Warmer today, nearly the middle
of September, than most of August was. Balmy here, catastrophic in Florida.
That's the short-term of weather. Meanwhile the long-term march of climate shortens our days, brings apples and pumpkins to market -- and causes us to brood about the implications of a pair of unusually fierce storms.
We
brightened up the late summer flower garden this year with a Datura plant,
whose intricate layered shades of deep purple and white-tending violet
begin opening from the bud only after dark. By next morning the blossom
is mostly open. The blossom opens more fully, revealing more of the
internal layering over the next day or two at most, then swiftly decays.
It's an event. The round,
alien-looking seed pods left behind are striking as well. You can see a couple of them a
little in the photo at the top of the page. I'm pretty much going to leave those seeds alone because they're poisonous, as are the flowers. Maybe that's why they're also called "devil's trumpets."
I suppose things with attractive surfaces and hidden dangers get that sort of name.
Along with the Datura we grouped some other annuals in pots in a flat, stonedust-covered space we call the patio extension; petunias, vinca, marigolds, cosmos,
scaveola, whatever looked good in the garden centers (pictured in the fifth photo down).
I suppose things with attractive surfaces and hidden dangers get that sort of name.
Among
the perennials that bloom this time of year are anemone (second photo down).
They put up with a lot of shade and keep blooming year after year. Having computer
searched for pictures that look like what we're growing, I conclude that we
have the Japanese Anemone, a "hardy, late summer to fall-blooming
perennial."
Here's a grower's description of the Japanese Anemone: "Pale
rose to mauve, 5-petaled, slightly cup-shaped flowers with distinctive yellow
stamens rise on long, narrow, branching stems above basal growth of dark green
foliage. Flower stems grow 2-3 feet tall by bloom time Prefers full sun to part
shade and well-drained, fertile soil." (monticelloshop.org)
This plant grows
well in our region probably because it was found in China.
Plants from North Asia do well in North America because the climates are
similar. It was probably given the name "japonica" because that was
the brand of choice among Western plant hunters in the 19th century. This
flower came to the US in 1844.
Actually
some of our anemone plants started blooming in the middle of August. Usually our
plants take turns blooming, extending their season, as our commentator noted,
some weeks into official autumn.
The last photo yellow tansy flowers, a native wildflower in these parts. Behind it is the vegetable garden.
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