Wednesday, July 15, 2015

July Bloom Day

It's the middle of July already--or as we are beginning to call it, "Monsoon Season"--and time for another Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  Between all the rainy days and being busy with family activities, I haven't had time to do any work in the garden lately.  But I do take a little stroll each day, admiring all the blooms and ignoring the weeds and anything else that needs to be done.


It is Lilypalooza time, with nearly every daylily blooming right now, creating a riot of color throughout the garden.  I tried to use the collage tool on the simple photo editing program that came with my computer; it didn't produce quite the effect I was looking for, but it gives you an idea of some of the various blooms that I am enjoying at the moment.


I won't take time to show every single lily that is blooming, but I want to share a few of my favorites, including this spider lily whose name I've forgotten.  I don't remember it blooming last year and was afraid I'd lost it, so I'm especially glad to see it reappear this year, looking healthier than ever.


Another nameless favorite is this passalong from friend Beckie.  This dark beauty has very large blooms and a throat that positively glows in the sunlight.


The fair 'Juliet' and her love 'Romeo Lies Bleeding' have been blooming for several weeks--I love happy endings:)


All of the lilies I have purchased were carefully tagged and their names recorded in a garden journal . . . somewhere.  But as they grow larger and the tags disappear who knows where, it becomes more difficult to remember who is who.  I think this might be one of my first lilies, 'Orange Tangerine Ruffle.'


A new daylily I planted late last summer to add to my growing "literary" collection, 'Tennyson' is quickly becoming a favorite.


I purchased five new daylilies last summer and carefully tagged each one.  But over the winter, the tags disappeared on a couple of them.  I thought I could figure out which lily was which by the process of elimination, but I've discovered instead of five new lilies, I have six!  Although I remember five names, I have no recollection of where the mystery sixth one came from.  Consequently, I'm not sure if this is 'Susan Weber'....


. . . or is this 'Susan Weber'??  By the way, 'Susan' is named after a local MG who is a daylily enthusiast.  A plant breeder met her and named one of his new hybrids after her--how cool is that?!


Besides the daylilies, the Oriental lilies are beginning to bloom as well. My daughter's favorite, 'Stargazer,' opened up the day she and her family arrived for a visit.


Another whose name is lost in my disorganized files is Salmon something...


I haven't had time to deadhead anything lately, but this little visitor seemed to appreciate the faded lily bloom for a brief resting spot.  Maybe I'll just forget deadheading altogether:)


Of course, there is so much more blooming right now than lilies.  The red, pink, and nearly blue phlox are fading, but the white 'David' is just coming into his own.  All this rain, however, is producing some less than attractive blooms.


I thought the portulaca in the birdbath planter would not appreciate the rain either, but it is blooming its head off anyway.


The hydrangeas are loving all the moisture, though.  'Vanilla Strawberry' keeps getting bigger and bigger each year and is covered in blooms.  This is a special plant, one given to me by my friend Cheryl  from the UK when she and her husband visited here a few years ago. I'll always treasure this hydrangea as a reminder of our blogging friendship and the memories of that visit.


The blooms eventually gain a pinkish cast, but right now they are more 'Vanilla' than 'Strawberry.'


Moving along to the shade garden, I was surprised to see a few columbines re-blooming.


A few of the Caladium bulbs I planted have also appeared.  And yes, those are plastic forks surrounding the plant--so far they seem to have deterred the voracious rabbits that are proliferating like crazy this year.  Actually, I'm not sure if it's the forks or the fox that has been visiting our property recently, but I'm glad these have escaped bunny damage so far.


The hostas are blooming as well.  I know not everyone likes the blooms on hostas, but I do.


And I'm not the only one--not the best picture, but you might notice the bumblebee to the center right of this photo.  As I was walking around the shade garden, the bumbles were happily flying from one hosta bloom to another, enjoying whatever delights lay within.


A couple other blooms here and there--I showed this Rudbeckia hirta blooming in the roadside garden on my last post.  It's 'Prairie Sun,' which I have grown from seed the past few years.  I treat it  as an annual, though it is actually a short-lived perennial hardy from zones 3-8.  But this year it has self-seeded in several places, much to my delight.  I have other Black-eyed Susans, but I especially love these Green-eyed Susans!


