All the plants are happy after recent plentiful rains! And this gardener is thankful that our drought is lessened. We may be at one of our peaks for seasonal blooming in the garden. It was hard to pick flowers to share on this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, so I just snapped the ones that caught my eye.
Starting in the shade (in addition to the potted Impatiens combined with other plants in the first photo), the Woodland Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica) blooms are waning but still lovely. I think I'll plant more of these; they bring so much bright color to the shady areas.
In partial shade, the Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are thriving after the recent precipitation.
The Asiatic Lilies (Lilium spp.) are full and regal.
The sunny garden is brightened with the happy faces of Zinnias (Z. elegans; top, 'State Fair Mix'; just above, 'Zowie Yellow Flame').
Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are just about to add even more sunlight to the potager garden.
The Blazing Star Liatris plants (L. spicata) seem to have taken longer to bud and bloom this year. Maybe it was the lack of natural precipitation. Now they're popping with color.
Lucky 'Sunrise Rose' Lantanas (L. camara), in all their color variations, look extra pretty adorned with raindrops.
This Ox-Eye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) is a volunteer. While I did plant it in this spot in previous years, it disappeared last year. The seeds must have skipped a year to regerminate.
Drumstick Alliums (A. sphaerocephalon) are adding their unique fireworks.
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) brings the lovely scent of vanilla, along with its beauty, monarch butterflies, and their eggs (can you see them in the photo?).
Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is blooming at the same time, sharing its bright orange flowers with bumblebees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Of course, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a pollinator (and gardener) favorite, for so many reasons.
Lesser calamint (Clinopodium nepeta; aka Calamintha nepeta) fills in its area nicely, and the blooms are beginning to explode with their tiny brightness.
Finally, the Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are gigantic and gorgeous this summer.
I stood next to this spike, and estimate it's taller than seven feet!
Head on over to May Dreams Gardens for more blooms in many other gardens! Happy Bloom Day!
Wasn’t the rain wonderful? I love the last photo with the plant shooting up against the horizontal lines.
ReplyDeleteYes! The rain was very much a relief, and the plants are so happy. The Hollyhocks have exceeded my expectations. I'd like to have some other colors, but the white makes a nice statement, too.
DeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteI love the color and texture combination of the first photo.
Great close-up photo of the Hollyhocks!
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Happy GBBD! So many things are blooming at once, and all the plants seem happy after the rain. :)
DeleteWhat a beautiful post. It sings "Joy!" in Nature's sweetest voice. Rain drops the jewels She bestows on summer flowers.
ReplyDeleteYour Zinnias beat mine, too. Drat! ;^)
Happy Bloom Day, Happy gardening!
Thank you, that is so kind. I do enjoy this time of year, especially when we get enough rain. I cheated with the Zinnias, starting them indoors in the sunroom in late winter. They are very much happier now, however, with the sun, warmth, and rain. Happy GBBD!
DeleteThat 'Zowie Yellow Flame' is amazing! My zinnias didn't work out this year. Neither did most cosmos, or, for that matter, most annuals. Weird weather early on.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa: Yes, I love that Zinnia. The Zinnias took a while to get going because we didn't have much natural rain until recently. But now they're very happy and bolting. My Cosmos, however, are not performing well so far this summer. Maybe after this rain they'll wake up.
DeleteThe plants spattered with raindrops certainly look happy, Beth! That's a nice Bloom Day display for July. I love the Spigelia but the hollyhock took my breath away!
ReplyDeleteYes, rain is so welcome...especially to relieve the drought. Aren't the Spigelias fun? I must plant more. The Hollyhocks have totally exceeded my expectations. That's a great spot for them with hot afternoon sun. The only problem is they attract the Japanese beetles, but the beetles don't seem quite as bad this year. I've treated that side garden with milky spore for a few years now. I'll continue to do so, since it's not harmful to other insects, plants, or animals.
DeleteYour hollyhocks are gorgeous (as are all of your blooms)! I planted swamp milkweed for the first time this year and your photo and description makes me even more excited to see and smell it blooms, although I will probably have to wait until next year.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, the Hollyhocks are really doing their stuff--so tall and a great focal point. Re: the Swamp Milkweed...enjoy! I know the monarchs will. :)
DeleteEnjoyed visiting your garden virtually. What really caught my eye were the Spigelia marilandica, or Indian Pinkroot, and I read your post from 2017 on them. I've contacted a wildflower nursery about an hour from us - we are zone 5b (New York State) and have a lot of shade but I think this may be marginal for us - to see if they know anything about this plant. Apart from the Indian Pinkroot, I liked the zinnias and the hollyhocks. Our zinnias have only started to open this wee. Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteHi Alana: Yes, the Spigelia have been wonderful plants for my shady areas, and I hope to add more. I'm zone 5a, so if it's hardy for me it should be fine for you. I started the Zinnias with seeds in late winter, in my sunroom. They seemed a little slow to get going with very little natural rain from early May until now. But with our recent rains, they're bolting. The Hollyhocks seem very happy in that location. :)
DeleteWhat a lovely selection of colourful flowers! I particularly love the Zinnias and wish they would grow in my garden.
