Friday, June 15, 2012

GBBD: Blooming Days at Home

After a few weeks of posts about this year's Fling in Asheville, you might think I haven't spent any time at all in my own garden.  But nothing could be further from the truth. It's been a flurry of early morning activity--before it gets too hot--catching up on weeding, planting, mulching, and watering.  In fact, June is literally "bustin' out all over" with lots of color.

Here are some of the blooms in my garden this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day:


Poppies were everywhere we visited in Asheville, but they're blooming in central Illinois as well.


Nicotania has slightly fragrant blooms that open up fully in the early morning and again later in the evening. They're so sweet I can't bear to pull them out.


Why should I want to tear them out? Well, as you can see, they have taken over my arbor bed!  Since last year was the first time I had success with them in my garden, I don't know if they normally self-seed so prolifically or if it was due to the mild winter.  I have dug up many seedlings to give away and pulled countless others, but still they keep popping up everywhere. I just don't have the heart to pull up flowers, but I'm giving them another week or two, and then they're definitely going to be thinned out to make room for everything else.


On the other side of the arbor bed, another volunteer--'Sonata' white cosmos.  They have been much more polite than the nicotania, and I wouldn't mind if these spread even more.


This side of the arbor bed also shows I didn't keep my vow last year to stop planting everything so close together.  Blue delphinium rise above spreading mounds of 'May Night' salvia and emerging liatris.


In fact, it wasn't until I downloaded the previous photo that I realized there were a few liatris already blooming--they're almost lost in the crowd.


Also nearly hidden and in need of a move is the new phlox planted last fall, 'Blue Paradise.'


It's hard to believe that until recently I didn't have any phlox in my garden at all, but now I have several including this NOID phlox in the lily bed.  This one almost met its demise last spring, because I didn't even remember planting it and thought it was a weed emerging!


My favorite of all, pristine 'David' is just beginning to bloom.


The red Knockout roses are blooming like crazy this year.  I saw the first blasted Japanese beetle on a bloom yesterday, so I will enjoy these while I can.


The climbing 'Don Juan' is also blooming profusely in the arbor bed, though it's still not quite tall enough to climb up the arbor bench.


Nearby, what was supposed to be 'Zephirine Drouhin" is, I'm afraid, the surviving root stock instead.  I'm don't know enough about roses to know whether I should pull this out, but again I'm such a patsy for blooms--and it's full of blooms--that I don't have the heart to get rid of it.


'Endless Summer' hydrangeas are covered in many more blooms than last year.  That is, one of them is--the other 'Endless Summer' was hit by the late freeze in April, but it's starting to catch up.


The shade garden is all about foliage, but the airy blooms of Heucheras make an eye-catching display.  This is my favorite, 'Tiramisu.'


Although everything has bloomed earlier than usual this year, I think the rate of acceleration has slowed down in recent weeks.  The Asiatic lily 'Brindisi' is only slightly ahead of schedule.


The daylilies are also just beginning to bloom.  After the reliable 'Stellas,'  'Moonlight Masquerade' on the left is always the first to bloom, followed by 'Canterbury Tales' on the right.


Chosen for its appropriate name, 'Prairie Blue Eyes' appreciates a much-needed shower.


Echinacea 'Big Sky Sundown.' As much as I enjoy seeing all the daylilies come into bloom, June for me means the happiest time of all in the garden . . . 


Yes, it's the beginning of coneflower season! 


To see what else is blooming all over, be sure to check out May Dreams Gardens where Carol is hosting her monthly celebration of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  You're all welcome to join in!

27 comments:

  1. What a gorgeous poppy picture! My poppy didn't bloom at all this year, and no matter what I do, it doesn't seem to spread. I think I have one new plant from seed, but it's still tiny.

    I love your delphinium!

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  2. Oh wow Rose,

    What a glorious display.....so colourful.
    I agree, I have a problem with pulling something that is blooming its little socks off.
    It has caused many problems though, and this year I am trying to toughen up a little :-{

    'David' is gorgeous......but I must abide by my 'no more plants' rule. I have so far kept to it.....applause please :)

    Have a lovely weekend.....

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  3. Love the Echinacea 'Big Sky Sundown'!

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  4. Gorgeous blooms! The nicotania is stunning! I've never had luck with poppies in our garden (7b), but after Asheville, I want to try again--especially if Christopher Mello makes his 'Blue Pearl' poppies available! Your blooms are stunning. Happy GBBD!

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  5. Nicotiana has really self seeded in your garden. It has been a favorite in mine and also a favorite with all of my master gardener friends who have come to visit. I must've given away 20 plants. Hold on to the babies and pot them up as they are popular, especially at night when they smell so good. They do self seed each year so you'll probably always have them. Big Sky Sundown has the neatest petals!

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  6. Gorgeous flowers, just gorgeous, Rose. I've been so wrapped up in cultivating fruit this year that I've left flowers on the back burner of the garden this year. I'll have to pay more attention to them starting in the fall and winter. I want to plant more bulbs and definitely more daylilies. Just because they're pretty doesn't disqualify them for usefulness. They're edible too!

