Wednesday, June 15, 2016

GBBD: June Is Heating Up

I can't believe it's mid-June already!  Where has the past month gone?  And why haven't I posted in over a month?  I could say that I've been spending all my time in the garden, but that's not exactly true.  But it is true that I've spent every free moment possible working in the garden, battling the never-ending weeds and trying to get all my new plants in the ground--there are still a quite a few sitting on my patio getting more root-bound by the day, I'm embarrassed to say.

But enough of excuses.  I have a plethora of blooms to share on this Bloom Day, so let's get down to business.


One or two lonely peony blooms are still hanging on, but the big show was at the end of May.


Taking a month-long blogging break meant I didn't get to show off some blooms like these Allium. 
I think these are Allium roseum.


Or these--maybe Allium unifolium?


The climbing roses are still blooming, but they, too, looked the best in late May.  The pink one is 'Zephirine Drouhin,' which has done extremely well this year.  But the red one behind it had three times as many blooms!


This is the first year I've had red roses on this trellis (and yes, it's leaning, and yes, I've tried to straighten it out with no success), and I was bewildered at first.  Finally I decided they were from the root stock, which I apparently let grow too much.  I suppose I should cut back all the canes from the root stock, but it's awfully hard for me after seeing all these gorgeous red roses mixed in with the pink!




One of the things that has kept me busy the past few weeks is planting containers, something I do enjoy.  Sometimes I plant my "usual," but many times I just grab what appeals to me while plant shopping and see what goes together when I get home.  This is one of those hodgepodge planters.


Another combo of Supertunias, 'Diamond Frost' Euphorbia, and Angelonia 
that I plant in this container every year.


We're definitely into summer now with the hot temperatures we've had for the past week, and summer flowers are bursting into bloom each day.  Red poppies are everywhere!


Two NOID Asiatic lilies are blooming--I still don't remember planting these:)


Always the first daylilies to bloom, old reliable 'Stella d/Oro' is also putting 
out its usual prolific blooms.


Another reliable bloomer--a little too reliable, sometimes--
'Appleblossom' yarrow is at its best right now.


Lamb's ears are putting up their funky blooms, too.


In front of the house, the Spirea 'Magic Carpet' is also covered in blooms.


Once there were many hollyhocks scattered around the farmstead here.  In recent years, they have succumbed to rust, and now only a few return each year.  They usually appear in places they shouldn't be, like this large one in the vegetable garden.  But I leave them be and scatter a few seeds in more suitable places each fall, hoping they will become more numerous in the future.


A perennial that I would recommend for anyone wanting a low-maintenance garden is the 'Walker's Low' Nepeta seen above in the lefthand corner.  It blooms all summer long and is a favorite of the bees and Toby, too.


Now, a few blooms I'm especially excited about--Indian pinks, Spigelia marilandica, just starting to bloom.  For a native plant, it certainly hasn't been easy to get started, but at least this one survived the rabbits this year.


A new daisy planted last year is looking good--another name forgotten, I'm afraid.


And what I'm really happy about is that the lavender has returned this year!  I planted one 'Phenomenal' lavender on the recommendation of Kylee, which is doing well.  But the one above--once again, I don't remember the variety--is especially thriving.


The 'Annabelle' hydrangea is beginning to bloom, but more exciting to me is this one that has grown so tall this year--nearly 4 1/2 feet.  'Mary Nell' is a lacecap, but classified by Michael Dirr as Hydrangea arborescens. It's quite a unique hydrangea: I got a start of this a few years ago from a fellow MG, and the story, if I remember it correctly, is that Dirr discovered this hydrangea growing on the University of Illinois campus and named it.


The first daylily bloom--other than 'Stella'--is 'Moonlight Masquerade.'  



Soon it will be coneflower and daylily season.  I'm hoping to get all the garden chores finished soon so that I can just sit back and enjoy my favorite time in the garden.

Thanks once again to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting this monthly celebration of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

52 comments:

  1. Hiya Rose,
    I was trying to find bloomday and join up again after about 8 years. It doesn't seem to be forthcoming - maybe later today.

    Your collection is joyful and the poppy centre is a delight.
    You know now that trellises always end up leaning :-)and we are always going to strighten them out tomorrow.
    That is a heavy grouping of roses. Gorgeous and the scent must be overwhelming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanna, I was surprised, too, when the Bloom Day link wasn't up earlier--Carol must be sleeping in now that she is retired:) The trellis is anchored by some rebar because it kept blowing over when I first put it up. So I'm afraid I'm going to need more muscle to straighten it out. Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  2. Please don't be embarrassed by those poor plants sitting on the patio waiting patiently to be planted. It is perfectly acceptable, if not compulsory, for them to be there. Your garden looks lovely - I am particularly jealous that Annabelle is already in bloom. She is dragging her heels here... perhaps she's just being fashionably late. Happy GBBD.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the encouragement, Sarah. Some of my annuals were purchased a month ago--I'm surprised they're still alive in their little pots! Annabelle is just starting to bloom; I got a small start from another garden two years ago, and I'm amazed at how quickly she has grown.

