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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – September 2022

This quirky seedling dahlia bloom makes me smile, as does the thought of this ordeal of a summer being just about over. We’ve had a bit of rain in the last month—appreciated even though well short of what’s needed—and it’s getting finally getting a little cooler, adding a touch of fall to the air. It’s surprising to think that the growing season could well be over by this time next month! In the meantime, there are still many pretty things to enjoy.

Lots of annuals, biennials, and tender perennials are looking good right now, including…

‘Verrone’s Sophie’ dahlia: parent of the silly seedling shown above
One of my favorite colors of ‘Strawberry Banana Sundae Mix’ strawflowers (Xerochrysum bracteatum)
‘Shiro-gane Nishiki’ kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Persicaria orientalis) with white South African foxglove (Ceratotheca triloba ‘Alba’): a terrific tall combo
Through much of the summer, ‘Sunrise Serenade’ morning glory (Ipomoea) produces more foliage than flowers, but it’s now loaded with flower buds and starting to get really showy.
‘Sunrise Serenade’ morning glory (Ipomoea)
Pink cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit ‘Rosea’), flinging itself from its container trellis to start covering the greenhouse
Come on, ‘Sazanami’ morning glory (Ipomoea nil): Your flowers and foliage are gorgeous, but how about you put more energy into setting seeds!
Lots of lovely blooms on the ‘Kikyo Snowflakes’ morning glory (Ipomoea nil)
‘Golden Chain’ morning glory (Ipomoea) continuing to look spectacular
Hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)
‘Hayefield Hot Pink’ globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) in front of flowering tobacco (Nicotiana mutabilis)
‘Double Purple’ devil’s trumpet (Datura metel)
Chinese climbing bleeding heart (Dactylicapnos torulosa)
Corydalis ochotensis just coming into bloom
Sunset hibiscus (Abelmoschus manihot)
Swamp marigold (Bidens aristosa): A tall yellow spectacle of an annual, not to be confused with the low, perennial, but also yellow-flowered marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
A friend uses a really rude name for this plant, but as this is a G-rated blog, I’ll just identify it as ‘Elephant Head’ amaranth (Amaranthus)
Korean angelica (Angelica gigas)
Horned poppy (Glaucium flavum f. fulvum): Supposed to be a biennial or short-lived perennial, apparently, but about half of the seedlings I started this spring have already flowered this year.
‘Mega Punk’ spike celosia (Celosia argentea var. spicata)
A young bloom on a self-sown seedling of variegated cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata ‘Variegata’)
‘Dragon’s Breath’ plumed celosia (Celosia argentea var. plumosa) had fabulously red foliage all season and is starting to produce its show of bright red plumes just now.
This looks a lot like ‘Hot Chocolate’ flowering tobacco (Nicotiana langsdorffii), but I don’t recall ever growing that strain here. Hmmm.
Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus). This seed strain was supposed to be “day-neutral,” producing flowers and pods regardless of day length, but it waited until about 10 days ago to start doing its thing.
Forked bluecurls (Trichostema dichotomum): A cute little native annual that comes into bloom here in early to mid September

There are many perennials gracing the garden now too, including…

Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)
A seedling of ‘Carine’ perennial sunflower (Helianthus), which is itself a seedling of ‘Lemon Queen’
Mohr’s rosinweed (Silphium mohrii): I adore this species for its months-long bloom period, soft yellow color, and manageable height (usually 4 to 5 feet here)
The cymes of white patrinia (Patrinia villosa) make a nice contrast to the many daisy-form flowers blooming this time of year.
Patrinia monandra flowered here mostly from mid/late July to mid/late August; now it is setting seed. I really like its layered look and the soft chartreusey color.
Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) in bloom
Purple Japanese burnet (Sanguisorba tenuifolia var. purpurea)
Rosilla (Helenium puberulum)
A late bloom on ‘Axminster Streaked’ balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)
I’m really keen on this deep blue form of great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) that showed up here last year. I plan to save seed and grow it out next year to see if the color comes true.
White great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica ‘Alba’)
Marsh eryngo (Eryngium aquaticum) is flowering here for the first time this year, and I’m definitely a fan. So are the bees!
Seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica) is technically a hardy perennial but doesn’t always overwinter here, for some reason. It does self-sow, though, so I get to enjoy it as a later-flowering annual even if I lose the parent plants.
Some late blooms on my seed-grown ground nuts (Apios americana)
Japanese jacinth (Barnardia scilloides): a cute little bulb for fresh flowers in early to mid September
American dittany (Cunila origanoides) came into bloom in early August and is just now finishing
Korean feather reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha) in bloom
The seedheads of northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) mingling with the red-tinged leaf blades of ‘Shenandoah’ switch grass (Panicum virgatum)
Ludwigia alternifolia may not be the showiest native perennial, but it’s a personal favorite for its distinctive seedpods and its perfect common name: seedbox.
‘Black Madras’ rice (Oryza sativa) starting to do its thing
Developing seedheads on round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) out in the meadow
A seedhead of ‘Double Purple’ devil’s trumpet (Datura metel)
I’ve been working on renovating this old Rosa achburensis and it is responding well, with a terrific display of hips this year.
A new favorite pepper: ‘Aji Cachucha Purple Splotched’ (Capsicum chinense). It looks hot but really isn’t: the flesh is sweet and crisp. The plants are strong and well branched, each bearing dozens of fruits and looking very ornamental with all of the different colors as the peppers mature. When they are orange, just before the final red, they look a lot like little pumpkins.
What a workhorse of a plant! I started a bunch of white-veined Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia fimbriata) seeds last year and planted some of them in this trough. Brought it into the basement last winter and let it go almost completely dry, then set it out again in spring. It produced a generous flush of foliage and flowers and looked great until early August. I cut it back to about 2 inches above the soil and it responded with another batch of beautiful new leaves for fall.
A little space opened up in a nursery bed in mid-August, so I thought I’d do a second sowing with my last few variegated sunflower (Helianthus annuus ‘Sunspots’) seeds, gambling on getting to harvest more seeds before frost. Not sure how that will work out yet, but boy, this developing main bud sure is a beauty.
Isn’t this ‘Albe Red Variegated’ cotton (Gossypium herbaceum) spectacular? I’m still growing and loving the black-leaved form (G. herbaceum ‘Nigrum’), but when I had the chance to get some seeds of this one, I couldn’t resist, even though I didn’t really believe they would come true. Six seeds produced six variegated seedlings! The three planted in the ground in the front garden are particularly showy—maybe due to drought stress, since I didn’t carry water out there often. The plants growing in a large container out back are taller but don’t express quite so much red, though they are still showy.

