Last hurrah

This is really the beginning of the long, slow decline in the garden, which ends at the end of October. After that, though you can rake leaves and plant bulbs until Thanksgiving, there is not much reason to linger. And it’s kind of cold anyway.


But through September, the garden still looks pretty good, with lots of color and lush foliage—often in the form of annuals and tropicals. The last of the summer perennials—my favorite perennials—peak about now. Hence this post. The stars of the garden, the rudbeckias and heliopsis (top), are still more or less at their height, with the lilium speciosum holding its own. The last of the phlox is blooming or will shortly. My “David’s Lavender” (above) had no mildew whatsoever and doubled in height and spread from last year, its first planting.


Other annuals are at their best, doing what I expect them to do: completely, or almost completely disguise the pots they’re planted in (above). It’s about the plants, not the pots. The tropicals around the pond are huge, especially the alocasia, which I’ll be saving over the winter. Persian Shield (below) did really well this year.




And I think this new wall planter did well: here it is, just planted (a month and a half ago) and now. Now, which is the correct wall color, what the iphone likes or what the olympus likes? I'm going to say ... neither. Below, another rudbeckia, the “Golden Glow,” is planted among some verbena bonariensis. Pay no attention to those blackspotted rose leaves. In fact, I’ve learned how not to pay attention to a lot of minor garden problems. Life—and the season—is too short.