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Albemarle County, Central Virginia, garden, home, life, lifestyle, plants, summer, Virginia
There is one word that describes the month of August in central Virginia… steamy. Not unlike steam room cloying temperatures and humidity with dew points in the 70’s.

August skies over Swallowtail Cottage
This year does not disappoint. Any Virginia gardener knows this month requires resolve and fortitude and multiple trips to the shower. If Mother Nature holds back quenching storms, this gardener must rise before dawn to drag hoses around for blooming plants, inviting nectaring insects and butterflies to have sweet tastes. Newly added plant material must be monitored for even moisture, if they are to survive and put down healthy root systems.
Despite these character-building conditions, I want to share with you the beauties that dot my landscape this month…

The Chinese Lycoris squamigera, more commonly known as Naked Ladies, are plentiful around here (zone 7a) as summer beauties yet are extremely persnickety. They send up tall, flat leaves in the spring that die off, then tall spikes appear this month. With multiple flowers on plain or naked stalks reaching 36″ tall, they are quite the show stopper. They never need staking, yet when I transplant them to other garden areas, many never bloom. Go figure…

Formosa lilies are native to Formosa and grow easily in my gardens where they readily self sow… the original seed came from Tufton, a property once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

The Formosa seed pods during winter, with actual seeds removed. Stunning, yes?

This Honeybells fragrant hosta and nine sisters were gifted to me last year. Now blooming and 48″ high, the steamy August garden is blessed with visual cool and fragrance. PS: generous applications of spent coffee grounds around the base of early leaves completely stopped the onslaught of slugs…a Whole Foods Barista was happy to give me their dregs any time that I asked.

A close up of this dreamy hosta Honeybells. Too bad the biting ants like the flowers too or I would cut stems for the house and market.

The only phlox I grow here at Swallowtail Cottage, Davidii stands tall and does not succumb to any mildew. Incredible.

Another gift from Kate. The Celadon poppy blooms early spring and again this month. I am told this poppy is invasive, yet tucked back in the rear garden, I invite a bit of delicate color and naughty.

THIS is a thug. Rudbeckia triloba…I do not remember ever planting it, yet this year a huge area of the butterfly garden is filled with these 6′ tall bloomers! I took many bunches to market and will stuff the rest in the burn barrel, as they have needles along the stems and are as rough as a cob. OUT!!!

Autumn Joy sedum attracts flutterbyes by the dozen and is an easy-care perennial. A classic in any garden. This was on the property when I bought it in 2001, and I have shared many clumps with neighbors.

Ahhh, my summer delight. The Natchez crape myrtle. One double trunk grows in the front lawn, and a five-trunked specimen thrives on the west side of the house. These beauties provide dreamy shade during summer months, have refreshing blooms where honey bees bury themselves, and in fall, leaves change to a brilliant hue. Did I mention the peeling bark during August? This shed reminds me all is well with much visual interest.

The shedding bark layer curls and twists, revealing the baby smooth leather-like under bark. I often find myself stroking the trunks as the sensation is like no other.

I laugh every year when this silly PJM rhododendron blooms in August…All of its companions bloom in the spring, when they should, but here, no. I really do not like pink of any kind in the garden, yet planted PJM’s years ago for their winter bronze leaf color.

Let me introduce you to a new variety… Black Diamond crape myrtle, added to my front garden this summer. Notice the wonderful deep leaf hue and pleasant color of the flowers…this plant blooms multiple times per year and the plant tag promises a mature height at 12′. I look forward to many years with this new variety…

And Babe, the topic of my last post, survives despite its weird appendage in front of its right leg. After emailing photos to the Wildlife Center, they too are stumped and suggest that as long as Babe is eating well, to leave it in the wild. Although Babe continues to molt and look rather pathetic with its shabby coat, I eagerly wait to see what sex it is…can anyone guess?

