September Yellow and Blue

In the final days of September, there is an explosion of yellow at the front edge of the Labyrinth.  There are bits of blue mixed in, though as I look at the mix, I would like more blue for the contrast.  Toward the back of this photo, under the standard topiary cedar, "Feelin' Blue," is a yellow leaved Creeping Jenny.  Although the cedar loses much of its blueness over the summer, it is starting to shift back with the cooling weather.  On either side of the grass path in front are Goldenrod and a native Aster.  I never thought I would be growing Goldenrod in my flower beds!

Here you can see in front the Goldenrod, Solidago 'Golden Fleece,' which is about 15 inches tall.  This is the second full summer in this spot, and they are bulking up nicely.  In the background are Maryland Golden Aster, Chrysopsis mariana, which came from a local native plant nursery that has closed down.  They are three years old, and are just beginning to achieve a size that provides a good splash of color.  This is the first year they have bloomed together, making me look brilliant in my planning, but it is just luck.  I hope they continue this timing in future years.  What I really like are that they are very similar colors, and totally different shapes, so while there is the impact of the repetition, they are not boringly the same.  Finally, in the back right side of the photo, you can see some salvia providing a intense blue contrast.  I need more of these, if I can figure out the variety.  I am supposed to have Salvia nemorosa "Blue Hill," so maybe that is what they are?

Mixed into the Overdam Feather Reed Grass are small bushes of Bluebeard, in this case Caryopteris incana 'Sunshine Blue.'  This variety has a bright yellow leaf as well as the light blue flowers that grow in clumps along the stem.  I bought the original plant from a National Arboretum sale seven years ago, and it roots where ever the stems sit on the ground.  So there are now four plants.  I cut them down low in the spring, and they have a lot of competition from the grasses, but they come back in spite of the hot, dry summer, and provide a nice contrast to the grasses.  However, the grasses will need to get lifted and divided soon, so I hope the roots are not too wrapped around each other.