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

Sunday, August 7, 2011

What's happening in the garden now...

We have been enjoying some beautiful weather here still.  Since it was so late in coming I've been sure to be outside with my family as much as possible, playing in the yard, going to parks and the beach.  I hate to miss a minute of these nice sunny days.  I've started paying close attention to the plants that seem to have handled the crazy weather we've had and plan to do a post soon of my top performers for this summer.  Anything that can handle lots of rain and cool weather and then keep on going once it gets warm and dries out is my type of plant. 
For now I'll share some of what is happening in the front, it was hard limiting it since there is just so much going on.

 Gladiolas and Agastache blooming.  I love the saying on this little sign I found.

 Geranium 'Rozanne'

 The entry garden where the Geranium above is growing.  This is where the Japanese Maple that died last year was growing.  The upside of the tree being gone is that the Hydrangea 'Nikko' has gotten huge and even more full of flowers than usual.  All of the plants in fact seem to be doing really well here right now.  The Rose 'Harlow Carr' in front of the birdbath is between flushes now.

 It was a bit bright here, but there are Asters, Caryopteris, Hollyhocks and Echinacea blooming.

 One of my top favorite bloomers this year is Agastache 'Apricot Sunrise'.  It has been blooming like this for months.

 The water garden in the old washtub.

 Oriental Lilies are blooming now.  I sure wish they lasted longer, but since they don't I try to go out and smell them at least once a day (and make everyone else too).  The tall one has to be about 6 feet tall.  I wish I knew what one it was so I could buy more.

 Up close and personal.

 A dahlia growing in a raised vegetable bed.

 For some reason I always plant red and yellow flowers in this part of the garden.  Coreopsis blooms by Sedum and Monarda 'Jacob Cline' is right behind.

 A new favorite is the Spanish Poppy (Papaver rupifragum), it has been blooming for months and has a nice scent.

 Daylily 'Strawberry Candy' was a new one last summer.  It seems to be a popular one on blogs right now.

 A couple of new containers from this summer.  The one on the left is full of Sedums and I love how it looks.  The other is a mix of all sorts of plants in an old washtub.

 Yeah for the Butterfly Bush finally blooming.  This is the latest it's ever bloomed.

 Phlox 'David' and a mallow.

 I just love how pure white the flowers are.

 A container my husband put together is so pretty right now.  It's hard to see the golden colored lamium that is also growing in the planter.

 A couple of months ago we bought a new potting bench to put on the front porch.  It just didn't look right to me here, too new or something.  So we traded it with the one from the back porch and they both are perfect in their new spots.  This one is old and it will probably last longer than in the rain while the new one will weather a bit on the back deck.

So, that's just a little of what's happening in the front garden right now.  I'm so happy with how it's looking and how much we've been able to enjoy it lately. 
All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress. Pin It

34 comments:

  1. I am soooo jealous of your beautiful garden florals, Catherine. Exquisite.
    Have a beautiful week ~
    TTFN ~
    Hugs,
    Marydon

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  2. Everything looks so good, Catherine! Love the glads, especially!

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  3. I love your color schemes! Everything looks great. Your top performers list should be long. Thanks for the tour.

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  4. I am glad your weather finally straighten out so the blooms could start to come. It is amazing how great they all look and yes you are behind in the season from what I remember from you last year's blog.

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  5. Everything looks great! My echinaceas have just started blooming. I'm looking forward to reading about your top performers. I also have an Agastache that has been blooming well in our weird weather. I bet the hummers love your Jacob Kline. I have a couple that chase each other around the yard over it.

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  6. Catherine, your front yard looks absolutely fabulous! There is so much going on as always! I especially love your glads, the white phlox, and the container that your husband designed. I am glad for you that you finally got some sunny weather and could be outside to enjoy the summer. I am also glad, but more in a selfish way though, that you are continuing to blog! I enjoy the little glimpses into your garden so very much! Thank you!
    Christina

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  7. Your gladiolas and beautiful! I had a bad experience with them but I'm ready to try again (next year!) I bought a big bag of them at Costco and they had pink and purple on the label. They came out orange-red which is my least favorite colour!!! I gave them away. :)

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  8. Yay for sunshine! I'm glad it finally found you Catherine ~ hope it lasts a long time. Your garden is amazing considering everything you've been experiencing. I love all the old washtubs you used as containers. That first photo of your glads is incredible too. Makes me sorry I didn't pick any up this year. For sure next summer!
    My butterfly bushes hardly ever bloom until about this time ~ isn't that interesting? I have to cut them all the way back to the ground each spring and it feels like it takes forever for the first bloom.
    Enjoy the great weather.

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  9. Dear Catherine ~ I say you have a LOT going on in your gardens and it all looks wonderful. I love your potting bench, your little sign and the Agastache 'Apricot Sunrise'.

    Thank you for sharing this delightful little tour of your late summer gardens.

