Jan Doble enjoys sharing her photography, observations and thoughts about the perennials, backyard birds, butterflies and other critters that live in her Virginia suburban garden, Zone 7a.

Married with two children, Jan is the author of the garden blog Thanks For Today (thanksfor2day.blogspot.com) about which she says: "I started my gardening blog not just to document the happenings in my yard. I am also a cancer survivor and named it to honor the life we are given every single day, and to remind myself to never take that for granted."

Jan plans to attend Virginia Master Gardener classes this fall. Her garden is both a Certified Wildlife Habitat and a Monarch Waystation.

 

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Still Blooming in September…
by Jan Doble - posted 09/21/11

 

The weather is cooling down and it's been comfortable, in the 60's and 70's, lately. A few days we've even woken up to 45 degrees here in northern VA. The plants are much happier than they were this summer, and I haven't added any additional water in weeks. It has rained on and off, which is just what my garden needed to lose that 'crispy' look.

 

Aster novae angliae (New England Aster) -- with a friendly fly visitor

Since I didn't get around to posting a 'Bloom-day' post on the 15th, I thought I would do it now because it helps me to keep a record of what's happening in my garden from year to year.  I don't have much to write about--so you can just scroll down and view the photos.

 

Clockwise, from top L: Rudbeckia hirta (the last Black-Eyed Susan bloom), Gaura, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides,

Phlox paniculata 'Andre', Echinacea purpurea 'Pink Double Delight', Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles',

and center: Perovskia (Russian Sage) with Verbena bonariensis (Purpletop Verbane)

 

Liriope muscari 'variegata' (Variegated Liriope)

 

Clockwise, from top L: Coreopsis 'Limerick Ruby' (overwintered well here in zone 7-A), Caryopteris (Blue Mist Shrub), Agastache cana 'purple pygmy' (Hummingbird Mint), Rudbeckia laciniata (Tall Yellow Coneflower),

Coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset', and center: Veronica spicata 'icicle' (Spike Speedwell) -- with friend

 

 

Agastache 'Purple Pygmy' with a lighter, orangy-yellow Agastache variety that I planted last year,

which I seem to have forgotten the name of.

 

Carpet Rose (red and pink varieties) and hips from Rosa rugosa 

 

 

Buddleia davidii 'Adonis Blue' (L) & a lighter blue variety -- with a spider friend

 

 

Clockwise, from top:  Chelone (Pink Turtlehead), Sedum 'Autumn Joy',

Salvia greggii 'Flame', Salvia greggii 'Wild Thing', Commonelina communis (Common Dayflower -

a 'weed' to some), and center: Kalimeris pinnatafida (Japanese Aster)

(Another photo/collage of Turtlehead with Bluebeard...makes me want to dig them up and plant them closer together!):

 

 

 

In various areas around the front, side and back yards, I have annuals both in the ground, and in pots:

 

Impatiens

Zinnia

 

Clockwise, from top L:  Salvia (a variety I planted from seed several years ago, reappears every year in the pot);

Lantana camara (Lantana 'Ham & Eggs' -- NOT a perennial here in zone 7a); Heliotrope; Geranium;

False Heather; Bacoba 'Giant Snowflake'; and center: Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

There are a few plants I haven't featured (such as Agastache 'Blue Fortune') but that's because it is looking scraggly now so I didn't bother to include it. This time last year, it looked quite a lot better and was loaded with butterflies. Unfortunately, the butterflies were far and few between this year. I do have photos of a few, however, which I'll include in a later post.

 

 

Words and photos ©Thanks for today.™, by Jan Huston Doble @ http://www.thanksfor2day.blogspot.com/

Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without express permission of the author.

 

 

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