August Flowerbed

I'm really pleased with my flower beds this year. I tore them up & rearranged last year to add new colors. I mix everything together to get constant bloom from April to November (if I'm lucky!)

This is view of another of my beds. the daylilies are slowing dow, but plenty of other things blooming! I want to see some other flowerbeds---Show me yours!

That looks wonderful! I don't have much in bloom right now but it is better than last year so that's progress. Here are the phlox, a bit past their prime but still attracting bees, hummers and hummingbird moths.

This message was edited Thursday, Aug 14th 6:46 PM

This bed will be enlarged next year to include about 20 feet more out to the side. Big new planting area, lots of work ahead. The blue is Blue Queen Salvia, the bees love it. I think it makes a good combination with the bee balm and purple coneflower. Those are hard to see because I just have one plant of each that were in 4 inch pots this spring.

This message was edited Thursday, Aug 14th 6:47 PM

These little snapdragons are blooming for the second time, they got trimmed after the first flush of blossoms. I wish I had also trimmed the pinks next to them. The tickseed just keeps going like the Energizer Bunny.

I wish my Phlox looked that good! Only my white is blooming--all the other colors have decided to be short & hide behind the daylilies. I deadhead like mad, but the heat is murder her. Very dry. I'm widening flowerbeds in the back yard since I've been going crazy buying irisi roots. They can't live in the garage forever...

you guys have some great flowers there :)

Both of you have beautiful gardens.

Most of my garden flowers are gone by now, but every year I manage to get a few things that bloom in August and September, even if only annuals.

Here's one bed, mostly bulbs. In the far background you can see shasta daisys, and an amaranth.

Here's a front of the house annual bed...

Wow, what great gardeners, Mary, Wanda, and darius.

Wandasflowers, What is the variety of perennials your using? That's what I'm looking to do to get bloom throughout the months. Thanks, Denise

Wow! Where do I start? I use daylilies & irises as my "bones". The back rows are 3-5 foot high. I use phlox, New England Asters, Siberian Irises,Oriental lilies cannas(I cheat!) and annuals like Cleome or tall Zinnias.

Middle rows (18-24") include daylilies, irises, yellow loosestrife, red or pink beebalm, other asters, mums, Coneflowers & such. Black-eyed Susans, Garlic chives, onion chives, Sedum, Speedwell, Balloon Flowers, Asian lilies and such.Maybe more zinnias.

Front rows are short daylilies, Bouncing Bet (Soapwort),
3 colors of Blanket flowers, Coreopsis of different sizes, Lambs Ears,and more. Each bed also has favorite annuals like Snapdragons, Zinnias and Batchelor Buttons.

Each bed is different but each has constant blooms from April Daffodils to November Mums.

That's very pretty, you have a nice variety of forms and colors. I'm aiming to have more late summer and fall blooming flowers, right now it is kind of sparse but soon the mums will start in and after those the asters so it's not over yet. A few daylilies are blooming now, I selected some late bloomers and rebloomers to fill the gaps.

Wandasflowers, Thanks, That's quite a list, appreciate the info. Denise

I have other plants in there too. Each bed is different & I repeat plants within a bed to get a nice pattern of color & foliage. I'm widening borders in the back yard. I need more room for my daylily/iris collection, but I also add other plants to fill color out. Same bed in Spring...

My stuff is all looking over grown and desperatly needs to be tidied up. This is Joe Pye, Ironweed, cannas, verbascum and phlox.

Very nice! Is that Joe Pye in the back?

BEAUTIFUL BEDS LADIES! I am so jealous! I have NO sunny area to plant. All I have is a shade garden and the colors are just not there. But there is one advantage- I do all my work out of the hot sun! Again your flowers are really lovely! Doris

Wow!!! What beautiful flower beds! You all are definitely an inspiration!

Working in the shade is great on a hot day. I waited until evening to mow the grass. Nothing wrong with that.

All of the flower beds are just beautiful. I got lot of ideas that I will try to use next spring.

Sunbeds look colorful but are a real drag to work in on a hot day! When the kids were little, I would go drop into into their "baby pool" to cool off. Now, I use a hose. Neighbors thin I'm crazy, but that's nothing new....

Wonderful! Wonderful! Thanks for posting and explaining these marvelous flower beds. Gives all of us incentive and proof that it can be done!

Spring is easiest, and as the season gets later it is harder to find things that will bloom. I remember when everything quit blooming in July one year, I went to town and made a list of things that were still in bloom in other people's yards so I could get some of them.

