This Week in the Garden – September 21

The fall plants are starting to bloom now, as more and more leaves start dropping from the trees.

Several more sedums are blooming now, including this white flowered variety in the lower garden.

This dark pink variety is also in the lower garden.

This white sedum with variegated leaves (green and white) is at the top of the steps near the driveway.

This pink sedum in the side yard is quite pretty, and below is the same sedum a week later.

It’s neat to see the flowers start out light, and turn much darker as they age.

There are so many little pockets of this all around the yard- I think it will grow just about anywhere.

That’s the last sedum picture in this post I swear. This one is up by the mailbox. So far, I’ve counted no fewer than 9 different varieties.

Some other fall-loving plants include this Artemis called ‘Powis Castle’ growing in the front side yard. It will just continue to grow and grow until the first hard frost. Last year it was at least twice the size of this by the end of the season.

This goldenrod is blooming out of a pot in the side yard next to the house. I’m surprised it’s doing so well considering most of the plant is shaded by the Harry Lauder’s walking stick bush.

This tall, purple daisy-like Aster also gets a fair amount of shade during the day- but the bees love it. Right now the tallest stem is over five feet tall.

Here’s a close-up of the flowers. Very dainty. And very similar to this other, white daisy-like Aster.

I love how this looks in the veggie patch- like little white stars, spreading out and enveloping the dying stalks of summers bloom.

I sat and watched them, as giant bumblebees came and landed on each head, not missing a single flower. The weight of each bee would weigh down the flower, bowing and bobbing as if to say ‘Yes, come take what I have to offer.’

Also in the veggie patch, Painter’s Palette, a.k.a. Persicaria virginiana, a.k.a. knotweed, is blooming. I could not get a really close-up shot of the tiny little red buds, and this is about the best I could do (with my current equipment).

Just one aside, because it’s also in the veggie patch- these San Marzano tomatoes are still growing. I hope to get some more before the animals do.

The Japanese anemone is still blooming quite nicely, with lots more little buds waiting to open.

The tree-ivy shrub is also putting out it’s “blooms” right now. This plant is like regular ground ivy on steroids- except it doesn’t take over everything. It can’t really climb because the leaves and vines are so heavy, but you can stake it or tie it. In my garden, someone has trained it through and around an old fence post, so it’s taken on a nice shape.

I sometimes forget about this plant, and others on the far side of the bed because they aren’t usually as visible. As I was going around the other side, cleaning up, I noticed another marsh rose hibiscus that had bloomed (that I missed).

And now for plants that are STILL flowering after a couple of months!

I though the purple coneflowers (rudbeckia) were done for the season, but this one popped up this last week. I love the color and wish I had more blooms on this plant- but I think it might not get quite enough sunlight in its current location.

The bell flower, which first arrive in early summer I think, is now back with some last minute flowers.

This unidentified plant that I featured in the last ‘This Week in the Garden’ post is still going as well- I think I have figured out that it is in the Dianthus family. I thought I might have a tag for it in the box, but I could not find it.

I still have plenty of flowering volunteer impatiens, and these are in the lawn. You can also see a baby fern starting to grow too. Too bad ferns aren’t hardy enough to walk on, otherwise I would encourage them everywhere…

This pink garden phlox is still going too. I’ve already prune back most of the dead and dying stalks on the plants that didn’t bloom this year. I am hoping to have SO many phlox flowers next year by staying more vigilant, and doing what I have to keep the phlox bugs down.

Not flowering, but I’m including it just because I think it looks so cool- is this hairy moss.

One last thing I’m sharing this week is that I’ve repotted the Angel Wing Begonia, Sophia.

I had it down in the lower garden, in the tall pot at the base of the bench. It looked great, but I want to keep it alive over the winter- which means it needs to be in a pot. I also never saw any flowers on it this year, and I think it may have been a little too darkly shaded. I bought this awesome stone glazed pot at Ollie’s for about $5.

‘Sophia’ will probably spend a couple of years in this pot- and will spend the winter indoors, in our brightly lit family room.

Stay tuned as more fall flowers are coming soon…