What's looking Good In August 2024

Desfontaina spinosa

Cyclamen confusum


Cyclamen


Iochroma purpurea

Phaecelia tanacetifolium nicely scented green manure popular with bees.


Zauschneria californica "Western Hills" with pollinator

 

Podranea ricosoliana.

Melianthus major.


Aeonium.


Eucomis bicolor.


Sinningia tubiflora.

 

After the rain was over, the sun came out and I took the tele lens and a coffee and disappeared in the garden.

This is what I mean @Plantminded, the Helenium starts to fade out.





The newly purchased plants seem to like it in my garden.



I had bought this plant in April but lost it in the big bed. It’s now on a new proper place and recovered after 3 days. It's a Hesperis Matronalis Violet



I had cut down the wildflowers but this Phacelia thought "I want to survive".

 

Have you tried deadheading them @simone_in_wiltshire ? That usually encourages more flowering. I wait until the fading flower gets to about 50% gone and then deadhead rather than waiting until it is completely brown and dry. Some varieties like the red ones have typically downturned petals early on which I think are attractive, they look good in your photo .

 

I usually let my plants grow as the want and don’t force them to do more, apart from the Geum and the Cosmos which I have deadheaded. I’m convinced that it’s better for the plants and let the decision with them to flower. What I definitely will do in late winter when I will cut down the entire row is to mulch them with my own compost and then cover the ground with wood chips.

 

Deadheading just encourages the plant to flower more @simone_in_wiltshire. I leave some plants to do their own thing without intervention as I like their dried seedheads, plus the seeds are a good source of food for birds over winter.

 

I know @Plantminded. I forgot to add to my list the Scabiosa plants that are also regularly deadheaded.
But as you said, only by removing something, we realise how much life is in there. Little, tiny insects. I'm always surprised.
I removed yesterday a tomato plants that I had in a huge pot and there were so many spiders (one of them was a really big one with a big "belly"), they now have to find a new home.
Apart from that, I could imagine that some plants need deadheading because they were made to create endless flowers. If they are in a garden that doesn't deadhead them, I could image that they don't develop very well.
My garden as it is now finalised (apart from the two Cosmos plants) and will more or less so stay over winter, untouched.
I have seen many slugs in the compost. I could imagine that they will move to the beds in winter and eat down everything that they can find.

 

Is your Helianthus one plant please @cactus_girl ? That would be ideal opposite my back door.

 

You're quite welcome to have some @Sheal ! It was a small clump when I was given it, but it has spread. I have had to pull some up. In winter it dies down to nothing, but shoots up again vigorously the next year. So it's one big clump about 10ft across by 4ft deep.

It's very hairy, which causes me skin irritation, so I have to attend to it fully clothed and do stake it up as it's over 6ft high.

 

Fuchsia Thalia.


Morning glory.

Butia odorata.


Datura wrightii.

 

A few Hibiscus from this morning ...

 

No photo but the bindweed flowers are in ABUNDANCE here and if you didn't know that there was a shrub underneath......

 

Some late summer colour around the garden today.

 

Looks wonderful @Plantminded

 

and no sign of bindweed! Lovely plants @Plantminded