above average joe..

"...the average gardener pays too little attention to August and September, and it may be safely said that the average garden goes to pot on July 16 as regular as clockwork." 
- from The Essential Earthman by Henry Mitchell (1981, Indiana U.Press)

I would agree with Mr. Mitchell. Even though I would like to think that I am an above average gardener, there have been too many pests, too little time, and a bit too much hot/dry weather to put this summer down as an allstar year. This is a picture of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum). I snapped the photo of the colony on Tuesday; it stands just inside a western entrance to Sarah Duke Gardens. Joe-Pye is on the short list of  'highly recommended plants' for late summer around here. If you have a tidy or small yard, you can find a neater version called Coastal Plain Joe-Pye Weed. I bought mine from Niche Gardens three summers ago...and right now I am very glad I have it.