DENVER — Late summer is a great time for gardeners. From my perspective, summer wasn't too bad. I had few flies or mosquitoes and, best of all, the Japanese beetles seemed fewer and more manageable. Even the hail wasn't a factor after the first bout in June. This allowed the garden to develop without interference.
Late-blooming perennials that have captured the spotlight include bee-pleasing 'Autumn Joy' sedum, pale yellow 'Lemon Queen' perennial sunflower and pink Japanese anemone. All are long-lived, easy to grow and nearly immune from pests.
Some annuals finally mature in late summer as well. Two types of celosias are putting on a great show now. The cockscomb celosias are especially showy, with flowers that remind some people of brains. The plume types are showy too. I grew 'Steam Punk,' which has both magenta red flowers and leaves.
Peppers are also producing well now. I grow several varieties of green peppers, 'Giant Marconi' and 'Big Bertha.' I especially look forward to the pimento peppers that are ripening now. The peppers have lots of blossoms, so if the warm weather holds, we'll have many more peppers to harvest.
More Proctor's Garden
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