September

September.  The park next door is surprisingly beautiful.  Even in the haze of a hot, humid day, there's a vibrancy of colour. These Crocosmia are sun loving perennials.  Their mango orange, and chili pepper red blossoms really stand out.

Daylight fireworks, with every Dahlia blossom in the park.  They combine wonderfully with the deep blue Caryopteris Clandonensis, or Bluebeard, which is easier to say, and even easier to remember. These two flowers look like they're doing the Chinese Lion Dance. 

  

While they won't attract lions to your garden, Caryopteris blossoms attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.  The Bluebeard shrubs had an abundance of bees and bumblebees.

  

The rose trellis still has a few late bloomers.  These withstood the violent wind storms which downed trees.  I have often photographed these roses, and their petals seem to change colour with the weather and the light of day - sometimes a light peach colour, sometimes pink, and sometimes the palest of pinks, as they were on this day.  

French Hydrangeas reach their peak in August and September, bringing yet another vibrant colour to the garden. Depending on the acidity of the soil, hydrangeas will vary from deep blue, to lavender, to pink.  The more acidic, the bluer the hydrangeas.  I guess this soil is sweet 'n'sour.

Paniculata Hydrangeas, or "the pointy ones", as I like to call them, herald the arrival of Fall.  These, and the more popular French Hydrangeas can be picked at this time of year, and dried.  The preserved blossoms last for years, although they are a **!!* to dust.  Don't even try to vacuum them, or you'll end up with sprigs of twigs in a vase. 

As I was leaving the park, I overheard a group of women staring wistfully at the garden, saying that it would soon be "torn up", because of a major problem underground.  It is built atop a reservoir. Even a perennial garden may not last forever.

Photographs copyright:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.