AUGUST BLOOMS

Again I’m late for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day (traditionally the 15th of the month), but better late than never. Click any of the photos to see a larger version.

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FRONT YARD

Really the story of the front yard can be summed up in three words: milkweed, monarchs, and goldenrod.

But first, a few landscape shots.

Here are some of the milkweeds (mixed with a little jewelweed).

There are many dozens of monarch butterfly caterpillars on them, of all sizes, as well as milkweed tussock moth caterpillars, and a leafhopper (Graphocephala).

Adult monarchs on front-yard echinacea and Joe Pye weed.

A few more from the front yard below: fritillary butterfly on echinacea, several hummingbird clearwing moths (Hemaris thysbe) on bee balm, a blurry bedstraw hawk moth (Hyles gallii) on bee balm, a netwing beetle (Calopteron spp.) near the self-heal in the lawn, a brown angle-shades moth (Phlogophora periculosa) on the evening primrose, a ‘Rozanne’ geranium (with its own tiny insect), some oleander aphids on the swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), flowers of the ‘Loyalist’ hosta.

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SHADE GARDEN

The 6-foot high elecampane is a showy beast.

A few more from the shade garden.

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SIDE YARD and vegetable garden

Loving the ‘Ellen’s Blue’ buddleia and ‘Lucifer’ crocosmia’s blue-purple and red combo.

And the similarly contrasting colours of the great blue lobelia with the cardinal flower and red bee balm.

The elderberries are darkening and hopefully someone will pick them soon for jam.

Zinnias! So cheery.

More from the side yard.

Vegetable garden. Harvested about 50 garlic total, five or six cukes so far, a couple of summer squash (something nibbles them), lots of kale, lots of honeydrop cherry tomatoes, and a little basil and parsley,

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BACK YARD

Yarrow.

PeeGee hydrangea and phlox.

Goldenrod.

Purples, pinks, and others.

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ROCK WALL

Clethra ‘Ruby Spice’ (summersweet)

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FRUIT GUILD

It’s peach season, so that’s the main thing, plus fennel, woodland sunflower, yarrow and Queen Anne’s lace, goldenrod, swamp milkweed, and now anise hyssop coming into flower.

Peaches

Everything else.

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Thanks for visiting. Take a peach, and see you in mid-September!

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

Featured image: cutting flowers for a party