Hot stuff

Finally. The true summer weather is here, and none too soon for many of my hot weather annuals, such as colocasia, which just refused to perform in the rainy, cool weather of June and (for the most part) July.

I don’t complain about weather though, and I’ve actually been enjoying all this rain. No watering! The other benefit is that many plants have delayed their blooms a bit, so I have rudbeckia, lilium, and phlox just starting to come into bloom in mid-August. Nothing wrong with that.

I had just about pulled these phlox (top) out as weeds a number of times. They are “David’s Lavender,” a sport of the white David phlox we all know and love. Sure enough, as promised, no mildew on these babies. They also multiplied amazingly after planting last year—which is why I had thought they must be weeds.


Other terrific performers include the rudbeckia “Herbstsonne,” which I’ve mentioned before, r. triloba “Prairie Glow,” and r. laciniata “Golden Glow.” Great plants, and I always buy the last two from Select Seeds. They never fail. All three are present in the bunch above, plus some heliopsis.


And the lilies. There are still a bunch of buds that I think may be speciosum rubrum alba, but the regular speciosum (above) and the spectacular tigrinum flore pleno (below) are starting to bloom, and they are wonderful, long-lasting flowers.


August bloom day is starting to be my favorite.