I almost feel guilty posting this photo. Since I just bought this plant and planted it in the garden today. But it's blooming! Chinese Lanterns.

Only the Rudbeckia hirta/gloriosa daisy & lobelia were grown from seed but I love these late bloomers:

Platycodon grandiflora/balloon flower
{{gwi:197256}}

Lobelia cardinalis/cardinal flower
{{gwi:1063133}}

Hydrangea (NOID)
{{gwi:1063750}}

Rudbeckia hirta/gloriosa daisy 'Autumn Colors'
{{gwi:1089557}}

The purple hydrangea bloomed several weeks later than the other blue ones in my garden even though they're all growing within a few feet of each other. Can't find the pictures but blue lobelia is also blooming, as is tall phlox 'Aida,' blanket flower, butterfly bush & Russian sage. The white turtlehead is about finished but the pink is still going strong.

Rose Blushing Knockout is quietly blooming away - a most reliable rose. I like it with the variegated miscanthus. Blue sky doesn't hurt, either.

Here the white wood asters are blooming around Hosta Blue Angel and Hydrangea Blue Billow. The hydrangea flowers are in their fall pinkish-purple stage.

When I looked at that photo I remembered how different the scene was in July, when the hydrangea and hosta were blooming and the meadow phlox were surrounding them. This next photo was taken on July 12, 2011 for comparison.

Since then I've pulled out most of the meadow phlox, but I think I'll leave the asters (the phlox will be back anyway).

Claire

Claire,
I love the Blue Angel and the companions you have with it. Notice how much bluer it was in July. They can take a lot of sun, but tend to green up later in the Summer.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Twist N Shout'

Hemerocallis 'Stella Supreme' reblooming with Petunia 'Blue Wave'

Hosta 'Stained Glass' fragrant

Rose of Sharon

Heuchera 'Dark Secret'

This Mum wintered over. It's very large and full of buds.

Steve

Gardenweed, do you find you have to stake up your balloon flowers and the lobelia? I find they are both quite floppy in my garden.

Claire, I always enjoy seeing your photos and really like your combinations.

Steve, do you happen to know the name of the Rose of Sharon? I have the same one and don't know the name. Also, is that a special plant label I see in the hosta photo? Do you make them yourself?

Steve: I hadn't noticed the color change, but you're right, the hosta is much greener now. It's in part sun; shade in the morning with intermittent afternoon sun.

Thanks, thyme2dig.

Claire

Tyme2dig,

I don't know the name of the ROS. It was on the property when I bought the house 7 years ago. It's about 15 feet tall and as large in diameter. I pruned it heavily in early Spring.

The label in the pic is a green plastic with a copper insert. It's from Lee Valley Tools. I actually prefer the Stainless Steel ones from Kincaid as below.

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Kincaid Markers

thyme2dig - normally I whack the balloon flowers down to about 12" the last week of May which makes them fill out, stay shorter and have more blooms. I didn't get to it this year and they are floppy as a result. I won't let it happen next year. My white double BF only grows about 20" tall so those are fine.

The lobelia c. (red) & lobelia s. (blue) were fine until Hurricane Irene blew through but even then, only one stem needed staking. I've been impressed with how sturdy their stems are. I winter sowed them last year and they both bloomed this year. I have them growing in part sun on the northwest corner of my house. We've had a lot of rain this year which may explain how well they're doing.

The garden is getting more and more informal as fall approaches (not that it was ever formal).

Sweet Autumn Clematis is looking frothy in its corner where it can't encroach on other plants. I need to get closer and see if those are clematis leaves or another vine. I already pulled out some oriental bittersweet and black swallowwort vines that were entangled with the clematis. I think the clematis was winning the battle.

This Joe-Pye Weed is one of three seedlings that probably came from a plant in the garden next door. The first one arose in a shady bed and doesn't seem to be taking over, although it looks good. This one gets more sun and may become a monster. I like it with the little self-seeded red cedars but I'm afraid the Joe-Pye may swallow the cedars. The third one (not shown) is still small and I'm planning to foist it on another neighbor.

Claire

Enjoyed everyone's pics. Here are mine for September. Also blooming but no pic is:

Anemone September Charm
Phlox David
Vernonia
Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'
Rose Knockout
Rose Elsie May
Rose Gourmet Popcorn
Rose of Sharon Lucy
Rose of Sharon Blue Satin
Hydrangea Little Lamb
Clara Curtis Mum

My gardens are definitely looking a bit sad these days. Irene did quite a number on the few remaining blooms. And with all the rain we've had, maybe I should rename this thread "How many fungi have sprouted in your garden" and I should start taking mushroom pictures!

