Deep within the shade garden...

I nearly missed this bloom ,  Anemonopsis macrophylla, sitting deep in the shade garden .  I had to crawl under to get a look. It would be much happier in a cooler climate .  I keep it well watered and surrounded by cool foliage. It seems to take all spring and summer for it to bloom. They don't last long in this heat ! 

And while I was scrambling along I found this little clump of  Colchiums.

Wednesday vignette...

A container brimming full of variegated  honeysuckle.

The garden waits for no one ….

After moving the metal fence this spring , I'd didtn't  get round to planting anything in this space . Quite a large area , since I removed the sprawling Forsythia  and a few others.

So the garden took care of itself.                                                                                                                                                           I believe everything I'd ever grown from seed has converged on this spot : Verbasicum , Nicotiana , Ammi, Dill,Borage, foxgloves and an acorn squash , conveniently in front of the gate . I couldn't have done better myself.

Blooms in August….

Here is a look from with in my new planting area , it's filled in nicely. Not only that, but looking on the ground I can see many , many new seedlings appearing , that means another round of Cerinthe major.
The bloomers are: Kniphofia percy's pride,Sedum 'Autumn joy',Gaura l. belleza white, Sangusorba .alba, Coreopsis big bang full moon, Rudbeckia 'cherry brandy',Phlox 'nicky' Golden oregano,Thymus'silver posie,Achillea , feverfew and  the very rampant Queen ann's lace.

I took this looking out my sunroom window this morning. Bronze fennel, Helenium , various Agastache and Phlox

This little charmer I found nestled within the micro climate of the shade garden.
Join Carol for many more August blooms  here  

Grandpa Ott...

Yes, he's back with a vengeance. I thought I had pulled most of  last years plants  before they set seed, apparently not.
This one I love , trailing through a huge Baptisia .

A little planting...

I've been searching for the best place to plant my recently purchased ( From Roger Goosler at Joy Creek nursery)  . Placing it here and their, till I decided it should go in front of the house, in a small area where I had cleared out a dead Euphorbia. 

It's companions are: A variegated Weigela that I layered a few years ago. A straggly Eucomis Sparklying brandy, An even stragglier Panicum 'Cheyenne sky'...

and this Yucca 'blue boy' , a healthy one.

Then I decided to pull out the verigateded sedum , that was no longer variegated. I did pinch out all the variegated bits and replant them.  And a few of my endless supply  of Euphorbia flame leaf.
I seem to have taken several steps backwards ! 

Re-graveling the gravel ...

One of those jobs that needed doing, but have put off till now. But then I couldn't be hauling gravel in 90+ temps.
I only got a 1/4 yard of pea gravel , which was just enough to give everything a nice thick layer.
I really wanted to re contour all the paths. And that I did, pulling out as I went along. The paths now are much wider , it was mostly sedum that went, it does take over .

I've been organizing the Carex , by color. 

The Irises …moved again , they get so messy , I don't know where is the best place for them  .

I haven't started going over this area yet, the bergenias  at the top will be moving , they got scorched  this summer. The Lamium , I attack aggressively several times all year long .

Under all this Saccharum  foliage , I found half a dozen Verbena seedling..nice.

Mickey crunch, crunching along.

Dogs of summer...

This time of year it's not always easy to find certain critters.

So many places to duck and dive.