Heat and humidity, drought and/or deluge: the mid-July to mid-August stretch is typically the toughest part of the Pennsylvania gardening season, and this year was no exception. Though hints of fall started appearing as soon as August arrived, the best part of the show is a little late in getting going, but there are still some interesting things going on in both the garden and the meadow. Here are some highlights from the last week, starting with some annuals…Above, ‘Purple Kisses’ Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota) with ‘Cramer’s Burgundy’ cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata); below, ‘Strawberry Fields’ globe amaranth (Gomphrena haageana).
Behind the globe amaranth, you can just see ‘Pink Zebra’ corn (Zea mays). Most of the plants topped out at about 3 feet, with large, deep purple tassels over the brightly white-striped and pink-blushed leaves. Here’s a better view:
Below is the more common white-variegated corn: Zea mays var. japonica, tasseling at about 6 feet tall. It produced lots of ears, but the Japanese beetles devoured the silks as quickly as I could pick them off, so I don’t know what to expect as far as the kernels forming. Guess I’ll know by next month.
Above, another showy variegate coming along: ‘Sunspots’ sunflower (Helianthus annuus). And below, a particularly pretty seedling from the variegated strain of borage (Borago officinalis) known as ‘Bill Archer’.
Below, another foliage star: black-leaved cotton (Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigrum’). I grow some plants in my greenhouse each year to ensure they get enough heat over a long enough period to produce seed. But my goodness, it’s astounding to me that they are still alive after baking in that sauna for the last month. I can barely tolerate stepping in there to water them, and yet they are perfectly happy (albeit somewhat leggy). I had to nip out the stem tips to keep them from hitting the roof.
A sunny summer garden needs to have at least one or two zinnias, I think. This one is ‘Red Spider’ (Zinnia tenuifolia). It looks like a low edging plant above, but that’s because a recent heavy storm toppled the ‘Supposedly Cinnabar’ marigolds growing behind them, and the normally more-or-less upright zinnia stems got knocked over in turn. They look pretty good anyway.
Below, the simple red bloom of royal catchfly (Silene regia): rather similar in form to ‘Red Spider’ but on a hardy native perennial. This beauty is a new one in my garden this year, from Missouri Wildflowers Nursery. If you’re looking for a good source of native plants and seeds, by the way, I highly recommend them!
Below is another cool plant I got from them back in January: Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis), also known as prairie mimosa. Every time I pass by, I want to pet its leaves, because it looks so much like sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica), but sadly, its leaflets aren’t touch-sensitive. They do fold up at night, though.
Late last summer, I bought and sowed seeds of tall larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum) from Prairie Moon. The seeds germinated in spring and started flowering this summer. Some of them were like the one above: a lighter blue than I remember of the species, but still definitely blue. But most were like the one below, appearing either whitish or pinkish, depending on the light.
The tall delphiniums were not the only seedling perennials that flowered in their first year.
A couple of other seed-grown perennials that surprised me with a good show of first-year flowers included rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), above, and swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), below.
White-veined Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia fimbriata)–in leaf above and flower below–is a perennial, but I can always count on it for at least a few flowers the first year. I’d adore it as a trailing plant for a container even if it never flowered.
Above, the tiny flower and seedpods of ‘Kingwood Gold’ fameflower (Talinum paniculatum); below, the big, spiny seedpods of ‘Carmencita Red’ castor bean (Ricinus communis).
Above, red clammyweed (Polanisia dodecandra), also called dwarf cleome: a reliable self-sower, flowering at about 18 inches in height.
Below, European umbrella milkwort (Tolpis barbata), a new annual for me this year. It was rather spindly at first, and I expected it would wither away during our sultry summer slog, but it’s actually even better this month.
Woodland tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris), below, is hardly uncommon, but I still enjoy its elegant habit and try to squeeze it in somewhere each year. I think it makes a great partner for ‘Purple Kisses’ Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota).
Two native annuals: basket flower (Centaurea americana), above, and pigeon pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata), below.
Two glorious morning glories just now starting to flower: above, Ipomoea nil ‘Keiryu’, also known as ‘Mountain Stream’, with chartreuse foliage and tie-dye blue-and-white blooms. And below, I. nil ‘Kikyo Snowflakes’, with deep green foliage and abundant, starry blooms.
Below, another intriguing vine: snake or serpent gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina var. anguina).
Above and below, an oddball edible I last grew in 2016, apparently, and which somehow suddenly reappeared this year: creeping false holly (Jaltomata procumbens). Curiously, it is not creeping– it is bushy and basically upright–and it has nothing to do with true hollies (Ilex); instead, it is solanaceous, more closely related to tomatoes and potatoes. It’s grown for its deep purple-black berries, which are kinda-sorta sweet. I wouldn’t say that the flavor is phenomenal, but the plant as a whole is interesting and unusual and the edibility is a bonus.
