Bloom Day - September, or August 2.0

Several of the bloggers I follow have mentioned a change in the air and are looking forward to fall. Here in Tidewater September is usually just an extension of August. In fact, I am thinking about petitioning the U.N. to have the first three weeks of the month ceded to August and October can get the fourth. Other than seeing school buses on the road and mums appearing outside the grocery store, there are few signs of a change here. The same can be said of my garden. Most of the players from Bloom Day August are still going strong, so I will spare you more Lantana and Zinnia shots.

Our often hot and dry summer was of no consequence to Portulaca 'Rio Scarlet'. My only issue with this plant is that the flowers keep banker's hours and do not open until mid-morning and close by mid-afternoon, so I rarely saw them bloom this summer.

Another annual that has not been so stingy with its blooms are Impatiens. I know they are used ad nauseum, but some things are common for a reason.

One plant that I wish would not bloom so much is one of my worst weeds, Passiflora lutea.

I will repeat a photo of Asclepias curassavica, mainly because it is such a good annual. Most of mine were stripped of foliage and flowers by the caterpillars in August. Now they have recovered, re-leafed and re-bloomed.

Another repeat is this unknown Dahlia, that rather than stake, I run up through other shrubs.

Several years ago a co-worker and I noticed that one Liriope muscari out of hundreds seemed to bloom with an extra effort in an extra purple color. We pooled our money together and bought this one for the extravagant sum of $3 and divided it in two.

Abelia x 'Sunrise' is no stranger to my Bloom Day posts.

I do have a couple of things that say "September is here". This is Poncirus trifoliata ...

... and Fireworks Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks').

If you would like to see what is blooming in other blogger's gardens, then you should visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. She always knows what month it is.