"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Friday, August 28, 2009

Fertilizer Friday - Still going strong.

As I've been looking around the yard lately I'm really happy with how much is still blooming or just started to bloom.  I can't remember having such a full yard this time of year before.  I think part of it is that I've been planning my planting to have flowers blooming throughout as much of the year as possible.  I also think that the long, warm and dry summer we had played a big part in it too.  I've been taking lots of pictures so that this winter when I'm feeling like winter won't ever end, I can look back at all the flowers that will be coming.  A few days ago when the weather was cool I started thinking about fall, but yesterday as I looked around I started thinking, "Why am I rushing fall?"
The garden is still going strong, so I will enjoy it as long as it lasts.

Sunflower 'Mammoth' reaching for the sky.

Cleome 'Rose Queen' has never done better.  I've planted it other years and it didn't do much, this year it's gotten tall and bloomed for a long time.  I know not everyone cares for the smell, but I almost like it now.  Verbena bonariensis and Dahlias are blooming in the background.

A hardy fuchsia in the entry garden.  I just planted this one last year.

Ornamental Strawberry (fragaria ananassa)'Lipstick' (light pink) and 'Pink Panda' (dark pink) are reblooming and there are lots of juicy (edible) red strawberries.  They are by the driveway, which is a place that gets especially hot, and the smell of the berries just carries all through the area.  I have it growing under a pink rose.

Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber) has been blooming for many months.

Rudbeckia 'Rustic Colors' is a new favorite.

Dahlia 'Onesta' has such pretty coloring, this was in the shade when I took the picture.  The colors really stand out here.

Calibrachoa that got plopped in this blue pot ended up doing great.  The Littlest Gardener added a pink bubble wand for a little art.

Caryopteris 'Worcester Gold' up close.  I bought this many years ago with no clue about what I was buying.  This is a deciduous shrub which blooms later in the summer.

Here's the whole shrub.  The honeybees are covering it, so if they are missing from your garden it's because they are here, on this plant.

Thanks to Tootsie at Tootsie Time who hosts Fertilizer Friday every week.  Visit her to see more gardeners and their beautiful gardens.
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38 comments:

  1. You always have beautiful blooms, love the Blue Spirea or also known as Blue Mountain mist. I have one too and I just love it!
    Happy FF!


    -Cathy

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  2. Hi Catherine! The red valerian is sooo pretty...unfortunately, I never had much luck with them! Love the Rustic Color rudbekia,too. But my fav is that dahlia ;)

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  3. Lovely pictures and so glad that everything is blooming in your garden - we are washed out here in England!

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  4. So nice to see someones garden looking wonderful. I didn't know cleome had a smell. Interesting. I better pay closer attention.

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  5. Simply beautifully captured shots...lovely!

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  6. Hi Catherine, It must be very rewarding to have so many blooms this late in the year. I love the addition of the bubble wand as garden art by the Littlest Gardener - it matches perfectly and adds interest. The dahlia is beautiful - boy, when I click to enlarge, the detail is amazing. I hope you and the family have a wonderful weekend.

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  7. I love the smell of Cleome...the littlest gardener does have an eye for detail. What a beautiful color dahlia. Everything looks just lovely, as usual Catherine!

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  8. Hi Catherine

    It's looking good.

    I've grown Cleome rose queen this year and it's done great also.

    Those Rudbeckia are nice.

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  9. You do have a lot still blooming. That dahlia is amazing!

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  10. No, we don't have to ruch fall. I've tried to tell my husband not to do that. We'll keep the summerfelling as long as we can and enjoy every singel day. Our Caryoptheris looks so nice. Could it be the same as the one I've planted in the raised bed, with a bit more yellow than green leafes? The name surely sound like it 'Worcesters Gold'. Have you noticed the smell from the foliage? I think it smells nice / gittan

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  11. That red valerian is really really nice. I need to figure out how to get it grow here.

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  12. Hi Catherine~~ Give your little gardener a big kudos from me [some weird woman out in cyber-land...well maybe not. LOL] Anyway, I love her pink bubble wand. The girl has already got an eye for color and design. You've taught her well.

    My garden used to be a mixture of pathetic and pitiful at this time of year, until I, like you, started implementing plants that would strut their stuff later than the ubiquitous spring fling. This, coupled with diligent watering and deadheading keeps things looking hospitable. I love that the fall asters are coming on and my kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate is at its gorgeous best. I could go on and on but just a look at your photos tells me you know exactly what I'm talking about. Fall MUST wait. We're still having too much fun with summer. :]

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  13. Beautiful Catherine. The fuschia is stunning. You have so many colorful lovlies. Have a great weekend.

