July GBBD: Mid-Summer Perfection

Most gardeners are never satisfied.  They always see some plant in their garden that should be pruned back or even removed, or they want to do a complete makeover of all or part of their garden.  I'm no exception, but if there is one time of year when I sit back and say, "Wow, I love my garden!" then it is now.  Right now I can look at my garden without thinking I need to add something here or there or focusing on the weeds; instead I am just enjoying it.  Daylilies and coneflowers are at their peak, and the garden is a riot of clashing, but gorgeous color right now.

When it comes to daylilies, I throw out any color scheme and plant according to height and wherever I can find an empty spot of soil to plant "just one more."  I don't even remember planting these yellow lilies, nor do I remember where they came from, so it's just a happy accident that the hot pink phlox in the back provide some contrasting color.

I do remember the names for many of my daylilies, however, especially what I call my "literary lilies," plants I purchased solely because of their names, not their appearance.  'Tennyson' is one of those who also happens to be beautiful.

'Divine Comedy' is another.

And there is my personal favorite, 'Mistress Prynne,' who is just starting to bloom.

There are several others with literary names that I won't take time to show you today, including 'Romeo Lies Bleeding,' a red lily with a yellow throat and edging.  I searched and searched for a Juliet to go with him, but had no luck.  So when I found this one-of-a-kind hybrid at a local daylily farm, I bought her and named her Juliet myself.  You won't find her registered anywhere; she only grows in my garden!  The daylily growers hydbridize many lilies and then decide which ones they want to propagate.  "Juliet" didn't pass the test, so that is why she is one of a kind, but I think they made a mistake--she is a fair beauty and frankly, surpasses 'Romeo' in size and number of flowers.

'Yellow Pinwheel' doesn't have any literary connections, but I couldn't resist this tall, large beauty.  It's supposed to be a later lily, which is why I purchased it, but it's early this year.  So many plants in my garden this year seem a little off schedule.

There are also so many NOIDs in my garden, some because I simply have forgotten their names and some because they were passalongs.  Above is one of the lilies given to me by my aunt, so I simply call them "Nettie's Rubies."

This is a passalong from friend Beckie, who can't remember its name.  I usually gravitate toward pastel colors in lilies, but this dark bloomer has really grown on me--its throat positively glows in the sunlight.

Another no-name; I think it also was a one-time hybrid from the daylily farm.

Another one-time hybrid I planted several years ago that I named "Prairie Sunrise."  My friend Beckie and I have purchased several of these hybrids over the years, partly because they're a bargain, and partly because it's fun to name them ourselves, knowing we have something unique in our gardens.

I won't take time to show all my daylilies here, or this post would be much too long, but I have to share this one.  This beauty just appeared this year--I swear I have never seen it before, and I'm 99% positive I didn't plant it.  I'm thinking it might be a volunteer that is the result of cross-pollination between two nearby lilies.  I suppose I'll never know, but it's a welcome addition to the garden!

Besides the daylilies Hemerocallis,  a few Orienpets are also blooming.  This is supposed to be 'Black Beauty,' but I'm not so sure.

Now this is the color 'Black Beauty' is supposed to be, I believe.  Perhaps a case of mislabeled bulbs or my faulty memory--it really doesn't matter, I enjoy them both.

The Orientals are also beginning to bloom including 'Salmon Surprise,' which is having to fight for room among the spreading coneflowers.

Lilies aren't the only blooms in my garden right now, however.  Blackberry Lily, Iris domestica, took awhile to get established in my garden, but now it is spreading, which makes me happy.

Phlox, including the white 'David' and an unknown pink, provide a lovely backdrop for shorter blooms in the Arbor Bed.

Hydrangeas are just starting to bloom as well.  This is a new cultivar given to me by a friend who is with Bailey Nurseries, called 'Bloomstruck.'  It's supposed to be an improved version of 'Endless Summer,'  producing more blooms, but what has struck me so far this year is that the blooms really are blue!  In my alkaline soil, "blue" hydrangeas always turn pink.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this stays blue.

Another new bloom in my garden--the first time I've been successful with Crocosmia.  I think this is 'Lucifer,' but I'm not sure.

In the butterfly garden, the native gray-headed coneflower Ratibida pinnata rises above butterfly weed and other natives.

And, of course, no summer Bloom Day post would be complete without showing off my beloved purple coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea.  

While originally planted in the Sidewalk Garden in the previous photo and in the Roadside Garden, they have spread to most other flowerbeds as well, including the Arbor Bed above.  I know many of you have commented that you have no luck in growing these, and while I'd like to take credit for my success with them, the fact is, they simply like Illinois prairie soil.  And yes, I know this area is reaching jungle proportions--the result of my habit of plopping new plants in any bare inch of soil I can find😊

Occasionally, I dig up volunteer seedlings and share them others, but I have a hard time thinning these out, because the bees and butterflies love them.

Sadly, I haven't seen many butterflies this summer other than the Red Admirals.

But look what else has been enjoying the coneflowers!  You may have to enlarge the photo to see him, but this little hummingbird has been sampling them the last few days--I've never seen a hummingbird in the coneflowers before.

Coneflowers are usually a butterfly magnet, and my patience finally paid off yesterday when the first Monarch since spring arrived.  I certainly hope to see more of these as the summer continues.

There is so much more going on in my garden right now that I haven't included here, but if you're in the neighborhood, stop by!  I can't think of a better time in my garden than mid-July.


As always, I'm a day late to the party known as Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, but I have a feeling this party is going to go on for awhile.  Thanks, as always, to our hostess Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

In Love with Coneflowers

Have I ever mentioned how much I like coneflowers?

