I have been an absent writer this week as I work on the final registrations for the Ladner Quilt Walk and Classic Car Show on August 17. I have had little time for the garden beyond watering but that will soon change. Here it is August already and I am seeing subtle changes in the garden indicating the end of summer.
As I look out my office window the sour gum tree has shed a couple of bright red leaves. They lay on the ground as a reminder that the days are starting to shorten already. The Heather in my backyard has started to bloom and it won’t be long before the Colchicum sends up its naked stems topped with pink blossoms. It’s the dog days of summer and I see a few of my annuals not liking the heat wave we are in. This heat has been hard on our plants.
Tomatoes stop producing fruit when temperatures get around 30C, apples get sunscald and berries are showing white druplets. It’s not only we humans feeling the effect but our plants do as well. Keeping the garden hydrated is now a daily routine. In heat like this its hard to keep the garden looking lush and green. Stick to watering your garden beds and forget about your lawn. Lawns are cool season plants and its normal for them to go dormant in the summer. When fall weather arrives the grass will green up once again. If you haven’t already, raise the blade on your lawnmower so the grass is left a bit longer. The longer grass blades shade the grass roots protecting it from the hot sun.
This morning I took a walk in my garden and I still have lots in bloom. The Nasturtiums are straggly looking and I am ready to pull them out. I am already wanting to plant for fall but it’s too early yet. Whats doing best in your gardens? In my garden, the Dahlias and Zinnias have been outstanding this year. Dahlia ‘Yellow Passion’ just opened with its large bright yellow flowers.
I was given this Dahlia so its new to me this year. The best garden gifts are the plants shared amongst friends. This one is called Dahlia ‘Thomas Edison’. Its large blooms are at least six inches across. The stems are a dark rich purple making this a nice plant to mix with purple-leaved foliage in the garden.
I couldn’t resist another shot of the Rudbeckia in the garden. It’s a show stopper for sure. I can’t get enough of the bright yellow flowers. I may need to divide this one and add it to other areas of the garden. Rudbeckia is one of the easiest plants to grow and it returns year after year providing lots of late summer colour.
If you want to have more colour in the garden in August, add some Lilies to your landscape. This Tiger lily or Lilium lancifolium can be planted next spring by buying bulbs at your local garden center. I love the spotting on this one. Its flowers droop down as if reaching for something below.
If you would like to add some fragrance to the garden, why not add some Phlox. I have three groupings of Phlox in the garden and its lovely scent drifts through the air enticing you to stay a while and visit.
Do you have a scented Hosta in your garden? This is Hosta plantingea, one of the first Hostas to reach the western hemisphere. This Hosta is known for its large white scented flowers which usually bloom in August.
This closeup shows you just how delicate this flower is. Many of our newer Hostas don’t have any fragrance so this is a good choice for the garden. Well that’s about it for today’s garden walk. Today I am joining Glenda over at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday.
Kristin Crouch is a garden writer, community and school garden mentor and master gardener. To read more of her gardening pursuits, check out her blog at thatbloomingarden.wordpress.com.
