This is Saturday, October 1. Even though the day is heating up, there is still a little freshness in the breeze that lets me know fall is coming on.
Today I’m documenting what’s blooming and what’s about to bloom. Above is a solitary Surprise lily (lycoris squamigera)–I planted a bunch of these last spring, and this is the only one I see coming up. I often see some of the ones that were here originally, but they’re not reliable each year–wonder if it’s the rainfall? When they “surprise” you each fall, it’s tough to remember what you’re supposed to do to make them bloom. (I see a big stand of these in my neighbor’s yard, and I know they’re totally neglected, so I’m not sure what course to take for next year.)
The Japanese Anemone in some sections of the garden has already come and gone, but this little stand is just about to bloom. I’ve found that the sunnier the location, the earlier the bloom–except in the case of one patch on the shady north side of the house, which always blooms in August, no matter what. Go figure.
- And here’s the way the anemone looks on the front side of the garden wall, where it really lives hard–it’s difficult to water, and it’s in hot sun. Still, nice blooms so far.
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Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Fuji Waterfall’ is my favorite hydrangea. I planted a second one this spring, so it hasn’t approached the stature of this older shrub, probably about 8 years along. Even in the late summer the old blooms are interesting, and now here’s the bonus bloom, just below:
Last summer about this time, my sweet kitty Hobbes was struck and killed by a car as he was coming home from his nightly hunt. When I left for work the next morning, I found him in the grass up the street–someone had taken the time to remove him from the street and nestle him in a way that his injuries didn’t show, and they had pulled a ‘Fuji Waterfall’ bloom and place it between his paws.
I don’t know if the person who hit him made this kind gesture, or if it was someone who came by later and knew I would be even sadder to find him lying in the street–Hobbes is now forever tied in with my love of this beautiful hydrangea.
A dainty aster, I’ve forgotten its name. It’s usually over and done by this time, and it always makes just a tiny show anyway, but this year it’s really doing its thing in late September!
This is the rowdy stand of ‘Ryan’s Pink’ chrysanthemums that spill downward into the rain garden. They should be coming on in about a week, and when I trim back the cannas and elephant ears from the rain garden, they will make a lovely flow.
The ginger lily is really blooming its head off right now, and should keep up for a while if it gets enough water. This cultivar is (I think) ‘Daniel Weeks’, and blooms late, should be going until frost.
Can you see those tiny buds? I seem to remember from past years that the Trumpet lily was blooming really freely by now, but maybe not. The height is impressive, but I’m not seeing many buds–had a few about 3 weeks ago, and now nothing more. Not its usual behavior, but I’m hopeful.
Danae racemosa (Poet’s Laurel) is about the only thing looking good under my Kwanzan cherry right now–the dry summer seems to have deleted most of the sweet groundcovers. But behind the laurel, in the upper right corner of this shot, the Arum italicum is sending up spears, and its foliage should be covering up some of the bare spots before long.