      Delete
  3. Wow, so many beautiful blooms! I especially enjoy the rectangular planter box. My containers never look that lovely - which is probably why I've mostly given up container gardening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jennifer. I enjoy planting containers, though I didn't give as much thought to what went in them this year. Some years they do really well and others not so well, though I've learned which plants tend to thrive here.

      Delete
  4. Looks like the handsome Toby has claimed the best spot for viewing all the beautiful flowers!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think Toby is probably more interested in everything flying around my flowers than the flowers themselves:)

      Delete
  5. What beautiful blooms you have. It was a pleasure to walk among them this morning. Happy Bloom Day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Dorothy! I enjoy walking around the garden to see what's blooming each day, but only in the morning or late evening--it must be as hot here as in Texas!

      Delete
  6. Oh Rose ... those red roses mixed in with the pink ones are a delight to the eye, what a glorious infusion of colour.
    Your photo's are all lovely to see and your garden is looking so glorious.

    Enjoy the remainder of June - and I do agree with you, these months pass by too quickly!

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed all those roses. That is what I envisioned when I put up this trellis bench several years ago.

      Delete
  7. Gorgeous! I can almost smell these lovely blooms. I love your peonies and roses best of all. Also, thanks for your enthusiasm for my book. Happy GBBD!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The peonies are beautiful, Sarah; it's just too bad they can't last longer.

      Delete
  8. Oh your combinations are sublime! Lovely blooms. I have been a bit of a blogging slacker myself. No guilt! There are many garden tasks to be done in May!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Layanee. I have been pushing myself away from the computer earlier and earlier each morning to get all these garden chores done. Has May always been this busy, or am I just getting slower??

      Delete
  9. Oh, so beautuful !! Your garden looks like a floral paradise !!
    On my blog I showed the birds called sylviidae !!
    Greetings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Ela! I chuckle sometimes at the translation that the software comes up with. I can usually figure it out, but that sweet little bird's name had me stumped.

      Delete
  10. You are a few weeks ahead of us in Canada. In our area the peonies are just starting.
    I would not cut off the red part of your rose bush, it is so attractive. But perhaps you should try to make a cutting of the pink half in case the red take over. Somehow the leaning support looks very good. It gives the impression that the blooms are so heavy they bring the whole structure down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a good idea about taking the cutting of the pink rose, Alain. As much as I love all those red blooms, I don't want to lose the pink 'Zephirine.'

      Delete
  11. Your blooms are beautiful and I especially enjoyed your peony, roses and petunia planter...all so pretty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lee. The petunia planter is even fuller this week than when I took the photo here. I need to find the tag for the lavender petunia because it is a winner.

      Delete
  12. It's lovely to see all those beautiful flowers Rose. At the moment the peonie start to open up her flowers it always brings heavy rain at the same time. And the flowers ending up at the soil.
    I wish you a beautiful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That often happens here, too, Marijke. I have a support around one of the peonies that seems to help keep it from flopping over. We were also lucky not to have heavy rains at the time.

      Delete
  13. Hello there Rose girl ! .. what you said about "if you don't get out in the garden early morning .. you might as well forget it because you melt in the sun and heat " .. that is SO me as well ! and it is hot here .. I love your roses .. so is this red rose coming from the Zephirine root ? or another rose altogether .. My Zephirine got through our winter but aphids here are a disaster .. I hate those little buggers !!
    You have so many gorgeous blooms girl ! I love yur planters and annual euphorbia is a favorite of mine too I have it it a few planters here as well.
    Where has the time flown ? I have no idea .. it is shocking how fast it has gone because I feel it wasn't long ago that I was complaining about how long it was taking the garden to come to life and now it is .. hum ? over flowing with LIFE ! LOL
    Take care girl .. don't over work yourself .. enjoy your garden !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a brief window of perfect gardening weather that keeps me energized, Joy--in the 70's, sunny, and gentle breezes. Unfortunately, those days come only about once every two weeks, so I spend the rest of the time complaining I'm either too hot or too cold:) I may get all my garden work done by the end of August:)

      Delete
  14. Rose, your garden is wonderful. I love your containers especially the second one, lovely combination of pink and deep blue. I also think that your red roses are growing from the rootstock of the pink one. The problem is that the rootstock flowers grow stronger than the pink flowers.
    Have a nice week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Nadezda, and thank you for the explanation about the roses. I thought that might be the case. I hope the red ones don't overtake the pink ones. Maybe I will have to cut them back more than I wanted to.

