My favourite photographer Hamlin Grange took these pictures of our garden, which is still thriving in mid-September.
Of course, he complains — like a diva: “That’s not even my best work!” But I love these pix, so I’m sharing them. Here goes:
We are grateful to have inherited a host of phlox from previous owners — 6 different shades in all.
(I wanted to say “a flock of phlox”, but it doesn’t quite work, does it?)
They, and this special shrub (below) from our friend Les, bloom in late summer and attract bees and butterflies.
(Perhaps “flock” would work better here? “A flock of bees and butterflies!”)
There’s fragrant hosta, rudbeckia and other stuff too.
It’s a blessing to have a blooming garden this late in the Canadian summer! The weather has been mild — call it summer in September — and we are grateful.
~~
All photos are by Hamlin Grange.
Cynthia Reyes 
Thanks Cynthia (and Hamlin!) for the beautiful summer garden reminders. I look forward to next year’s crop or re-runs on this years. Enjoy!
Thank you, Brad. It’s a surprising late summer, and just when I thought the surprises were over, the Amaryllis that I stopped watering weeks ago, so the leaves and soil could dry up before being stored for winter — sent out a very healthy flower bud. It’s definitely NOT supposed to do that. Wonders never cease.
Beautiful flowers:)
Thanks, MM!
Beautiful work! Personally, I think “a flock of phlox” works extremely well!
Why, thank you, young lady!
Cynthia, you are blessed with a great gardener and photographer. Enjoy!
I am indeed, Jessica and Jean! Thank you.
Great to see your garden again Cynthia – these photographs are beautiful, especially the butterfly caught in mid-air.
Yes, they are lovely, aren’t they Mary? Thanks for commenting. Hope the painting is going well. It’s been a joy to visit your blog over the years and watch your phenomenal talent.
Thank you Cynthia – I’ve been off for quite a while, but hoping to be blogging on a more regular basis. I hope you are well ~ happy weekend to you!
Any photo with a butterfly in it is perfect in my book. Love the flock of phlox. 🙂 Summer is fast waning and autumn is wiggling it’s fingers at us. Those photos should hold us through.
I sure hope so! I like the thought of autumn wiggling its fingers at us. Delightful image.
A phalanx of phlox? Love Hamlin’s photos and the Phlox!
A whole phalanx of phlox it is, Amy. Thank you!
Looking good! Actually, Canada sent us a “cold” front and brought our temps down to the 80’s which was welcome after the flood. We’ll take some more.
Please keep all the cold fronts we sent you — and don’t send them back, my friend! Glad it helped cool your temperatures.
Gorgeous!
Thanks, Cindy!
Those are beautiful photos, Hamlin and Cynthia! The 4th one down looks like a Russian Sage. Mine does not look that good. Not even Hamlin’s excellent photography could make it look that good! I clearly have it in the wrong place, and will need to transplant it. 🙂
Les says it’s a Caryopteris. It really is blue and lovely.
Plantfinder says: Caryopteris x clandonensis, commonly called bluebeard, blue spirea or blue mist, is a low-mounded, deciduous shrub that is valued for its aromatic foliage and late summer flowers which are said to resemble clouds of blue smoke or mist.
It is a lovely resident in your garden. I love the description!
So beautiful. You are a miracle gardener and Hamlin is just an all around miracle. I miss you guys. Mindcamp was wonderful (the free-write had 18 to 20 people in each session!), but would have been wonderfuller with you. So may things to talk about….
I think you just invented my now-favourite word. Wonderfuller it is, Tim. We missed Mindcamp, that wonderfully creative event on the lake.
Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Karen. It’s a blessing to have a good photographer to call on.
Beautiful!
Thank you!
These are all beautiful, Cynthia. The butterfly one is greeting-card-perfect too.
Blessings ~ Wendy
Thank you, dear Wendy! That’s my favourite too.
Gorgeous!
Thanks, Felicity.
I appreciate the generous dose of loveliness today, Cynthia!
Well, I have to return the favour, as you two share posts that brighten up my day with their own loveliness.
Hi Cynthia. I’m a new blogger, and I want to ask, how do you have that many followers! Also everyone please follow my blog.
Dear Rebellious: People will find you, especially if you visit their blogs or write posts they like. Also, be a blogger, not a seller. I’ve visited your blog and you are right: bloggers are part of a community.
Thank you so much. But what have you done especially to gain the amount of followers you have. I would deeply appreciate tips from an experienced blogger like you. Thanks!
Honestly, I’ve done nothing more than what I wrote. If you follow people, they will likely follow you. I started over 3 years ago, so it didn’t happen overnight. Also, readers of my books often become readers of my blog.
Thanks so much for the advice. I’m glad to have gotten advice from someone so experienced. Good luck to your blog!
Gorgeous photos. There’s something especially endearing about those phlox.
I love fall gardens – each bloom becomes precious as we know it’ll end soon. (Down here in Western Washington looks like at least one more warm, sunny day. Enjoy!)
