What's Blooming in August?

As the end of summer rolls around there are still tons of blooms to be had by some of the heat loving beauties we have growing here on the farm. And though the heat and dry conditions can sometimes wreak havoc on the blooms this time of year, there are a few tips to help stretch out those blooms as long as possible. But first let me share about some of the blooms we grow here at the farm in late summer.

Zinnias are a favorite of so many. They populate the summer with so many different colors and sizes that you simply can't grow them all. While all the bright pinks, oranges, reds and yellows are favorites for many, I can't seem to get enough of some of the softer colors of blush, soft pink, cream, white and lime green in the Benary's Giant series. Another group of favorites comes from the Queen series- a unique twist of somewhat antiqued looking flowers. I love them! And we didn't even mention the Oklahoma series-smaller dainty blooms in a rainbow of colors. Zinnias are great because they are cut and come again-meaning the more the flowers are cut, the more blooms you get. I cut my stems long-like 16-18 inches long- and the zinnias respond by sending out the next shoot longer every time. I do water when the ground is dry. We use drip tape to help conserve water but this year the rain has allowed us to water less. Powdery mildew can be a problem as the humidity takes over in summer but we help this by sowing a succession later in the summer but usually all our zinnia plants succumb to the mildew by the time fall rolls around. Japanese beetles tend to love them too but I just take a bucket of water with dish liquid out there and shake them off in them to battle these bad bugs. Zinnias don't seem to wilt very easy but I still cut early in the morning or late in the evening to get them their best shot at the longest vase life.

Have you met the cut flower celosia before? There are so many varieties of this as well. Some are plume varieties. Some are crested (brain-like) varieties and are so unique and beautiful that celosia is one of my favorite summer and fall fillers. Colors range from cream, blush, yellow, orange, pink, pinkish purple, lime, and a mixure of everything in between. Some varieties are cut and come again and some are one and done so I must have my info together so I don't lose blooms accidentally. Two of my favorites are Flamingo Feather and Chief Mix. There are so many varieties that I could never grow them all in my lifetime I believe. Celosia love water and heat but hates the cold. Cold weather will kill them and don't put them in the cooler or you will have wilting. I haven't noticed a lot of any particular type of bug that tends to be a problem.

Cosmos add a touch of whimsy to all our florals in summer. They seem to dance out of the bouquets. There are come and cut again flowers and they come in so many forms. There are some that are reminiscent of a daisy. Some have crinkled petals that look like a crimper went around perfectly making each petal-that variety is Cupcakes I believe and she comes in a variety of colors. There are double petaled varieties and they come in all colors too. Colors of all range from white, yellow, apricot, apricot lemonade, pink, magenta, and burdundy.

Sunflowers are a staple around the farm in the summer. We plant thousands of seeds every summer in a range of beautiful colors. Sunflowers are probably the least fussy of all that we grow as long as you can get them germinated before the birds come by and dig up the seeds and eat them. I only grow the pollenless varieties which means there is no pollen shed on your table from the flowers. I love the traditional brown center with yellow, a burgundy/yellow stripe, and also the lime centered sunflowers. Each color adds such a varied look depending on the flowers you add with it. There is a world of pollenless and traditional sunflower colors available to grow and I'm sure you may have your favorite as well. I will say that I have noticed some of the stems are weaker than others so it's worth growing a few different varieties for a few years to see what works best. Downey mildew can be a problem for some varieties but there are resistant ones out there as well.

As the summer starts to end, dahlias just start to get going. The dahlia is such a diva but she is one of my favs. Some blooms are only 1-2 inches in diameter and go up to 10-12 inches which is just incredible. The color range and nature of the dahlia is broad too. One of my favorites is a orange variety call Maarn/Slyiva. She is such a good producer and seems to do well every year. I'm also loving Linda's Baby and Sweet Natalie. Linda's Baby is a beautful bubblegum pink and Sweet Natalie is a blush pink. But there are so many more I just love as well. The amount of dahlia varieties available is like starting down a very deep rabbit hole of no return. Seriously. But they are gorgeous and I love them. Cut the stems long and they will continue to produce until frost. But they hate hot weather and will probably not bloom much if it's hot and humid. They are divas because they love water. Water once or twice a week if no rain and if lots of rain pray they don't rot. Every year we have some that rot because of the rain-the only thing to do to help with that is to plant them in an area that drains well or create raised bed areas. Dahlias can succumb to a number of issues-pest that carry disease, crown gall and leafy gall, powdery mildew, dahlia mosiac virus, and others. Dahlias hate the cold so when the first freeze comes dahlia season is done. Sad but true. Then it's time to plan for next year.

These flowers are really the tip of the iceburg when it comes to florals to embellish your home with during the hot summer days. We didn't touch on grains, grasses, and other perennials that add to the beauty of these other lovely summer blooms. But if your curious about them message me and I'll share a bit more info with you. If you want to get a peak of some of these blooms in action just follow me on Facebook and Instagram. Hoping you will enjoy some of these beauties the next summer season in your own backyard. See you next time!