Hi GPODers!
Welcome back to Malvern, Pennsylvania, for day 2 in Carla Zambelli Mudry’s incredible August garden. If you missed Garden Photo of the Day yesterday, be sure to check out Part 1. Otherwise, scroll on to see even more vibrant and lively scenes from this frequent contributor’s summer garden.
Well, it’s August. And that means late summer is here, because I think, aren’t we forever a little bit of a kid in our heads, realizing this is the last gasp before we go back to school in the fall? It certainly has been a different summer from last summer. We’ve had a lot of blasting heat but also a lot of rain. Everything has grown exponentially. I have been pruning things more than once in a couple of cases.
With all of that gloss, I’m assuming this photo was taken after one of the many heavy rains that Carla’s garden got in August. In her woodland garden, a tapestry of foliage comes together to create wonderful patterns and designs.
While the late season is often associated with fiery reds, oranges, and yellows, there are a surprising number of pink plants that put on a late show and add some softer tones to the landscape. Light pink Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis, Zones 4–8) are one of many great options to add something delicate to the end of the season.
Some towering rudbeckia reaching up to the sunshine just screams summer.
Carla’s hardy hibiscus plants are still putting on a sensational show. This appears to be a Luna Red hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Luna Red’, Zones 5–9) because of its huge, nearly perfectly round bloom . . .
. . . which could mean these are the white cultivar in the Luna series (H. moscheutos ‘Luna White’, Zones 5–9). I love the contrast of the bright white petals and deep red-pink centers.
Another plant with incredible August color in Carla’s garden is a Tuff Stuff™ mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata ‘MAK20’, Zones 5–9). If you’ve had issues with hydrangeas in the past, mountain hydrangeas are a hardier option that might give you better results, and Tuff Stuff™ didn’t get that cultivar name for no reason!
One final look at Carla’s late-season abundance, along with the birdhouses and birdbaths that allow feathered friends to enjoy her garden as much as she does
Thank you so much for another fantastic update of your garden, Carla! Through every season and each month there is so much beauty to find in your garden, and we’re very lucky to get to enjoy your photos regularly.
How is your garden looking at the tail end of the summer season? Before fall firmly sets in all of our beds and borders, we want to see those last moments of summer in your garden. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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