I'm always making lists of interesting plants growing around here. Our weather is so changeable, that I never know what will last thru a winter unless I see it growing.
And some plants make it that shouldn't! I have Snapdragons & cannas that have bloomed a second summer despite my negligence. You never know until you try it...

Wandasflowers - I am in awe of your gardens. They are beautiful. Your beds look almost as wide as my yard. I have known in my mind that this is what I need to do and I move plants and then I move more and more. The neighbors probably think I'm nuts but even thou I like what I've done I still do not have that effect. My hat if off to you.

So how long have you been into gardening? I've only been seriously trying for about 3 years now.

Momma says I picked up my first watering can & helped the neighborlady when I was 3 years old. When I was 7, we moved next door to a man who worked the City Gardens for 40 years. He taught me alot. I cared for the flowerbeds & brought home 33 peonies & 3 huge lilac bushes for my Daddy to plant.(They were widening our street & I had a little red wagoon to rescue plants...)

When I was 21, I bought a house across from an incredible 80 year old gardener. She could grow anything! I spent my days gardening with her and nights working at the Post Office.

When we built this house 13 years ago, I moved in Mom's Peonies, lilacs & some irises. That's all I could handle with 2 pre-schoolers & a job. As the kids have grown, I've had more time to spend widening my beds & creating new ones in the back yard in the past 3 years.

I've created & maintained huge butterfly gardens & pond gardens at 2 schools in the past 5 years. I've landscaped a church & a charity HIV/AIDS house. I've also established beds for 3 neices, sisters,neighbors & several friends. My gardens have provided most of the perennials needed to do these projects at no cost but lawn trim & mulch. I thank God for the volunteer army of kids who've helped me do the work!

Now,I'm happily mailing pieces of my gardens to people all over the nation! I think I'll turn into one of those doty old ladies with a straw hat puttering in my garden when I'm 90! LOL

HA! A doty old lady in a straw hat at 90 wouldn't be all that bad! I remember seeing a show on HGTV a couple of years ago on Tasha Tutor and her garden. Fine old lady! And beautiful gardens just like yours! I can just picture you with your little wagon rescuing the plants!

Your gardens are just so beautiful! The urns look great in the bed in your picture. I am moving soon to a place that doesn't have a porch for my urns and I was wondering where to put them. Your picture has inspired me! Thanks.

and I would be quite proud to be "doty old lady in a straw hat" if my flower gardens looked like that. Thanks for your story wandasflowers.

Instructions for being an old lady:http://www.ladyjayes.com/oldwoman.html

Very cute NoH2O

;~D

LimeyLisa Kay

Oh, I love it! I have the book and send copies to my friends as they turn 50. Delightful! Now I can just send them the link! Thanks.

Wandasflowers, just love your flowerbeds. My goal has been to achieve all summer blooming in my beds. This time of year I still fall short,but am working on more late blooming varieties for next year. The list you gave will help immensely. It was so great to meet you in person at our IA DGers tour of the botanical center and garden gate's test gardens.

I'm in the middle of revamping my back yard at this time. I just finished up with the iris bed and am now ready to start on the 3 new island beds. Thank God it is cooling down and we've had some rain to make this easier.

llilyfan

NOh2o--I'm going to go find a good purple garden hat so I can start practicing for my old age!! LOL

Thank the Lord for the rain! My Hibiscus will bloom again & the mums will be lovely! I love the cool fall weather & the trees turning color--I just hate thinking that my beautiful beds will all sleep soon under a bed of snow.

That new bed with the urns is showing promise with our first good rain in 7 weeks. I drug my hose to keep it alive as I planted it in August. This is the back bed on my lot with my flowering shrub roses & butterfly bushes behind the fence. I'd love to have a fountain back there , but I'm too lazy to run a cord. Hence, the urns. Cement & just $25 each closeout at a local store. It started out 24 inches wide--it's now at 10 foot!!! LOL Less grass to mow??

Wanda, I can just see you with your little wagon rescuing all those plants. Cute story for sure. My mums are starting to bloom, hollyhocks going strong, snapdragons, phlox, gee, we need a September Gardens thread.

Can you see my Dad with the sore back from planting them?? LOL Now I'm old enough to see why spending his Saturday digging holes was not my Daddy's first choice. Daddy is gone, but the lilacs & peonies he planted for me live on in my yard. Nice, huh?

Lovely remembrances...

LimeyLisa Kay