Currently the big bed is a sea of green, with a few spots of color here and there: late roses, Brazilian blue sage starting up, and meadow rue that I found growing in one of the floodway fields. It looks wonderful with Rosa palustris scandens but bloomed later than the rose this year. That little patch of orange behind the Hubricht's amsonia is a butterfly weed, one of the few that has come back faithfully year after year. The grass in the foreground is Panicum virgatum. (Not a weed. ;) )
Soon the Bee Balm and four o'clocks will be blooming, transforming a sea of green to a sea of bright raspberry pink and golden yellows. I like both the greens and the colors (after all, green is a color too!).
There is color up top next to the house, with the spiderwort still going and the daylilies coming into bloom. Both are holding back a little bit, as we are two weeks into one of those typical hot dry spells. The grass in the yard is extra crispy.
Iris brevicaulis
and Iris japonica are always the last iris to bloom here, in June.
Rose 'Pink Pillar'
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum x johnsonii), also commonly known as St. Joseph's Lily
Perennial Sweet Pea
(alas, not fragrant)
Transylvanian Sage
A wild sedge that I found growing next to the vegetable garden. I don't know
what it is, but the flowers look very sweet. It reminds me a little of Baby's Breath.
what it is, but the flowers look very sweet. It reminds me a little of Baby's Breath.
I didn't get many Larkspur this year but I treasure each and every one.
I can see why Gail loves St. John's Wort so much. This year it
has bloomed and bloomed and bloomed and the bees just go crazy over it.
has bloomed and bloomed and bloomed and the bees just go crazy over it.
A passalong pink yarrow
Caldwell Pink, a polyantha with no fragrance that I can detect, but which
makes up for it by its extreme sweetness of appearance and workhorse capacity.
makes up for it by its extreme sweetness of appearance and workhorse capacity.
In this heat morning is the only time this cat is allowed outside, and even then she stays in the shade. In summer long black fur is not an advantage and she has a lot of it, especially since she's an indoor cat most of the time.
It may be hot in NC, but we don't experience heat bursts as happened in Kansas this week. Imagine the temperature going up to over 100 in the middle of the night!
On the other side of the country the weather forecast for The Belmont in NY is much cooler: lower 70's and rainy. I am pulling for Animal Kingdom.
So many goreous flowers! Love the pink rose!
ReplyDeleteSweetbay,
ReplyDeleteWow! the roses, the lilis and your cat is like the garden queen.
I miss the sun, and my garden too.
kisses
Carola
SweetBay,
ReplyDeleteThe sweet pea was my favorite photo. So you missed the storms last night also? The news showed 2'-3' pockets of rain all about. We got 5 gallons off the roof in a total of 4 buckets, not much.
Your garden looks so green and lush and if you're having a heatwave it doesn't show! I do envy you that sage. What a blue!
ReplyDeleteI read about those Heat Bursts in KS---my sister lives out there. Man, crazy weather.
ReplyDeleteI like your shades of green, very cooling. I have some new (to me) grasses. I am not sure if they reseeded at all last year, so unless they are part of a clump, they get pulled for now. I have a Panicum....Shenandoah. It is getting pretty tall this year. Last year it went in the fall, so there was not much growth above ground. Seems the roots got set very well.
I love St. Johnswort too, but I lost my 'Sunburst' with its spectacular yellow flowers (voles killed it this winter). So nice to see your picture of the happy blooms here. Rose 'Pink Pillar' is a sweetie.
ReplyDeleteYour flower photos are beautiful. I like the green, too. Green is a perfectly wonderful color.
ReplyDeleteI love all the textures and shades of green in your borders! And you have plenty of lovely blooms to add some other color. As always, beautiful!
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so wonderful! I had to pull up all of my trailing st. john's wort when it tried to take over one of my beds. Your iris look so beautiful. I dug, divided, and transplanted my siberian iris and they're really wimpy this summer. Boo!
ReplyDeleteI heard about that heat burst and thought it was really weird. Your garden is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe deep purple iris is incredible. I love how full your garden beds are. Maybe someday I'll achieve the look you have.
ReplyDeleteThe sea of green is wonderful and very interesting with different heights and textures. It must be very peaceful to be among so much green. Even the cat looks serene. Love your irises and roses, of course. Caldwell Pink is very pretty, I am glad you grow it.
ReplyDeleteHeat burst is a new one for me. Extraordinary, or not as the case may be, I read the link, they don't seem that infrequent.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice when you're "gifted" plants. I'm talking about the meadow rue.
Looks lovely over there. Green is indeed a colour too, probably the most important.
I've never heard of a heat burst SB? I don't watch TV as much in the summer so I hadn't heard about it on the news either. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteYour cat is beautiful. I don't blame her for not wanting to be outdoors when it's that hot.
We are having nearly perfect weather here ~ low 80's. No complaining!
Your lush green flower bed does not seem to be feeling the effects of the high temperatures. It looks wonderful.
Your photos are really terrific too. That macro of the rose is extraordinary.
How did Animal Kingdom fare? (we didn't watch the race either!)
For a sea of green, you have lots in bloom. I did a double take when I scrolled past the amaryllis- it is not something you expect to see one at this time of year. I always love all the purples and blues in your garden. What a pretty cat. With all that fur is it any wonder she clings to the shade!
ReplyDeleteLove your greens and all the lovely flowers ! Your garden, make me feel so peaceful...
ReplyDeleteThe second picture is indeed a sea of green. You have a beautiful mix of plants therte I particularly like the dark purple Iris. Poor cat - still they are suited to lying still and doing nothing at all!
ReplyDeleteGreen is good, Sweet Bay, but you still have a lot of color popping up in your garden. I love the larkspur--I have never had any luck with these though I plant seeds every year.
ReplyDeleteKitty has the right idea; even Sophie, our Golden, didn't care to stay outside very long last week during the heat. I'm so glad we've had a cool down at last.
Beautiful Sweetbay! Wonderful colorful blooms. I love the sea of green too. The textures and movement . . . great! I hope your days are not so hot now. Sweet kitty. I imagine she would keep the bunnies under control.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is so lovely! I've just stumbled across your blog, and I imagine that I'll spend a lot more time browsing within it from now on. I love your garden, particularly all the lush greenery! I live in Southern Australia, where we're coming out of an 11-year drought. Even when we do get rain, we don't have this type of verdant lushness in our landscapes. I love the green - just beautiful!
ReplyDelete