It's high summer in our gardens now. The perennials are strong and the annuals are at their peak. Everyone who has come to see the gardens and picked up a few things has said I want to remember that...and that...and that for next year. Mostly everyone is noticing the late blooming annuals, which are spectacular now, and late summer blooming perennials.
The problem, of course, is that in the spring all of these beautiful bloomers look like , well, not much. Yes, in Spring, they're just small insignificant plants, but just conjure up the memory of your late summer visit to Morningside...
...ah yes, that bog sage that is a heavenly blue color matching the summer sky...those globe amaranth in shocking colors of wild purple, deep pink, and strawberry rose...
And that's just the beginning. We have a new color of cockscomb that a friend of ours shared the seed from (It's my favorite, sunset colors of peach, yellow, and soft pink...delicious). Then there are the big sedum that are starting to show their late summer color: Matrona with it's dark pink leaves and stems and soft pink flowers, and Sedums 'Autumn Joy' and 'Autumn Fire' with their pink and brighter pink flowers. Our asters are just starting to show all the purple, pink, white, and blue colors that say Fall is coming. Boltonia 'Snow Bank' and 'Pink Beauty' have just come out, too, with their tall waving wands of pink and white flowers dancing on the breeze. Our ever expanding mounds of 'Profusion' zinnias are a nice holdover from summer, too. We have them in peach, cream, fire orange, and double cherry which has shades of pink to cream on the same plant. I used them in containers for the first time this year and they look spectacular now. I definitely will remember that for next year.
The new gardens seem like they have been here for years even though it has only been six months. It doesn't take long for a new garden to take hold of your imagination Just take a look at these pictures. Sometimes I can't even believe it, but the camera doesn't lie. Here it is: already a garden to remember.
