what heuchera did you get?

    1. Lori Post author

      The salvia is a little different than the usual kind you see at the nurseries. It’s called Lady in Red. It’s actually a tender perennial to Zone 7, so just for kicks I am going to mulch the heck out of it and see what happens. I doubt it can survive our brutal winters, but you never know.

      My heuchera is Birkin. I want more of the ones with really colored foliage, but geeze these are expensive plants.

      I have not had columbines before. I have always wanted them, but never had space. Now I do 😀

  2. deb

    Aaaahh Jinx … the same reason I can’t have nice things… of the plant variety that is…lol Love seeing your photos!! Hugs! deb

  3. Fran

    I don’t know much about gardening but I do know that you mustn’t prune a hydrangea in Autumn but in Spring. We have our gardener doing our garden once a year and I have asked him once when to prune them and he said Spring. I would look it up if I were you.

    Besides that: it all looks beautiful as always.

    1. Lori Post author

      Pruning depends on the type of hydrangea you have. Some you only prune in the spring, some you can do at other times. Mine can be pruned in the fall or spring. Just not in summer because it flowers on new growth.

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