Gardening and Gardens

It's hot and humid here on Long Island, NY this month, which is typical for July. Around this time, I'm happy I did most of my big gardening tasks in the spring when the weather was more comfortable. Still, there is always a flower to deadhead or a perennial to relocate. Thankfully though, the garden is mostly on auto pilot and I'm enjoying the blooms. Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month:  The Russian Sage mingles with the Black Eye Susans Echinacea 'Hot Papaya' really stands out (and above!) the  Sedum, Liatris and more Black Eyed Susans  A beautiful pink bee balm - Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' More pinks! Above, coneflowers (echinacea) in bloom and below, a hydrangea - Over in the shade garden, the Japanese Painted Fern is looking lovely next to the small Hosta 'Mouse Ears' and Hosta 'June.' This whole garden is finally starting to fill in! Do you have any of these same ...

It's Garden Blogger Bloom Day! On the 15th of each month, we garden bloggers like to show off what's blooming and growing in our gardens. Here on Long Island, zone 7, things are blooming all over and I'm just letting most of the plants simply do their thing.  Below are a few favorites from my August garden this month: These black eyed Susans take center stage in August in my garden. They are so happy and free, I just let them bloom and fill in all over. It's like a sky full of yellow fireworks. A new addition this year under the yellow Day Lily is Sedum 'Cherry Tart'.  I love the purple foliage and pink blossoms. The panicle hydrangea is in full bloom now and looking fantastic.  Another new addition is Echinachea 'Hot Papaya'. I needed something tall in the back of the bed that would look lovely with the rudbeckias. These cone flowers have petals  that point downward and look like little mini rockets to me.  The Knockout...

It's been hot and humid for the past few weeks here on Long Island. Between the heat and the mosquitos, tending the garden has been a challenge. Thankfully there are lots of carefree heat-lovers in bloom making everything look lovely. Here's what's blooming in my garden this month: This is such a beautifully colored daylily . I love the yellow center and it's magenta petals. The purple coneflower (Echinachea) is a nice compliment to the yellow Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia). Behind them is the wispy, purple Russian Sage.  I planted this Knockout Rose only two months ago. It is coming along nicely and I just love the color of the blooms. On the left is Rudbeckia "Cherry Brandy" and on the right are more Black-eyed Susans.  This Hosta is just coming into bloom. The stems are nice and erect with a lovely purple blossom. To the right, is Yarrow and more Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'.  The Crape Myrtle is starting to bloom! ...

Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's a look at what's growing and blooming in my Long Island garden this month. The Montauk Daisy ( Nipponanthemum nipponicum ) is in full bloom. All summer long, my husband asked me "What's the deal with this plant? When is it going to bloom?" Just wait, I told him. And sure enough, when everything else is starting to settle into the coolness of autumn, these beautiful daisies open up and smile at all who pass by. The Sedum 'Autumn Joy' has morphed from the vibrant pink of last month to a beautiful deep maroon color, more fitting for this time of year. I love how the Hosta leaves begin to change color, similar to the tree leaves. The golden yellow against the fading green is simply lovely. A few Black Eyed Susans remain, looking more attractive next to the deep color of the sedums now. And the Burning Bush ( Euonymus alata 'Compactus' ) is starting to live up to its name. The leaf colors...

Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's a look at what's growing and blooming in my garden this month. The buds on the Montauk Daisies ( Nipponanthemum nipponicum ) are starting to show. I've pruned this down twice throughout the summer to help keep its shape and can't wait to see the blossoms in a few weeks! I love the pink hue of the Sedum  'Autumn Joy' against its lush green foliage. I still have a few Black Eyed Susans too which are a lovely contrast to the pink. To my delight, the Lychnis coronaria decided to bloom again (left) and the potted geranium continues to put on a good show. I recently planted some new mums in the front of the garden and to the back, more will soon be blooming.  This just started blooming too and I believe it is Salvia farinacea (Victoria White) The blooms on the panicle hydrangea (possibly Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'??) are turning a light pink which is so pretty. The shrub I inherited is co...

Heat, humidity and thunderstorms -- all part of summer here on Long Island. I'm thankful for my Black Eyed Susans (Rubeckia hirta 'Goldsturm') as they continue to look great, despite all kinds of weather. Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - have a look at what's growing and blooming in my garden this month. Under the japanese maple, the sedums are almost ready to bloom. A few pink echinaceas still peek through but the real show stoppers are the rubeckias.  Along the side of the front garden, the purple Angelonia angustifolia 'Dresden blue' is doing beautifully. The lantana in front of the Echinacea magnus is also looking good.  A perennial lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen Victoria') just started to bloom. I just love the deep red colored flowers on erect stems against the deep, dark foliage below.  The crape myrtle is in full bloom. I've never had one of these before and I love it! I might prune it after its finished blooming t...

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my new garden this month: Flower box just outside the front door is blooming with Lobelia, Petunia and Bacopa. This little beauty is just starting to bloom. Looks like a Pee Gee Hydrangea to me. Do you agree? Finally my Impatiens have filled in. I love the mixture of pinks and oranges. It's called "Samba Mix." Hot and spicy! I love this combination of purple Russian Sage and the yellow Black-eyed Susan. Another Hydrangea starting to bloom. This one looks more like the Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva' maybe?) At the curbside garden, the Hostas along the sidewalk (to the right) are getting too much sun. The leaves are yellowing and it doesn't look healthy. I'm not a big fan of this type of Hosta and its flower stem is long and wispy. But the Hosta in the back (left foreground), I like.  The leaves are green with yellow margins. T...

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month. It's been a rainy past few days here in western Long Island, but at least I got to photograph a few of my plants while the sun was still shining. The Black-eyed Susan's have finally bloomed. I just love their cheery yellow with the dark center. The purple Salvia has really done well in these boxes and their darkness is a nice contrast to the lemon-yellow Zinnias. Every time I look at these impatiens, I am still in awe that these were from cuttings I made. Look how full and lush they are! The Morning Glory vines have really taken off and trying to grab hold of anything they can climb on. I love the shade it provides from inside the house and the way it looks from the outside. I planted a mix of seeds, so the flower colors range from a deep purple to pink to a deep blue. So pretty. The ferns in the shady area of my backya...