The Hydrangea Paniculata Tardiva blossoms are now taking on their pinkish tinge.

I'm having my best year of morning glories. I have them planted over my brush pile. The woodchuck ate the tall zinnias, hollyhocks and sunflowers - which were supposed to create a natural wall in front of the brush pile. So maybe the morning glories can give you the illusion of a berm instead of a brush pile?

Morning Glory Crimson Rambler

Morning Glory Star of Yelta

{{gwi:284575}}

Garlic chives are still blooming.

sedum cauticola

Lovely pics on this thread!

This is part of the back garden which has lots of stuff blooming, with some annuals (Zinnias, Salvia, Melampodium, Tithonia) that have outdone themselves this year. Too bad it's getting a little cold to see many butterflies.

Love all these photos! Wendy, that heptacodium is killer! What a nice specimen.

Boy, it's amazing how quickly the garden takes on a fall look.

I love everyone's pictures! I've decided to come out of lurkdom to play:

Moonflower!

Brazilian verbena:

Crimson Sky rose:

Abelia:

David phlox still blooming:

An overwintered mum(yay!):

Japenese anemone:

Little Lamb hydrangea, I love the color it turns:

Heavenly blue MG:

Evening Sun sunflowers:

Asters:

And these little guys!

thyme2dig: Your garden is always a pleasure to see as it changes with the seasons.

girlcat36: You really have to break that bad habit of lurking - those are wonderful photos of a great variety of plants!. And those baby bunnies look incredibly innocent snuggled in their nest. I hope you give them lots of clover to eat so they keep away from the rest of your garden.

Claire

Thank you, claire! I am going to try and be more active in this forum.
And as for the bunnies, my lawn has LOTS of clover in it, but the bunnies prefer my impatiens and ate every last one of them!

jaynine: Your Mary Stokers are gorgeous! and much further along then mine which are still bright yellow. I like the straw yellow much better.

My winterberries are turning red and form a nice backdrop for the good old Blushing Knockout roses. I'm so relieved to have the winterberries again - last year there were absolutely no berries (that cold wet spring was apparently awful for holly insect pollinators).

Claire

Forgot about this one. what a difference 3 days makes. boo-hoo

Here it is probably at its peak:

The view from the patio and kitchen window:

Darn... last week's rain collapsed it for good. no longer visible from patio. boo-hoo.

Note baby Sourwood in the background. Love that tree, but it sure does clash with Gibraltar.

Love your sunflower pictures, girlcat, and also the baby bunnies! (Sorry about your impatiens though.)

Here are my last flowers of summer...asters. Can't recall the varieties, but they came from Bluestone Perennials.

{{gwi:1089629}}
{{gwi:1089630}}

I'm finally downloading the photos from my camera from the past few weeks. But here is what is blooming lately. Yes - it is October 1st, but these were photos I took in the past 2 - 3 weeks.

A gerbera daisy - I bought this plant 2 years ago - and it keeps coming back in the pot. Had I known this "tender annual" would survive, I would have chosen a different color!

Self Sown Carpet of Snow Alyssum

A baby fever few plant I transplanted back in May has now grown and bloomed.

The morning glories vines have bloomed profusely over the brush pile. Star of Yelta and Crimson Rambler.

I keep Galdiolas in pots on my patio. This year I added some peacock orchids. Both were a total bust - except for this lone peacock orchid that bloomed this past week.

It was a surprise to find this toad lily in bloom. It is so near the ground, and the foliage has been eaten by something hungry.

And lastly - some type of wild aster growing on the back side of the pond. One of the good things about being behind on weeding - you can find some pretty weeds!

franeli - love your garlic chives. I have a lot in my front white garden since they add nice blooms this time of year. Plus I love to add them to whatever I'm cooking.
girl cat - love your sunflowers and baby bunnies. I have yet to get a bloom off my moon flowers - but the vines look healthy, so there is still hope!

claire - that rose and winter berry combination is nice. I think I see 1 or 2 berries on my hollies this year - that is if I get down on my hands and knees and look close. Then again, my hollies are still so tiny - the parsley in that garden is taller!

spedigrees - I had been thinking of getting more asters for the gardens, and your photos have convinced me to go for it. I love the bright colors.