Dirt Therapy

It is turning cooler but we are still very, very dry. Blooming today, on the last day of September -   Butterfly Weed ( Asclepias curassavica 'Red Butterfly') Beautyberry ( Callicarpa 'Profusion') Hardy Plumbago ( Ceratostigma plumbaginoides ) Ironweed ( Veronica baldwinii ) Sea Campion ( Silene uniflora 'Druett's Variegated') Japanese Shrub Mint ( Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Golden Angel') and Fuchsia 'Cardinal' Uruguayan Firecracker Plant ( Dicliptera suberecta ) Cistus 'Mickey' and an unidentified Hebe Aster lateriflorus 'Prince' Anemone Parahebe perfoliate and Blanket Flower ( Gaillardia 'Oranges and Lemons') Penstemon Crape Myrtle ( Lagerstroemia 'Dynamite')     Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Is it really September already? It has been a long, warm, dry summer but autumn is on the horizon. The temperatures are steadily back in the upper 60s and low 70s and we are getting sprinkles. There are autumnal hints everywhere in the garden - the Japanese maples and the dogwood tree are beginning a color shift and fall flowers, like Anenome and Goldenrod are blooming. The garden has been full of goldfinches during the past two weeks and hummingbirds have increased dramatically. Gardener Blogger's Bloom Day, hosted by May Dreams Gardens , is the place to see what is blooming in gardens across the United States. Check out the blog for a list of links. In the meantime, here are some of the flowers in our garden this month... Goldenrod ( Solidago 'Fireworks') is a sure sign that the season is changing.   Crape Myrtle 'Dynamite' finally beginning to bloom. Aster dumosis 'Wood's Purple' and Mexican Feather Grass ( Nassella tenuissima )  Rudbeckia ...

Our deck is wall-to-wall fuchsias. We both love them but Michael is the one who has went nuts over them and cares for them daily. Fuchsias did not do well in Alabama because of the humidity. Nurseries there did sell them in spring but they were a waste of money because after June, they usually succumbed to a slow and painful death. Here in Washington, they flourish, growing profusely in containers as well as in the ground. Some are very cold hardy. It is recommended that you plant them deeply, like you would tomatoes, if growing them in the ground. So, without further ado, here is our collection -  'Arete Upright Arroyo' Grande is a new addition this year, purchased on the bargain rack at Fred Meyer, and it was performed spectacularly. Very profuse bloomer! ' 'Autumnale' has beautiful flowers but it is the multi-colored foliage that is the star of the plant. 'Autumnale' 'Blackie' 'Cardinal' is one of the largest and...