Three days late for my next-to-last bloom day of 2020!

We’re still in a moderate drought and I can’t remember the last time it really rained. There’s nothing in the forecast now until a week from today, a 50% chance of rain. On the other hand, it’s gotten cooler, so plants aren’t quite as stressed as they have been. But I’m still watering newly planted seeds — more peas, a lettuce mix, another go-round of arugula — and most of the plants (cukes, squash, tomatoes, basil, parsley) in the vegetable garden. Highs for the next week are forecast to be in the mid-to-low 70s, with a dip into the high 40s one night. (Glad we got that cord of wood delivered and stacked last week!) As I type at 5 p.m., it’s 69F and cloudy, and I have switched to pants and a light flannel shirt.

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Shade Garden

Inula helenium (Horseheal, elecampane) and hostas are the only things flowering in the shade garden lately. I don’t know the variety of either hosta —

An elecampane or two were given to me by a friend when she was moving, and they have self-seeded all over the place, which I kind of like (they’re easily removed). They’re so tall! And profilic bloomers. And now they’ve fallen over, where I can see their blooms better.

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Front Yard

Crocosmia and milkweed (which had to be held up after some heavy winds):

Echinacea (‘Purple Emperor’ and others):

Bee Balm (Monarda) with ‘Hab Grey’ sedum:

Bee Balm (Monarda) with unknown geranium and ‘Halcyon’ hosta:

Bee balm (Monarda) with baptisia and rhododendron behind:

The start of the centaurea (perennial bachelor button) rebloom:

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Side Yard, including vegetable garden (among which are sunflower, crocosmia, balsam, cosmos, feverfew, milkweed, and other flowering plants)

Unbidden sunflower (probably from winter birdseed), first in full bloom with lots of attachments … (and crocosmia behind)

An evening shot …

Beloved by bees and wasps …

Now with the red squirrel eating all the flowers to little nubs (thank you, squirrel):

Hummingbird in the crocosmia:

Crocosmia and purple and pink vervain:

One of the perovskia (Russian sage) blooms:

Some self-seeded anise hyssop:

… with monarch … one of the few I’ve seen this year:

The ‘Ellen’s Blue’ buddleia (butterfly bush), planted in 2014 and still alive! in this microclimate spot, attracts everyone:

Along the vegetable garden fence and outside it are these lovelies:  

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Fruit Guild

Still waiting for the peaches to be ready to pick. Alllllllllmost time! The last two years, when we’ve had so many peaches (like this year), we harvested the first batches on the 19th (in 2019) and the 20th (in 2018) of August, and looks like we’re on track for about the same this year. I can see some large blushing fruits at the tops of the trees today.

The fennel (which comes back year after year, and spreads) is blooming, attracting many wasps.

And black swallowtail caterpillars!

And the echinacea’s blooming there like everywhere else …

Plus a new woodland sunflower I bought this spring:

Tansy has come back, though I thought I had gotten all of it out (nice contrast with sand cherry foliage). 

And swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, is blooming now, too. So far, no oleander aphids, but I know they’ll be along.

I was pleased to welcome the swamp milkweed beetle, shown here on a nearby sensitive fern.

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Rock Wall

The two summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’) planted a few years ago have really taken off and widened their sphere of influence.

Some pink phlox and a double daylily teamed up for a neon display among the raspberry bushes. 

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Back Yard

This is where most of the action is now. 

Near the patio are a turk’s cap lily, one of three I planted around the yard in the spring …

… some ‘Paprika’ yarrow …

… Echinops ‘Blue Globe’, which has spread over the years …

…. and a Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) that planted itself in a microclimate near the house a few years ago, shown with monarch; this plant, in this spot, blooms 7-10 days earlier than the others of its kind in the yard.

In the back border, the Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination; (culver’s root) is about finished now, but it threw quite a banquet for the insects.

The Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is starting to bloom now.

Some of the rest:

And then there’s this monster squash vine growing from the compost.

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The Joe Pye weed and swamp milkweed (incarnata) are nearing their peak bloom, and soon we’ll see the chelone (turtlehead) and the willow gentian blooming … and the peaches beginning to ripen! That’ll keep us busy for a while.

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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.