Bright Blooms of July

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

The fiery colors of summer and their complements on the opposite side of the color wheel take center stage in July. On this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, Butterflyweed is waning (though still vibrant), while other blooms in the sunny cutting garden/potager are peaking. Here are the highlights:

Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) (so pretty in all it's forms)

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Lantana (L. camara)

Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

Drumstick Allium (A. sphaerocephalon) layered with Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) (which will be covered with blue flowers in late summer into fall, after the alliums have faded)

'State Fair Mix' Zinnia (Z. elegans)

'Zowie! Yellow Flame' Zinnia (Z. elegans)

'May Night' Salvia (Salvia x sylvestris)

Torch Tithonia (T.  rotundifolia) (now blooming, but I really like the buds, too)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

'Sensation Mix' Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) (again, the buds are as fun as the flowers)

Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)

Tomatoes and flowers (thank you, pollinators)

The bees, spiders, butterflies, and other garden visitors are welcome here, and the flowers bring them in! What's blooming in your garden?



I'm linking this post to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens. Head on over to see what's blooming in gardens around the world.

Color Swatches and Late Summer Blooms

It's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, and the vibrant, summer colors rule in my USDA zone 5 garden. Even the white Cosmos with their touches of pink and their yellow centers brighten their spaces, attracting pollinators with accessible nectar and pollen.



Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), is the star of the "part shade" back garden, attracting butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.



Hyacinth Bean vine (Lablab purpureus), is filling its obelisk.



Its blooms are strong and colorful at the top--where the hummingbirds like to hang out.



Hummers also flutter around the two hanging baskets of Fuchsia 'Marinka' lined up next to a feeder.

Moving on to the tiny sun garden ...



Embarrassingly, I can't recall the cultivar of this Sunflower (Helianthus spp.), but it's a nice size and very pretty. It started from seed planted directly in the soil in May; it's now about four feet tall.



Definitely a popular hangout for pollinator shenanigans (shown here: Goldenrod Soldier Beetles).



The Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) attract them, too.



The jury's still out for me with Pentas (P. lanceolata 'Graffiti Red Lace'). I think it might be the color--just a little too red, so it clashes with other flowers in this garden (I love red flowers, but not in this location). I'll probably opt for purple or pink next summer.



I love the Marigold/Angelonia combination. And both keep blooming all season long, even as the Alyssum is dormant during the heat of the summer.



I'm so pleased that the Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) plants are finally producing seeds.



And a second round of buds and blooms.



No longer just a bloom, this 'Better Boy' tomato is now harvested and soon will be consumed.



Some Salvia blooms are fading, though after deadheading, new fresh buds are forming.



The Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea), too, still offer new buds and blooms.



Lantanas ('Blaze' and "Bandana Red') are taller and more productive than they've ever been in my garden before.



'Cut and Come Again' Zinnias are true to their name.



The bumbles agree with me that 'Versailles Mix' Cosmos are irresistible.



The colors this season have been pleasing to my eye. I recently played around with some color swatches to try to capture the rainbow before it fades.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!