hot plants: slideshow of mid-september stars
THE GARDEN HAS PUT UP WITH A LOT THIS YEAR–astonishing rain, bouts of hail, and woodchucks galore–so it’s a wonder that anything feels like showing off at this late date. Thank goodness there are tough characters in the mix. From Lespedeza thunbergii to Clematis tangutica, yellow-fruited Viburnum dilatatum ‘Michael Dodge’ and more, the current hit list here.
Click on the first thumbnail to start the slides, then toggle from image to image using your computer’s arrow keys or the arrows beside each caption. Links to the plant profiles are below the thumbnails.
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- Lespedeza thunbergii, a giant herbaceous perennial legume (seen across the lawn in the distance above) is just now doing its thing.
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- Viburnum dilatatum ‘Michael Dodge’ shows off its yellow fruit in fall, and because the birds don’t seem interested (at least not till later) I get to enjoy it myself.
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- The chipmunks are winning the race to see who gets to enjoy the big red fruits of various Kousa dogwoods here. They seem to eat them faster than they color up.
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- I always like to have at least one plant of the purple lablab bean, both for its flowers and purple pods.
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- Clematis tangutica is a mass of vivid gold and purple right now.
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- Clematis ‘Roguchi’ has been at it since sometime in June.
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- Chest-high Angelica gigas, a biennial, has been at it since July, and soon will set seed for another generation of offspring.
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- As old-fashioned and commonplace as they are, I can’t imagine late summer and fall without the panicle hydrangeas, H. paniculata. They’re just starting to go from creamy white to buff and pink, and will soon look like this shot from last year.
Mid-September’s Showoffs
(with links to their profiles or more information)
- Viburnum dilatatum ‘Michael Dodge‘(shrub with prolific yellow fruit)
- Lespedeza thunbergii (giant perennial fountain of purple flowers)
- Clematis tangutica (vine with masses of gold flowers with purplish centers)
- Cornus kousa, or Kousa dogwood (large red fruit; a slideshow of all my dogwood species, including Kousa types, is here)
- Dolichos lablab (purple lablab bean, annual vine–and a food and feed crop elsewhere)
- Angelica gigas (wine-colored biennial, started blooming in July)
- Clematis ‘Roguchi’ (small purple bells summer into September)
- Hydrangea paniculata (panicle hydrangeas, starting to go from creamy to pink and buff tones now)
Will be adding to next year’s list! Somehow I don’t think you ever get to sit in the lovely red chairs!
Wow
Never thought Clematis tangutica could be this beautiful.Great shot.
Hopefully not violating guidelines for posts — wanted to let local gardeners in the Northwest Corner and adjacent terrain in New York know that I am selling off my tender perennials in pots (a number of tuberous begonias among them plus two euphorbia cotonopholia trees) and clay pots and other gardening tools and supplies at a tag sale in Sharon CT Saturday 9/24 from 10- 3 — 34 Gavel Cabin Road — east off White Hollow Road, reachable from Rt 112 in Lime Rock, Calkinstown Road in Sharon or West Cornwall Road near the covered bridge at West Cornwall on Route 7.
I love all the plants you highlighted! Fall really does bring on a whole new season of interest in the garden. I love the hyacinth bean, so it was a natural for a new arbor I installed last year. But I can never be content with enough, so I also planted a moonflower with the hyacinth bean. They’ve turned out to be a great combination!
But that clematis tangutica is making me jealous…I’ve never seen that one, so now I’m on a mission…THANK YOU, Margaret!
I planted the hyacinth bean vine last spring and it has taken over the trellis and every plant around it. I love that it is planted at Monticello. I got my seeds from a participant in our yearly pond tour in Knoxville. Is it considered an heirloom plant?
more to put on shopping list! yay!
I have a manadivilla vine , it has small beautiful trumpet shaped flowers ,in large pot on a trellis. I would love to bring it in and put it on my sun porch which is heated. What do you think? Also an Angel wing begonia. I would love to know your opinion. Or should I just let them die. Thanks
Hi, Maude. I say experiment! I think you will have success. With the Mandevilla, here’s how Cornell says to do it. I’d start with the begonia as a houseplant (bright light, enough water to stay growing but not wet, not too cold — above 50 for sure) and see what happens).