Last Third of the Summer.

8-1-23 VERMONT: Today it has cooled off in the evening, going down to the upper forties. It was a beautiful day, smoke free and no rain. We have had lots of rain—1.55 inches in the last week and almost 12 inches in July—a record. 

I’ve bought a lot of stuff and started planting. I put two yarrow on the pond bank by the lambs ears, Achillea millefolium ‘ Pomegranate’ and ‘Red’, I got seven roses for the corner of the bank that we covered to kill the goldenrod, two Peach Lemonade, Rosa ‘Radpastel’, Lotty's Love, Rosa rugosa, Snow Pavement Rose, R. ‘Schneekoppe’, Purple Pavement Rose, R. ‘Rotesmeer’, Rosa Sunny Knockout. Two lilies, Lilium Oriental Muscadet and Baferrari, will go on the bank where thing need some extra interest at this point. And wait for it—a red Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ on the bank near the drain. Most of them are waiting to be planted.

New blooms: pickerel weed, cup plant.

Another hybrid daylily.

Echinacea attracts all the pollinators.

Goldfinches have been here all summer, sporting vivid color.

Cup plant is a big, tall spreader. I had pulled it out of this bed because it was too aggressive, but this one cropped up this year. Notice where the opposite leaves meet at the stem and form a cup, hence the name. The cup holds rainwater for the pollinators, I don't think the plant uses it.