Gardening and Gardens

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! ...

On a recent trip to Washington D.C., I happened to walk by the American Pharmacists Association headquarters building. I was intrigued by the plants growing outside the building so I stopped to take a closer look. And then I realized it... they were planted with a purpose. All these plants have medicinal and healing properties. From the sidewalk, I could see Yarrow ( Achillea) , Yucca, Coneflower (Echinacea) , St. John's Wort (Hypericum) , Yew (Taxus) and Monk's Pepper (Vitex) . Yarrow (Achillea) is said to be named after the Greek mythical figure Achilles, who used it to stop the bleeding wounds of his soldiers. Today, Yarrow is believed to help with digestion. The plant contains flavonoids which increase saliva and stomach acid. It's also good for treating and managing the symptoms of colds, flu and fever. Yucca leaves and roots are used for arthritis pain relief and joint inflammation. Coneflower (Echinachea) is probably one of the most popular herbs in A...