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Ten August Favorites

Ginger Lily ( Hedychium coccineum 'Tara') With the exception of a few hot spells, August has been tolerable. However, beginning tomorrow, we are in for a 5-day heat wave. Disgusting! August is the month for plants that really love the heat. I have to begin with the Ginger Lily 'Tara' which is blooming for the first time. I posted a few weeks ago about how excited I was to see the bloom stalk. They have slowly opened with a few flowers every day. It has been well worth the wait.  Other favorites - Continuing the orange theme is Lantana 'Miss Huff' which is growing in a pot (that is the heather 'Firefly' in the foreground). This lantana can survive in the ground if situated in a protected area and it isn't too wet. Previously, one grew in the back garden along the south foundation and got huge (about 3' x 5'). I finally took it out after a particularly tough winter and it was slow to bounce back.  Allium ' Millenium' is a small charme...
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Star Magnolia - before the freeze gets it


Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata), very beautiful at the moment, very hard to get a decent photo of it. It always blooms early and usually gets nipped by the cold. We have temperatures predicted to be in the 20s tonight so it might not look like this tomorrow. :(
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Lisa at GreenbowMarch 12, 2014 at 10:10 AM

    Good thing you got out there to get the picture. It looks beautiful. OUrs isn't beginning to bloom yet. We won't be far behind.

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  2. organicgardendreamsMarch 12, 2014 at 6:01 PM

    Hi Phillip, very beautiful photo of your star magnolia. Hope it doesn't get zapped by the low temperatures that you are expecting. Have you ever thought about protecting it somehow? It doesn't look too tall on the photo, so maybe it is possible to through a tarp over it and put a heating light under it?
    Christina

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  3. debsgardenMarch 12, 2014 at 8:03 PM

    So beautiful! I hope your temps won't be as low as predicted. These magnolias always seem to bloom a tad too early. My own Jane magnolia just started flowering a couple days ago, and we are supposed to get to 32 tonight. Your daffodils are also beautiful! I truly hope this is the final cold swipe from winter!

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  4. NicMarch 13, 2014 at 4:30 AM

    So lovely. I hope it made it through the night. Here the magnolias will still need at least a week or two...

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  5. Phillip OliverMarch 13, 2014 at 8:00 AM

    Christina, it is larger than it looks - I would estimate about 12 feet high. It would be a job to cover it. I don't think the temps got as low as they first predicted. It looked fine this morning although frost damage usually shows up later. We will see!

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  6. Edith KentMarch 13, 2014 at 9:41 AM

    It's beautiful Phillip. The Limestone Master Gardeners would like to see your garden again. If you remember. .it was pouring rain last year. When would best time be...May? Are the roses blooming then?

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  7. Phillip OliverMarch 13, 2014 at 10:02 AM

    Edith, May is usually the peak time. Just send me an email!

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  8. SwimrayMarch 15, 2014 at 8:08 PM

    Yep. It happens to my star magnolia some years, too.
    Ray

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  9. sweetbayMarch 21, 2014 at 4:42 PM

    Ah so beautiful, but usually spoiled by cold here too.

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  10. RobinLMarch 23, 2014 at 2:20 PM

    We are pretty north of you, but the same problem here. Magnolias always get nipped by frost. But they sure are pretty while they last!

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