Thank you, Betty. And speaking of gorgeous, so are your poems. Well done.
I am saving these gorgeous photos for my future paintings. Hamlin they are phenomenal. Do I require permission from the prestigious photographer to paint from these beautiful photos? I know one must ask to use others photos or you might you charge me with copyright infringement.
You funny girl, you! Hamlin laughed and said “If she promises to give me one of her paintings!”
so much cheer and joy! there was a construction project taking place in my back yard so the garden was on the back burner this summer. the only spot of colour is in the raspberries still thriving prolifically in the back, out of harm’s way from the construction, and a flower planter in the front yard. thank you for sharing these lovely colours.
You are most welcome, Chris. I hear you about putting the garden on the backburner this summer. After the broken ankle, I had to sit in the house in my wheelchair and watch the garden and know there was nothing I could do. It was frustrating! But between my husband, a gardener who came one day and the rain we had, the garden looks very healthy now.
I like your phlox in their various colors and they smell so good . Sometimes my wife makes a bouquet with some of them . I like their scent.
Love ❤
Michel
Your wife is smart. Only last week did it occur to me to put some in a vase, Michel. It was such a cheery sight.
They perfum all of the room!
Thanks for sharing your stunning photographs, Cynthia. They’ve certainly brightened my day.
I’m glad to hear that, Jill. wishing you a good weekend.
Your blooms are so similar to ours. I’m glad you saved ‘flock’ for later 🙂
Hah! I knew I’d find a use for ‘flock’! Yes, we have many of the same flowers, but your spring starts much earlier, so we northerners envy you. Maybe your autumn lasts longer too.
We’ll see
Your garden is so lovely, Cynthia. Are you planning on adding wisteria to it? Hamlin always takes such beautiful pictures too. Sorry, I can’t help myself, I have to tell you a relevant, silly joke. Why did the gardener put floodlights on the flowers? So he could watch his phlox by night.
You made me giggle, my friend. What an appropriate joke. Except: why on earth did you have to mention Wisteria? You know my track record with that wretched vine!
hah — I’m still giggling.
lovely:-) have to admit, my garden is not looking as good. We are having a drought period, so very brown not green!
Sorry about the drought, Robbie. And here we were, complaining about the rain.
lol..we are never happy!
Gorgeous! By August here most flowers are gone. Even my herbs are looking sad but I will be replanting them for fall soon. Stunning photos!
Thanks for that nice compliment for Hamlin. He will appreciate it, Jo. Good idea – replanting herbs for fall. I don’t think I’ve ever done that, and we are due for a warm fall, after a wet and often cool summer.
Your garden is beautiful. thank you and (Hamlin) for showing us around in such a picturesque way xxxxx
Hamlin’s photos are always good, aren’t they? I love phlox – and stocks – for their pretty colours and their scent. I also have a caryopteris, a ‘Heavenly Blue’ one, and its fuzzy flowers are a favourite of mine. Our garden isn’t very colourful now with the cold weather and all the rain so I thank you for sharing your flowers, Cynthia.
My favourite is ‘the other stuff’; I have that in my garden,too, although my stuff, unlike yours, includes weeds. And I like the stuff under the foliage…..a hare? and a chipmunk? Very cute and much kinder to the garden than the real creatures. Beautiful photos, and it is lovely to see your garden flourishing.
Beautiful photos. You’d hardly know winter is on its way.
So many of these are blooming in our garden now too…
Love the butterfly…
. thank you and (Hamlin) for showing us around in such(a) a picturesque room xxxxx
Oh, the bright pink phlox alone made me want to sit and watch the bees at work:). What a lovely place you both have created. Your own slice of Heaven, so to speak.
Beautiful Cynthia, I love the phlox and the butterfly.
Cynthia, beautiful vibrant colours this September and thank you so much for sharing! 😀🌻 Lovely photos and descriptions. They are a very welcome sight this grey damp morning in the U.K. Where a few flowers shine. Oh, I did smile at your ‘flock of phlox’!! 😀❤️
Such a beautiful late summer garden, Cynthia. 🙂
Thank you, Sylvia. We’re very pleased with it this year.
Such a beautiful garden .. Hamlin has done a fab job with that camera. I just love the butterfly shot 🙂
Me too, Julie. That butterfly pic is lovely. Hey, we’re trying to keep up with you and the great photos on your blog, Kiddo!
😃 thanks Miss
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing these photos; really made my evening, Cynthia!
What a gorgeous garden you have. Enjoy the fall!
Thanks, Jodie. You too. I haven’t seen a blog post from you in recent weeks. Will check. Hoping all is well.
Yes, I’ve been travelling quite a bit lately, Bermuda, France and Switzerland, so have lots to post.
Stunning and beautiful. Your gardens are so pretty. I hope you are well and moving around a bit more.
Shuffling around, Tina, and giving thanks for the privilege. We humans sometimes take our limbs for granted, but let’s say I’ve learned the hard way to thank my lucky stars.
I love flowers&butterfly