Humidity and the Light?

Fuschia

 

It has been very humid. Even during the "Golden Hour" as the sun is at that perfect point in its arc, I am finding it difficult to take decent pictures. Everything appears misty, maybe my lens is dirty or maybe the air is just so thick. There have been days when it seems like you are walking through a damp spider web.

Spikenard

A new-to-me plant, Japanese spikenard.  The limey green color this late in the season when lots of foliage is more of a dull green is the perfect accent in a partially shaded spot. It looks nice with the new growth on the lysimachia.



Symphytum, spirea, weigela; the weigelia seems to glow with its three different shades of green and white leaves. The flower is inconsequential on this older species, but the red stems are nice.

 The border is overrun with phlox this year. Some I know the names, others... well... I know I have Laura, Blue Paradise, David, Bright Eyes...

Phlox, Red Riding Hood is very cherry red

Phlox

A portion of the Long Border

Phlox

Phlox

Most of my phlox are a bit "relaxed". Those are the older tall garden phlox. I have some of the newer mildew resistant types and I seem to find them to be shorter and clumpier over all.

I tend to weed out the errant phlox in the spring. This year I did not, which is probably why the garden feels overgrown. I also need to divide/compost some of my Japanese iris. They are a bit overgrown and tend to lay down across other plants this time of year. They also release some sort of inhibitory chemical on nearby plants, making them not the best border mates. Some of them need to go. 

I keep tweaking the border, I guess that is what gardening is all about. Plants come and go, and after gardening in one place for 15 years, even trees have come and gone. Even a good thing can be too much of a good thing. The "happy accident" of plants self-seeding and finding their place can be wonderful. Too many of the same plant without any structure can be disturbing. Some plants have just outgrown their space. I am even eye-balling a couple large shrubs and debating moving them... 

Even with my clumsiness while helping my son use my newly acquired chainsaw, I feel empowered to be able to do some major trimming of woodier shrubs and to remove small limbs on my trees (all while keeping my feet on the ground).