August 2020 In the Neighbourhood

Here we are in the dog days of summer. The nights are warm and the days warmer, and rain is more of a welcome relief than a foregone conclusion, as it is in spring. Without irrigation, most of our gardens would pretty much dry up and blow away. Thankfully, even with the present restrictions (I mean water, not COVID-19 restrictions), we can still make beautiful, lush flower- and produce-filled gardens with careful, timely watering. Still, August definitely favours the heat-lovers, and much of the discussion this month (the last month of this particular blog post series) will involve perennials and annuals (herbaceous plants) that are adapted to those conditions.

See the featured plants in other months below:
April in the Neighbourhood
May in the Neighbourhood
June in the Neighbourhood
July in the Neighbourhood

This is my last neighbourhood blog post for 2020. I’m still walking in the neighbourhood and looking at plants (as I suspect many of you are, too), but classes are starting up again, and I have to introduce a new crop of students to the world of plants. My newest challenge: teaching online to students in countries spanning sixteen time zones. I hope you’ve enjoyed the blog series. -Douglas Justice, Associate Director, Horticulture & Collections

Please follow our Month in the Garden for more regular updates on plants in bloom from Douglas.

Please click on the images in the gallery below to learn more about each plant.