ReplyDeleteYour Woodland Pinkroot is quite intriguing. I believe it’s not quite fully hardy the uk, otherwise I’d happily have it for those fabulous shards of colour. You have a great collection of plants!
Thank you, Catherine! Zinnias are an all-time favorite for me. I can't remember the first year I started growing them. I grow the very large varieties for floral arrangements. They take a bit to get going, but then they really take off. The more I cut them for display, the more they produce. The Spigelia has become a relatively new favorite perennial, and has returned for six years now. My winters are harsh here in the Northern Midwest, so I would think they would be OK for you. Although I do think they like hot summer conditions, which we also have.
DeleteBeth, so nice to see that everything is doing well in your area of our state. You are ahead of me here at the lake. The first five of my more than 450 daylily plants that I hybridized just started blooming this week. Can not wait to see the newest 70 that I "created" three years ago. They too are about to bloom.
ReplyDeleteWow...so many Daylilies! Lucky you! I don't have enough sun for more than a few. I'd love to come visit your garden someday to see your Daylilies...and all your other amazing plants. Enjoy the new hybrids: I hope to see/read a post about them soon!
DeleteCongratulations on the moisture! Great Hollyhock :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! We really, really needed it. The Hollyhocks have exceeded my expectations. :)
DeleteYou have some great color for July! I love the pinkroot, that's just gorgeous. As well, the hollyhock is quite something; I'm especially fond of white in the garden and those flowers are stunning. What a nice bloom day post, Beth! Tina
ReplyDeleteHi Tina: Thanks! I like white in the garden, too. I wouldn't mind having some colorful Hollyhocks in that spot in the future. Summer blooms are so cheery. :)
DeleteOh my...you have so many blooms and I love them all, especially the Zinnias, and your garden does look happy from the rain! We finally got the much needed moisture today and it replenished the garden here too.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Zinnias are so cheerful. And they're great for the pollinators and for cut floral arrangements. I'm glad you received some needed precip, too!
DeleteSuch wonderful colours!
ReplyDeleteThe sunny side garden supports a colorful array of blooms, for display and cut flowers. :)
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteOh my, I love the Hollyhock. I was just thinking I should plant some. I use to have them, but a fence was replaced years back and the plants did not come back. I miss having the old charm of a hollyhock.
Carla
Hi Carla: Yes, I hadn't grown them in years until I started again a couple of years ago. That tall wall on the side of the house needed something, and the Hollyhocks seem to work there. :)
DeleteVery nice flower close-ups. I particularly enjoyed seeing the detail on the Spigelia. Such an interesting plant. I always found it hard to believe it was native to the US.
ReplyDeleteHi Jerry: Thank you. I find the Spigelia fascinating, too. While it's not technically native here, it IS native just a bit south of us, and it seems to survive our winters just fine. I love the fact that it's a bright, colorful bloom that thrives in the shade.
DeleteSo many wonderful blooms Beth. I have volunteering sunflowers this year with no idea where they came from. About ten years ago a former neighbor grew them, but that seems too long ago. Birds maybe.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's great when the seeds land in a spot where we want them to grow, isn't it? The birds are so generous. ;-)
DeleteI love all your blooms Beth. The spigelia is so pretty, I've never seen it here, and how useful having such a pretty shade-loving plant.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chloris. Yes, the Spigelia has been a fabulous contributor to color in the shade gardens. :)
DeleteLove the TALL hollyhock, especially against the wall of the (house?). I need to copy that look, mine are out and about, and not as commanding as yours!
ReplyDeleteYes, the Hollyhocks seem to be happy in that spot. I have them staked, but the tallest spires broke/fell over in our most recent storms. It's OK, I'm hoping to encourage the more colorful stalks for next year. They definitely need staking when they're that tall, even against the house. :)
DeleteYour flowers are lovely. The heat is beginning to affect our gardens here in NJ. I'm hoping a little fertilizing with give them a second flush of bloom.
ReplyDeleteYes, the heat was rough here, too, for June and most of July. Mid-80s and 90s, with very little rain until recently. The garden is happy now, with precip and low 80s. I hope you'll get some relief, too. :)
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