Late August and September are one of my favorite seasons here in the Cornwallville Gardens, The annuals and tropicals are in full glory and all my coveted gigantic perennials are strutting there stuff. So lets take a little tour of the gardens here in late summer. Above are the seed heads of Rudbeckia laciniata. A signature perennial here, with 6-7 ft. stems that barley need staking. There are several drifts of this plant throughout the island beds as a late summer back drop.
Above is a little scene of the roadside island bed with combination of a double form of Rudbeckia lacinaiata (this variety does need staking ), a Ricinus communus or giant castor bean and Eupatorium purpureum. Below are some detail shots of the same plants.
Below and the following photos of are the 'secret garden' out back behind the turkey coop. I'm sure I will come up with a different name for the space, but for now that's what we are calling it.
The big red banana below is breathtaking with the sunset behind it. One can see every detail and colored vein. An outstanding tropical that everyone should own if you have the space.
Next up are a few examples of the tender annuals and bulbs blooming now here. Below is a bog sage, Salvia uliginosa, a true blue salvia that has been blooming here since August. It is hardy to z6 but I was here in my z5 garden that it will either come back with heavy mulching or through re-seeding.
I have been looking for a special gladiola for years now that would fit the garden palette here and I think I found two of them. The one pictured below is a blue butterfly variety but more a deep purple and the other (not pictured) is a green variety with a white throat.
I have been planting Amaranthus caudatus or Love-Lies-Bleeding here for years pictured below. I love the pink dread-lock like flowers, and often pass them buy and hold them in my hand.
No garden would be complete without Sedum telephium 'Autumn Joy' pictured above. I have a bunch of this late summer/fall blooming winner through out the gardens.
Below is Lilium formosanum 'Formosa Lily', a new one for me . I shot the photo from above so you could see the beautiful deep pink stripe that runs up the middle of each petal. Ill let you know how this lily returns, and if it does well. I'm sure it will be a "Freak Out Plant' for me. I can feel the passion for this flower already!
Another new one for me is the tender bulb Zantedeschia aethiopica. A giant calla lily 2-3ft. tall with rich sturdy, glossy green leaves. I started these bulbs so late in the summer, that I only got one bloom. Next summer will be a different story I'm sure.
Another tropical that I have featured previously is Clerodendrum 'Musical Notes', and exotic sub-shrub with the most unusual white flowers. It has been blooming all summer long and hopefully till just before the frost.
I have saved the seeds this year from Zinnia 'Creamy White Giant' although not a true cream to my eyes. This soft yellow annual has my heart skipping beats.
A new perennial to me that I picked up at Loomis Creek is Coreopsis tripteris. While working there one day I was asked to divide a clump of this monstrous perennial. It took a pick axe, saw, and hatchet just to get through the tight woody root mass. I was cursing it out as I worked.
I swore to myself I would never plant it in my garden for this reason. When I saw it in bloom I understood its true potential. I decided to plant in a bed where I would never have to move it. I suggest you do the same if your interested in this late bloomer.
Finally we have had three of these Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, or Flap-Jack succulents for years now. They reside in pots at our front door to the stone house. When temperatures dip down, I pot them up into smaller pots and bring them inside to over winter in a windowsill till spring returns.
I hope you enjoyed this little tour and I encourage you to plant many late-summer bloomers and annuals in your gardens. They truly reward you with flashy color when the leaves begin to blush up and the scent of firewood is in the air.
This first perennial in the series is Aster tataricus 'Jindai'. This aster emerges in the spring with 2ft. long leaves. These large clumps wait until early fall until the flower stalks erupt to height of 4-5ft. Lavender flowers with yellow centers blooming at different heights, creates a unique depth to this beauty.
