6 on Saturday – 10AUG2024

Chris Mousseau

Remnants from another hurricane – Debbie, she was called – made it very wet in Eastern Canada yesterday. Happily, I took a few photos of the garden on Thursday so that I might join Jim at Garden Ruminations for Six on Saturday. I’ll start off with a few splashes of red – nice for hummingbirds and pleasing to the human eye as well. The hardy Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Lord Baltimore’ with its large tropical looking blooms and a plain red Pelagorium contrasting with golden yellow Rudbeckia fulgida.

Also red are ripening tomatoes like these cherry toms still on the vine, and a few of my San Marzanos I discovered in the grass clover, likely a gift from marauding raccoons or squirrels.

Almost red is this gone wild Black Eyed Susan Vine – Thunbergia alata – that I planted in a tall glazed pot. I’ve had them before but never before has one been so vigorous. It won’t survive the winter, thankfully, They come with various coloured flowers in shades of yellow and red.

Lupins have done their bit and finished blooming many weeks ago – except for this one, which is not only late to the party but also wanted to show off a bit by splitting its single flower stalk into three. Interesting, eh?

The skies cleared a bit early in the evening yesterday, and as I was out and about in the County I spotted a Joe Pye Weed – Eutrochium purpureum – with enormous flower heads. Everything about my clump is much smaller, but it does seem to be enjoying this rainy summer. Interesting how so many flowers that bloom in mid to late summer have these fuzzy bits – I’m thinking Liatris, Ironweed….

Finally, another gladiola – because I really love this mauve colour. Happy Weekend everyone!

24 Comments

  2. Amazing Hibiscus color!! Thunbergias are great plants….if you put it near something…maybe a trellis, it can get to be 8′ or longer & you’ll see the flowers better. I have one w/ pink & yellow flowers this year. You actually have red tomatoes! I picked 3 orangy cherry tomatoes this am, beating the chipmunks, ha, ha. Isn’t it nice when the wildlife pre-tastes so many tomatoes…just to make sure they’re safe to it, I think. Lovely Gladiola color!

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  3. Is the primary stem on that Lupin flattened? I’d suspect fasciation, although it may only be a different genetic variation. The Hibiscus moscheutos is pretty, but it just feels ‘wrong’ to see it in that color — like when my mother would mess with my favorite recipe just because she could.

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  7. I grew Thunbergia alata a few years ago and it was such a delight, I really should try some again. Annuals haven’t done so well here this year, in fact I have lost a lot of plants to the wet and the S&S.

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      1. Had to look that up. Thankfully not found in the UK, but they are in Europe. It’s bad enough with S&S, lily beetles, earwigs, vine weevils, saw fly! It’s a wonder we get anything flowering.

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  9. Oh, I forget about Joe Pye Weed. Does it grow wild, or was it grown intentionally? It was actually grown as a cut flower in the middle of the 1980s. I have not seen it since then though.

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      1. It is now an old fashioned cut flower from the big and garish floral design of the 1980s. Like goldenrod, it is one of those flowers that is common in the East, but never seen here outside of the cut flower industry years ago.

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