Gardening, Home and Nature Thread, Sept. 26

Don in Kansas has a post up about Survivors in his garden. Whether or not you live near him, there is a lot of good information in the post, and more (and better) photos than I am including here:

A few plants flourished despite this year’s brutal summer. These include Zinnia grandiflora, above. It’s a low, spreading plant two or three inches tall with profuse yellow flowers all summer. Unlike the familiar garden zinnias, it’s a hardy perennial. It’s easy from seed and blooms the first year. Triple-digit temperatures don’t bother it, and it can tolerate considerable dryness, though it does bloom better with regular watering. It would make a good ground cover for dry places.

A tough one. Several other tough yellow flowers are highlighted. And a white one.

Blues are almost always welcome, and plumbago is a excellent source of the color.

I tend to think of Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (leadwort)as a fall flower. But I guess in some climate it begins blooming in summer and has fall leaf color.

Clematis seed heads are as interesting as the flowers.

Salvias are often good sources of blue. The “Big Blue” hybrid attracted many bumblebees in a sheltered, partly-shaded spot, but it was not happy out in the hot, sunny places. I can’t recommend it for Kansas unless you’re prepared to give it extra water.

Great information. Thanks, Don.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

Got extra squash?

Art

(Courtesy Donald Sensing)

Adventure

If you go on an Alaska cruise this time of year, you might see some lupine near Juneau.

Gardens of The Horde

Plant I.D. request from Sharon (Willow's Apprentice)

I am so pleased with my little garden this year. Ended up,with loads of tiny delicious tomatoes and 4 jars of pickled jalapeños. Froze some poblanos. The best part is that I have had plants that have looked good all along. The hydrangeas kept these delicate pink flowers. The balloon flower is reblooming adding color. Every September, this little shrub blooms with purple flowers and the bees show up like clockwork. Only when this plant is blossoming. I live in the middle,of a city so I wonder where they come from. Hoping to see flowers from my encore azalea soon.

You've sent in some great photos from your city garden. Like the bee and the tomato leaves with this shrub.

What's going on in your garden or neighborhood?

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

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Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Gardening, Home and Nature Thread, Sept. 19

Excellent reference on apples from Kindltot. Get ready as pie and cider season approachs.

Notable comments:

33 Martha Stewart has a beautiful (of course) orchard with many varieties: "These orchard apple trees include Baldwin, Black Oxford, Cortland, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Esopus Spitzenburg, Fuji, Golden Russet, Grimes Golden, Honeycrisp, Liberty, Redfield, Roxbury Russet, Windham Russet, and more."

https://tinyurl.com/bdyjzjke

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at September 19, 2026 03:05 PM

45 Martha Stewart has plantation slaves that tend to her apple trees.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at September 19, 2026 03:44 PM (9NN0K)

I closed the comments on that post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

REMEMBER that it's time to order bulbs and tubers, too.

These are the flowers and jug I gave my friend, on her dresser 🌸🌸🌸 pic.twitter.com/8PyJdbqh7i

— Garden Brocante (@GardenBrocante) September 19, 2026