I love living in a blue state . . .

. . . and I'm not limiting myself to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. No, I mean the blue--or almost blue--tones of late summer flowers. Sadly, I've got the blues this year from some of my favorites' failure to thrive: the larkspur has been effectively eliminated by rabbit predation and the blue flag iris sent up only a single flower.  But other cultivars have fared fair better.

    Salvia farinacea "Victoria Blue"

Spiky clumps of annual blue salvia flourish just about anywhere they are planted.  They look great--even when menaced by storm clouds--at the front of a mixed bed.

Phlox paniculata "Blue Paradise"

 

This garden phlox, "Blue Paradise," continues to bloom into September.  The individual flowers change color depending upon light conditions: a deeply saturated blue violet at dawn and dusk, a paler purple at midday. The petals stripe and blotch and cloud with different tones.

 

Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica

I need to cleave out more space for this Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica, which is busily colonizing the inner angle of the rain garden. The fellow was picked up two years ago from Bartram's Garden outside of Philadelphia. Yes, its growing habit is uncouth and its flower heads are large and coarse--but, oh, that color!

Columbus Day weekend

Perhaps it's a good thing that pre-existing obligations and inclement weather conspired to keep me out of the garden for much of this long weekend.



Upheaval, heavy machinery, and yellow tape are everywhere. The bed slated for bulb-planting now holds displaced Siberian and blue flag irises and lambs' ears.



A few beds still muster a block of end of season color.



Elsewhere, a final head of Phlox panticulata struggles on . . .



. . . and ladybells Adenophora confusa sends up a half-hearted stalk.




Dead-heading, weeding, and pulling out overgrown plants were the main order of business this weekend. How many bearded irises were found under the sprawling foliage of catmint and daisies!

The weather is definitely turning towards autumn. Almost every open flower on this dahlia had a blitzed bee stumbling over its pollen-rich surface. Last call!

Saying "I do!"

Back from a lovely long weekend in the summer Eden of northern New Hampshire . . .



. . . to find the garden in dire need of late summer attention. The old stalks of larkspur were pulled, seed was collected, and in a moment of insanely wishful thinking comparable only to a bride telling herself, "I'll make him change once we're married," as she walks down the aisle, anemones were planted in their stead. Yes, the groom will stop doing whatever annoying thing it is that he does, and semi-shade, moisture-loving "Honorine Jobert" anemones will flourish in a dry southern exposure. Sea holly (Eryngium amethystinum) didn't even last a year in this location. Heart over head here: I just love anemones. Call me delusional. Then pass the watering can and mulch.



And how does the rest of the garden look? Rather underwhelming, given the dearth of flowers. What would we do without Phlox panticula? In this bed, the white blossoms of "David" blend rather nicely with the powdery mildew dusting the adjacent peony foliage. Sigh. Maybe this falls under the "unrealistic expectations" marriage myth.



However, one glorious sight: the brilliant white shafts of blossoms sported by the hosta "Guacamole."



As I worked, I had a little bunny buddy hanging out with me. Sometimes a silent partner is the best.

Cooling trend

It's been hot and muggy recently. Here's my attempt to beat the heat: a tangled bouquet of Phlox panticulata "David," Japanese painted fern, and white-rimmed hosta leaves.

Stake, edge, prune, stake, edge . . .

A few hours of the garden grind this weekend. The weather was unbearably oppressive, the mosquitoes were thirsty for blood, and all the beds needed attention.



Here's what I can check off on my "to-do" list: (1) stake the dahlia from VPS, Sr., that's visiting my new bed--what happened to its friend? (2) edge the back bed, trying to separate the grass from the creeping, burrowing, and arching profusion of lily-of-the-valley and sweet woodruff, (3) edge the daylily bed along the side of the house and sprinkle the plants with 10-10-10, (4) toss peat moss on the new bed and the front walk beds, (5) stake up the daisies and phlox at the back of the house and the daisies, ladybells, and phlox in the old side bed, (6) deadhead irises and columbines, and (7) weed, weed, weed. Payback time is far off!