Last post for August

 Well ... here we are at the end of August .. hard to believe , yet I so want this Fall to BEGIN !I have a ton of work facing me .. loads of bulbs that will need the homes I thought would be perfect in my mind's eye, but when practicality lands with a thump ? Will it all work ? 

Meanwhile .. the hydrangea are morphing into colours that are a treat for my garden soul !

Little Lamb was my first hydrangea and I instantly fell in love with her.

In fact I dried a small bouquet and kept it for years until the dust was a bit much to handle.

I hope to gather some this year and keep them for encouragement ? through out the winter.

Berry White in transition .. I think that "green" stage is beautiful too !

Joe Pye is a magnet to pollinators .. I try very hard to keep some, even though not many, in the sunny side of the garden to give those pollinators a fighting chance of filling up with what nourishment they need .. I do get frustrated trying to capture some clear pictures but ? it is what it is and I am happy to have them all drink in the goodness.

I also have another "crop" of butterfly weed which surprised me.

The Porcelain Berry vine has set tons of berrys .. what ever is left that the birds haven't already picked off, will turn into the most amazing range of blues .. even some with freckles. This is an old vine , an original from when I first turned this strip into the sun strip part of the garden.

It is a variegated vine but some sections don't display that . Do they remind you of grapes ?

I used to go mad containing the vine to my side of the fence, but my neighbor kept telling me she didn't mind it wondering over on her side .. so this year I let it WONDER all over the place.

The ally way is so much brighter with the BES. The Kiwi vine is behaving itself so far and another bonus is that this neighbor also is happy to have some greenery on her side as well.

The thuggish ? anemone in the ally way garden is blooming .. it looks great next to the annual purple fountain grass .. I wish that grass was perennial here but no ... so I will be upending that planting with Phantom hydrangea and even though it may take a couple of years , those hydrangea will be amazing there.

Shout out to weigela My Monet ... it is a small shrub (plus I transplanted way too many times of course)  it is a beautiful foil against a dark bugle weed (can't remember the name) and Lady's Mantle.

The Honeysuckle vine is still pumping out flowers, but I keep wondering if I am going to have a constant problem with aphids in the Spring .. that was not something I expected.

Anyone out there with that as a consistent problem ?

I also have to mention, if I haven't before ... how much I love moss ! I want it to fill the cracks of the flagstone in the back garden because it is moist and shaded it is a perfect setting for it.

I bought two containers of these Hens'Chicks because I thought they might be perfect for the front flagstone path .. it is sunny and dry there most of the time, so it should work, shouldn't it ?

We have had a lot of rain recently .. my Japanese Maples have been loving it .. I really want them to be as healthy as possible so they can survive the winter and come back shining .

Yes .. I had to sneak in one more picture of my favorite anemone yet again .. the big question is "will they survive our winter and come back as gorgeous as they are now ?"

Well .. I won't be posting for a while .. but I was hoping to get some reading of blogs in before I shut down for a time .. I want to keep that connection going with fellow garden bloggers !

My wish is for everyone to stay safe and healthy .. wear your mask ... you will be setting an example to keep your own health intact, having other people paying attention to that gesture !

I have to say though .. Canadians on the whole accept the science and truly stick together on that issue.

If you follow this Garden Party link, you will see other great garden post hosted by Arun