Just when we thought the hottest part of the summer was behind us…wham!….it his hot hot hot here again.
Each year, as a gardener, I find new and different plants that (I hope) will do well in the prolonged hot spells here. Luckily I DID install two separate watering systems a few years ago: they are absolute life-savers when we go away. I don’t think I would have a garden at all without them…

Zinnias, of course, are at their peak now. And the lime green, from FloretFarms, has not disappointed. It also looks fabulous in all my arrangements and photos with the dark dahlias, verbena bonariensis and my most loved scabiosa black knight.

 

In all its glory:

 

I have several Guara plants on my “southern slope” that always do well in May and June. Then they begin to die out. So this year I cut them way, way back (always a difficult task as you just never know…..) and yes indeed, they came back beautifully in August.

 

And the hyacinth bean vine!
We started these early, in a greenhouse, so they were ready to plant outside in early April. And they absolutely took off. I have them on all my white fences and trellis and they look lovely and exotic.

 

 

A shot for my Instagram feed with the hyacinth bean and scabiosa:

Here you can see the “beans” or seed pods. I opened these last fall, dried the large seeds inside, and we put them into the greenhouse for the early planting this year.

 

Probably my very favorite daylily:
Hemerocallis Hyperion

It is such a pretty, true yellow; has a slight scent; yes, takes several years to multiply nicely; and looks wonderful against any white fence. Actually, it looks wonderful anywhere!

 

Ok, one last shot of my zinnias:

 

Do you refresh your garden throughout the season? Do you add new plants as fillers when others are past their prime or have simply not made it? I’ve been doing that this summer and it’s worked very well for me. Especially in my narrow front garden along the fence, I have filled in with seasonal and bright annuals. No, they will not be around next year, or even late this fall, but they do provide that boost of color. And, I’ve become more daring in cutting back perennials to get a second bloom (see ‘guara’ above) and it’s paid off.

Enjoy your long weekend everyone; I’m hoping to have time to finish a post on our recent travels to the mountains in western North Carolina!