Today's Combinations

Today was a bit bright for photos but I keep pushing myself to collect more late summer/early fall images. Once the fall really comes upon us it's easy to be inspired to shoot those amazing colors but is always seems that this time of year I tend to neglect my photography.

This is the standard view up one side of my driveway bed. I meant to take the photo from the second floor window for more depth. Hopefully I will remember to do so tomorrow.

I really like this combination of the bright yellow Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' and the variegated Cornus alba 'Ivory Halo (variegated dogwood shrub).

I've shown photos earlier of the hardy begonias in my garden. This one spot has a white variety that I bought many years ago. Unfortunately it is not at all as vigorous as the pink variety and all I have is this little piece. I will have to watch carefully that the Sedums don't bulk up too much and crowd it out.

Here's a nice little corner. Lots of pretty foliage, Sedum 'Frosty Morn' is just about to come in to bloom and the amazing chartreuse Liriope "Pee dee gold" is also just sending up it's simple flowers. If you ever see this Liriope for sale, grab it! I've only seen it once and never have I seen it in any other garden other than mine.


Just so you can see how lovely this Liriope is, I zoomed in a bit closer. Here you can see it paired with Ajuga 'Burgandy Glow', one of my most favorite planned combinations this year.

Remember, don't stop taking those pictures!

Melanie

Bumblee Magnets

Bzzzzz, this is a two part post. First of all, there are bees all over the garden! This is good news to me (and to all the rest of you too). Tonight I could have counted over 100 bees in just a few minutes by visiting some of the Sedum blooms.

Now here's a question. I'm quite familiar with the big fat bumble bee, is the smaller (less fuzzy) bee here a honey bee?

Another plant that has been a total bee magnet is Agastache (anise hyssop). There's actually two varieties in my front border. This one is 'Black Adder'. It has a darker bloom and the most delicious peppermint scented foliage you could imagine.

What's most interesting is how very long these Agastache bloom. I took this photo on July 11th.


This photo was taken on July 30th. This is a clump of Agastache 'Blue Fortune' which has been more floriforous in my garden but the foliage isn't as scented as the 'Black Adder'.


Here's another view point, looking up the garden bed. I planted these hyssops last year, for some reason I don't think they are long lived. I have been reading that they self seed and I do hope that it the case. If not, I will be buying them again and again because I really do love them.

Here's 'Blue Fortune again'. What's the difference? I took this photo today, September 3rd. Now that's what I call "bloomability'. Best of all, not one single stalk on either of these plants has flopped.

Still weeding like a lunatic out there, starting to finally see some results. I will be open for business on Saturday so tomorrow I will really be going insane. Hope my hands hold out! They are pinched, sore, cracked, dirty and now I've got mosquito bites to take my mind off my wasp sting. Don't-cha just love this gardening? I do!!!

The picket fence

Would it surprise you if I told you I don't know that much about annuals? Well, the truth is I probably know more than any non gardener but I don't know nearly as much about them as I do about perennials.

This photo was taken on Sunday, it's a sidewalk in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Anybody who has read my old posts would know that I loathe white vinyl stockade fence but give me a white picket fence and I'm in heaven.

The good news is these are fairly simple annuals for me to identify. There's impatiens, vinca and on the far right is the lovely Persian shield (with the horrendous botanical name of Strobilanthes dyerianus).

Oh no, I'm having a total senior moment. I know the name of this annual, I knew it when I took the picture, I knew it when I put it in my computer and now of course I can't for the life of me remember it. Any clues???

Here's a view taken closer to ground level. Isn't it a lovely color combination?

Finally, a close up of the Strobilanthes. I've never grown Persian shield in any of my planters but I'm totally sold on it now and will have to remember to get some next year.

For the past three days I've been a weeding fiend, filling huge barrel loads of weeds and hauling them off to the woods. This morning I was stung by a wasp, it was the first sting of the season (I never wear perfume specifically for this reason). Phooey, it itches like crazy right now.

Off to work on my website, if you haven't seen it yet it's at www.melaniesperennials.com
Melanie