To Labor or not to Labor

 Labor Day is almost upon us and while the weather may be cooperating, albeit a bit smoky these days, with the coronavirus still going strong, we're needing to reassess any parties that day. Perhaps a cookout with the family or a close few friends. There's always the garden of course. Always pleasant work to do there and we're nearing the point when we can add fall annual color or fall perennial stalwarts like Salvias and Rudbeckias. Here are a few recent photos of my garden in transition. 

Calibrachoa Diva Orange. My latest 'Million Bells.' Very cheerful.

The last of my 50 variety of lilies to bloom, L. Bombastic has an appropriate name. Nothing subtle about the color, size or scent of this beauty.

I'm not 100% positive which species of Oxalis this is but my best guess is O. latifolia. It's one of the so-called Shamrock oxalis, this one with vivid pink flowers.

Speaking of vivid, I love the bright oranges and apricots of my Tecoma x smithii. The hummers do too.

This photo was taken with my Cistus McGuire's Gold in shade so it's hard to appreciate the golden color of its leaves. It took awhile to establish but the last two years it's been full and glorious.

That's a Fuchsia Autumnale on the left and a Mimulus 'Valentine' on the right. Both are out front and enjoying the sun.

Calylophus drummondii. This has proven to be a tenacious and long blooming ground cover. Nice!

Gloriosa lily. I love these flowers. They start out pure green then mature to the red and yellow you see here, followed by an all pinkish-red as they fade.

This Calceolaria Tiger Balloon Orange has proven resilient. It's on its second bloom season, after I cut it back following the initial bloom.

Not the best photo of my new Dianthus Rosy Cheeks I'll admit but wanted to show off its lovely salmon-colored flowers.

Crassula falcata - better know as the Propeller plant for its wide thick leaves - is a reliable bloomer, putting out sprays of bright red flowers 2 or 3 times a year.

Plant nerds may recognize this Salvia as a S. patens but be a bit confused as to the color. It's S. patens Patio Light Blue and I love the icy blue color of its flowers.

Helenium Mardi Gras. This plant is on at least year ten of its life, probably more. I love the range in color and pattern for the individual flowers and its a real bee magnet.

Hibiscus Adonis Pearl. This is one of the HibisQs series of Hibiscus, bred to have the flowers stay open much longer. It's true. Where most Hibiscus flowers are open only for a day or two, flowers in this series stay open and beautiful for 5 or 6 days.

I love Justicias and this J. fulvicoma is probably my favorite. Love those colors!

Here's a new Salvia, just brought home yesterday. It's S. azurea 'Mesa Azure.' Lovely!

Asclepias curassivica. This species has a well-deserved reputation for self-seeding. This one was a volunteer that popped up in one of my pots.

Abutilon Tiger Eye. This is the favorite flowering maple for a lot of gardeners, having the most prominent veining of any variety.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Cherie.' Love the color and it rebounded nicely from a tough winter.

Iresine variety. This is a great plant for shade and especially valuable if you want something really colorful.

Here's a new Buddleja davidii variety called Santana. Most notable for the variegated foliage but wow, that color has lots of pizzazz!

Whenever I take a photo of my Hibiscus trionum the flowers always come out looking very white. They're not, being more of an alabaster or cream. Ah, the mysteries of photography.

This shot and the one below are of my new metal stepping stones, in the shape of Ginkgo leaves. Perfect for my gravel path!

Lace fern. One of the prettiest of ferns and a real workhorse to boot.

I was able to get a shot of my Begonia acetosa with the sun shining through the leaves. Very pretty!

And my Begonia Autumn Ember has made a nice recovery after being given a haircut in late winter. It too is nicely shown off by the sun.

This Begonia 'Frosty' photo is a bit overexposed but I include it anyway, to show off the nice veining in the leaves.