A Photo Ramble

I share the trumpet creeper with my neighbor who loves the flowers as much as I do. I prune it heavily in winter to keep it from taking over the garden.

I grew these zinnia marylandica from seed. They withstand heat and humidity more than the old fashioned varieties but I've noticed the butterflies seem to ignore them.

Zinnia marylandica Double Cherry fades to pale pink as it ages.

Zinnia marylandica Double Fire needs less water than the Double Cherry.

'Susanna Mitchell' marguerites grow in a pot next to the 'Pilgrim' oregano. I love how their foliage complements each other.

'Ava' agastache grows in a very large pot near my kitchen window. A favorite of hummingbirds, placing the pot near my window gives me a front row seat for the action. This type of agastache would die in my clay soil but it's quite happy in its pot.

Basil and pink pentas, a butterfly favorite

Tropical milkweed, just waiting for monarchs

'Rotkugel' oregano and a dwarf solidago

This oregano self-seeds, which I appreciate. It's an excellent filler and is much loved by the bees.

The heliopsis has been blooming non-stop since June. Pink phlox, milkweed, and a 'Little Henry' sweetspire grow near by.

I ordered a bare root New York Ironweed and planted it in this spot last fall. Oops! It looks like they sent me a Veronicastrum virginicum instead, commonly known as Culver's Root. Excellent surprise!

The caryopteris is getting ready to bloom

Red calibrachoa grows alongside 'Sunshine Superman' coreopsis.

'Sunshine Superman' coreopsis is a tough plant that can survive neglect, heat, and drought, but will look a lot better if you give it some love and organic liquid fish head fertilizer. It thrives in pots, thanks to the excellent drainage.

The epimediums are getting a head start into fall.

Mystery tomato! The other mystery tomato grew big grape tomatoes but I have no idea what kind these are. It's the size of a tennis ball.

The purple and blues of rue, lavender, and a 'Monch' aster look great together. I should have cut the aster back a bit to thicken it up but I couldn't remember what it was until I saw a picture of it on someone's blog, so I just let it go wild. It's a bit sprawly but now that I know what it is, I'll know what to do next spring.

The Rose of Sharon is massive and shields the back of the house from the afternoon sun. By next year, it will probably reach the second floor. Aster divarcatus grows in complete shade under the shrub. More agastache grows in pots on the patio.

The kalimeris has been blooming since early June! It grows well in dryish, lightly shaded conditions.