Hummingbirds love it

There's not a lot of color in the shady part of my garden at the moment. I've deadheaded the hosta and most of the astilbe, and the tricyrtis, cimicifuga, acontium and chelone are not flowering yet.

There is one bright spot, though--the lobelia. Wow! What a punch of color right when I need it. A few years ago I picked up some Lobelia speciosa in something called 'Compliment Mix.' The flowers turned out to be vibrant shades of magenta, purple and pink.

Speciosa is said to be longer-lived and more tolerant of soil types and moisture conditions than its parents; hybrids of fulgens, cardinalis and siphilitica. Mine are just a few years old, so I can't really say whether or not they'll survive to a ripe old age. But while they are here, they are breathtaking. The tubular flowers, which hummingbirds love, come atop stiff, alternate-leafed stalks about two feet tall. If I keep watering them during this dry time, they should continue to bloom into September.