Tuesday, September 13, 2011

End of Summer Surprises and Weeds

Last week I confessed to being a bad blogger and set a goal of blogging more than one post last week.  Surprise!  That didn't happen so here I am, once again posting for Bloomin' Tuesday.  I'm also linking up to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day so check them both out

Walking around the gardens last week, I discovered a cool surprise.  Earlier in the summer, the Sweet William flowered for the first time in my garden and it was spectacular.  Since they are in a garden that does not get any close up walk-bys, I did not dead head and let them go to seed.  They have been that way ever since.  This is what I found last week:


Once the weather cooled off, this one Sweet William plant rebloomed.  I'm going to collect seeds from this one (since I still haven't dead headed); this is something I never do so wish me luck when I attempt to grow from seed next year.

I thought I ripped all of the Obedient Plant out of my garden this spring - surprise!  I missed some.  This was one of the first plants I put in when I created my gardens - silly, inexperienced gardner!  I thought all of those warnings on how disobedient it was didn't apply to me:


Asters from Bluestone Perennial that I planted this spring.  They're small, but they're blooming:

Phlox Nora Leigh is lying over sideways, but she's still blooming so I'm happy:


Gaillardia is one of my favorites because it is maintenance free and it blooms for so long:


Another one of my absolute favorites is Sedum 'Autumn Joy'.  With it's think leaves, and lighter green color, it really stands out in the garden all year.  The bees are all over them right now too:


The promise of flowers to come, there are hundreds of buds on Sweet Autumn Clematis that grows up the back pool fence.   Definitely a bittersweet fav, since it's blooming signals the sad end of my flowers.  I planted six more of these a few years ago along the remainder of back pool fence, but those have not done well at all.  This one is a monster.... go figure:




Here it is from a distance.  I was hoping the entire fence would end up covered like this, but the other clematis' just aren't cooperating with me:


I referenced 'Weeds' in the title and I bet you're expecting a whole bunch of complaints about how much I hate them.  Normally that would be true but right now I'm loving several weeds in my yard because 1) they have flowers and 2) they are in a part of my yard where we have done nothing so it makes the junky areas look pretty - and completely with no effort on our part:

I have absolutely no idea what these orange flowers are but they are so pretty and they are everywhere around the border of our yard that is normally just rocks, sticks and ugly non-flowering weeds:




We also get this pretty pink flower ever year, which looks to me like Joe Pye Weed but I'm really not sure.  The butterflies like it (so do I):





We also have these little aster looking flowers:


Those are all of my end-of-summer surprises.  After all of these discoveries, I had to pour myself a glass of wine and rest by the fire pit - another one of my favorite places. Thanks for stopping by!


14 comments:

Sunray Gardens said...

Pretty blooms and that Clematis may not have spread as far yet, but it sure is thick.
Cher Sunray Gardens

Beth said...

Your yard looks great, Tracey. I happen to like obedient plant...but then, I have not had it very long so it hasn't turned invasive yet. I'm hoping it won't but time will tell. Joe Pye Weed? I think so too. Not sure about the yellow one. Hope you can get in a few more swims before summer's end.
Beth

Judy ~ Through My Garden Window said...

This is a bittersweet time of year, because we know we will be back to the brown and white of Winter. You still have a lot going on in your yard though, and the Climatis will give a heavy bloom for you. I posted that same little orange mystery flower that you have. I have no idea what it is, but I like it.

Love your fire pit - I guess that is one final joy we have until it snows.

Racquel said...

This time of year can bring surprises in the garden. :)

Gatsbys Gardens said...

I wish I knew what that mystery plant is, but I did think I saw Joe Pye Weed in of your photos. I always love th sight of your pool.

Eileen

Karen said...

I wish I could get my sweet autumn clematis to flower like that! What's your secret? The orange flowering plant is jewel weed, I think. Reading about it's properties as an anti-poison ivy plant, I'm thinking I need to plant some here. Love your fire pit, too, I can see why it is one of your favorite places.

Jean said...

The unknown orange plant is a wild flower, Spotted Touch-Me-Not,Jewelweed,Impatiens capensis, Balsaminaceae, according to my book. We love to find them because the kids get a kick out of the seed pods. Touch the fat ones and they pop open. I've enjoyed these since I was a kid and one grew in my yard this year. I transplanted it to a 'wild' spot. Jean

scottweberpdx said...

Lovely post...that pic of all the Clematis buds makes me so envious...it's gonna smell AWESOME in a week or so!

Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening said...

Tracy-your gardens are lovely and the clematis is ready to burst with color-how wonderful to have something to look foward to! You have quite a few nice blooms! Happy GBBD!

Wife, Mother, Gardener said...

Tracy,

I agree with Lee, it is so nice to have something in the garden that is yet to bloom at this time of year! I have aster around the house that are just waiting to burst. Nice to know they will still be going in to November.

I think you made a great decision in leaving those self-seeders be. I have a native white aster in our shade path that showed up the same way, and it is my favorite all through Oct.

Thank you for your kind comment on WMG.
Happy GBBD!
Julie

garden girl said...

Your September blooms are so pretty!

I love jewel weed - tried unsuccessfully to start some from seeds this year. I think I'll try sprinkling the rest of the seeds in the garden, since they seem to grow so readily on their own without human help around here.

Sweet autumn clematis is one of my favorites too. Your nice fat buds look like they're about to burst into those pretty clouds of white blooms any minute - probably already have by now - enjoy!

Diane at My Cottage Garden said...

Oh, Tracy, I get the bad blogger award for September! LOL.

Hey that pink phlox with the darker pink centre....I call that one 'Bright Eyes'. I wonder if names change with regions?

Diane

Diane at My Cottage Garden said...

Hope you are having a great Christmas time! Just checking in. I hope to do a few posts over the winter, but I want to keep to 'gardening' so it's difficult. I hope to check in with the other blogs though.

Cheers! Diane

Juanjo Trujillo said...

thanks for displaying beautiful photographs