Showing posts with label Abelia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abelia. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

August Few Bloom Day

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

 

Today is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden Blog. Here in the northwest corner of Virginia, my Zone 6b garden continues to suffer from the drought that has affected the entire Shenandoah Valley this year. Other parts of the state have received some relief lately with summer storms, but the storms have brought only a little in the way of water for my garden. This August we are still short of even one inch of rain with half the month already past!

 

Another Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Lobelia 'Starship Rose'

 

The worst part is that with very little to browse in the forests, the wild creatures have been extremely voracious--both deer and rabbits have been making deeper inroads into my garden than ever before, leaving me few flowers to enjoy.

A newly planted Cardinal flower and the Lobelia 'Starship Rose' above had to be fenced off to protect them. After their tops got munched I could see that I'd have no flowers otherwise. The first photo is  of one tiny cardinal flower that mysteriously popped up in the front yard--I have no recollection of having planted it there, but perhaps it came with some bee balm that I'd transplanted from somewhere else.

 

My front yard.

The hardy begonias in the front yard have been decimated, I wonder if they'll have any flowers this year? The other plants along my front walk aren't exactly putting on a dazzling display, but there are a few exotic flowers among them, like my Cuban rain tree (Brunfelsia nitida) and the double Tuberoses in bud. I planted the Tuberoses last year, but they didn't bloom, and I'm waiting for the buds to open so I can inhale their lovely scent.

 

Cuban rain tree (Brunfelsia nitida) with a blossom.

Double Tuberose buds.
Salvias and tropical plants along the front walk.

Other parts of the garden are looking pretty sad. I usually have spectacular display of blue Lobelias this month, but this year most of the buds have been eaten by deer, and only a few have escaped.

 

Blue Lobelia (Lobelia syphillitica)
Blazing meadow star (Liatris ligulistylis)

 

Only one spike of the Blazing Meadow Stars came up this spring, but it got eaten down, and only a few flowers have re-sprouted. The newly-planted Liatris 'Kobold' was eaten back too; that hasn't re-sprouted at all. The Stella de Oro daylily buds were eaten, as were all my other daylilies. Only now is one flower spike of Stella starting to rebloom.

 

Stella de Oro daylily.

The potted plants on my porch and back deck are about the only ones the critters can't get to, and even they aren't exactly dazzling--just getting by, perhaps..


Hanging basket on porch.
Plants on the front porch.
Zinnias, orchids and begonias on the back deck.

 

A yellow 'Benary's Giant' Zinnia I planted from seed has started to bloom--one of the few that made it, most got eaten, probably by rabbits.


Zinnia 'Benary's Giant'

My Abelia 'Panoramic Color Radiance' has put forth one tiny flower spike, let's hope it will have a few more, but the plant's variegated foliage is so beautiful on its own, it may not need to flower.

 

Abelia 'Panoramic Color Radiance'

 

The new bed with the Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) grown from seed hasn't filled in yet, but there are a few plants in bloom. The ensemble with white salvia, mountain mint, a sedge and oat grass will look better as it fills in with time, and hopefully become a pollinator magnet.


White Salvia with sedge, slender-leaved mountain mint, oat grass and Anise Hyssop.

Tomato harvest.

 

This year the only thing that has flourished are my deck-grown tomatoes: Roma, cherry and yellow pear. Please pray for rain for our parched gardens in Virginia!

Sunday, August 2, 2020

High Summer

Monarch butterfly on Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligulistylis)


This July has been one of the hottest that I can recall in eight years, as well as one of the driest. The drought broke last week when a series of thunderstorms dropped much-needed rain--over one and a half inches! This was a blessing for the plants, and for the wildlife. Another overnight storm and a rainy day yesterday added more to the total accumulation.

A Monarch butterfly wafted in a few days ago and has been very taken by the Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligustylis) I planted this spring. Now that I see how much the butterflies love it, I'm buying more of this plant in hopes of attracting more of them. The Monarchs don't seem much drawn to the Asclepias tuberosa--although this is one of their host plants, it's not their preferred milkweed family host, Asclepias syriaca. In years past I've seen a number of Monarch caterpillars on my bushes, but I presume the birds ate the caterpillars before they had a chance to mature, since I never found any pupas or newly-hatched butterflies.

Ruby-throated hummingbird.


The Ruby-throated humming birds have been visiting regularly the 'Major Wheeler' red honeysuckle this summer, and the other morning I spotted one feasting on the flowers of the Bottle Brush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). That hummingbird was so covered in pollen that it looked as if it was yellow--unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photo of that, or of the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly that also loves the flowers of this native tree. This morning, however, one of the hummers perched on a dead branch of my small honey locust tree long enough to be photographed through my telephoto.


Abelia 'Panoramic Color Radiance'


The Abelia 'Panoramic Color Radiance' that I bought this past spring and planted in a pot, has grown very well and is currently blooming--a really lovely shrub, with its variegated green and white leaves and small white flowers. I have no idea yet where I'll end up planting it--it should reach 3 to 5 feet in height and width according to the tag information, but with such a delicate look, I need to select a site where it can be admired up close and not be too susceptible to deer attacks.

Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia syphillitica)
Great Blue Lobelia with Mexican feather grass.


The Great Blue Lobelia I planted a few years back in the east bed has multiplied very well, forming several nice clumps which are just starting to bloom. This native wildflower is spectacular when in full bloom! The Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima), native to the southwest, has also spread and formed clumps that make a beautiful backdrop to the Lobelias.

East side of the yard.

Overall, the plantings on this side of the house continue to develop, though the hydrangeas haven't produced much in the way of blooms this year, with the exception of the white 'Incrediball.' Two late frosts this spring are probably the reason--although 'Endless Summer' (with pink flowers) is supposed to bloom on old as well as new wood, it isn't doing much blooming thus far. I plan to put in another hydrangea in this area in the fall, an Oakleaf variety, though I haven't decided on the exact location.

Pentstemon 'Rosie Posie'

The Pentstemons I planted last fall are now blooming. I think the soft pink color on the grayish green foliage looks great, but I'd hoped that the hummingbirds would be attracted to these--it seems the color doesn't appeal to them, since I've yet to see even one bird exploring the nectar-rich flowers.


The long island bed in back.


The Black-eyed Susans are now in their glory in the long island bed below the deck, while the red 'Major Wheeler' honeysuckle takes a rest. The honeysuckle will probably re-bloom later on as the weather begins to cool off. I wonder what the dog days of August will bring?


Long island bed from the deck.