Two days late!

It feels like fall here in New Hampshire. We’re still in a drought. High temps are generally in the 60s and 70s with lows from the 40s-60s, and in a few days, in the low 30s. The garden is withering, especially the cucumber and squash vines, though the bean and morning glory vines are going strong, as is the volunteer pumpkin monster that grew from the compost. 

 

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Shade Garden

Nothing happening here, really, except for the Chelone lyonii ‘Hot Lips’ (pink turtlehead) on the sunny edge of the shade garden. The bumblebees like it.

 

And here’s Kirengeshoma palmata (yellow wax bells), a favourite of mine

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Front Yard

I thought we might have ‘Bluebird’ aster bloom or at least bud by now but not quite. The echinacea have faded, the annuals — vermillionaire ‘Firecracker,’ gazania, zinnias, some annual grasses, some pretty “weeds” — are filling in for now. The ‘Rozanne’ geraniums never quit. And it’s sedum time! 

Sedum ussuriense ‘Turkish Delight’ — so vivid!

 

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Side Yard, including vegetable garden 

I’m always glad to have scattered mixed seeds, though I tend to forget them and they get overgrown when perennials reach their full summer size. Still, some persist. Right now, there’s cosmos, balsam, Mexican sunflowers, calendula, all from a seed mix, plus morning glories and marigolds. 

 

The ‘Neon Intensia’ phlox is also still/re-blooming (not sure which) in the side yard (those are crocosmia seedheads alongside).

The buddleia ‘Ellen’s Blue’ is still going strong.

Another bit of the side yard:

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Fruit Guild

The peach season has come and gone, beginning 19 Aug. and ending 6 Sept. The chipmunks and squirrels nibbled a lot, we had some minor (slightly disfiguring) insect damage, and the raccoons really enjoyed what fell, which was a lot with the squirrel action and two rain and wind storms. By my count, we picked about 800 peaches, several hundred less than usual.

The sneezeweed is blooming now (left), along with the new woodland sunflower (right).

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Back Yard

The back border is lovely this time of year, especially in the mist. 

Willow gentian (any gentian) is a favourite, too.

More of the back yard —

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I’ll share the asters in October and maybe there will other blooms, though not many. We’re winding down here, or you could look at it as gearing up — for hibernation, rest, rejuvenation, the in-drawing and alchemy of potency that occurs in the dormant season.  

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