August 2010 Bloom Day: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Frequently all in the same plant ... it constantly surprises me how plants can have the most beautiful blooms and look like frass* otherwise.  We've reached that point in summer weather where both the garden and the gardener are all showing the strain of being subjected to too much heat and too little rain. I've started to question our abilities to make it through permanently unscathed, which is my usual August state of mind here at Wit's End.  It's reassuring in an odd kind of way to know that I'm back where I've been so many times before and to remind myself that I still had a garden each time the summer came to an end.  46 more days of awful to go ... I made it through last summer and the summers before ... I'll make it through this one, too.  

And now, for your viewing pleasure, some of the blooming beauties on my corner of Katy.



Comments

Hey Cindy,
Your plants look great! You can hardly tell they are suffering through August. I'm going to have to look into getting some peruvian pavonia and bauhinia mexicana for my garden. Your echinacea are doing well, mine are not. Not sure why, but some have not bloomed at all while others just had one or two pitiful blooms.
Anonymous said…
Even with the heat and lack of rain, it looks so festive and colorful, Cindy! What would we do without Zinnias! (And roses. Heritage is mighty fine.) :-)
Frances
Anonymous said…
It is surprising how many blooms you have in spite of that heat. Stay indoors with a good book!
Cute Rudbeckia! It's good to see Tina Turner strutting her stuff after her setback this spring. And the Turk's caps and Duranta are just fantastic! I love how you combined the 'Heritage' rose with a grass, nice contrast in form & color.
Cindy, MCOK said…
Hey, Melissa, don't buy the Pavonia. It reseeds very freely and I'll be happy to give seeds and/or seedlings. Most of my Echinaceas are self-sown and I've found that transplants don't do as well for me. That White Swan is one of several I bought a few months ago in 4 inch pots. They've been a real disappointment.

Frances, it really amazes me how much bad weather plants can stand here. I just adore Heritage.

Layanee, I've been doing nothing but reading in the afternoons. It's getting to be less of a pleasure and more of an inevitability!

MMD, Tina is not as floriferous as in past years. But I really did think I'd lose her so I'm grateful for whatever blooms she displays!
Anonymous said…
Looks beautiful to me Cindy. Frass is just about what August looks like. Hang in there.
Cindy, MCOK said…
Dee, honey, I'm hanging ... some days it feels like I'm doing it by a thread!