This plaque, found in a shop at Tryon Palace, reminds me that the garden teaches forever.
Twice per week this time of year I run errands and make deliveries very early, then confess to enjoying short afternoon naps in the air conditioning. Heat is hypnotic. Reclined on the loveseat, dozing between paragraphs of a Baldacci novel, I later rise and do indoor chores. Then around 7PM I dress for insects and head out weekly to mow and perspire. Soon. Soon. Very soon, there will be lower dew points and garden clean up, as the blooming show will be mostly over until next spring. And this gardener will sigh a large exhale.
Thanks for reading along. Your comments are always enjoyed.
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
Your growing conditions sound very challenging, yet, despite that, the garden looks full of fantastic colour and choice plants. As we move into our autumn here in the uk, I can only try to imagine the heat and humidity you cope with.
Your lilies are gorgeous !
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Thank you for stopping by. Kind comments help boost my weary spirits by summer’s end. Having visited the UK many times, I envy the stone and rock walls and cottages there. Cooler temps would be welcomed here. As I expand my lily, daffodil and tulip collections, spring is always welcomed, yet not summer months. August was very showy here this year, and now is garden clean up time. November-February are months of rest for me and my perennial gardens. Cheers!
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Those Naked Ladies are a sight for August eyes. Good luck to Babe.
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Thank you Cynthia! September is very welcomed here…
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I know you will be looking forward to the refreshing air of fall but your gardens look lovely even with the heat and humidity.
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With additions of summer whites, my gardens did impress in August, despite the hottest, most humid month in recent history.
This morning was a cool 64F and the afternoon will stay at 77F. A reprieve at long last…Now comes my second favorite season…fall. Cheers Karen!
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Now those sound like temperatures to please the soul. 🙂
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What a delightful read. And thanks for the follow. I look forward to reading more from you and your garden. Oh and thanks for identifying the naked ladies. We just visited Indiana and saw some. We were not familiar with them.
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Diane, lovely photos as usual, and it’s always a treat to see so many kinds of blooms I never see here. Those Formosa seed pods are fascinating, and love the Monarch on the sedum (which looks like thistle to these less knowledgeable eyes.) Babe … looks so olive, I’d guess a female, but I don’t know the growth stages of Cardinals – or any birds. Guess we’ll see, eh?
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Thanks Jeanne. Still waiting on Babe to reveal its secret. 😉
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Very nice D!
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Enjoyed reading your blog prior to diving into my morning chores.
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You go girl! Smell fall this AM?
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I had a moment to look up the differences and found this nice page to key out the species, if you are interested. Cheers!
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/AmaryllisVsLycoris
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Thank you Tim…yes indeed I am in error as this is the Lycoris here…great sleuthing!
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Somehow I lost my comment logging in-maybe you’ll hear from me twice!
Great shots of great plants. It is wonderful to see what is growing and bloom in our hot and humid August climates. We’re having a cooling trend in the Midwest, so hope it’s heading your way.
Love the Black Diamond crape myrtles. I planted what I think is the same variety as yours last year, but in my climate it is a die-back shrub, so I’ll probably never get flowers – but oh that foliage!
I planted Lilium formosanum last year and have four flower buds on two stems that are just starting to open. Isn’t it great to have a tall lily blooming in August?
What is the difference between Amaryllis belladonna and Lycoris squamigera? I have the latter that I inherited on my lot. Love the flowers, but I am tiring of the mass of ripening foliage.
Thanks for a great post.
cheers
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Thanks again Tim. Your vast knowledge is so helpful…your Formosa should produce magnificent seed pods that will willingly self sow…Wyman’s say Crape is spelled with an a not an e…Crepes we eat…;-)
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I mess up crepe and crape every single time! I’ll never learn…. 🙂
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LOL!
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PS. Do you notice if producing seed reduces the vigor of the Formosa lilies? Should I deadhead while my plant is young?
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Tim, I usually pinch all Formosa’s before they set seed. The first year I let them fly and wow! what a show…beautiful pods and much seed to share…I agree when plants are young, pinch off seed pods to help plant, buy you my friend know much more than moi! I may go back and add a pod photo in this post for you to see. Check back tomorrow…D.
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Tim, you may want to revisit this post again as I added improved photos of the incredible hostas…have any idea what variety they are? Gifted plants leave me dangling…Happy Sunday. Diane
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[J] The thought of a steamy Virginia as an interesting one! Your photo of sedum and butterfly is stunning. Babe’s ‘problem’ may be from a wound which has healed but left hard lumpy skin, which would result in feathers growing out of it all awry rather than aligned with others.
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Thank you J. Babe’s “hanging chad” with feathers has stumped us all. Each day that I see it come to the feeder, I delight in knowing that I have helped this compromised feathered friend. Thanks for your comments! Stay tuned! Diane
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Once again a good post and photos.
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I enjoyed a tour around your garden in humid weather, you must be looking after everything very well, as all is blooming! I’ve taken note of Autumn Joy, I would love to have that in my garden. Also very pleased to see that Babe is still with you, he looks like a fighter. Best wishes with the garden, the heat, and Babe
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G, Wish I could send you Autumn Joy through the wires…it does best planted on the flat and in full sun, as it can get top heavy and fall open or to the side if on uneven ground.
And many thanks for rooting for Babe. Considering how pathetic it was just two weeks ago, I hold hope for its future.
Keep those cool weather blog post coming…I very much enjoy! Diane
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Beautiful and peaceful looking even shrouded in heat. Thanks for the tour!
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You are welcome to my gardens any time!
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Delicate and lovely!
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Thanks Cindy!
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Diane, Your Lycoris lilies are outstanding. I am going to look for one this Sat. The crape myrtles come into bloom at just the right time. I have ten of them including 1 Natchez. If you see a Plum Magic at a reasonable price I think you will like it also. It has very dark green leaves , maroon stems on the sun facing sides , & the blooms are a darker red then the Black Diamond appears to be. I can email you a photo if you’d like.
I’m rooting for Babe. The little guy looks like he’s struggling.
Good luck, Joe
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Thanks Joe!
Naked Ladies are large bulbs from China and Tim from GPOD corrected me…this bulb is Lycoris squamigera (cannot find them in Wyman’s) that rapidly multiply, yet I cannot say for sure where they are the happiest. Be well. And thanks for rooting for Babe…and I would enjoy seeing a photo of your crape…Be well, D.
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Joe, see corrected lily name… not belladona but Lycoris squamigera…Thanks to Tim for the correction. Visit the link above that he included in his fine sleuthing…good to have friends in high places…D.
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