June 2008 Bloom Day

: Once again the flowers, this time the pink asiatic lilies on the left and upper right along with the blooming hosta ‘Golden Edger’ on the lower right, are inviting you into the garden for the Bloom Day of June 2008 hosted by Carol at
May Dreams Gardens.
Just returning after a week away from the garden, the term *gone to seed* has real meaning. Many seed heads adorn the spring bloomers, nigella, dianthus, penstemon ‘Husker Red’, among others. But the summer stalwarts have begun their time in the spotlight. Last year several of the new Sky series of echinaceas were planted about in various beds. Shown above are e. ‘Sunrise’ with straw colored flowers that fade to nearly white backed by e. ‘Sundown’, an orangey dark pink planted at the edge of the wall that backs the main house near the concrete step stone path.
Just up the hillside from the last shot we see the annual self sown gloriosa daisies, Rudbeckia hirta, flanked by the daylily h. ‘Pardon Me’ with the same step stones visible.
Another Sky echinacea, ‘Summer Sky’ is in the yellow/white bed, backed by dappled willow foliage.
The knot garden center shows the thyme ‘Doone Valley’ as ground cover blooming with Calluna vulgaris ‘Sunset’ showing its yellow warm weather leaf color. The ring of lavendula ‘Hidcote’ is in full bloom, beloved by the bee family. Large hemlocks, green boxwood and blue fescue fill in the scene around the bench.
Mondarda ‘Jacob Kline’ is attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ is very drought tolerant and blooms in the dry shade under the Loblolly Pines at the edge of the property.

It is daylily season now. They begin the show about June 1 and go until late July with sporadic flowers after that from the reblooming varieties. There will be a post to showcase them in the future. Shown above is the roadside daylily, hemerocallis fulva, in the midst of feather reed grass, calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerester’. Both of these plants are tall, above five feet, and seem a good match. Verbena bonariensis with its height adds purple dots to this bed.

Just a peek at the daylily offerings, h. ‘Savannah Art’ has an appealing blend of pink, yellow and orange.

A Christmas gift from Chickenpoet, asiatic lily ‘Cappucino’, one of the Tango lilies, is brightening the edge of the black garden.

Chinese trumpet lily, ‘Golden Splendor’ in the yellow/white garden is over five feet tall its first year in the ground. A stake holds the large bloom stems upright.

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is a gorgeous addition to the black/red garden. The photo doesn’t do it justice. More shots will be taken to try and capture the depth of color and interesting shape of the buds.

Up by the shed, the mix of helenium ‘Mardi Gras’ and eyrngiums offers a mix of hot and cool.

The spiny eryngium flower and foliage reads summer garden to these eyes. It has been a struggle to get a good group of these going, even though most of the literature claims they are prodigious self sowers. We have several blooming size plants now and they are giving great delight.

The heleniums, Helen’s flower, are special to me, as that was my mother’s name, Helen Frances. I was named for her. I also gave my oldest daughter my own middle name, Elizabeth.

Now how did this shot get in here? Oh, yes, the beach, now the memories return. This is the view from our rental house of the marsh grasses, then the sandy shoreline, and finally the Atlantic ocean. Many an hour was spent looking at this vista from a rocking chair on the upper porch. It was never tiring, but always relaxing to gaze and listen during hazy hot humid days. The return home to the garden was welcoming with lots of flowers blooming and many jobs to add to the task list. There will be a post about the beach trip as well as other upcoming events written soon. There are household and human needs to be addressed now. The bloom day post was put together more quickly and lightly than preferred. It is hoped you tasted the flavor of the flowers that make our summers here delicious.

Frances

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