Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - August '09

"Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime......"

Beautiful blue skies at last!

Finally, we've had some real summer weather...and we only had to wait until the middle of August! Good old NY summers :)
Of course, the heat and humidity just about did us in as we're not acclimated to hot temperatures after so much cool, damp weather.
We were promised sunny skies today, with no rain at all, but around noon a thunderstorm blew in and gave us a good shower. So much for trusting the weather forecasters!

The plants are loving the warm sunshine, and reacting with vigorous growth. This is the New Rock Garden, filling the space where the old maple tree stump was removed last fall. I'll tell you more about how it came to be in another post. The blooming plants include snapdragons, marigolds, ageratum, zinnias, pansies, orange cosmos and 2 argyranthemums (Marguerite Daisies).

The front gardens are alive with color.

There's White Temptation Daylily sitting pretty amid the bright colors of Gloriosa daisies, Phlox, Monarda, red Yarrow and other lovelies.

The Butterfly Bush (Buddleia Davidii) has just begun to bloom, and so has the Tiger Lily.

I think its bright orange will look better in the Lily Garden. so it's on the list of things to be moved.

Speaking of the Lily Garden, there's hubby, hard at work with the weedwacker on this hot, humid day. The rain shower was actually a welcome relief.

(Alice, you were asking where he was....so there you are: this photo is especially for you...and yes, he's hard at work) :)

A few Daylilies are still blooming here.

Over in the Fence Garden I've just noticed that a rust and gold Gloriosa has sewn itself by the corner post, close to where that pretty one was last year.

The Coneflowers and Phlox are making a beautiful display. This is where I was weeding yesterday.

These 2 little friends are sharing the bounty.

The Tiger Swallowtail found the Phlox tasty....

...and also enjoyed the Monarda (Bee Balm).

...as did this chubby bumblebee.

Looking up toward the barn, the Golden Glow can be see blooming in all its glory, with a patch of Gloriosas beneath. I underexposed to get that gorgeous blue of the sky, so the Side Porch Garden is shadowed.

But here it is, in a better light. The geranium is blooming brightly, and the some of the pansies in the container below are surviving the slugs.

Clematis Jackmanii is still putting out a few blooms, and the hydrangeas have produced beautiful big flower heads this summer.

"Summerwine" Daylily is still producing blooms...

and Joan Senior has been one of the most prolific daylilies this year. What a delight she's been! Wait...do you see Phoebe peeking out from beneath the leaves?

The Pink Garden is looking pretty with blue Dwarf Campanula, self sown Allysum and Snapdragons, among others.

...self sown Alyssum and Snapdragons.

Park Princess Dahlia has been blooming for a couple of weeks.

The patio outside the back door is crowded with containers again, even though I vowed not to plant so many. And there are more on the front porch.

I haven't named all the blooms, or shown them all, but this is a good sample.

That's it for this Bloom Day dear blog friends.

Don't forget to visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see the blooms other gardeners around the world are offering for August.

Happy Bloom Day everyone!