What Happened to Summer?

Close-up of Verbena, one of my favorite summer annuals

How is it possible that summer has come and gone, and I haven't gotten to share my gardens with you? Oh yeah, I run a landscaping business and a busy household. No excuses! So I'll start by sharing some pictures here.

I would be willing to bet that you will agree with me that SUMMER WENT TOO DARNED FAST!! 

While I hold onto my impatiens as long as I can and keep watering petunias that I should have let go long ago, my tomato plants continue to produce bounty, and we keep enjoying it!

'Nora Leigh' Phlox

These last few days have been absolutely gorgeous, the kind of September that Wisconsinites dream about. The sun brings heat through blue skies, but you don't have to look far to see Autumn creeping in. Tinges of yellows and even reds are beginning to peek through, though for the most part we still savor our green palette of summer adorning the tree-covered hills. This soon will change.

The forerunners of color-change are already among us, and there's no turning back. Many of the ash trees on our property have already lost their leaves. They're always early to lose leaves and late to leaf out. That's just their style. But the crunch on the driveway lets me know that the inevitable change of seasons is here, so we might as well embrace it. 

I've always loved Fall. As a little girl, the smell of Fall brought the crunch of leaves and made for a fun season. I loved raking leaf piles and jumping into them, and then laying in the warm sun, letting my imagination take me far away.



I still love Fall, but with the maturity of many seasons behind me, I know that the beautiful hues of Autumn lead to the snow and cold of winter. Not that I mind winter. It's just that it LASTS TOO DARN LONG in Wisconsin. But I digress...

Savor the season you are in.  

Summer glided by on the wings of butterflies and hummingbirds, but as Autumn approaches, we now ride the winds of change.

Change can be for the better, or sometimes for the worse, but one thing is for certain. Nature guides us in displaying that change is a constant in our lives, and we had better learn to go with the flow. Hopefully, our transitions may lead us into new beginnings.

Somewhat reluctantly, I will bring out a few Fall accents to decorate our home. But first, I have a bird bath to clean and plants outside that still require regular watering. 

I hope you are enjoying these last days of our summer-turned Autumn. The promise of pumpkin pies and apple cider and nights around a fire sound inviting, but for now, my rose bush is still blooming and soaking up the sun. Therefore, so am I. 

Anemone: Fall Blooming Beauty

Summer is over, way too soon, in my opinion. Usually by now I'm ready for falling leaves, cleaning up the gardens, and preparing for winter. But this year's odd summer weather has left me wanting more, and I'm being dragged kicking and whining into autumn this year.


 


One bright spot of joy in my garden is this sweet little Anemone. I added three of these plants to complete an "edge of the woodland shade garden", one of my favorite designs, (although this one is actually right up against my house!)

Though this garden is on the west side of my house, it is heavily shaded and receives only a brief time of direct sun each day. 
 

The Anemone holds its flowers high on sturdy stalks. Each flower measures only an inch or two, but the plant is floriferous and as it matures will bear many flowers each season. 





I chose most of the plants in this shade garden for their foliage, though all of them flower at some point - a bonus! However, the anemones were planted with flowers in mind, fall flowers, mind you, at a time when everything else is fading away.

I love their cheery little faces, and as the plants grow, I think this will be a highlight of my new shade garden.




This Anemone is rated for zone 5 hardiness, meaning that if we experience a really frigid winter (below -20), these plants may not survive. Planting them in a protected area, such as in this garden next to the house, will help to assure they make it to the next season.




Here are the facts:


Scientific name: Anemone x hybrida 'Pamina'

Common name: Windflower, Japanese Anemone

Family: Ranunculaceae

Hardiness: Zone 5-9


Light Requirements: Sun to Part Shade

Height: 24-36"

Width: 24"

Blooms in late summer or early fall.

Resistant to deer and rabbits! 

Just one more note:  I though you might like to see my Limelight hydrangea in the fall. The flowers have turned nearly all pink, and are still darkening in their color. This plant is enjoyable in all seasons!

Limelight Hydrangea: My Favorite Flowering Shrub

My Limelight Hydrangea is truly one of my fav's! I wait all summer for the blooms, and they are gorgeous!

The bloom size is amazing! And even with summer's torrential downpours, the plant continues to hold its giant blooms upright.


Even though Limelight is a relatively late bloomer in my garden, I don't mind the wait. With these beautiful blooms in late summer, Limelight is a shining star in my garden.

The blooms emerge with a soft, lime green tint, hence their name, and open fully to a pure white.










This photo shows how large the blossoms can get - they engulf my hand! The blooms are easily 6-8" long. Though they have only a very slight fragrance, they delight me with their little florets combining to make these large blossoms.


The fluffy blooms last for many weeks, gradually turning a pinkish hue. The blossoms can be cut and dried, though I often leave them on the plant even into the winter months. Sometimes old blossoms look like tiny tumbleweeds as they are blown across the snow-packed ground. 


There is relatively no maintenance with this beautiful shrub. The only pruning necessary is to remove any dead wood, which there seldom is. 

You could trim off the old flowers after summer if you desired to. And if you like to dry the blossoms, you can remove them at any time.

This cheery plant is a stand-out in the garden. Give it plenty of room to grow, and water it regularly until it is established, and in times of drought, especially when the flower heads are forming. Limelight does like to have evenly moist soil, so mulching the root zone is a great idea. This hydrangea will never fail to bring beautiful blooms long after most other plants have finished blossoming. Hummingbirds and bees enjoy the blossoms, too!

NOTE: Limelight (paniculata) hydrangeas differ from the mophead (macrophylla) hydrangeas many are familiar with. Mopheads include Annabelle and Endless Summer, two of the most commonly used  hydrangeas in the midwestern landscape. The leaves of paniculata are smaller, and the bloom time is much later in summer. Both types deserve a place in the garden!

Scientific name: Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'

Common name: Limelight Hydrangea

Family: Hydrangeaceae

Zone: 4-8

Light requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Height: 6-8'

Spread: 6-8'

Bloom time: Mid-late summer through mid-fall

Caveats: Some parts of the plant may be poisonous if ingested. So, don't eat it. Simple as that.