My Quality Day: Last of the Rock Garden Color?

Some of these colors will last a while yet, but I think the last of the blooms to peak are happening now.

This is really a favorite purchase from this year, the 'Oriental Dancer' Sedum. I can't wait for it to have multiple stems next year.

It's always interesting how some plants just keep having an occasional blossom all season long even when they are past their peak time. This is the Dianthus 'Kohari.' When I bought it two years ago the patch was about a third this size. It's had one or two flowers open most of the season.

Back to a Sedum. This is the 'Rosenteller' one, and it's past prime, but I like how it's sharing the space with one out of season bloom of the Bloody Cranesbill. I only split this little patch off the big clump last fall, and it's doing great! I also like how it looks in front of that log. In the spring, it should have a little pasqueflower friend which you can barely see below it. I managed to find the one that had sprouted in the lawn and move it to the garden.

The blanketflower, Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' always looks great from July onwards, and especially so if I deadhead it. I'll be keeping my eyes open to buy one called 'Arizona Red' that doesn't have the yellow on it.

Also, the Sedum 'Autumn Joy' seems to be about at peak. This is one of the old rock garden plants that survived. It was eaten down to stubs two years in a row, but the fencing allowed it to recover this year. You can see that it also has a little Bloody Cranesbill friend.

I don't think there is anything yet to bloom this fall unless I get some sort of a surprise. There are a couple of fun things to show you from other locations, but I have to wait a few days for one of them yet.

Got a fair amount of work done today and did my road walk.

Miles hiked in 2025: 375