Last winter, I tracked down seeds of a few more strains of variegated tomatoes to compare against my old friend ‘Variegata’.
Two were winners by my standards. The leaf variegation on both was pretty good, though maybe not as showy as on ‘Variegata’. The fruits, however…’Faelan’s First Snow’, above, was outstanding, with gigantic, meaty, flavorful fruits. Once slice of this beauty is all you need for a whole sandwich! And below, the beautifully stripey-swirled fruits of ‘Painted Lady’. They are on the small side–maybe just a bit bigger than ‘Variegata’–but they too have a very good flavor.
I’ve also been very proud to succeed with growing a very special watermelon, despite garden invasions by three different groundhogs so far (and alarming signs of a possible fourth incursion).
Outside, the fruit of ‘Cekirdegi Oyali’ looks like an ordinary watermelon. But oh, when the seeds inside are dried, they develop all kinds of intriguing markings. Just amazing.
A few more perennials…
Above, the first-year flowers of skirret (Sium sisarum), grown for centuries as a root vegetable, though not very common now. Below, the first flowering season (on a two- or three-year-old plant) of a white-flowered form of devil’s-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis ‘Alba’), blooming at about 4 feet tall. Thanks for the seeds, Clara!
Above, just one of an endless variation of markings on ‘Axminster Streaked’ balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus). Below, cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), grown from seed I collected from a wild plant in my meadow last year. The plants showed a fair bit of variation in leaf but look pretty much the same in bloom.
Below, a single bold bloom on ‘Heartthrob’ hibiscus (Hibiscus) with Deam’s orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii).
Above, a pink -flowered seedling of Japanese burnet (Sanguisorba tenuifolia) that showed up here a few years ago, almost exactly between plants of the maroon-flowered S. tenuifolia ‘Purpurea’ and white-flowered S. tenuifolia ‘Alba’. I figure that ‘Rosea’ is an adequate name for this one, for now, or maybe I’ll call it ‘Hayefield Rose’. I look forward to moving some of it closer to one of my Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) clumps–perhaps the one below.
Might as well add a couple more wider-scale shots here…
Above and below, what used to be the vegetable garden and is now my “seed farm.”
Above, a mowed path in the meadow. Below, some sunny abundance in the side garden, with Deam’s orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii), golden lace (Patrinia scabiosifolia), and ‘Autumn Minaret’ daylily (Hemerocallis) seen through a haze of tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) and purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea var. arundinacea).
And to finish, my new favorite combination: yellow ironweed (Verbesina alternifolia) with Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) against ‘Dewey Blue’ bitter panic grass (Panicum amarum).
A Few Final Notes
August isn’t a busy time for sowing seeds, but it sure is for collecting them. Here at Hayefield, it’s a particularly crazy season, as I’m trying to balance my time between collecting and cleaning, so I’m a bit behind in getting more seed listings up in my shop here, but I do expect to put up a bunch of new ones in the next week or so.
You can get updates on new shop additions and related seed news–and special offers too–by signing up for my shop newsletter at the very bottom of this page. (Note that this is different than subscribing to the blog. Also, if you place an order, you are not automatically subscribed to the newsletter; you need to request a subscription.) I’ll get the next newsletter out as soon as I get the next batch of listings up. I strongly encourage everyone to give their own seed-saving a try, and to get their new seeds ordered early this year; I’ll explain why on both counts and announce a couple of ways I hope I can help.
By the way, it looks like many of you who participate in my yearly seed giveaway have already subscribed, so I am strongly considering handling the upcoming giveaway through the newsletter rather than through an open-to-the-whole world posting here on my blog. That may be another incentive to subscribe, if you haven’t yet.
As always, thank you all for visiting Hayefield today!
I always enjoy your blog on your Pennsylvania garden.
Thanks so much, Judy! I appreciate you taking the time to visit today.
-Nan
Those watermelon seeds look like someone delicately carved and painted them! 😍
It was fascinating to see the markings develop as the seeds dried. They are so beautiful that the fruit itself is secondary.
-Nan
Hi nan, I always discover something new and interesting in your blog!
I just wanted to make a consideration about what you called Succisa pratensis ‘Alba’. I don’t remember sending you seeds from this plant mostly because we don’t have it in our nursery!!! Looking at the picture I would say it could be Succisella inflexa ‘Frosted Pearls’ which we actually grow but I had never been able to get seedlings from. I have tried a couple of time with no results at all and I gave up. So I am very happy with you for your positive results!!
By the way I get Succisella from division, which is quite easy and simple but
I hope one day you will tell me your secret in order to make it from seeds!!
Have a nice almost end of summer!!
Rox
Oh, goodness, Rox. I just dug out the label, but it was hard to read, so only Succisa pratensis ‘Alba’ and 3/3 were visible. I will have to look back at my written records. I assumed it was from you because it is with some other things you have shared with me over the years. I hope you are doing well. Thanks for checking in!
