Still feels like August

I needed to buy some oversized t-shirts for post-surgery wear. Initially, I was aiming for long-sleeved, but I just can't imagine it will be much cooler by then (and WeatherBug agrees). Ditto pants - I'm sticking with shorts for now.

The 'Claire Grace' monarda arrived from Bluestone Perennials along with a backordered 'F21 Jackmanii' clematis. I chose this variety of monarda because it is supposed to be more tolerant of dry conditions, which describes the bed along the south side of the house to a T. I can't plant it yet, though, as new windows are to be installed late next week.

The Jackmanii is destined for a container. It's rather tiny right now. I assume there won't be much top growth this fall, so the pot can overwinter in the garage. In fact, it can probably overwinter in the garage forever, after being pruned in late fall.

Speaking of clematis, the Clematis Paniculata is blooming a bit. It's in a container as well, will be pruned later on and overwinter in the garage. This variety can be invasive, especially in southern climes, but the winters here are usually severe enough to kill off the seeds.

The goal of these two clematis plants is to cover the pergola. Maybe this experiment will work out. (Fingers crossed.)