Late Summer blooms...

As others have been noticing, Fall definitely seems to already be in the air here.  After a very short and strange summer it feels like it's already finishing up.  Many of the flowers I normally have blooming at the end of August were no shows.  The Dahlias only had some leaves come up and there are no Zinnias or Sunflowers around.  Luckily there are still quite a few flowers that are hanging on now, although many are looking pretty dried up from the temperatures fluctuating between the 90's for a few days and then down to the 60's the next few.  Even the grass is much greener than usual for this time of year. 

 A view of the front of the house shows that the Black-eyed Susans, Agastache, Abelia, Phlox, Monarda and Lilies are blooming.  You can also see how terrible the Japanese Maple in the background looks.   I've realized the soil in that bed just never dried out, it's that way across the whole front of our house, the other plants don't seem to mind it.  We've decided to leave it in and see what happens with it next Spring, but I'm not feeling too hopeful.  I've noticed that many Maples of different types around here are turning yellow far ahead of the rest of the trees.

 Echinacea 'Green Envy' in it's second year is doing really well.

 Echinacea 'Fragrant Angel' is also in it's second year, but taking it's time to become established.

 More flowers in the butterfly garden are drawing bees and Skippers to them.  I've never seen so many Skippers in our yard ever, they are almost impossible to get a good picture of.  The furthest back plant is Caryopteris 'Worcester Gold' and Aster 'Monch' is in front of it.

 Oriental Lilies are blooming.  These white ones are looking the best now and the scent carries around the front yard.

 Campanula rotundifolia 'Olympica' is doing amazingly well.  I hope to find lots more of it next year.  This was found at a local fruit market, all the plants that I bought at the fruit market are doing exceptionally well.

 Towards the end of the summer we have lots and lots of Dragonflies.  I've seen about three different types, this red one is the newest kind to come visiting.  I think this is a Red Darner on the Phlox.

 Phlox 'David' still looks so fresh.  I've noticed in my yard that the Phloxes much prefer to be in part shade, otherwise as soon as any afternoon sun hits them they droop and turn brown.  I even have some growing under a Pine tree that look really good.

Not a flower but our cute little Cookie out enjoying some time in the front grass.  He's been enjoying the tiny carrots that Sweet Pea has been pulling from her garden.  I didn't realize that rabbits could be so social and friendly, maybe he's the exception.

Even though I'm not really ready for summer to end, now feeling the cooler evenings coming I have to say I'm looking a little forward to Fall.  And if that isn't thinking far enough ahead I've read two places now that the Pacific Northwest is predicted to have and cold and very snowy winter.  Okay, I'll quit getting ahead of myself and enjoy the rest of Summer ☀