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  14. I am a fan of the fragrance of the Cleome foliage too. I've heard it described as peppery. They are tough lovely annuals. As usual you have a beautiful cornucopia of blooms in your garden!

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  15. My Mom used to call it ... Fish On Friday ... Alaska fish fertilizer ... I did it too for a long time.

    Been too busy this Summer to really put an effort into my flowers but I give the cats fish on friday ...

    Love your fuschia ... I didn't get one this year

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  16. Beautiful, my favs are the fuchsia, & the Rudbeckia. I have had Centranthus blooming forever alos, love it! You may like a new Verbena bonariensis that I just planted at a client's house called 'Little One', it's a compact variety that is sterile. Very pretty.

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  17. Hi Catherine, it is high summer at your place, who can think about fall with the flowers you've got going strong? I love those pink strawberry plants, the smell of strawberries is one of the most pleasing, brilliant scheme to have them where the aroma will be enjoyed by many. :-)
    Frances

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  18. I too, like the fuschia, and didn't buy any this year. The other flowers are lovely too.

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  19. Yes, please don't rush fall! Winter comes behind it and can be brutal so I'm in no hurry. The bees love that caryopteris don't they? I have a share of them in my garden on it too. Love all the shots of your many blooms. I've only followed your garden this season (thru your blog) but it seems to me like it's been a great year for you too. Who wouldn't love that? Hopefully next summer we'll be back to "normal" and things can grow well here too. I am convinced most plants like the heat after experiencing so much cool wet stuff this summer. Have a great weekend!

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  20. Oh I just love sunflowers ... any variety will do, but yours are so pretty :-) Everything looks gorgeous; you have so much colour going on.

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  21. I have enjoyed the tour. The flowers and pictures are lovely. Have a wonderful weekend, my dear.

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  22. It's always fun stopping in here to get a look at what's blooming in your garden. Luv that your Littlest Gardener is already into garden art....pink garden art....the best kind.

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  23. The fuchsia is beautiful, I haven't seen one like that before. Beautiful garden.

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  24. Just beautiful! I have to get that part right about knowing where to plant things to have constant color. This is my second year here and I can see where change is needed.

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  25. Good for you with lots of late-summer color! I have lots of blue-violet but needed more coral-pink. I just placed an order for dahlias with Swan Island dahlias and can't wait. Your Onesta is lovely.

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  26. Nice blooms! I agree with you Catherine withregard to this warm long summer. Some people started to prepare their gardens for fall, and I still enjoy summer plants.

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  27. The cllibracoa looks a bit like a miniatire petunia. Is it a cousin? The dahlia is absolutely stunning.

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  28. beautiful pictures...i wish I could borrow some plants from you....:)

    http://theurbanbalcony.blogspot.com/

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  29. Everything looks so bright and cheery! I love that shrub Caryopteris. It is such a pretty purple. I will have to look for one of those. I also really liked the cleome. I had never planted them until this year and I really like the firework quality about them.

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  30. Another set of beautiful photos. I find cleome struggles in our climate so great to see one looking so robust. The red valerian does do well and is occasionally visited by humming bird hawkmoths - the nearest we have to humming birds here and fascinating to watch. Johnson

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  31. girl...I feel the same way about fall this year...started...then stopped and shook my head!
    your garden looks incredible...still so lush. I have some things that are almost finished...but that's the way it is around here!
    thanks for joining me!
    oh...and that fuschia....is outstanding!

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  32. I think you out did yourself...fuchsia so pretty, sunflowers a favorite of goldfinch and dahlias that are stunning.
    The 'worcester gold' is so full...love the blooms.

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  33. Yes, you do have lots going on still. Everything looks great! As the days get shorter and shorter, I have to remind myself to enjoy the season, too. I am not ready to give up summer yet. My cosmos haven't bloomed yet.

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  34. You have some glorious late summer colour there Catherine. I have been taking notes as my garden always looks sad at this time of year - maybe it's all the rain we get :)

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  35. They are all so lovely I had to go back for a second look.

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  36. Catherine,

    You were one of the winners of the pink asclepias incarnata seeds. I need your mailing address. You can go to the "drop me a note" link below my bio info on my blog to send it to me.

    Your seeds are packed and ready to mail.

    Thanks,
    Cameron

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  37. You will have lots and lots of lovely plants to look back on and look forward to. Plus, you did that great addition to your front yard and it will be in full bloom next spring! Sometimes I'm grateful for fall because I know I will have a short respite in order to gather steam and go at it again next spring.

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  38. What a lovely fushias - They are hardy? I never come across one in my place.

    Your garden have many suprises - so many blooms to brighten the day!!!

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