I am still thoroughly enjoying walking through my garden or looking out the windows because many of many perennials are continuing to bloom or are just starting to bloom.

My back garden with Hibiscus ‘Summer Storm’ as the highlight.

I have several Hibiscus cultivars and I love their huge dinner-plate-sized blossoms. A few weeks ago, Hibiscus ‘Summer Storm’ was flaunting her bright pink flowers against a background of Aster ‘Hella Lacy’ and some Solidago that seeded itself into the garden.

The flowers of Aster oblongifolius ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ are pale lavender. Who was Raydon?

Most asters are late bloomers. A little known species is Aster oblongifolius (Aromatic Aster) and I have two cultivars. ‘October Skies’ is supposed to grow only eighteen to twenty-four inches high but unless I cut it in half in June or July it gets taller than that. The other cultivar is ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ that grows two to three feet tall. Because this one is growing in partial shade, it leans and falls over but I think it looks just fine sprawled on top of the rotting railroad timbers.

Strong colors like red and purple really pep up the garden.

Another aster that is still blooming is ‘Purple Dome’, a dwarf selection of the species novae-angliae. When I planted it several years ago, I didn’t know that I would later be planting Rosa Oso Easy ® Cherry Pie in front of it. At first Cherry Pie was also dwarf but as it has matured, it has become taller than this aster. Fortunately, the color is such a strong purple that it can still be seen.

Geranium ‘Pink Penny’ and its neighbors in one of my front gardens

Geranium ‘Pink Penny’, a pink equivalent of ‘Rozanne’, was introduced by a Dutch breeder. I’ve had it in the garden since 2009 and it never lets me down. It starts blooming in early June and, as you can see, is still brightening the scene with its magenta rose blooms. I love the fact that it weaves in and out of other perennials and provides foliar contrast with the linearity of Iris siberica and Verbascum.

Trifolium rubens is a welcome addition to the fall garden.

Trifolium rubens (Red Trefoil) is not commonly found in our gardens but it is very drought and sun tolerant, particularly useful characteristics for the lower part of my west bed. It only grows about fifteen inches high but blooms from early summer and is still reblooming now.

Don’t you wish this was blooming in your garden?

Fall blooming bulbs provide lovely surprises. I’ve been growing Crocus speciosus, a typical lavender, for several years but last year I added Crocus pulchellus ‘Zephyr’, a lavender so pale that is virtually white with bright orange anthers.

What’s still blooming in your garden?