-Nan
Ok, in any case you’ve been great in getting Succisa germinating. I have tried to sow Succisa pratensis many time with no results as well as Succisella so I thought I would get them only by division. Maybe I will ask you some seeds and try one more time with this Alba variety. Let’s see if i’ll be more lucky!!!
Thank you for your quick answer!!
Rox
Oh gosh, I must have just been lucky. But I am collecting seeds and will be sure to set some aside for you, Rox.
-Nan
Everything looks so charming, Nan, despite the time of year. I just added Autumn Minaret daylily to my wildflower meadow for some height, and your planting combination has again inspired me to add even more things!
I hope the ‘Autumn Minaret’ brings you as much joy as it has for me, Gabriella. The height and the late bloom time make it a lovely companion for so many other August bloomers.
-Nan
When I see your 15th of the month photos and descriptions in my e-mail, I always know that I am in for a treat. It would most likely be a real joy to take a walk in your garden. Best regards.
Aw, thank you, Carol, for reading and commenting. I assure you that a virtual visit is the better deal; it is rather wild and messy in person!
-Nan
Nan, I don’t know how you keep up with it all!! Everything here in western Maryland has been late, too. Aside from a couple weeks ago when we got decent rain four days out of seven, it’s been drought conditions. The rains pass by both north and south but leave us gasping for water. Sigh. Looking forward to your new seed postings! Hoping it’ll include those two splendid morning glories – OMG, they are gorgeous! Everything looks so beautiful!
I feel for you, Ginny. Every summer brings each of us new gardening challenges, it seems. What does it say about us, that we keep trying anyway? May the next few weeks bring you more garden-friendly weather. And yes, I definitely intend to collect seeds from the morning glories, if I can. The ‘Keiryu’ (the chartreuse-leaved one) sets very little seed, but now that it is flowering, I will keep a close eye out for seedpods.
-Nan
Nan, as always your photos are a beautiful diversion from the everyday, especially now. So many wonderful new plants I’m sure I need😊 seed of!
Wishing you well always as you gather and sort seeds!
Jean Spangenberg
Thank you so much, Jean. I have so many happy seedlings from the seeds you shared with me this year–the Gillenia trifoliata and Hibiscus laevis, in particular. And the ‘Kumato’ tomatoes all turned out to be wonderful. There doesn’t appear to be any difference in the plants that started out with brownish stems and those that were green.
-Nan
I always enjoy seeing your garden, Nan. Despite your weather challenges, it looks great. Your Daucus carota ‘Purple Kisses’ looks identical to Ammi majus ‘Dara’. do you know if they’re really different plants, or is there some confusion on nomenclature?
Hi Kris! Honestly, I don’t see a difference in the two strains: in my experience, both can produce anything from white to pink to the deep red. I have no idea why some sources attribute ‘Dara’ to Ammi majus, rather than Daucus carota, or seemingly use “ammi” as its common name. When I grew ‘Dara’ several years ago, the plants produced by those seeds were clearly color variants of Daucus carota, not Ammi majus as I know it.
-Nan
Goodness! There is too much in your garden for one monthly post. I could not find so much in bloom on many acres. Of course, this is the time of year that bloom slows down in most of the climates here. I think there is plenty of color out there, but not much variety.
Hey there, Tony. Gardening with the aim of collecting seed has definitely encouraged me to diversify my plantings over the last few years, just at a time when I really ought to be trying to simplify things for easier maintenance.
-Nan
I always enjoy seeing your posts, they are such a treat. I have trouble leaving messages but maybe this will go through.
Hi Phillip! Thanks for trying again; it’s great to hear from you. I’ve been enjoying seeing the amazing progress of your new (well not so new now) garden over on IG.
-Nan
Awesome pics of different gardens. This with birds always brightens my day and reminds me of God’s many creations. Thank you!!
Thank you for visiting, Gordon.
-Nan
Hallo Nancy,I follow you from Italy,everything is so interesting and beautiful.I have a sister in Philadelphia who would go crazy to see your garden…Is it possible to visit it?
You are so kind, Harma; thank you. Unfortunately, I’m not able to handle garden visits, particularly under the current circumstances.
-Nan
As always, a delight and an “amazement”! Having to post for a school garden, I particularly appreciate both your beautiful photographs and your commentary.
Thanks so much, Kem!
-Nan
Thank you for posting the pictures of your garden! I so enjoy looking at all your new and interesting varieties. I don’t know how you keep up with it all. I live in Montgomery county and like to see which plants do well in your garden to get some ideas. The morning glories are just beautiful! Thank you!!
Hi Christine! It’s a pleasure to meet you here. I’m so glad you find the posts of interest; yes, you certainly couldn’t get much more local as far as plant adaptability. Thanks so much for visiting!
-Nan