June Bloom Day

Its mid month again, time for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day sponsored by Carol at May Dreams Gardens... only I'm a little late, but not too late too be blog number 171 on her list! This is also a perfect chance for me to catch up on everything that's blooming in the summer borders. Right now the star of the show is the 'Jacob Cline' Bee-Balm (Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'), which is in full bloom and yet to be touched by any rains.

We have only had 1/4 inch of rain in the past few weeks, and although we set up the sprinkler on all the beds about once a week, we can never get quite enough water for the plants... and its starting to show. The constant temperatures about 90 don't help either. We were supposed to get storms last night but they swung south.... and so out comes the hose again, but that's what it takes.

The familiar faces of summer are returning to the garden. The first Purple Cone flowers (Echinacia purpurea) have just opened. A personal favorite of mine, Crocosmia 'Lucifer', is also just opening. I just love the exotic flower and the large linear leaves add interest even when not in bloom.

June is full of blooms of all shapes and colors, too many to capture. A few more beauties right now are a pink Yarrow (Yarrow millefolium 'Summer Pastels'), Route 66 Coreopsis (Ceoropsis verticillata 'Route 66'), Perennial Plumbago (Plumbago ariculata), Japanese Aster (Kalimeris pinnatafida), and a sunflower planted by the birds.

 

Two more of my favorites June bloomers are Culver Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) and Tomato Soup Coneflower (Echinacea 'Tomato Soup'). The Echinacea is not quite as red as some pictures I have seen of it in other gardens, but mine generally gets a beautiful striping effect.

The Clematis (Clematis 'Ernest Markham') is also blooming, for the first time I've seen. Actually we thought it was a different variety ('Nelly Moser') because that's what the tag said, until it bloomed with a deep burgundy flush instead of white. I guess that's the chance you take with clearance plants.

There are quite a few day lilies (Hemerocallis) splashed in the garden too... but 'Lady Elizabeth' is my favorite, with its near-white color.

 For a passing glance, I will leave you with the first blooms from the Butterfly bush (Buddlea) in our front landscape, a true sign of summers presence. It is almost 10 feet tall already, and I cut it back to less that a foot this spring! I'll have to think of it as my gift to the butterflies. 

"Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair..."  ~Susan Polis Shutz