August 2013 in the Northern Hemisphere

[johnralphcarpenter]

I know that Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea) is not supposed to be hardy, but this performs like a hardy annual for me, seeding itself into the gravel and coming up every year in the same spot between the pots.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Dahlia coccinea Great Dixter Strain (and bee!).

[Roma]

Crepis incana
Gentiana loderi
Hosta 'Gold Standard'

[krisderaeymaeker]

Crepis incana
Gentiana loderi
Hosta 'Gold Standard'

Stil much colour with flowers  Roma ......

Here some colour without flowers .......

[krisderaeymaeker]

Some interesting grey's ........

[Hoy]

What about this smoking birch tree? It is not in my garden but  farther east. A thunderstorm went by and some hours later people observed this:



From this site: http://www.nrk.no/ostfold/innvendig-brann-i-bjorketre-1.11180975

[David Nicholson]

I reckon there's someone at the bottom of that tree having a crafty smoke!

[WimB]

After that smokin tree some flowers which were bringing colour to the garden this week:

Anemone 'Wild Swan'
Anemonopsis macrophylla 'White Swan' (notice the high level of inspiration when naming white-flowered plants    )
Crinum x powellii 'Roseum'
Fuchsia 'Eleanor Leytam'
and Origanum amanum

[WimB]

And some more from this week:

Cyclamen intaminatum f. roseum
Roscoea 'Peacock Eye'
Roscoea 'Red Gurkha'
Adenophora aurita
and Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. nigricans

[Armin]

Wim,
to see Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. nigricans in flower now is a surprise.
Did you raise it from seed?

[WimB]

Wim,
to see Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. nigricans in flower now is a surprise.
Did you raise it from seed?

Yeah, it was a surprise to me too. (a nice surprise though  )
Came from wild collected seed, sown last year, planted out this spring.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Crinodendron patagua, not as showy as Crinodendron hookerianum.

[johnralphcarpenter]

A commonly grown shrub, Buddleja x weyeriana.

[Hoy]

Crinodendron patagua, not as showy as Crinodendron hookerianum.

Well, I don't agree! Although the flowers of patagua don't have the conspicuous colour of hookerianum they are at least as beautiful as those!
I have tried both but they have always succumbed in a bad winter in a couple of years

[johnralphcarpenter]

British wild flowers:

(1) Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) is certainly not welcome in the garden,but it can have attractive flowers.

(2) Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria). This perennial plant has alternate pinnate leaves with toothed leaflets and produces yellow flowers on a tall erect stem from June to August with rust coloured hooked fruits.  It is found in meadows, pastures and on banks. It is often found alongside paths and roads.  Agrimony is an important nectar source for butterflies, bees, and hoverflies, while its leaves provide protection for many insects.  It is a food plant of the Grizzled Skipper butterfly.