It’s Labor Day, the holiday weekend that marks the end of summer. The plants in my garden are feeling the cumulative effects of summer and slowing down. The zinnias I have enjoyed cutting all summer are very capably catching all the fungal organisms Florida has to offer and displaying them on their foliage. The flowers are visibly smaller. It’s time for removal and renewal. The good news! All the seeds are on sale – the bad news, not everything I would like is available. I am making do by trying some new things and thankful I thought ahead a little and bought my favorite tomato seeds. Last year I had weird tomatoes due to poor timing. The tomatoes were good, just sort of oddly gigantic cherry sized fruit that was not quite red.
What’s in the vase:
Multi colored flowers at bottom of image are ‘Zin Master’ Zinnias; white daisies are Bidens alba; purple spikes are Arabian Lilac (Vitex trifolia) ; pink and white flowers are Vinca (Vinca rosea).
Yellow spikes are Thyrallis (Galpinia glauca); red, white and peach spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea). The vase is a thrift store find.
There! A full color display of the summer dregs from my garden. Not bad, all things considered.
For a full late summer garden tour via vases follow this link to visit Cathy’s blog.
The Shrub Queen 
Not bad at all.
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Good dregs?!
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Your growing schedule confounds me, Amelia. You’re going to sow tomato seedlings now?! I’m watering a neighbor’s vegetable bed for her while she’s traveling and her summer crop of tomatoes are just starting to fruit now.
Meanwhile, you put all your late summer season cuttings to good use in your vase. My own zinnias got a late start this year but I’m hopeful that they and the dahlias will continue well into October, though I’m seeing the first signs of mildew too.
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
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Thanks, Kris. The growing schedule confounds me as well – though yours does, too, foxgloves in summer always blow my mind.
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A wonderful tribute to summer, I think I’m slowing down, too!
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Thank you.
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Your summer dregs are still lovely, Amelia, and I like the effect of the tall vase with the relatively delicate blooms – very different from the strident tropical looking contents of many of your vases. And yes, very much the appearance of a last hurrah 👍 My zinnias have been very poor this year, sadly, and ralking of tomatoes, one of the varieties I have grown is definitely not what I expected and I suspect it has been open-pollinated, so that’s a mistake to try and avoid next year by buying just from a commercial supplier
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Thanks, Cathy. I think my weird tomatoes trace back to open pollinated seeds. I was trying not to have tropical this week.
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Floriferous Florida! Look at them all -still colourful and beautiful. I am in B.C. and the mildew is now bad on my Monarda and Lupins after a summer of alternating drought and torrential downpours!
https://zonethreegardenlife.blog/2024/09/02/in-a-vase-monday-september-2/
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thanks, droughts and downpours, not a gardeners ideal weather.
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That’s a power vase–great thrifting! Love all the treasures you’ve used. Vinca is such a good filler for the garden, but alas here it’s another of those recommended not to plant due to its invasive nature. I was tempted the other day truly though–the garden center was filled with it.
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Thanks, Susie, the Vinca just appears – I have never planted any and usually get rid of it.
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Maybe the vinca travelled from NC!
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On a tourist’s shoe, no doubt.
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Very, very nice, and elegant. The vase is perfect for the summer elements, too.
Beth @ PlantPostings.com
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thanks, Beth
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Not bad for ‘scraping the bottom of the barrel’ 😉 The zinnias are doing an interesting curling-under thing? Maybe the humidity? Bet you are looking forward to the coming cooler autumn weather and new plants for the winter.
I think we are going to have an early fall this year. It has been unusually cool most of August and now even cooler ahead. Tonight’s low is forecast @ 49º (and for 2 more nights)! 😱 My annuals are not going to be happy. 😦
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thanks, I think the zinnias are just over it – the plants are huge with these tiny flowers. Leaving them as there are a ton of buds. weird. I am looking forward to winter and getting back outside. 49! wow, your annuals are not going to be happy.
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Esp. the zinnias, they pout below 55º!
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Vinca looks good. It is available as a warm season annual here, but I have seen only a few that actually looked good.
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Not bad at all – quite joyful in fact! The Arabian lilac is really pretty. I wonder what you will be growing from seed. I have just been going through my seed box and it definitely needs refilling! 😉
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Pretty good I would say, and I can just appreciate all the effort you put into your garden with the lovely range of blooms.
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Not bad is right, especially with the heat and the rain. Come November, I be having some removal and renewal myself.
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