    FlowerLady

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  10. So much is happening in your garden and all is beautiful. I too love the bright white of David. We got a little rain and David is finally happy. Plants are off schedule here too, but the fall show is showing. I like your first image by the fence. It really looks like it came right out of a magazine.

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  11. I love, love, love that Apricot Sunrise Agastache. I've got it on my list and already have a spot picked out in my garden for it.

    It looks like your garden is a good month behind mine. We've had so much heat this summer (northern VA) that everything around here looks pretty shabby and a bit crispy at this point.

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  12. Everything is so colorful and beautiful and blooming! I love your old washtubs .... I will be on the look out for one now :)

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  13. That container your husband put together is amazing!! Love the matching of the fuchsia and heuchera....great!

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  14. I had no idea your hub was such a gardener too, his container is beautiful! Catherine, your garden really is looking just sublime, considering the year we have had you have come through with much to be proud of!! Also, I have complete potting bench envy...love it!!!

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  15. I think I am going to try another agastache. Yours looks so good and I think it is a hardy variety for me. I have Blue Fortune and it looks very faded. I am glad you have some sunny warm weather.

    Eileen

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  16. That first photo with the Agastache and Gladiolus is just fabulous. I love the plaque in the middle too. Your Agastache 'Apricot Sunrise' is spectacular. [I'm jealous. Mine never looks this good. Probably because I don't give it enough space to spread out. My own fault.] My lilies are blooming now too. I am just loving them. Your red dahlia is gorgeous! I didn't know Spanish poppies had a fragrance. Interesting. And finally I must comment on your Phlox 'David' and the Mallow. I have the two growing side by side too. Don't they look great? I hope you have another month [at least] of sunny weather.

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  17. Catherine, Your garden is looking good. Like the photo of the daylily. I have been posting the ones I hybridized. After four years of work and care they have been finally blooming these pst two weeks. Some really wonderful surprises. Did not know I would be creating such fine plants. See you soon. Jack

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  18. I'm so glad you are finally getting good weather! Is this a normal summer in your area?

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  19. Hvor har du en smuk have og så mange skønne blomster.
    Jeg kan rigtig god li` din Agastache ( Abrikos Sunrise). Den er bare så smuk.

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  20. It's all looking glorious! I love your colour and texture combinations, they look so good :)

    I ended up with not enough colour in the garden this year as I was so busy trying to finish the house, the tea house, the vegetable garden and the Japanese garden in time for our 'Big Bash' humungous party last month, so the annuals didn't quite happen!

    Next year will be a riot of colour because you ahve inspired me (and I won't be doing a party!)

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  21. What a gorgeous gladiola. Your front gardens are beautiful Catherine.

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  22. Your photos are absolutely stunning! Do you water or are you not having a hot and dry summer like here in the midwest? I particulary like the water garden in the washtub. I think I will have to look into trying that.

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  23. I am so happy with how your garden is looking, too! Just beautiful. I love the little bird cage in the Rozanne.

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  24. Catherine,
    The first photo I thought it was one of those memorials. Great looking Gladiolas, they never look that good in our part of the country.

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  25. Wow, Catherine,
    Your front yard looks awesome! My agastaches and other plants don't look as full and lush as yours. Still, I was pleased to see a hummingbird feeding from them today. I bet you see lots of them there.

    Is that love lies bleeding in one of your washtubs? I like the size of it there. I'll have to show Larry your water garden. He is using an oval tub I bought for a water garden this year, but I like the look of your round one.

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  26. Catherine, I love your containers, your mallow, hydrangeas and butterfly bush. Really beautiful gardens, even as summer begins to wane. We also had the unusual weather pattern you described.
    Hugs, Beth

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  27. I love the color of the butterfly bush. It's wild to see things blooming there that were finished months ago here. Beautiful!

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  28. Dear Cathrine!
    I've just found you, but I fell in love with your garden. There are so much to see, I will be back to enjoy it.
    (Sorry my english.)

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  29. Catherine I love the Gladiolas and Agastache on the fence, what a lovely photo they make.

    It's nice that you have planted and discovered the keepers in your garden. We all need those plants that survive god knows what, because they make gardening so much easier.

    Beautiful Job!

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  30. I haven't visited your gorgeous garden for quite a while Catherine. Silly me - I've missed out on such a lot of enjoyment.
    Everything is quite beautiful. I love your containers too. Most delightful.
    The little sign you found says it all really.
    It was when the flowers from my succulents in the front of our home, were deliberately broken off and thrown around the street, that I realised how much I love my garden and felt sad that it was vandalised like that. (Probably just children having a bit of cheeky fun of course, but I was surprised how strongly I felt at the time).

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  31. Very nice, Catherine. I get the feeling we've all been trying to get out as much as possible and enjoy the summer; it seems to go by so fast.

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  32. You really do have one of the most charming and floriferous gardens in Blogland, Catherine! I absolutely LOVE my visits here :) Thank you so much for sharing it all with us!

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  33. Such a beautiful flower garden. I love those macro photos.

    Cassy from Acoustic Guitar Lessons

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