A Hint of Fall

Weeping Cherry Trees

 Although it is still August, the weeping cherry trees in the yard are always the first trees whose leaves turn color.  We have had cooler weather these past two weeks. Also, because the the strong El Nino in the Pacific, it may be the cause of so many cloudy days and downpours this month.

Russian Sage

The only plants that are doing well this summer are the Russian Sage bushes.  All the rest of the blooms on the perennials are sparse.

Marigolds

 Some of the annuals in pots on my deck are doing well like these marigolds.

Dwarf Peppers

I always put dwarf peppers in one of my deck pots.  I like their shape and brightness. 

Pink Calibrachoa

This pot of pink calibrachoa was full of blooms, but now seems to be winding down.  I have a few more pots of calibrachoa on the deck and the heavy downpours we have been having several days a week have beaten the blooms down, and as soon as they try to recover, they are hit with another downpour. 

Resting Deer 

I was out in the back yard a few days ago taking photos of the Russian Sage bushes, when I looked up and saw a resting deer watching me.  They occasionally rest in the yard, sometimes two or three of them at a time.

August Already!

Heliopsis

 

Although it's August now, you wouldn't know it by looking at my flower gardens. This heliopsis, or false sunflower, is just now coming into bloom.  In  normal year the heliopsis plants would be in full bloom by the first of July. Many plants are behind normal bloom time.

Monarda

I have three monarda, or bee balm, plants that just now come into bloom when normally they start in June.  Since it has been somewhat dry here, they have escaped having powdery mildew this year.

Japanese Anemones

These are one of the few that plants are blooming right on time this year.  I think the brutal, prolonged winter and the late freeze in spring altered a lot of the plants blooming schedules.  Also, it has been so gray here day after day with little rain in June and July which probably pushed back bloom time .

Crepe Myrtle tree

The crepe myrtle tree next to our deck is blooming away.  It lost all of it's leaves that turned brown and died after the late spring frost.  It grew all new leaves and is now blossoming undeterred.