Favorites From The Garden

Things are really growing now, thanks to some recent rains and lots of late summer sunshine. I planted a lot of annuals in my front garden with the idea that they would attract butterflies. And they did!

Lots and lots of butterflies! They really love the milkweed that is growing here naturally.

The zinnias grew and grew! Proof that this is a good choice for deer resistant flowers!

This year, I bought a flat of marigolds with the intention of using them as bunny and deer deterrents. But you know what? I forget how sweet they really are. And the orange color looks great in the garden as it heads in to fall.

If you ever find flats of Victoria Blue Salvia, buy them! They are so versatile! You can use them in pots to add vertical interest, but they also work great in beds. I tend to plant two close to each other, and then as they grow, they form what looks like a bush. If you leave them in the garden, this hardy little flower will often come back the next year!

Here they are with the Annabelle hydrangeas...another favorite.

And they also look sweet when paired with roses.

I am a big fan of spirea bushes. They are usually pretty cheap at the garden centers, too. You can prune them hard, and they will come back just fine the next season.

This variety has a sweet pink flower, but the foliage is even better. It has a nice lime green leaf in spring and summer that turns into a beautiful crimson in the autumn. It looks great with mums and pumpkins in the fall!

These Let's Dance Moonlight hydrangeas are new for me. They've grown well, and I like their big dark green leaves. These started out very blue, which I loved. But then I got the bright idea to fertilize them with Miracid, and the color changed to pink! That's okay. I like this color, too!

There's still room for some fall planting. I plan on getting some tall ornamental grasses, sedum, and colorful mums next month.

Thanks for visiting the cafe today!