Saturday, August 6, 2016

August Slowdown



I think of this time of year as a lull in my garden. There is plenty that is blooming, however, for about 2-3 weeks already, and continuing for another 1-2 weeks, there isn’t much *change* in what is blooming.

The Coneflowers, Blue Thistles, Brown-Eyed Susans, Coreopsis, early Goldenrod, Pincushion Flower, and Balloon Flower have been blooming and will continue to bloom. The annuals including Cosmos, Balsam, Snapdragons, and Salvia are going strong. It’s not like spring where stuff pops up and fades away sometimes inside a week.




Here’s some Phlox, with Pincushion Flower in front and Goldenrod behind.

But, the things that are blooming are sure pretty and I love the riot of color. The bees and butterflies like the blooms also.




I’ve been seeing a number of Tiger Swallowtail butterflies such as this one above. This pic is through my front window.




The Monarchs have showed up, here enjoying my Butterfly Bush.




The bees are getting nipped up on everything! And, quite a lot of different types of bees. I don’t know what they all are, but they are fun to watch.




The big disappointment right now is how awful my Honeysuckle Vine looks! It is so mildewed that almost every leaf has fallen off. But, it is still sending out flowers! You can see one on the top of this pic. There is also one on the side (unshown). So, I know it is still alive, but it sure looks bad. What's going on in your garden?

2 comments:

  1. It's so beautiful! Can nothing be done about the Honeysuckle?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I have had this before, but this year is especially bad. I could more the plant to a sunnier spot (the tree behind it in the pic shades the vine in the afternoon). But, I don't really have a better place - for one thing, the arbor would also need to move. This vine is just off the patio and starts blooming early. I get many hummingbirds stopping by, and it is a perfect spot for me to watch them. It will - probably - perk up in September. I might consider trying the baking soda/oil spray next year.

      Delete