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  7. That nicotania is beautiful! I like how it has grown thick and full. Your garden looks lovely in June. Happy GBBD!

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  8. Self-seeding Cosmos--luck you! I agree with the others--your Poppy shot is stunning. You're just a bit ahead of me, Rose. Beautiful blooms!

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  9. Wow, Rose what a beautiful flowers in your garden. And pull plants out, I have always a problem to do so. Some of my perennials got out of control but I always hope that I can give it to someone else because I can't trow it away.
    Have a lovely weekend.

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  10. I dont know if it just me but I'm having a difficult time reading your words. Maybe increase your font size. Or maybe it's just me. Love the new varieties of Echinacea.

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  11. The variety in your garden is delightful & what wonderful photos that you take. Hard to say which is my favourite, but the delphinium are exquisite.
    maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  12. Your photographs are beautiful! I'm envious of your huechera--I have several in my gardens, and they're spreading, but I get very few blooms. I keep telling myself I need to research why, but when I get on line, I get all distracted by everyone else's lovely blog posts! (I've really enjoyed the ones from Asheville, by the way!)

    This is the first year in the past 6 or 7 that I've had to buy cosmos. My reliable re-seeders didn't work out so well this year--I can only guess it's because there wasn't enough snow. The cleome seeds from last year also did not come up very well. I guess we need that snow cover here!

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  13. Looks like your garden is bursting with colorful blooms, Rose!

    I know what you mean about the nicotiana. I feel the same about a couple of ruellias. I'm so tired of pulling seedlings and even though they're natives, and they're pretty, I think those two have got to go.

    Everything looks so beautiful in your garden. Hope you're having a great weekend!

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  14. Gosh Rose, you have gobs of beautiful blooms in the garden. I hope the nicotiana that you gave me reseeds like this. It is beautiful. Mine isn't as tall as yours. If it would ever rain here it would be possible for them to. I have ran the sprinkler alllll day today. When I returned from Tena's everything looked so pitaful. Happy GBBD.

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  15. Lovely group of blooms! I wish my Nicotiana would multiply like yours!! What a great display.

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  16. I dearly love coneflower season too along with daylily season. Your blooms are lovely things. I would like to try some of the new phlox. I can't grow 'David' though. I've tried and tried. 'Mt. Fuji' with its wicked mildewy ways still does better. Happy Blooms!~~Dee

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  17. Your garden is beautiful, and your pink hydrangeas left me speechless. I have planted Cosmos for the first time this year, and hope that they volunteer as nicely as yours have!

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  18. Oh, what a beautiful array of plants and gorgeous blooms you have here. Happy GBBD!

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  19. Ooh, so many beautiful blooms!! The Poppy is gorgeous! I love Cosmos, such pretty flowers and of course the bees and Hoverflies love them too :-) I was interested to read somewhere (it may have been on your site ) that Cone Flowers grow wild in the US, how lovely!

    Please send some of that lovely sunshine over here Rose :-)

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  20. Dear Rose,
    Your gardens are a delight! It is very difficult to pull out blooms. When ever I have too much here or there I cut for the house or the deck....As long as the bugs like what is in bloom I am happy....
    I also love the coneflowers, so do the butterflies and the bees!
    I am hoping the Sonta white cosmos seeds you sent do well for me....I think it is lovely...I think of you every time I pass the Sonta patch.
    Sherry

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  21. I just planted Sonata mix cosmos yesterday. Cosmos have to be one of my favourite annuals. You took a beautiful photograph of this one. I have Cosmic Mix which I love but like you, I wish they would spread themselves a little more. I try to help them along by collecting the seed myself and scattering it in spring.

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  22. Everything looks so beautiful, especially that blue phlox!!

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  23. 'David' is the most reliable phlox -- mildew free (here) and long-blooming. Wish I could grow delphinium. Too humid in my zone.

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  24. Oh your delphs and the blue phlox are so lovely! I didn't know a summer phlox could be that blue!

    You have a lot of beautiful flowers in June!

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  25. Hi Rose, Your mention of Japanese Beetles made me shudder. I have been dreading the appearance of them as they destroyed on of my largest roses last year.
    With phlox, echinacea and lilies in flower, your garden is far ahead of mine. The big patch of Nicotania is wonderful and it will be a shame to have to thin it out. Love the orange colored echinacea!

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  26. As usual, our season is considerably behind yours, but great heat is promised this week so maybe I will get more bloom. The roses are fine right now though.

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  27. You have so much going on in your gardens! The colors are so vibrant and the greens so lush. I too have been spotting and squashing those pesky J. Beetles. Bugs seem to be bad this year but expected due to a mild winter. I just added two new Coneflowers (white swan) to my gardens. I do not have enough variety so need to add more. They are such easy growers and I cannot believe I dont have more then I currently do...

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