Midwest Gardening -Late August 2019 Part 2

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August 29, 2019. 

We scurried around battening down the hatches. Supposedly a storm brewed for later in the day. I took some photos, without pristine cleaned up flower beds. I've been deadheading heavy, because that's easy for me to do from a chair, or from cement/decking.

I hope I've captured some new views. Look at this sweet mini sunflower. I had planted four packets of different sunflower seeds.  The tall one was a red, but the wind today stripped it of petals. My crazy marigolds are a hardy bunch, from seedlings we grew ourselves.

We really didn't use the porch much---it was so hot! I quick moved the table planter back in the shade after the photo. Next week, we will morph into early Fall, here. 

I have sat at the table under the umbrella...I love being perched up there and watching the bird feeder.

This is my one SUNFLOWER success....it's not over 6 feet like usual, but it's blooming. There are 5 buds getting ready to open, on this one monstrously thick stalk. The leaves are huge!

Down the front walk...the trellis's are bare, (missing sunflowers) but the potato vines are still going strong. The Petunias are pooping out, Lobelia is long gone, and the marigolds are carrying the load. I bought some mums to go into the pots and fill in the holes.

Here's the backside of the mailbox planter...still going strong. 

Our front has quite a bit of shade...and my focal pots are still doing well. Look at the size of those Hosta flowers, and all the holes in the green/white Hosta---bugs. Giant Sedums are just beginning their flowering. 

Planters in the shade did well---I really have to watch that one on the right that gets a half day of sun, and keep it watered.

We haven't taken down the birdhouse branches yet...the burn pit is so full we have to wait for no wind to burn. Windy City applies to the burbs here do--as the wind crosses the plains with not much to stop it.

On the right side of the porch is the pond area...the planters there are carrying the whole show. Phlox finally did bloom.

On both sides. Phew, I thought the Phlox on this side was dying. No rose bloom either yet, think it's been too hot.

I pulled some weeds, missed the clover...and added some clarifier to the pond. Our bitty frog, he has grown and made a friend with the resin turtle. He has a few different places he sits, and he must have chased the second one ---off. I haven't seen him/her.

The East fence is full of pickles, dill, squash, marigolds (for the bees), and Day Lilies which are done blooming. Sigh. It was so hot, the blooms lasted only a few hours, but they were gorgeous and we had continuous blooming with all our rain.

Across the way along the house is a mess of Sweet Peas which are mostly 'peaing' now and not doing sweet blooms. The large leaves are some MUTANT Morning Glories that show up everywhere!

This little watering can is lost in the first year Hollyhocks and squash plants.

The last Hollyhock bloom. Small and white! I hope the new ones have some color. I will be dispersing the seed pods, once they are full dried. I might try some at the back pond. I love the pod shapes like bottom up Hazelnuts.

To the left is an area of sun and shade. Cosmos in the pot, drooped and bent low and are finally blooming.

This long 3 foot planter is simply gushing blooms, they have swallowed my fairy statue. 

On the porch stairs the Rex Begonia is battling the bugs, something is happily chewing on it. It needs to be sprayed with soap, and I will move it to the front porch, when it's debugged. The fountain grass was housed over winter, I will cut it back and try that again.

I've decided to use these Coleus from seeds in my planters in front with red mums...I'll do this on Monday. Holidays are for working, RIGHT?

There's some  beans I picked, the Impatiens are still happy everywhere. I didn't clean everything up with rain and wind on the way.

These are more Coleus we grew from seed. They are huge, and I will try and move them to the front in pots and planters. The little pots are Iceland Poppies from seed---that aren't doing anything???

The birdbath in the garden has peppers in pots around it,  and our only Black-eyed Susan.

The last of the Day Lilies!

This watering can has a new type of Coleus that is thick stemmed and very hardy.

It's copper-leafed...I love it.

I'm grouping plants next to the grill for protection from the supposed bad weather.

Left is our Lemon grass our natural mosquito repellent. 

This planter of Caladium (planted in April-finally is doing well. 

Same bag of Caladium corms, same dirt and this one is not! I use half composted dirt  and half name-brand potting soil for all the big pots. I'll have to see if the drain hole was plugged. 

There's more, but I will spare you! 

Another post in two weeks-Fall is around the corner.

PS, it's 9:30 pm and no storm...so we will water like crazy tomorrow!

Check List for next year-please tell me what you will be doing.

How did your perennials do? 

(Lost too many to talk about-again!)

How did your annuals do?

 (Plants did well, seeds did not due to very cold wet Spring.)

What won't you be planting again?

(I'm not doing Geraniums anymore.) 

What will you plant more of?

(I'll be planting more Sedum plants and more Hostas, they seem to survive everything-cold, wet, dry and heat)

I love all your comments, 

and I will be happy to try and answer questions!

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Tuesdays at our Home

Talk of the Town
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Thursday Favorite Things
Friday Favorites
Metamorphisis Monday
Over the Moon

 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

Thank you for your cooperation, 

Sandi