Eight, Nine, Ten Picks for Diana!

I am really trying to join Diana of Elephant's Eye in choosing twelve months of my favorite garden plants. Since when does a month go by so fast? Not just one, but three and here it is Fall already. I expect our first frost any night. I think my garden shines in Fall and it is one of my favorite times to be in it. It could be that I have some excellent Fall plants that glow in the cooler days, dewy mornings and chilly nights. So, it would be some of these plants that I would choose for the following months.

August — Joe Pye Weeds. Nothing attracts butterflies and other pollinators like the Joe Pye. They are bold, tall, stately and beautiful in the garden. My Eupatorium Gateway looms over an impressive 6'. Its nodding billow of pink blooms are 8-10" across, maybe even larger! In August, it is its showiest but its spent blooms, turning a rustic brown, last well into fall. Eupatorium Rugosum or Chocolate Joe Pye blooms later in September, even into October. Its white heads of flowers light up against its dark, chocolatey foliage.

Joe Pye Gateway

Eupatorium Rugosum Chocolate

September — Rudbeckias. My favorites: Rudbeckia Laciniata or Green Cutleaf Coneflower, Rudbeckia Maxima or Giant Coneflower, and of course the staple of all Northeastern Fall gardens, Rudbeckia Hirta or Black-eyed Susans. I may also have Rudbeckia Triloba or Brown-eyed Susan, that popped up from some wildflower seed. I have to take a closer look to distinguish between the two. Either way, a drift of Susans is always the grand finale of Summer. Cutleaf Coneflowers are also big and bold in the garden. Their masses of smaller yellow sunflower-like blooms dance above their almost tropical-looking leaves. Birds and bees love them. I have several plants of Rudbeckia Maxima along the Nice Driveway which is drier. They are still establishing themselves, and have even reseeded in a few spots. I love their tall candle-like cones even after the yellow petals of their blooms have dropped off and their banana-like leaves in blue shades. I catch Chickadees and Gold Finches enjoying their seed.

 A drift of Black-eyed Susans with Joe-Pye in the Bird & Butterfly Garden

Rudbeckia Laciniata

Rudbeckia Laciniata

Rudbeckia Maxima

Rudbeckia Maxima

October — Asters. I admit, my garden needs more Asters! I wish the garden centers around here would sell/push Asters in the Fall instead of just Mums. I don't buy Mums anymore because most of them aren't truly hardy here and I hate to just throw them away come December. I have a few Asters at home in my garden: Woods Pink Aster Dumosus, Jim Crockett, and October Skies. October Skies is newly planted and is still establishing. Jim Crockett seems to bloom earlier than most. Woods Pink is now covered in blooms.

Woods Pink, Aster Dumosus

An Aster we came upon in a recent hike.
Possibly Aster drummondii (Drummond's Aster) or Aster saggitifolius (Arrow-leaved Aster).

Here is a list of my former picks for Diana. Only two more months to go ... I am sure they will go quickly.

January: Sunflowers

February: Wild Roses

March: Lady's Mantle

April: Poppies

May: Iris

June: Alliums

July: Bee Balm

What's Blooming: Bee Balminess

Well, here it is Summer in full swing. Welcome to the jungle – busy buzzing, mad blossoming, balmy nights. Some plants are withering with lack of rain but overall the garden seems content.

A few surprises ... a floating water plant in a galvanized tub blooms, a Clematis bloom peeks through the wall of hydrangeas and grapevine.

The wall of Hydrangeas and Grapevine

In the Bird & Butterfly Garden Bee Balm, Shasta Daisies, Purple Coneflowers, Joe Pye Weed, and Summer Nights Oxeye Daisies dance together among grasses Morning Light and Dallas Blues.

In the Woodland Edge Cutleaf Coneflower and Cup Plant reach new heights.

Ligularia "The Rocket" (yellow spikes)

The orange blooms of Lilies and Jewelweed

Native Nodding Onion

The towering heights of Cutleaf Coneflower and Cup Plant

The foamy blooms of Meadow Rue and spires of Culver's Root

The pollinator border in the Potager overflows onto this path.

Scabiosa Butterfly Blue

Pepperbox Poppy

Cheers to you Nice Driveway! Hummingbirds float in a heavenly state of Bee Balminess.

Giant Coneflower Rudbeckia Maxima

Out front Allium sphaerocephalon poms replace the blooms of common chives, baskets of Begonias and herbs thrive.

Allium Sphaerocephalon

Volunteer Milkweeds

Russian Sage

Not-so-patiently waiting for the first bloom of Night Blooming Datura

Thank you Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day the 15th of each month.

What's Blooming

Rain was forecast for today so I took a couple shots last evening - the last rays of the sun were too good to miss. Today was as promised - overcast, rainy. Also, we had our first frost last night. But these poppies still look as fresh as they did last evening.

 The mysterious moon flower ... I am not certain if this is a bloom in the making or a seed pod.

Even though it is in its first year, this Rudbeckia Maxima is sending out blooms - that's twice this season. Solidago 'Fireworks' surrounds it - also in its first year.

It seems to be quite popular. This particular Solidago branch seems to appeal to wasp-like pollinators.

Whereas this one is claimed by the bees.

The plumes of this Indian Grass took me by surprise - another plant in its first year,  I didn't expect it to bloom.

I swear I did not pinch, prune or pamper this Woods Aster out front, and look at it!

These annual (well, here anyway) Asters caught my eye and I chose them over Mums for the front porch this year.

The Cosmos just keep on going, and going, and going ...

Marigolds light up the potager - well, those that managed to compete with the Nasturtium this year.

And for desert, chocolate Joe Pye. A real late blooming treat in the woodland edge border come fall.

Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month. Visit Carol's blog and add your blog to the growing list of what's blooming.