More yellow blooms in the butterfly garden--Ratibida pannata, gray-headed coneflower  is a native that stands out among the yet-to-bloom asters and goldenrod.


Of course, I couldn't complete a Bloom Day post without showing the coneflowers once again.  It's an understatement to say they are swarming with butterflies on a sunny day, the air is so thick with them.


And other creatures enjoy them as well.  Yes, if I could have only one plant in my garden, it would have to be coneflowers.  


As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I've been very busy with family affairs lately.  My mother, unfortunately, is back in the nursing home.  On a happier note, my daughter and son-in-law came for a visit last week, bringing my youngest grandson for his baptism and his first visit to Grandma's house.  He's definitely the best bloom in my garden!


For more GBBD posts, you can visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

37 comments:

  1. Adorable grandson! I adore your lilies. My mom's favorite are the star gazers too. The rain must be doing some good. I'm sorry your mother is back in the nursing home. That must be hard for all of you.

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    1. Thanks, Sarah. All the rain we've had has certainly made my garden happy this year.

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    2. Good to hear! I hope this time off line is being spent enjoying your garden and your family. Speaking of family, I finally got around to posting a couple of my daughter's botanical drawings on my blog. Thanks for the nudge.

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  2. Ah, so cute baby and such a nice picture of you both. Lovely lilies of all kinds and, indeed, all your blooms are beautiful. And of course I do love the wildlife - especially the dragonfly.

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    1. Thanks, Dorothy; I had wished later I had pulled my shirt down to look a little more presentable:) I was out snapping photos of my lilies when I looked down and saw the dragonfly--I always love seeing them in my garden.

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  3. Rose, I admire your beautiful colorful garden !
    Your grandson is co cute :)))
    Greetings

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    1. Thanks, Ela! I was hoping Grandson would enjoy seeing all the colorful flowers, but the mosquitoes were so bad, we didn't want to keep him out too long.

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  4. You are the most beautiful Rose in the garden. Love seeing that sweet little Grand. Your daylilies are loverly. There is a lot going on here in the garden too. Lovin all the rain. It hasn't hurt our garden at all. Everything is plumped up. It will need it since the drier weathers are upon us. I will be watering this week. I hope your Mom gets better. Take care.

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    1. You're too sweet, Lisa! With the heat this week, I've had to water all my pots several times, the first time I've had to do that in a long while.

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  5. What a beautiful photo at the end with you and your grandson. :) I'm sorry about your mom--that must be so difficult. Your garden and family are obviously loved and cared for. The lilies are amazing! I lost my tags for all my lilies many years ago. I guess I should try to research the names, but that could take some time. ;-) Gorgeous Echinacea photos with the pollinators! Happy GBBD!

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    1. Family definitely took priority over the garden this week, Beth. I just love watching my coneflowers this time of year--they are swarming with butterflies and bees.

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  6. I'm sorry to hear about your mom --such a difficult time. But your grandson is adorable, as are the flowers. That photo of the dragonfly is amazing!

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    1. Thanks, Cassi; it's been a difficult few months, as the doctors can't figure out just what is wrong with my mother. Meanwhile, we are trying to keep my Dad from becoming overwhelmed; having her in the nursing home is providing her with better care and giving my Dad some relief. Visiting with Daughter and littlest grandson was just the lift I needed.

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  7. So many beautiful lilies and other flowers as well. Sorry your mom had to go back to the nursing home. Your grandson is certainly the coolest flower in your garden!

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    1. Thanks, Peter. I do love daylilies, and I enjoy going out each day to see what new one has opened up.

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  8. Hi, Rose!
    Your grandson is pretty child, the best flower in your garden, it's true. I love your plants and the most cornflowers, as I am wanting to have them here but they don't grow in my garden. I also liked your columbines, I have only yellow ones.
    Sorry about your mother!

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    1. Coneflowers do well in our area, Nadezda, and they seem especially happy in my garden--they are multiplying like crazy! I love watching all the bees and butterflies that flock to them.

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  9. Hello Rose

    Lilypalooza time is a great time of year !
    Love all your blooms and your photo's.

    Your grandson is absolutely adorable and yes the 'best flower in the garden' enjoy your special time together, and give him a big smile and hug from me ....

    All the best Jan

    PS My thoughts are also with your mother.

