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

May Bloom Day

With everything going on right now, I almost forgot about May's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day sponsored by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. The perennial border is filled with bloomers this month! I defend for my Masters tomorrow and am quite busy so I will have to substitute my usual closeups for mostly wide shots and a list. It does give me a chance to show off the perennial border, which is looking beautiful right now!

Blooming right now: Penstemon, Gallardia, Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue', Catmint 'Walker's low', Guara 'Whirling Butterflies' and 'Pink Gin', Red Knockout rose, Allium giganteum, Dianthus 'Heart Attack', Phlox 'Minnie Pearls', Coreopsis 'Moonbeam', Purple Flag Iris, Lespedeza, Spirea, Hydrangea 'Endless Summer', Hydrangea 'Annabelle', Agastache 'Salmon and Pink', Lamium... and some more! I hope to feature many of these as Plant Spotlights.

"More than anything, I must have flowers always, always." ~Claude Monet

April Bloom Day

It's once again time to stroll through the garden for the mid-month Garden Blogger Bloom Day, sponsored by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. The star of the show for this months bloom day is the 'Miss Kim' lilac, which has been spreading its intoxicating scent through the garden for a few days now.

 

There is so much in bloom right now that I could not capture everything, but have included some highlights. Its amazing how much has changed since March's Bloom Day.

Clockwise from top left: Phlox subulata 'Emerald Blue', Berberis thumbergeii 'Rose Glow', Hypericum androsaemum 'Ignite Red', Polemonium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven', Azaleas, Viburum tinus 'Compactum' (Spring Bouquet Viburnum).

Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' (left) and Vicia sativa (common vetch) (right)

Clockwise from top left: 'Immortality' Iris, Wigelia florida 'Wine and Roses' and Mazus,  Salvia farinacea 'Agusta Duelberg', 'Well Endowed' Iris, and 'Hill Hardy' Rosemary

Cotoneaster (unknown species) in bloom

 

Perennial plant of the year (2011), Asmonia hubrichtii (Thread-leafed Blue-star).

"In June as many as a dozen species may burst their buds on a single day.  No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of them."  ~Aldo Leopold

(In Raleigh, its more like April)

March Bloom Day

I just couldn't resist posting for the March Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, sponsored by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. This is the 'Crimson Candles' Camellia japonica, in various stages of bud and bloom.

 

Not having much free time to blog at the moment, I put together a quick collage of happenings in the garden today... some blooms and some buds about to bloom.

 

From top left: 

'Marley' Violas, 'Quinault' Strawberries, Hyacinth (forgot the variety!)

 'HGC Joseph Lemper' Hellebores, 'Spring Boquet' Viburnum, Mazus reptans

Tulips (another unknown variety), 'Winter Hazel' Corylopsis, 'Reeves' Spirea

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."  ~Rachel Carson