I have a few different cultivars, but the hardiest and most prolific ones in my garden are the native species Echinacea purpurea.

They self-seed and multiply each year in different parts of my garden, but they especially love my little sidewalk garden at the front of the house.

Butterflies have been scarce this year, but I can always count on the coneflowers to attract any butterflies that might be in the area.

As soon as they begin to bloom, the butterflies suddenly appear, as if by magic.

Butterflies like the large flowers for "landing pads," a nice spot to rest for a bit and get a snack, do a little sunbathing, and maybe even meet some new friends.

Butterflies aren't the only creatures attracted to coneflowers.  

Most times of the day, this swath of coneflowers is swarming with bumblebees!

Other bees enjoy them, too.

There is plenty of room for two to share the pollen!

I was so excited to see what I thought was a Monarch one day.  But after posting this on Facebook, I was told this was actually a Viceroy--see the tell-tale horizontal line on its hind wing?

But I finally saw the real deal this week--my first Monarch sighting of the year!

I hope to see more as well as other butterfly friends--there are plenty of coneflowers to share!

Have I mentioned before how much I love coneflowers?  Yes, I probably have--and more than once.  But every June and July when they bloom, I fall in love all over again.

Next week is the annual Bloggers' Fling in Minneapolis.  I was really looking forward to going, especially since I spent my first two years of college in the area and enjoyed going to "the Cities" whenever I could.  Unfortunately, however, I had a conflict with a previous commitment--I'll be in D.C. with my daughter next week.  To my friends who are going to the Fling, I'll miss re-connecting with you, but enjoy your time in one of my favorite cities in the Midwest!

October GBBD: Still Blooming!

For the last two weeks, I have awakened many mornings wondering, is this the day? What I have worried about, is this the day we will be hit by the first frost and all my pretty annuals will turn to mush?  Many years we've been hit by a frost before October's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, but fortunately not this year.  We've had a few cold nights, but so far we have escaped the kiss of death for tender plants.

The downside to this is that I keep putting off many of the fall chores on my long to-do list.  I have planted a few bulbs, but I need to pull out some annuals to make room for many of the rest.  But with the zinnias and cosmos still blooming alongside the asters, I can't bring myself to pull any of them out just yet.

Can you blame me for wanting to enjoy this beauty as long as I can?

Although I took this photo two weeks ago, there are still a few butterflies enjoying the 'Zowie Yellow Flame' zinnias, including a few late Monarchs making their way south.  

They're not the only ones enjoying the late-blooming annuals.  Frank and Coconut enjoy making the rounds of the garden with me in the morning and checking out how many cosmos are still blooming.  And no, I couldn't get them both to look at the camera--my only photo with Coconut facing forward also had Frank lifting his leg to "water" the cosmos:)

There are bulbs to plant in the lily bed border, but heat-loving lantana is occupying that space right now and is looking so good, despite the cooler temps.

One small chore accomplished--the Dragonwing begonia has been repotted to bring in for the winter.  This plant did so well in a container this year that I am going to do my best to save it for next year.

The nasturtiums apparently like the cooler weather--they've doubled in size in the last few weeks.  They're on the edge of the veggie garden and not in the way of any bulbs, so they can stay for as long as they last.  Another chore I haven't completed is cleaning up the veggie garden now that the tomatoes are done, but we've had so much rain lately I haven't been able to.

There are a few new blooms this October Bloom Day.  For a couple of years I bemoaned the fact that the Japanese Anemone I had planted must have died, but apparently I needed to be more patient.  It's had a few blooms the last year or two, but this year it has really come into its own, growing to nearly 5 feet tall with masses of blooms.  A newer pink Anemone has a couple of blooms, so I hope it will also take a growth spurt next year.

And the appropriately named 'October Skies' Asters are covered with masses of lavender-blue blooms.  They can be partially seen alongside the zinnias and cosmos in the first photo as well.

But most of the other perennials are ready for their long winter's sleep.  A few stray coneflowers have decided to bloom, however.

And this Rudbeckia is a virtual Energizer Bunny--it just keeps going and going.

The cooler weather has encouraged the Knockout roses to put out a fresh flush of blooms. 'Radsunny' looks better now than in the summer.

If you read my earlier post on Lessons Learned, you might remember that I was waiting to see what this plant was.  Earlier in the spring I thought it was some volunteer Amsonia and shared some starts with my good friend Beckie.  Fortunately, hers didn't make it:)  The Switchgrass behind the goldenrod, by the way, is Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah.'  I love the burgundy hues of this grass.

A surprise latecomer to the garden is this Cleome next to the 'Vanilla Strawberry' Hydrangea.

The hydrangeas are more typical of what is going on this October as most of the garden is putting on its fall color.  The 'Vanilla Strawberry' blooms have turned a deep pink, finally more Strawberry than Vanilla.

The blooms of the 'Limelight' Hydrangea, on the other hand, have turned a much softer shade of pink.

Fall is when grasses really shine.  The plumes of Miscanthus 'Morning Light' can be seen waving in the wind at the back of the Arbor Bed.

Another lovely example of foliage is the Amsonia hubrichtii turning to gold behind the Beautyberry.

One example of colorful fall foliage I'd rather not have is this. Mr. Procrastinator got a little carried away this summer with the weed-killer around the outbuildings, but somehow he missed this poison ivy.

The leaves have just started to turn in our area in the last week or two.  This ash tree in my front yard is always the first to turn.  I'm not looking forward to the first frost and its effect on my garden, but I am looking forward to the fall color show transforming my front yard to a display of red and gold very soon.

What's still blooming in your garden?  For a look at what is blooming around the world, check out other Bloom Day posts at Carol's May Dreams Gardens.