Bloom Day - I Think I'd Like To Have Another

September's Bloom Day post seems like a perfect time to reflect on the summer that is soon to end. The people here in Hampton Roads should feel as if the weather gods have been smiling on them all season, particularly with what has been going on in other places. Some of our Yankee and other cooler climate friends have been watching Late Blight steal the very life from their tomatoes. The poor people in Texas have been baking in an unrelenting dry heat. The usually cool and hip Pacific northwest broke heat records this summer. Hot as it was in those places, at least the land didn't burn like it is in southern California (which it seems to do so increasingly every summer). I am sure there are many other places where the weather was a story this summer.

In this corner of the world it has been a weird summer too, but weird in a good way. Temperature wise, we had an unusually low number of days when it rose into the 90's and only one day where it even approached 100. The real story was our rainfall. Since August 1st we have had just shy of 20" of rain, 5.5" of that fell last week in one day. Needless to say, most of the plants have loved it, but I have lost a couple of things from too much rain. Given the choice of what we had the past two summers and what we got this year - I think I'd like to have more summers just like this past one.

On to the blooms. Let's start with a few from the front porch. The first is Indian Dunes Geranium (Pelargonium 'Indian Dunes'), which has gotten a second wind from the cooler temperatures of the last couple of weeks.

Impatiens

The Plumeria did not bloom last summer, but has made up for it this year. I wish you could smell it.

In the front garden, the Pat Austin Rose has been enjoying the same cool spell as the Geranium.

Fireworks Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks') is just coming into season and without all the drought induced spider mites from last summer.

Hardy Begonia (Begonia grandis)

Dahlia x 'Bishop of York'

The bees have been extremely busy on my Black and Blue Salvia (Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'), and it is by far their favorite plant in my garden. Knowing how funky (not in a good way) this plant smells, I wonder if the honey made from this Salvia's pollen has that same funk.

Now to the back yard. The limbs of the Hardy Orange (Poncirus trifoliata) were bowing down from the weight of all the fruit. If you have ever inadvertently backed into one of these trees, you will know why I had to cut several branches that blocked the sidewalk for taller folk.

August Beauty Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides 'August Beauty')

Hardy Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)

Pickerel Rush (Pontederia cordata)

Finally, despite the extra rainfall my Hibiscus coccineus has been reluctant to bloom, at least until this week. I guess it was just holding out for Bloom Day.

If you would like to see what is happening in other gardens around the country and around the world, head on over to see Carol at May Dreams Garden as she is the hostess supreme for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.