September 2011 Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

free trial Cosmos 'Rose Bonbon' and Nasturtiums

It's a Bloom Day of beginnings. The ex-asters

mystery species ex-aster

and the goldenrods (Solidago)

Solidago 'Dansolitlem' (Little Lemon) and Sedum/Hylotelephium 'Beka' (Autumn Delight)

are just starting their autumnal show. With the Japanese anemones also beginning to bloom,

Anemone 'Andrea Atkinson'

the only plants still left to bloom are the Actaeas (Cimicifuga), the monkshoods (Aconitum), and the Chrysanthemum; it is the beginning of the end of the gardening season. But let's not get ahead of ourselves at the expense of enjoying today. And what a day, the temperature has plummeted to highs in the 50sF/low teens C, the smoke from the Minnesota wildfire has cleared, and the sun is beaming.

It's Colchicum time.

Colchicum 'Zephyr' 'Poseidon'

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides with 'The Giant'

Colchicum 'Autumn Queen' with Caryopteris 'Janice' (Little Miss Sunshine)

Caryopteris 'Jason' (Sunshine Blue) is in full bloom now.

Also coming into full bloom and making its Bloom Day debut is Sanguisorba officinalis 'Tanna'.

It's a difficult plant to photograph well. I always thought, Sanguisorba ... yawn. Then I saw it in person and had to have it. Last year it didn't do much of anything, but this year it finally settled in enough to bloom. It was well worth the wait.

Also new this month:

Heptacodium miconiodes

Sedum 'Bertram Anderson' finally blooming with Heuchera 'Citronelle'

Several plants are getting their second wind in the cooler weather, including the rose 'Carefree Beauty'.

The threat from the Japanese beetles is gone, so now they can show to their full glory.

The hibiscus

Hibiscus syriaca 'Red Heart' also benefits from the absence of beetles

and Hosta plantaginea are winding down.

There are still enough blooms to scent the air.

Representing the Geraniums, which are mostly still in fine form is

Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac'. Its blooms are the same color as a nearby Hosta lancifolia, which is also in bloom now.

The last of the blooms of Liatris spicata clash with the reddening fruit of the dogwood. It's goodbye summer, hello fall.

fruits of Cornus kousa 'Beni-fuji'

For all the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens on the 15th of every month.

Also blooming:

Anemonella thalictroides/Thalictrum thalictroides

Aster species

Callirhoe involucrata

Campanula 'Samantha', 'Sarastro'

Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Blue'

Caryopteris 'Jason' (Sunshine Blue)

Clematis 'Betty Corning', 'Evisix' (Petit Faucon)

Dianthus 'Cranberry Ice'

Eurybia divaricata

Eurybia macrophyllus

Echinacea purpurea

Fuschia (various)

Geranium 'Blogold' (Blue Sunrise), 'Bob's Blunder', ' 'Gerwat' (Rozanne), 'Jolly Bee'

Heuchera 'Firechief', 'Havana', Hollywood', 'Raspberry Ice'

Hylotelephium 'Matrona', 'Purple Emperor'

Knautia 'Mars Midget'

Lavandula 'Hidcote'

Lobelia 'Sparkle DeVine'

Lobelia syphilitica

Lobularia maritima

Lonicera 'Winchester'

Malva 'Zebrinus'

Penstemon 'Pike's Peak Purple'

Phlox paniculata 'David', 'David's Lavender', 'Goldmine', 'Grenadine Dream', 'Laura',  'Nicky', 'Red Riding Hood', 'Red Super', 'Shockwave'

Ruellia humilis

Solidago 'Fireworks'

Symphyotrichum 'Honeysong Pink'

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies'

Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge', 'Gilty Pleasure', 'Tojen'

Viola