Nice yellows Gld! My garden could use some bright spots like that.

I looked at my asters this morning but they're not photo-worthy. My Purple Dome is in more shade this year than last so I'm afraid it won't bloom as well. It has about three flowers on it now that have opened. Maybe it will look more impressive in a few days.

I bought a Woods Aster at the MG sale this spring that has a couple flowers on it now but it really looks awful. Most of the leaves are black. That one is new to me so I don't know what's wrong with it.
I think my sedums are already starting to go the other way. : ( They're getting more of a brownish color to the blooms. I always leave the flowers for winter interest but it would be nice if the brighter colors lasted longer.
A tiny butterly on my garlic chives:

Lots of berries on viburnum 'Chicago Luster'

A deformed zinnia that we dressed up just for fun. : )

I like the look of that goldenrod. The arching flowers look neat. I don't buy that plant because the ditches are full of it with no work by me. I could go for this form. Christie, how do you like your vibirnum; it looks good in its picture. I had two virburnums that took too much water in our usual summers. I still have the fragrant ones but no showy berries.

Helen - Do you remember which ones couldn't take the heat? The leaves stay nice on that one and my other viburnum dentatums as well, but I have a couple others that burn up in late summer, v. trilobum mostly and the other one is 'Shasta'. They seem like they're getting tougher as they age though.

gldno1, Great color, so nice an cheery. My mums have started blooming quite well now.
I really like goldenrod, but... it really does not like me. I brake out every time I get too near it.
christie, your garlic is so pretty. My grandson is sitting on my lap and noticed the budder-fi right away. I planted some alum this year. So we'll see what happens w/that. Put it down by my spiderwort and a patch of tall rye that I let grow.
I have my mums in bloom and cosmos, hosta still looking great as is my EE's and sunflowers and impatiences and 4'oclocks. The bw begonias are really full and more bush like since I put them in the ground each spring. So are the geraniums.
My shasta daisy and foxglove and blue flax were in the "bad" area so they are not what I had been used to.

Gldno-I loved the mums and Gld. I think yellow plants are beautiful. Does the Gld bloom only in the fall?

Christie- I was at Lowes today and they had some viburnum on sale. I should have bought one, because I like the one you have. It would go great next to Gldno mums.

Unfortunately, goldenrod only blooms very late summer/fall.

Christie I love the blue berries on the viburnum. I planted v.Mohawk that has pink and blue berries....and now see it may need another variety to fruit to its fullest.....or they are trying to sell another plant!

Pretty butterfly...don't know what it is. You should save seeds on the zinnia and see if it would come true to the unusual form..just for fun. I like it.

The native aster I bought two years ago are just blooming and the leaves on it are dead half way up. I need to plant it behind the goldenrod to hide its ugly legs. My native growing in the front ditch looks good, no dead leaves on it.

Your flowers are very pretty. I like the bright
yellow goldenrod, I have never had any , Your others
are pretty too. I have a couple new zinnia beds blooming and
some will be in a week or so.First year I have planted
them with weeks in between, they do so good.I have been
playing in the garden, such a beautiful day.
I pruned shrubs, dead headed crepe myrtle, and
doped some monkey grass that I cut off last week.Oh
and I took down a huge morning glory vine.
Happy gardening,caroline

Christie, the viburnum that was wilted all the time for me had layered branches like a dogwood and white flowers. I think it may have been plicatum. I have several others that seem to be drought tolerant; these all have fragrant flowers in spring.

This hardy begonia is one I don't appreciate as much as I should. It takes care of itself - does need water. Click to enlarge.

Helen, you should appreciate that begonia, it's beautiful.

Helen - 'Shasta' is layered like that also and is a culivar or a hybrid of plicatum I believe. I water mine occasionally when they're dry but I think just the heat makes them wilt. They may look like they're asking for water sometimes when they don't really need it. This summer, I didn't water mine at all but they were planted 6 or 7 years ago and are getting well established. If yours died, don't feel too bad. Mine have never bloomed nearly as well as what they show in the catalogs. (still hoping)

Lots of blooms on that begonia! How much sun does it get? I think mine (planted in shade) looks like the same type but I only get a few flowers.

Gld - Mohawk doesn't usually get berries. Mine gets a few that are flattish. I think they're red for a little while and then turn black. Could your shrub have been mislabeled? (Maybe mine was mislabeled) Winterthur and Brandywine (v. nudum) get pink and blue berries. Does it look like this?

Here is a link that might be useful: v. nudum Winterthur

Christie, it is Brandywine that fruits. I bought both. I read somewhere that it will fruit better if I also plant Winterthur.

I may check and see if Dororthy still has Winterthur.

Do you have two varieties to aid in fruiting?

I put the Mohawk by the front foundation and the other in the new front border.

I have one that I grew from seed from viburnum Winterthur that's still small and I bought Brandywine at a nursery in Osceola this summer. It's still sitting on my patio in the pot it came in while I try to decide where to put it. If they happen to bloom at the same time, I should get lots of berries but if they have a short bloom time like my v. dentatums it might not work.
I can't remember ever seeing Winterthur for sale anywhere around here but I've never been out to Dorothy's place. Did you get a few berries on your Brandywine? You could try winter sowing those.

My viburnum didn't die; it looked so bad I cut it out. I think that freeze we had one April was the last straw. There is a ditch that turns to a stream when it rains 6 inches; I think the natural flow of this would have been through my yard. Someone before I moved here has filled in low places and parts of my yard are like creek gravel. I have good drainage to say the least. I noticed something in Close Park. They had an iris bed bordered by a cute pink begonia; it is a rectangular or square bed. There was a tree near. The part of the bed by the tree had skimpy whimpy begonias and the part away from it was lush and full. The tree was not really close. There is not a flower bed in my yard not affected by a tree. I have expanded to the field for my vegetables and flowers are gradually moving there. --- Begonias in the park; I didn't get the ratty ones but look at the iris in the left center; they were affected also. Click to enlarge.

I just planted it this summer so no berries.

Dorothy had a pretty good stock of shrubs left that were on sale. She is always cheaper than most places.

Where is Dorothy? I assume this is a plant nursery.

Yes, it is called Dorothy's Digs. It is just a small, one- owner greenhouse but she carries a lot of things and is very reasonably priced. She is located off Highway 13 west a few miles. The address is 12050 North Rarm Road 119, Brighton, Mo. 65671. Phone 417-742-2149. I have no connection to her at all, just really admire the work she does and she is very close to me.

I found her.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dorothy's Digs

Helen, she is a Christmas freak and decorates the entire place. She has an Open House and you can go through the house....I think she starts decorating in October. She just charges a donation to the Humane Society. She also is a lover of cats and has tons of them. She added a dog to the mix. I should say they (her husband too) have all kinds of fowl, chickens, ducks and geese. She does water ponds and has one down in the woods and one in the side yard. I have never been to the Christmas display but if the grandkids are down at the right time would love to take them.