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    1. Grandson did get lots of hugs and smile from me last week, Jan! Thanks for stopping by and letting me share all these lilies--I love this time of year.

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  10. Hello Rose

    Lilypalooza time is a great time of year !
    Love all your blooms and your photo's.

    Your grandson is absolutely adorable and yes the 'best flower in the garden' enjoy your special time together, and give him a big smile and hug from me ....

    All the best Jan

    PS My thoughts are also with your mother.

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  11. What an adorable grandson you have! You look like you are really enjoying the visit. As for your flowers, that is quite a collection of daylilies - wonderful! That Salmon Something lily is also a beauty - if you remember the name let me know. My Ratibida is not yet blooming, I'm hoping to see flowers in a week or two. Best wishes to your mother.

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    1. Jason, I bought the Salmon lilies at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show several years ago, and I'm afraid the tag is probably lost forever. It took them a couple of years to bloom, and I thought they never would. But I think they were worth the wait!

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  12. Thank you for letting us see Handome Baby and his Pretty Grandmama as the last photo. The Daylilies and Lilies at the beginning are breathtaking. Your gardens are like a Grand Park.

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    1. Thank you, Jean! I don't know about my garden being like a park--I'd like to add much more garden space, and my plants could certainly use more elbow room. But there's something to be said about not adding more than you can handle, either. This year it's been especially difficult to keep up with it all.

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  13. Love Tennyson and the pink Susan Weber. I have declared war on rabbits too. Until recently I had cats outside which kept the rabbits away. Now it looks like the rabbits have moved in with the chipmunks to make my life a challenge. I hope you have a 'gardener in training' there.

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  14. Aww, your grandson is a cutie. He looks like, "Let me DOWN." You have so many day lilies right now, and beautiful selections. I need to post mine with their names before I forget the names one day. So many lilies and day lilies it becomes impossible to remember them all, so I understand "Salmon something". Really nice capture of the dragonfly. They are pretty skittish unless you get them early in the morning.

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  15. I hope my comment came through. I tried to preview it, but I'm not sure it worked.~~Dee

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  16. Oooh, I love lilies and daylilies, mine are almost finished by now, just the late ones left – loved the dark red nameless daylily, just the colour I like. And the last one, the pink daylily was just stunning. I like hosta blooms too, I keep them on until they fade, I know some people pinch them off as soon as they appear but I think they look nice. And what a lovely last photo of the two of you :-)

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  17. What a beautiful collection of lilies and daylilies...it has been dry so now I can get out some and weed.

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  18. Wow what a beautiful color the daylilies and lilies bring. I tryed to grow lilies for many years but before they get a chance to flower it's all eaten by red insects. So I stoped buying them. It's sad to read that your mom had to go back to the nursing home again. But your last photo's is a treasure for you.
    Have a wonderful weekend ahead Rose

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  19. What a wonderful display of colour and insect life!
    You are right though, as you're holding the very best!
    Maggie x

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  20. Lovely as your garden is, grandson is most definitely the best!

    Tennyson looks rather ... smudged!

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  21. Love, Love, love these photos. Your garden is beautiful! Cute pic of you and your grandson! :)

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  22. Glorious! Simply glorious. It must be so beautiful in person. You are right about the grandson. He is a cutie. Sorry to hear about your mom.

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  23. What a cute little grandbaby! Wow on your up close pictures. It looks like everyone is happy in your neck of the woods.

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  24. Hi Rose, can I let you know later about the trip to Khlem. I have a membership and go there often but my sister's husband is having surgery on the 13th (of all the unlucky days) and I would like to be there If they need me while he is in the hospital.

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  25. Hello Rose girl ... I am so late visiting blogs it is embarrassing (I have even been neglecting my garden .. which is not me at all)m it is one of those years ? I am so glad you have been able to get Kent Beauty oregano and that you are enjoying those very different blooms .. Funny enough mine has not bloomed yet ... just all foliage .. odd season this year.
    Wow on all these daylilies ! They are spectacular ... I have fallen hard for my Scottish Fantasy .. that pink was totally perfect ... I have to look at some in the ally way because they are just putting out foliage and no blooms .. just don't know what is going on with them.
    What a cutie pie grandson you have there ... they grow up so fast ... it is great to be able to have visits while they are that young !
    Take care
    Joy : )
    PS ... I am looking forward to Autumn !! haha

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