      Delete
  15. Oh you are not the only one with potbound plants still waiting to go in Rose :) I like the leaning trellis complete with dripping roses. It has character. Your post has given me a nudge to seek out 'Lamb's Ears' again. I grew it in our first garden but for some reason didn't plant it again which is most remiss. It's a rather special plant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anna, thanks for describing my trellis in such a positive way:) It does bother me, but I think I need someone with more muscles than I to try to set it upright again. Lamb's ears is one of those plants we often overlook, but it makes an interesting groundcover, and the tall blooms are always a conversation piece.

      Delete
  16. You always have nice bloom day plants, Rose. Your title said it all for me. The weather here is like an oven. I just got back from PA where it was rather comfortable, but here is dry and boiling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna, we have had July/August weather here in June--just too hot for me! At least we're getting quite a bit of rain today so I don't have to drag the hoses out again.

      Delete
  17. So many wonderful flowers , Rose! I totally agree about the Nepeta - in addition to being low-maintenance, it also blooms its heart out for freaking EVER! Love the Alliums too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There aren't too many perennials that bloom all summer long like Nepeta. It can get a little raggedy looking later in the summer, but I just cut it back and it soon looks as good as new. And my cats love it!

      Delete
  18. I love your roses and lilies - wonderful color and looking very lush. We used to have Hollyhocks and gave them up for the same reason - the rust is awful. I understand there are some rust-resistant species, like the A. rugosa with its yellow flowers, but they're just not the same as the old-fashioned hollyhocks with the big mixed-color flowers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The hollyhocks make me sad, Jason, because all of the ones I had came from either my grandmother or my husband's grandfather. Planting new hybrids just wouln't be the same. I wish there was something that would combat that rust.

      Delete
  19. Like me it's been a while! Excuses aside we all have reasons and gosh, those weeds really do take a toll. Love your plantings and especially the pot. What a great 'hodgepodge'!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Tina. It's hard to keep up with blogging when you know you should be out in the garden:)

      Delete
  20. I'm in the same boat - too much gardening to do and too little time to blog! :) Your blooms are gorgeous. I actually really like the red and pink roses together. I would find it hard to cut down the red roses, too, when it blooms that prolifically! Nepeta has become of a favorite of mine. It is such a great, low maintenance plant in the garden, and the pollinators love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to hear you say that about the roses, Indie. As someone who doesn't grow roses normally, I am thrilled to have so many blooms, no matter their color. You're right about the Nepeta--I forgot to mention that the bees love it.

      Delete
  21. Good to see how florific your garden is now Rose. It looks so pretty. We just returned from a 10 day tour of the Great Plains. We had never been to the Dakotas etc. Fun. The only bad thing is when we returned I only found 1/4+" in the rain gauge. It was dry when we left home and it is even worse now. Everything looks wilty. Enjoy your flowers before the August furnace comes on... Happy GBBD.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you had such a fun trip, Lisa. I traveled through that area as a teenager with my parents, and we camped along the way. I think I'd enjoy it much more today:) I was wondering if the storms the other night hit you? Wednesday night's bad storms missed us, thank goodness, but we did get 2 1/2 inches of rain before that. My garden is much happier.

      Delete
  22. Your intro to this post could just as well have been my intro – good I am not the only one feeling the weeks are flying away for me while the plants in pots are longing to get their roots in the ground :-)
    Your trellis of roses is impressive, leaning or not – just let it lean until you cut them down, it just makes it look a bit unusual and artistic.
    Lovely to see all the flowers in your garden, many of which I also have but not quite yet flowering – we are very late here this year and I am still waiting for most of my daylilies to get going properly although some like Stella d’Oro has given me a few blooms.
    And your cat is adorable!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm happy to say I finally have all my plants planted, Helene! And that is after I hit a clearance sale and brought home even more:) Our daylilies seem early this year--most of mine are in full bloom already.

      Delete
  23. Replies
    1. Thanks, Cassi. I do love this time of year in the garden!

      Delete
  24. Time does fly, doesn't it? The mix of red and pink roses is a very pretty accident, if you ask me. I love the mixed container of Supertunias, 'Diamond Frost' Euphorbia, and Angelonia. I must remember to look for Indian pinks, Spigelia marilandica. I have wanted to add this native plant to my garden for sometime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the older I get, the faster time flies, Jennifer. I had a hard time finding the Indian pinks when I bought them a couple of years ago. I finally found them online from a prairie plant nursery in Wisconsin.

      Delete
  25. Oh Rose your June garden is magnificent...so full of flowers everywhere!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Donna. It's a beautiful time in the garden!

      Delete
  26. Love the way you capture animals and plants in your photos. Everything looks lovely.
    Maggie x

    ReplyDelete
  27. So pretty. Love all your blooms and such healthy looking plants.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear from you, so please leave a comment. I'll try to reply here, but I'll definitely return the visit.