Well, here’s hoping for more rain soon. In the meantime, there are lots of Hayefield seeds that need to be collected, processed, and stored in the coming weeks. May you enjoy a beautiful and bountiful fall season in your own garden!

White patrinia (Patrinia villosa) in front of ‘Lemon Queen’ perennial sunflower (Helianthus)
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10 thoughts on “Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – September 2022”

  1. Janet

    Really enjoy your postings/pictures.

    Thank you, Janet. Happy Bloom Day!
    -Nan

  2. Allan

    Happy Bloom Day Nan. Always a pleasure to receive an email, telling me there is a new post from you. Some really interesting/unusual plants, you have growing in your garden. I have made a note of a few of them, hope I can get hold of seed, over here in England. Thanks again for sharing your garden with us. Hope you get the much needed rain soon.

    Good to hear from you, Allan!I hope your garden is a constant source of joy in these changing times. No rain in the extended forecast here, unfortunately; sigh.
    -Nan

  3. Priscilla Brennan

    Beautiful thank you !

    Hi Priscilla! Thank *you* for taking the time to visit today.
    -Nan

  4. LINDA DOWNER

    Thank you, Nan, for all you do.

    Good morning, Linda. I appreciate your words; thank you in return.
    -Nan

  5. Jill Beringer

    Love the marsh eryngium!! Maybe it would do better in my swampy yard than the regular? Where did you find it? Your garden blogs are wonderful- so many different plants!

    Yes! I have it in my wettest spots (which, to be fair, hasn’t been very wet this summer, but they WERE wet last winter). I can grow Eryngium yuccifolium here but have failed with other eryngiums due to my soil conditions. I am thrilled to have this other tall one to enjoy. The original seeds were from the Brandywine Conservancy seed program. I hope to offer seeds from my plants later this fall.
    -Nan

  6. Deirdre M Crowley

    Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

    I’m pleased to hear that you enjoyed the tour today, Dierdre. Happy Bloom Day!
    -Nan

  7. Clara Berger

    Hi Nan,
    Love your emails and will keep this one to order seeds this winter.

    Like you, it has been a MISERABLE summer here in the Ohio Valley. Sadly, it looks like no rain in September either.

    BTW, I think Helianthus ‘Carnine’ is head and shoulders better than any other Helianthus altho’ I still am keeping H. ‘Lemon Queen’.

    Also love Siliphium mohrii but wish I could get more seeds from it. And…the flower everyone asks about is the Centrathemum punctatum–seeds from you.

    Hey there, Clara! I’m happy you checked in today. I think you were the one who shared the ‘Carine’ seeds with me? I too still have lots of ‘Lemon Queen’ but really like the ‘Carine’ seedlings, with their dark stems. Yes, getting seeds from the Silphium mohrii is a puzzle. I kept thinking none of the seeds were good (compared to how other silphium seeds look), but I did a test sowing last winter and did get seedlings, so apparently I have been throwing out a lot of viable seeds–argh. And that’s great about the Centratherum. It’s really coming into its own right now. Here’s hoping for some rain…eventually!
    -Nan

    Best,
    Clara Berger

  8. Kimberly Day Proctor

    Thank you so much for taking the time to put these posts together. Your photography is exquisite and the variety of plants that you grow is amazing. All very much appreciated!

    That means a lot, Kim; thank you. Each post does represent a large investment of time, but hearing that people enjoy them makes that worthwhile.
    -Nan

  9. Scott Trudell

    Hi Nancy….
    I’m feeling that ‘Albe Red Variegated’ cotton! Will you have any seed available? Still not having much luck with the Tinantia(sp?)….I did, however, save one of the extra packets you sent. Will try again next year in a different location. Perhaps it’s like real estate…location, location, location!! Everything else I ordered though did great….loving the variegated KMOTGG. Get lots of comments from passers by on their evening walks wanting to know what it is. You need rain?….received almost 5” this past weekend. I am well watered here.

    Lucky you! You can send a little of the next rain this way, ok? Yes, I will have some of the variegated cotton seed available, probably in mid- to late October. I have lots of new things to add to the shop but just haven’t had time to write the listings yet. Great to hear that many are enjoying the KMOTGG!
    -Nan

  10. Katherine

    Your updates are the best. I saw there was a new post and couldn’t wait to see how things were going in your garden. Do you have a post describing the general layout of your space? I moved into a new house and garden and would be interested in how you designed yours.

    Aw, thank you, Katherine; I love hearing that. You might find this post of interest: If I Knew Then. Enjoy your new gardening adventure!
    -Nan

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