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Autumn Leaves

'Dancing Peacock' Someone needs to write a song... :) With an atmospheric river and 30 mph winds predicted this past weekend, I was afraid the ginkgo, which had just started to turn color, would be stripped.  We were lucky though and it remains intact. Gingko 'Princeton Sentry' After the storm... The Black Tupelo (Nyssa slyvatica) changes color from the inside out - The above photo was taken last week. Here it is today - 'Wolf Eyes' Dogwood (Cornus kousa) has never had such pink color - Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea', Crape Myrtle 'Dynamite' ( Lagerstroemia ), and Persian Ironwood ( Parrotia persica ) - Japanese Maple 'Beni Hime' - Serviceberry 'Autumn Brilliance' ( Amelanchier ) with tree peonies - Stewartia pyschocamellia starts the color show early. It has since faded to a much softer color - Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Looking Good in August

African Daisy (Osteospermum), Fan Flower (Scaevola) and
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea)

It is the most miserable time of year and last week was a doozy. We had a record number of days with temperatures over 90. 

As I write this, however, the windows are open and a cool breeze is coming through the house. It is about 70 degrees, much more to my liking. This will be short-lived as another 3-day stretch of hot weather is coming up this weekend.

Gladiolus 'Olympic Flame' in a pot. These were a very pleasant surprise!


Agapanthus 'Purple Potion' - This is the first time I've
gotten agapanthus to bloom. 


One of my favorite plants - African Boxwood (Myrsine A. 'Scarlet Marglin').
 It grows in a pot on the deck in full shade. 


A heat-lover that I love is the Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus).
 The bees love it too.


Another plant that probably prefers it warm is this
 Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora 'Coral Glow')


 
Clematis 'Comtesse de Bouchaud' - Most of the clematis are
on the wane but this one starts later.

Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata 'Bristol Fairy')

Four O'Clocks (Mirabilis) - I haven't grown this since the Alabama days. There it was aggresive so I was apprehensive about it. I'm keeping my eye on it.

The lilies are doing nicely - most are in pots.
This one is 'Roselily Natalia'.

'Stargazer' still one of the best

I would never have guessed that pansies would be flourishing in August!


And for matter, snapdragons too!

Painted Tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata)

Porcelain Vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata 'Elegans')


Jasminum officinale 'Fiona Sunrise'


I guess I'm a fan of redbuds. These are just two - 'Ruby Falls' peeking on the far left and 'Rising Sun' on the right. In the middle is Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa 'Jealousy').

'The Impressionist' - This poor rose has been moved three times. I have no idea why it is now pink - it is normally a coppery yellow. 

Michael pruning a rose and trying to save the clematis growing in it.



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonAugust 4, 2022 at 10:57 AM

    Your garden looks stupendous this August, especially given the recent heatwave. My Osteospermums mostly shut down flower production during the summer months (although, when I'm lucky, the plants themselves don't perish). My snapdragons are done and gone. The chaste tree I planted years ago from a tiny pot is still small and hasn't flowered but I haven't given up on it. Oddly, I haven't even seen flowers on my Hesperaloes this year - maybe too little water even for them :(

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  2. AnonymousAugust 5, 2022 at 4:18 PM

    The photo of Yucca 'Coral Glow' is looking very nice against the weeping cedar. It's not often that you shoot this angle of the garden. It looks to be a dark leaf Euphorbia in the back. Do you know which it is?
    Chavli

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    1. Phillip OliverAugust 5, 2022 at 9:18 PM

      Chavli, that is Euphorbia 'Blackbird'. This bed is along the elevated retaining wall next to the driveway (that goes downhill). It has been a challenge finding things that grow well there.

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