Wall of grass...

Blooming Panicum virgatum'Shenandoah' and Tetrapanax 

It took a few planting trails to get this long brick planter at the front of the house right. I tried a few  things I had around firstly : Shasta dasies, no good,  flopped foward to catch the sun. Wire vine , no... too messy and tangled  with the planting on the other side of the planter.  Now, I would have loved giant Agave or huge Phoriums , but not in my zone.  So , Panicum got the job, and well done !

These days the Tetrapanex are stealing the limelight.

Tis almost the season...

I found myself , because of the heat...the humidity...then the relief of the rain... sifting through all the bulb catalogs that have been arriving. I know it's a bit early yet to be thinking of autumn planting, since I don't start planting till the end of October. But, I have and I've even ordered them.
This year I'm over my Tulip mania. I've only ordered ' Duc Van Tol Rose ' " Short.sweet, and extra early" at only 5" -7" , from the early 1600-1900. before the taller T's became the favored ones.
Last year I found so much bare space under deciduous trees and shrubs . Ideal Crocus territory, so fifty C. sieberi tricolor and C.biflorus Spring beauty.
Then I remembered the Muscari Golden Fragrance that I admired at 'Joy Creek Nurscery', ten of those to try out in my yellow/ Chartreuse spring planting.
Strangly when I ordered Allium Azureum , a true blue Allium . I was told by the sales attentant that they can no longer send  Alliums to WA. I've been ordering Alliums for years ! Anyway they have ways, I will have my Azureums.

Pond lovin'

Ahhh...bliss

Grand Pa Ott...

Everywhere I turn these days , Grand pa Ott seems to be lurking 

I needn't have saved seed

August Foliage follow-up....

Once again I was out early, snapping away for my FF post.  Another overcast , muggy morning . The A cacia pravissima  has put on lots of new growth since I went at it wih the loppers.

A very recent planting, Osmantus armatus'Jim Porter' now this one should  cover the fence at 8' tall and 5' wide

Osmanthus'country park silver' , I tryed this one in the ground. It would just disappear in the gravel and get kicked about by the dogs...and worse! much better in the blue pot.

And more blue from the Cunninghamia

And Dasylirion Wheeleri with Zaushneria 'Silver select'

Hakonechloa'Ben-kaze' and Sedum Xenox yellow.

The celandine poppy ...looking autumnal

Pyrrosia looking ...Autumnal 

Tanaceetum densum 

Amsonia and Artemisia 'powis castle'

Acacia dealbata

Another new planting ....Rhamnus frangula

Rogerersia 'rotlaub' with one of the Mysotidium hortensia or  Chatham island for-get-me -nots  I grow from seed last year.

The freshest area of Platt's black brass buttons , this in the shade. The other  side is rather crisp.

And lastly I forgot to include Abutilon ' Cascade dawn' in my Bloom day , how could I forget such a sweet thing.
For more beautiful , lush Foliage visit Pam at digging !

Digging 

 Pam Penick at 

August in bloom...

After seeing the first (Peter's) Bloom day posts, I rushed out this morning to take some photos...I'd forgotten!   It's been so hot and dry , yesterday I had the sprinklers on all day and then a brief shower and overcast skies...things were looking a bit fresher , still lots of scorched  leaves , so many plants to move ...again!
But at the side of the house a shady area , with plants that I spoil with plenty of water! And here a favorite Vitex agnus -castus 'silver spires' not for the shade, but it seems happy enough.

Such an easy small tree/shrub, with lovely autumn color. 

The rose... so perfect in late summer

A new plant and first bloom, Alstroemeria psittacina 'variegata'

Another first bloom, this one Kirengeshoma palmata

Nigelia African Bride

Rainbow loveliness 

Achillea 'paprika ' living dangerously under the Eryngium

The 'Black wizard' with Sedum xenox yellow

Helenium 'Moerhelm beauty' in full bloom 

Japanese anemones surrounded by blooming parsley

A new Crocosmia " Emily McKenzie'

And lastly a trio of selfseeders , Nicotiana, Ammii and Cosmos.
So for more of Blooming August ....

Join Carol at May Dreams Garden

And the winner is?

Once again Miss  Willmott wins the race towards autumn . 

And close behind the Bupleurums, with all those seeds getting ready to drop for next year.

Return to the last frontier...

I did several posts ( on my defunct Posterous blog , which is now a wordpress blog )  a few years ago on my "Last Frontier". The large front corner of my garden that I spent two summers wielding a pickaxe to remove the years of Vinca Major . I could'nt find any earlier pictures with Vinca . This pic must be two years ago, in  spring. With very patchy planting!

This was taken as I was finishing the gravel path. It's become my favorite area in the garden , so far with just the yellow /white blooms , maybe a pink sneaking in here and there.

Last week, with a few cooler days I got all the gravel scooped up and carried onto the path way.With more circle stepping stones. 

With a few more plants and time for things to fill out...I like it.