6 on Saturday – 07SEP2024

Chris Mousseau

I know I say the same thing every year, but it’s hard to believe summer is drawing to a close. It seems like just a few weeks ago I was planting glads, dahlias and Crocosmia (which, BTW, didn’t bother to send up even a single flower spike), yet almost everything that was meant to sprout and/or bloom this year has come and, for the most part, been brilliant. I’m still expecting a few more things to add colour to the autumn garden (aside from changing foliage hues, or course), but here’s what’s blooming right now. To see six things in gardens around the world, pay a visit to Jim’s site, Garden Ruminations.

This Gerbera daisy is much pinker in real life – but still soft and subtle. It’s been very happy on the back porch all summer, getting morning sun and afternoon shade, and I’m thinking about bringing it in for the winter (instead of relegating it to the compost heap after the first frost). I’ve read that even if the cats do think I’ve brought them salad this plant isn’t toxic.

An annual that’s come into its own these past few weeks is this one specific Nicotania. Started from seed with all the other white ones, this beauty decided to be different.

Another annual that providing late summer interest is Lablab purpurea – Hyacinth bean vine. It really needs a 20 foot obelisk to grow up, not just the eight foot trellis at the end of the porch. Local hummingbirds seem to like the flowers.

Along the path to the asparagus/rhubarb bed is a patch of turtlehead – Chelone obliqua. What started out as a small clump, six or seven years ago, has slowly, despite our normally very dry summers, spread into quite an impressive patch.

In and amongst the asparagus itself I planted leeks this spring. They seem to be doing all right but aren’t very fat yet – with just another five or six weeks until frost, I hope they bulk up soon.

Finally – one of the last few species to bloom – a Chrysanthemum. Planted from a four inch pot two springs ago I’m thrilled that it survived the winter. It more than survived, in fact, having spread into a really large plant that, if the slugs would just ignore for a few weeks, would be quite a spectacular focal point. Have a great weekend everyone!

22 Comments

  1. You will probably get flowers on your Crocosmia next year, don’t give up on it. The Gerbera is very pretty and the Nicotiana is looking good too. I specially love the Chelone obliqua, and it appears to be hardy enough to grow where I am. I’ve also read that it’s good for damp areas of the garden, well, I guess it would like conditions here – so I’ve made a note of this one for next year!

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  3. (I commented & it’s not here!! Will try, again). Nice to see a Saturday post from you! Yes, the Summer does seem to have whizzed by. I’d bring the Gerbera in…maybe even get rewarded w/ some flowers during the winter. In the Spring, you’ll have bare spots to put it out & one less plant to buy. The Nicotiana is a pretty purple. Hummingbirds will be leaving, soon. It’s been at least a week since I saw the males. 3 females are still enjoying all the flowers, feeders and perching on Tomato cages, remembering where to definitely come back to next year! What do you do with the Leeks? In soup? Nice to have a patch of Chelone. Before my son mowed, I picked garlic chives that were coming up in the grass & put the blossoms in ACV & scissor-cut the leaves & froze them. Monarch count: from eggs & a few caterpillars that I gathered, I released 30 Monarchs, 15 males & 15 females.

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    1. Congrats on all the monarchs Alice! Must have been quite a sight and a marvelous experience. Still hardly any here, despite all the milkweed and pollinator flowers I have. Quite a change from the past fee years.

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      1. Chris: that is so fun! & a lot! Don’t think I’ve ever seen a Giant BST. Had plenty of BSTS here. I so love those beautiful caterpillars…so many photos & videos! I have 2 small patches of fennel & some rue plants & always plant 18 parsley plants…hoping for BST caterpillars. Sometimes a few & other years none, seen. This has been a bonus year! Discovered one ‘full grown’ caterpillar on parsley! & the same on fennel…full grown…somehow had missed it. And…there were 12 other caterpillars! A few days ago a female BST butterfly was on the deck…very recently eclosed…I took plenty of photos! She was beautiful! She was very active & flew on me & walked on me. I love it!! Take some photos of the ‘pillars & post on your blog…please!

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  6. I tried leeks once and the same thing happened they never got fat. Oh well. Turtlehead grows wild where I am from (North Georgia) great to see it again. I don’t think I have ever seen a purple Nicotiana, I hope you get some seed.

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  7. Gee, I was not aware that anyone else grew hyacinth bean. I have never seen it outside of the Santa Clara Valley. I would grow it, but would rather grow a type of bean that is more readily edible without the repeated boiling and draining. That is too much work and too much energy (on the stove).

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    1. I first saw them growing at a nearby flower farm a number of years ago, and every now and then I see them in seed catalogues. I don;t bother with eating the beans either – but the leaves (especially the underside), flowers and seedpods are all so attractive they look great on a trellis!

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      1. Yes, they are worth growing for their ornamental quality. You know, scarlet runner beans are more readily edible, but it seems to me that most are grown only for their fastly lush foliage.

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  8. I’d baby that Gerbera through the winter myself; it’s a beauty. In an amusing twist, my mother always brought her geraniums into the air conditioning during our summer heat and humidity. Then, she’d put them out again in late September or October, and let them flourish through the winter!

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  9. This color of nicotiana is original! You are right, white and pale yellow are the common colors seen here. Good luck with the gerbera. If you bring it inside, you will have to manage the watering precisely. I had tried and failed by too much watering in winter (indoors)

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  10. Ah, so that is what happens to my Chrysanthemums…. I wondered why they kept disappearing! LOL! That vine is amazing for an annual. And I love the purple Nicotiana. You should save seed for next year! I have one finally flowering (white) but it took its time. The Gerbera is gorgeous – definitely worth trying to keep.

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    1. I’m fascinated how my Nicotania has self-staggered its growth and blooming…I started them all from seed ta thge same time, they were all about the same size when planted out, but some took off immediately and are now blooming on secondary stalks while others have just this week started to send up their first flower stalks. This trait certainly provides a long season of flowers!

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