Re: now the AUGUST BLUES
- Subject: Re: now the AUGUST BLUES
- From: E*@aol.com
- Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 01:27:04 EDT
In a message dated 8/5/02 2:41:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
SSaxton@schwabe.com writes:
<< I have helenium starting, echinacea, asters, and phlox. I guess they just
don't excite me like roses and lilies! >>
Some very interesting and maybe, don't know about exciting, plants can be
grown in containers and placed around the garden. You can have plants that
will not do well in the ground and will benefit from the special care given
to containers. There are special forms of pelargoniums that only begin to
look good late in summer, there are bulbs you guys on the west coast can grow
that we cannot, (big pots of scadoxus or haemanthus in the catalogs),
special coleus forms (I have one chartreuse and maroon with large striking
leaves), numerous tender perennials that need pot culture especially some
vines that bloom well as alamanda with large pink amaryllis type blossoms.
If you pick up a selection of pot culture plants in the spring, here in the
north, they will peak in August or more probably just before a frost hits
them but they are "exciting" in a way.
Most gardeners complain that everything that blooms well in August is yellow
so lose interest. Mostly composites. Marilyn is going to have something
interesting to say here, I am sure. We will have daylilies until September
because of our location but I think you have more selections in the western
coastal areas.
While this is not an annual forum, a great many plants grown as annuals are
actually tender perennials and you guys do better with those than we can.
This year I have morning glories in mix in a pot with a trellis around it. I
can move it around. Morning glories don't get going here until August. In
the am it is quite showy, if you get up late, you miss it.
The Rose of Sharon, Diane, a shrub is a very showy plant when not hit by May
frosts. Bluebird if you can find it is also a great plant.
From what I read on this forum, very diverse selections are available on the
West Coast that we need to search for in the East.
There is also the Hosta, plantaginea or August lily which has large fragrant
blossoms if grown with enough water. These are really large flowers and the
double form is also showy but hard to grow.
One trick to extend the daylilies is to transplant them. If you pull them
out in the spring and replant them they are many weeks later for the
disturbance. Special late blooming daylilies are not sold in nurseries. One
needs some guidance to buy them which can come from Cheryl who is very
up-to-date. I have, or had one, that bloomed in October. I gave it away as
it always froze here.
More August plants that are showy and interesting are dahlias and cannas. On
the bulb list there was long discussion on dahlias and blooming. The Chicago
botanic person said that they all bloom in response to day length. He said
breeding had changed the bloom periods of many cultivars so you had to check
with a specialist or try to find a plant marked early to bloom. What you
expect does not always happen due to new species being introduced to the mix.
If you can find a very dwarf canna with good flowers, it is better than a
peony as it continues to bloom until frost stops it. Again, it is hard to
find the right cultivar. I have one named 'Perkeo' which is a good pink and
if started indoors here might actually bloom well in August. It is budded
now.
Larkspur will bloom any month depending on when you seed it here. So if you
throw around some seeds in June, you will have blue spikes in August.
Larkspur will grow without ever seeing water so it is a staple here, needs
lime.
And just a question, does anyone grow Phlox 'Starfire'? This is one unusual
color for a Phlox. A big clump (needs water) can be seen from an airplane, I
am sure. This is hard to place but everybody should try 'Starfire' once.
It boils down to August is a month you have to work on, June is a gift.
Claire Peplowski
NYS z4
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