Clockwise From Top Left
The Red Firespike's buds showed up at the beginning of the month and now they are in full spike. Blackberry Lily began blooming last month and they are still putting out blooms as well as developing seed pods. 'Sherry Baby' Butterfly Ginger is through blooming now but the first two weeks of August the garden was filled with her heavenly perfume. The new Celosia's blooms keep getting taller and taller. Canna 'Intrigue' is a new addition to the garden this year and here is her first bloom. (Leaf Rollers are plaguing the other Cannas but so far, 'Intrigue' has remained Leaf Roller free.) As the summer rains finally kicked in this month so did the Cat's Whiskers blooms.
I think what I have appreciated most this month is all the lush, tropical looking, if not completely tropical, foliage.
Clockwise from Top Left
Resurrection Fern has been plump and happy since August brought the summer rains. Stromanthe 'tri-color' is one of my favorites all year. It lost a few leaves in the cold but it didn't disappear like so many other plants did. Started from a leaf cutting last fall, this Star Begonia is ready to be divided. Two new additions to My Garden Path are the Bird's Nest Fern and Swallowtail, Christia obcordata 'Stripe'. The Lotus Begonia is also ready to be divided. I love getting more plants for free!
Please share what your garden favorites are for the month of August. Go to Simply Susan and leave a comment to let everyone know you are joining in the fun.
(Can you believe it's only 4 months until Christmas Day?)
Good morning Kay,
ReplyDeleteYou've got some really pretty favorites this month. I'm always especially drawn to the foliage varieties and we have many of the same plants to enjoy and keep us going through these summer months. Have a wonderful day.
Meems
The red firespike is just beginning to bloom good here. My cat whiskers hasn't a single bloom on it. I rooted a piece from the neighbors at the beginning of spring..
ReplyDeleteThat swallowtail plant is beautiful, as is your bird's nest fern. Wonderful foliage! I've never seen the swallowtail...very interesting. Stromanthe is one of my all-time faves as well. Ooh, I want that 'Sherry Baby'!
ReplyDeleteI also want that "Sherry Baby"! Is this ginger big in the size? Your foliage collage looks so beautiful. Does the star begonia have flowers, or just for its foliage? Foliage itself is pretty though... I wish I can find the lotus begonia somewhere here. Have been looking this one for a while. Also, I will keep the swallowtail on my watch list as well :)
ReplyDeleteMy cats' wiskers are also blooming prolifically in the garden. Love them, and it is very easily to propagate from the cuttings as well.
You've got some great choices...both flowers and foliage. My firespike hasn't set blooms yet, but my cat whiskers (don't you just love that name?)just started blooming...that swallowtail is adorable. It looks just like a butterfly. I have star begonia, too...but I never knew the name...thanks for identifying it. Don't you just love the lotus begonia. Begonias are one of my favorites...in pots or in the ground. Thanks for playing along.
ReplyDeleteMeems - I love foliage, especially large leaves and variegated leaves. They really help hold things together while waiting for blooms.
ReplyDeleteDarla - Maybe my Cat's Whiskers is blooming because we've gotten an unusual amount of rain this last week. They really like the water.
Floridagirl - I found that swallowtail at my little fruit stand that has begun to sell plants. I have started buying lots of fruit and veggies lately just to get to check out their plant selection:)
Ami - Sherry Baby is about 4-5 feet tall, but you can control the size of the clump by dividing the corms in fall or spring. She likes part sun/part shade. I looked for a long while for that lotus begonia and came across it at a local garden tour/plant sale.
Susan - I love my cat's whiskers. I got them as a cutting from a friend and now I have made more of them. I'm really getting interested in the begonias. Hope they do well over winter.
NanaK--I think they are all beautiful. Some of my favorites are Japanese fern. It can be so many different colors. I also have a rabbit's foot fern which I got as a rooting 12 years ago, and I've drug it all over the Southeast with me, and it's amazing. I'm a sucker for begonias too. I love, love, love my white-blooming ginger. I have no idea what its name is, but it's smell is wonderful and the flower top looks like a pinecone. Yummy. And I have a flamingo flower conveniently planted next to the fake flamingos. I guess I could go on and on, but these are the current favorites.
ReplyDeleteI just love all the new plant ideas I get from your blog, Kay, especially now that I'm on the prowl for my mother's shady bed. Is stromanthe a shady or part sun lover? The swallowtail is another I love ... I must be getting older, I'm into foliage now! :) I see that's in a container. Can you tell us some more about it?
ReplyDeleteI wish my cat's whiskers were coming back. They bloomed early in the summer and then took a huge beating from the heat.
Hi, Kay! How are you? Your August faves are beautiful!! I love your blackberry lily...I don't have any and am looking forward to recieving some seeds from Susan!!! I really like your butterfly ginger and cats whiskers too. The foliage is awesome...how 'bout that swallowtail?! Very unique and interesting! Where did you find it?
ReplyDeleteBrandy - Love the flamingo flower next to the flamingos. It sounds like you have some nice blooms going on in your garden right now. The Japanese fern sounds lovely. I have an old rabbit's foot too. It has flushed out some leaves with all the rain and is looking nice.
ReplyDeletePenny - Was that an "old lady" crack I read in your comment???? My stromanthe is in dappled shade. I think they can take a little sun but the color is better in shade. I don't know a thing about the swallowtail. I bought it at my favorite fruit stand on Hwy. 60 and St. Cloud. They had it in shade. From what I've read it may be a little difficult. I have it in dappled shade also. (That's pretty much what I have around here.) My cat's whiskers are water hogs. I water them every day if it doesn't rain. Gotta love the rain barrels!
Kimberly - I'm glad you like my faves this month. I'm looking forward to multiplying my BB lilies. They are supposed to be cold hardy. (I got them from Susan) All our gardens will be connected! Read my answer to Penny above this comment for what info I have on the swallowtail. It is cute isn't it?