An Enchanted Evening Summer Stroll Through the Cottage Garden
Late August might be hot and dry, but the garden sure doesn’t seem to mind. The flowers are in full bloom, the tomatoes won’t stop coming, and somehow everything looks a little more magical in that late summer light.
One evening, I looked around and honestly couldn’t believe how beautiful it all was—maybe the prettiest I’d ever seen it. The sky turned the softest pink (sadly due to wildfire smoke from far away), and the whole garden just glowed. It was one of those moments you wish you could bottle up.
So yes, there’s watering and deadheading and all the usual to-dos… but don’t forget to stop and enjoy it, too. This season doesn’t last forever.
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Sunset Skies
These views of the late evening sky are not edited.
The pink and coral tones were most likely caused by the California wildfires, which gave everything an extra-glowy look.
Late Summer into Fall Flowers
My raised beds may look like they’re still in full bloom, but they’re definitely starting to wind down now. It’s that in-between moment where the garden still feels lush, but change is coming.
And of course… I couldn’t share a garden post without a peek at my greenhouse looking out over Puget Sound. This evening view felt like pure magic.
This photo turned out to be one of my most liked ever, and I get it. The bistro lights, the soft sky, and that little white picket fence make the garden feel extra whimsical in the best way.
Late summer may mean things are winding down in some parts of the yard, but the cutting garden is thriving. Everything is blooming like crazy right now—and yes, I’m soaking it all in.
Dahlias
The dahlias are the true stars of the late summer show.
Their lower leaves are starting to change color a bit (totally normal), but the blooms should keep coming through mid-October, depending on how early the rains start, of course.
Black-Eyed Susans
These just keep going. Year after year, black-eyed Susans outperform most of the other flowers in the cottage garden during late summer. They’re one of my absolute favorites for color and reliability.
Sunflowers
They finally showed up! The sunflowers have taken their sweet time this year, but they’re worth the wait. I love how they look next to the birdhouse.
Sedum Autumn Joy
If you’ve been waiting all summer for the sedum to start turning pink, here it is! It’s slowly shifting from green to a rich rose tone, and it really stands out now.
Even though it’s subtle all summer, it suddenly steals the show in late August.
Phlox
Here’s a little garden tip: if you cut your phlox back after their first blooms fade in July, you might get a second round like I did.
They’re blooming again now, just in time to join the late-summer party.
I hope you enjoyed the views from this enchanted evening in the garden. If you have questions or just want to say hi, feel free to drop a comment below.
And if you know another garden lover who would enjoy this post, feel free to share it!
Until next time,
Happy Gardening!
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Your garden is truly stunning, Kim! I loved strolling through it with you and seeing all the gorgeous flowers. Can’t wait to see more of your gardening tips and inspiration!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. That was such a wonderful night with the amazing sky and everything in bloom.
Oh my goodness! I can not get enough of scrolling through your photos and dreaming of a yard like this! It’s absolutely heavenly! I live in the panhandle of Texas where it is so hard to have this kind of beauty but it doesn’t stop me from trying. Thank you for sharing your lovely place with us!!
Sincerely,
Kristi
I just stumbled across your post, your garden is amazing! My question is about staking your dahlias, what technique do you use? I’ve tried tying them and used plant rings but they haven’t been very successful. Thank you!
This is my dream garden, would love to know if you have a good resource for a newbie gardener to plan out flower garden beds. I am hoping to do this without hiring a professional landscape designer. You are truly blessed and gifted with your location and what you’ve done in your gardens. That greenhouse it just too adorable.
Hi Jocelyn! Thank you for the compliment. I basically read the Floret Flower Farm’s first book about cut flower gardens and everything else was just trial and error. Email me at kim@shiplapandshells to let me know what you want your garden to be…cut flowers, cottage style, traditional, etc. and I can share some info and resources. Thanks for visiting.
Kim,
I’ve been lost in your post all morning! I can’t wait until my garden looks like this. Ha ha. Not going to happen here in the south. But I can dream. Such a beautiful post.
Rachel.
Thank you Rachel! That means a lot, I am so glad you have a greenhouse this year. You are going to have so much fun!
Your garden and greenhouse and home are my absolute favorite. I never tire of seeing any of it. You are truly blessed to have found a home in that beautiful area. Its like heaven on earth. And you have worked so hard to make it amazing*
thanks for always sharing
deezie
Thank you for the kind words Deezie. We are truly blessed to have found the perfect home for us, our forever home. It was basically a blank canvas and has been so much fun to create what we have. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you enjoy me sharing our home and garden. I am planning on sharing some before and after posts soon, you will love that! Thank again for the sweet words. They mean everything to me.
Oh wow! I. So happy to have found you! I loved your walk around your garden! I would love to see inside your greenhouse! We built one this year. I have dahlias growing in my veggie garden. I love them and so did the slugs In the beginning! I enjoyed reading all your tips on growing them! Next year I’d like to grow more flowers for cutting! Thank you!?
Thank you for being here Lisa! I have shown my greenhouse on Instagram, but not really here on the blog. I really appreciate the request because I tend to forget to share it. I will work on a post for the next week or two showing my greenhouse and the different things that I do in there, Thank you for the inspiration! I love mixing flowers and veggies together. It makes for a most interesting garden! Good job! I will be going through the entire process of planning and starting my seeds for the next year here on the blog. I can’t wait!
I am adoring your garden views! Definitely goals!! ??
Thank you Linda. That makes me so happy!
So cozy and welcoming. It’s beautiful. I know right now we are buried in the smoke here in redmond, WA. So it’s wonderful to see the beautiful flowers.
Thank you Brenda! We are too. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I took these pictures the day before the huge windstorm, and the smoke that came in after that. My flowers have definitely been affected by the wind and there is a big mess to be cleaned up. I just don’t want to go outside until everything clears up. These west coast fires are such a tragedy.
When trimming the pulls at the end of July, how tall do you leave the greenery above the ground?
I didn’t trim mine and they have lovely blooms but are about 5 ft tall. Help! What and when?
Give a post on solar fairy lights; which size bulb to use and how to determine?
Want to wrap some branches on a purple leaf plum and don’t know how big a bulb to use?
Any help.will be appreciated!
Great questions Ethel! When trimming the Phlox back at the end of July, I was taking off the spent bloom and cutting it down a few inches until I got to another set of leaves. Most of the greenery still remains. It is amazing to see them bloom another time before the end of the season! It took about a month. I love your idea for a solar light post. I will do that soon! Keep your questions coming! You are keeping me on my toes!
Kim, this looks like such a lovely time of the evening, and of the season to take such a stroll through your garden! Your dahlias are amazing! I have yet to learn gardening in Florida and miss my favorite plants from Ohio. I will master it yet! Of course, I am just ready for it to cool down enough to get outdoors here! I hope your air quality hasn’t been affected too much by the fires.
I am so happy to have you here Chloe! I can’t imagine the different between gardening in Ohio vs. Florida. But I’m sure it will be a fun challenge for you to learn about a new climate. I hope it cools off for you soon. We have not been able to be outside for a few days because of the smoke. And we had a huge windstrom before that, so there is quite a mess waiting to be cleaned up for sure.
You know I love your garden Kim! It looks even more lovely with all the twinkling lights and the shimmering Puget Sound in the background!
Thank you so much Jayne! I couldn’t believe the amazing pictures I got that night! Twinkle lights for every garden!
So gorgeous! The sunset and the views are amazing!!! Someday I will walk these gardens with you!
Thank you Stacy! I would seriously love that so much!