An Ode to Hot Garden Color at the End of Summer
As the summer begins to wane, its days becoming progressively shorter and fall looming in the distance, my preference in garden plants shifts. Gone is my marked favor for the cooler tones and subtle palettes in late spring and early summer gardens. The delicate shades of peonies and delphiniums have no place in my heart as Labor Day approaches. Instead I gravitate towards splashier, ballsy and hot colors; zingy marigolds, Black-eyed Susan, hot zinnias, rich petunias and lurid canna. In the same vein, I find myself suddenly drawn to window boxes and showy beds of annuals. I suppose the yellows, reds and oranges seem to retain summer’s heat, which we sense will soon depart us, especially in regions where the growing season is short. Even for those boasting a super refined sensibility, these last weeks give permission to embrace a lustier outlook, in the “Make Hay While Sun Shines” spirit.
Zinnia Field in Columbia County
Cone flowers and black-eyed Susan enliven the front of this greek revival cottage in Essex, NY
Splashes of color help to lead the eye around different areas of this grade in Essex
Yellow is the perfect foil for a red house!
The herbaceous borders at Shelburne Farms steal the show in a formal garden with plenty of competition
I shy away from petunias in general, but they work so well in this Kennebunkport window box
Nothing says summer to some more than a red geranium
A touch of gold compliments the flowers at the Saint Gaudens National Historic Site
A bed containing many plants I love to hate, but combined together had me fall in love with them all, the Stonewall Kitchen garden in York Maine
HAPPY LABOR DAY!
