Summer wanes and fall waxes

Summer wanes and fall waxes

perennials

August Dreams Border in bloom in early September

There's still many a grand display left in this garden, even as summer wanes and fall waxes.

Here Solidago shortti, 'Solar Cascade' blooms with Boltonia asteroides 'Snowbank' in the August Dreams garden border, just as planned.

It's like flower fireworks, right in my own garden.

I will enjoy it while I can.  After all, summer wanes and fall

Surprise Lilies and Surprise Announcements

Surprise Lilies and Surprise Announcements

fairies Humor perennials vegetable garden

Garden fairies here.

We are garden fairies and we have taken it upon ourselves to wipe out everything Carol just wrote about the surprise lilies, Lycoris squamigera, because it was all so boringggggg.

We garden fairies do not like boring posts whatsoever. In fact, we gave what Carol wrote six G's out of a scale of five G's because it was beyond anything we could imagine when it comes to

Plopper's Field

Plopper's Field

perennials

In Plopper's Field, the little fairy bower vine, Clematis x triternata 'Rubromarginata' weaves its way through the branches and stems of all the other plants. It's white and purple blooms seem to hang in mid-air.

I occasionally wade into the midst of this border to pull out the all too prevalent thistle weeds and the self-imposed spiderwort and perennial sweet pea thugs.  I look for a bare

Two flowers showed up in a garden

Two flowers showed up in a garden

Humor perennials

Rising up above the foliage of the late blooming perennials of the August Dreams Garden border, two flowers showed up in the garden.

The two blooms of Dense Blazing Star, Liatris spicata, looked as though they were advance scouts, checking out the garden to see if it would be safe to bloom there.

"What do you think, DB?"

"I'm not sure, but aren't those some other flowers over there across

Garden Design: A Border for One Season

Garden Design: A Border for One Season

garden design perennials

August Dreams Garden in mid-June

One of the best decisions I made three years ago when I worked with a garden designer to lay out the garden borders was to plant one border with plants that bloom only in late summer and early fall.

I call it August Dreams Garden and right now it is just green plants.  The only color comes from a garden sculpture in the middle of it.

The lack of blooms in

Blooming to distraction

Blooming to distraction

Humor perennials vines

Clematis 'Pagoda'.

I'm still smitten by this clematis.  It's grown quite a bit more this year and is full of purple blooms now.   I can hardly believe that at one time I thought clematis were just so-so and I didn't think I needed any in my garden.

What was I thinking? 

I do love these bell-shaped flo...

Hey are those foxglove over there?



Yes, those are yellow foxglove growing in

Secrets to Happiness with Peonies

Secrets to Happiness with Peonies

perennials Secrets

Peonies anyone?

You may have your fancy peonies, your new varieties, even your tree peonies.  I am sure they are very nice and give you joy when they flower.

But for me, I only need the peonies that I got from my Dad's stand of peonies.  They are like family.  Good family, who don't need a lot of attention and return faithfully year after year and when they are here, they are no trouble at