The beautiful purple blooms of Aconitum Napellus or Monkshood are a favorite in the fall garden. All parts of this plant are very poisonous. The principal alkaloids are aconite and aconitine. Of these, aconitine is thought to be the key toxin. Ingestion of even a small amount results in severe gastrointestinal upset but it is the effect on the heart, where it causes slowing of the heart rate, which is often the cause of death.
Another Monkshood. They can reach a leggy 6 to 7 feet tall and may need staking.
The last Peppermint Schnapps Hibiscus bloom of the season.
A surprise cluster of Rosa Cookies and Cream. This stem is about 8 feet tall. I'm actually standing under the blooms pointing the camera up.
A white, highly fragrant, nectar loaded Buddleia bloom with no takers. At this time of year the pollinators are essentially gone. During summer, this bloom would be crawling with critters.
You know its fall when the Asclepias seed pods rupture.
Canna Durban, also sold as Phasion Tropicana is quite a beauty. The foliage alone is worth having this plant in your garden. The contrasting orange bloom is just icing on the cake. Generally safe to USDA Zone 7b winters, you should dig them up if your winters are colder than 10 degrees. Moist soil and plenty of sun will make them happy.
Our Pink Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) did well this year. They look best when they get full sun but this isn't bad for partial shade.
Native Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), is a tough plant most associated with roadside ditches. It can reach 8 feet if cared for but for best results, when its about 4 feet tall, cut it in half. It will send up 4 to 6 shoots off the main stem and bloom in a mass clump. It also keeps it short so you can see the blooms. The genus vernonia was discovered in Maryland by William Vernon, a 17th century botanist and entomologist that came to the United States in the late 1600’s. Pollinators love it.
A large bumble bee munching away on Ironweed pollen.
A large, two tone Cleome.
A late white Pinky Winky Hydrangea bloom poking through a White Moth Hydrangea plant in its fall color pattern.
This is a closeup of a White Moth Hydrangea in its fall transition color. Very nice.
A nice Pinky Winky Hydrangea bloom transitioning to its fall color pattern.
This is a group of flower spikes from Heuchera Pistache.
A closeup of fuzzy Purple Ageratum.
We planted Hydrangea paniculata Chantilly Lace in this bed three years ago. This year they really performed well. The blooms are pure white against dark green leaves making them really stand out. They can take more sun than most and bloom in August for us in Zone 7. Just make sure you give them supplemental water if they wilt in the heat. They can grow quite large reaching 8 feet if happy.
A side view of Chantilly Lace.
A closer view of Chantilly Lace to show stems and leaves.
A closeup of a Chantilly Lace bloom.
This Hydrangea paniculata Little Lamb was a sad scratch and dent find at an Amish garden center. It barely had any growth and was only about 4 inches tall. 3 years later and its thriving in the garden. The moral of the story is you can find great deals if you are willing to give a scrappy looking plant a good home with proper care. The reward is worth it when it blooms.
The Little Lamb blooms are irregular shaped blobs; a little flat on one side so they are not round.
A closeup of a Little Lamb bloom.
Our Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky produced the first flowers since we've had them. It took 4 years for them to acclimate to the bed I guess. This is a modest bloom cycle but we're happy they came alive. Next year should be more robust.
The top of the Pinky Winky plant reaching for the sun.
A closeup of Pinky Winky. When the plant matures, the blooms will turn pink at the base.
We planted four Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime (white) last year and this is the only one that bloomed this year. Not bad for second season performance. This is a dwarf version of paniculata Limelight.
A closeup of the Little Lime bloom.
A large macrophylla Nikko Blue stands out against a bed of white Goose Necks.
Another view of the Nikko Blue above.
In the foreground is Hydrangea Paniculata White Moth in peak bloom. On the right in the background is Oak Leak Hydrangea Alice.
A wide view of Hydrangea macrophylla Lady In Red in peak bloom.
Our Hydrangea macrophylla Mariesii Variegata is still growing and hasn't reached its full potential. It still puts out a few nice blooms.
A closeup of Mariesii above.
A wide shot of Annabelle (white) Endless Summer (pink and blue), Cityline Paris (hot pink) and African Queen lilies (orange).
Hydrangea macrophylla Cityline Paris starting to bloom.
More Cityline Paris with a few Penny Mac blooms along the fence.
A nice closeup of Cityline Paris shows how vivid the color is on this hydrangea.
Our Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky finally bloomed well this season. Its still not as spectacular it can be but its a start. As the blooms mature and open, the base turns pink and ultimately looks like this (click here).
A nice two toned Hydrangea Macrophylla Penny Mac.
A pair of lavender Hydrangea Macrophylla Penny Mac blooms.
This is a wide shot of the garden with pink Nikko Blue in the foreground and Oak Leaf Alice and White Moth against the fence.
This is a relocated macrophylla Penny Mac that produced a decent set of blooms. They were chopped and moved to a new bed so I wasn't expecting anything this season.
This is macrophylla Cardinal Red but its definitely pink not red. The flowers are quite large and maintain their color longer than other mopheads.
Macrophylla Cardinal Red and a dwarf Hydrangea quercifolia Pee Wee (white blooms). As the name suggests, Pee Wee is a compact Oak Leaf.
Macrophylla Nikko Blue.
Another Nikko Blue.
White Goose Necks (Lysimachia clethroides) and a large Nikko Blue in the background.
Hydrangea macrophylla Lady In Red was developed by Michael Dirr at the Horticulture Dept of the Univeristy of Georgia. This plant was selected from open pollinated seedlings of H. macrophylla Otaska. The species originates in Japan, and associated first with English explorer Sir Joseph Banks.
Another Lady in Red as it starts to bloom.
A wider shot of Lady in Red with a few Pink Nikko Blue on the left.
An unknown lacecap. Our lacecaps didn't bloom well this season and I'm not sure why.
A closeup of the lacecap above.
A tangle of Annabelle (White), Endless Summer (pink and blue) and Liberty Hostas.
Hydrangea macrophylla Cityline Paris starting to bloom.
