Saturday, August 15, 2009

GBBD August 2009

When I went out in my garden for photos for this post, I was sure there would be none to find. I was wrong.

Perennials

I had a White Swan echinacea a few years ago that looked to have been taken over by its purple babies. Now, this year, I have three white cone flower plants!


I have no idea what this plant is. It was labeled "Blue Lake" veronica.


I planted over a dozen Stargazer lilies, and I am left with three.


I always liked the way that the "Goldsturm" and the dwarf liatris looked together.

Annuals

I got a few Zebrina malva plants from my parents a few years ago and they have been self seeding the same area ever since. I move them where I want them in the spring when they start popping up.


I didn't think that these Empress of India nasturtiums would ever bloom.


These touch-me-not volunteers are very welcome in my garden since they help combat the affects of the gas plant.


Catchfly, one of my favorite volunteers.


Rudbeckia hirta, another of my favorite volunteers.


And, finally! My black eyed peas are blooming!

Go see what other gardeners are doing on the 15th of August over at May Dreams Garden's Garden Blogger Bloom Day.

BTW- I am going out of town for a few days, but will catch up on your comments and all your blooms when I get back.

15 comments:

Nell Jean said...

The black-eyed pea blossom is a wonderful. Happy bloom day.

Unknown said...

Beautiful flowers. I keep meaning to "acquire" some touch-me-nots for the shadier and moister areas of the yard. They have such pretty flowers and who can resist the seed pod spring action launcher? :)

Happy Bloom Day

Sylvana said...

Nell Jean, I really liked that photo as well. It reminded me of Georgia O'Keeffe.

Chris, my parents were asking me about this plant as they had found it in their garden as well. I was demonstrating the "spring action" and we all had fun finding ripe pods ready for the springing!

healingmagichands said...

There's always something to see if you just look hard enough. Doesn't look like you had to look very hard -- your echinacea patch is beautiful.

Sylvana said...

healingmagichands, that was all from one White Swan I planted about five years ago. I love them and so do the birds.

Kylee Baumle said...

Hi Sylvana! Beautiful blooms you have there and you've also photographed them beautifully! My coneflowers were somewhat surprising this year, too. I've got 'Sunrise' which didn't really show itself last year, but it was back this year. Weird!

The plant you have that was labeled 'Blue Lake' Veronica looks more like Physostegia (Obedient Plant) to me. What do you think? The color is lovely!

danger garden said...

Yikes that 'gas plant' sounds very dangerous!

sweetbay said...

Beautiful flowers! I love white and purple coneflowers together and yours are making a marvelous display. Your second plant looks like Obedient Plant to me too.

We have orange Touch-Me-Not that grows wild on our farm, but not the yellow, as it usually grows in the mountain section of our state where the temps are cooler (NC). It's lovely.

Sylvana said...

Kylee, I was thinking it looked like obedient plant too.

Danger Garden, maybe right up your alley? ;)

Sweet Bay, the orange touch-me-not are supposed to be even more potent than the yellow at combating plant toxin - gas plant or poison ivy. I wish I had the orange. I think they are also prettier. But I'm glad that I at least have the yellow!

Jackie said...

Your echinacea is beautiful! I really have to try it next year. Thanks for visiting my blog recently. To answer your question about canning beans, I use a pressure canner. I got it at Wal-Mart for ~$50. It's nothing special, but it works great. I think it's necessary to use a pressure canner for beans and other low-acid foods. Good luck!

Sylvana said...

Jackie, thanks for answering that question. I've been nervous about using one, so I've been sticking to high acid canning via water-bath. Maybe I should just go for it.

Carol Michel said...

Sylvana, Did you see that everyone who entered the drawing on my blog for the Cobrahead weeder gets one? Please email me so I can send you info on how to get one!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Sylvana said...

AWESOME! I even left some of my weeding today in the hopes that I might win.
Email in the way!

Yvonne said...

Sylvana
Thank you for visiting my blog - isn't this Bloom Day idea great!
I would very much like to find some of those unusually coloured coneflowers like yours. Amazing that they (and other plants) do so well here in the scorching Italian climate (Zone 8-9) as well as your zone 4.
Looking forward to following your blog in future.
Yvonne

Sylvana said...

Yvonne, it has been a great way for me to meet new gardeners, and gardens! The echinacea/coneflowers are native to my area which gets very hot and humid during the summer. That may be why they do so well in Italy. I would send you some seed but I'm not sure what the laws are on this, and the seeds might produce purple or white since white is not dominant. I have seen some in sunset colors that I want to get!