Well, as I sit here typing the garden is getting pummeled with marble- to quarter-sized hail AGAIN, so I'm not sure what to write about, except maybe the yard can't dry out, the lawn still has mushrooms without irrigation and I'm expecting to lose a couple things that don't like water. Maybe I can write about how nice the meadow was in JeffCo yesterday.

Otherwise, I did have the penstemons blooming, the geum, the prairie winecups, the monardas are were ready to go, the veronica 'Sunny Border Blue' looked really nice, the ornamental millet was just turning purple...

As was already said: enough already!

Dan

Hi all,

I was planning to do a post on the June thread, but never got it done! I finally got my most recent pics downloaded, and here are some of them.

My Acanthus hungaricus is phenomenal this year! Its hard to get a pic that really shows it off because of the lattice behind it. ItÂs way cooler in person! IÂll have 5 or 6 seedlings I found that IÂll be bringing to the Fall Swap. TheyÂre already in pots, and doing really well.

Veronica spicata ÂRoyal CandlesÂ. Of all the spike veronicas IÂve seen over the years, this is far and away the best. IÂve never, ever seen mildew on it, and if itÂs deadheaded regularly, it blooms most of the summer.

My goldenrod, Solidago ÂGolden Baby is now big enough to be looking really good. I got it from Nedra at the Â07 Fall Swap. I usually take pics when the sunÂs out, but the goldenrod just didnÂt work in the sun! Here are a couple of the best pics I got. The first is when it was just starting to bloom (and when the sun wasnÂt out!), and the second is from the side a week later.

Not much to look at yet, but the Geranium sanguineum I also got from Nedra at the Fall Â07 Swap is getting a few flowers this year. Next year it should be all grown up!

No flowers here, but the flowerless lambÂs ear, Stachys byzantina ÂHelene Von Stein I also got from Nedra, Fall Â07 is looking good.

This oneÂs hard to get a good pic of because itÂs so delicate, but if you can ignore the Johnny-jump-ups, this is the Campanula rotundifolia, Scotch bluebells I got from somebody at one of the swaps. IÂll need to pull the violas out next year so I can maybe get a better picture!

Just starting to bloom, but hereÂs whatÂs left of the ÂBecky shasta daisy after I dug most of it up to give away at the Spring Swap. Last year it was hanging all over the grass! In a couple years it will be again!!!

This one is hard to get a good picture of too because of the white flowers against the light colored house! HereÂs my Aruncus dioicus, goatsbeard. This is the best itÂs ever looked! I kept it WET all last winter and all this spring.

And hereÂs my balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus ÂSentimental BlueÂ, just starting to bloom. This is the first year itÂs really been a decent size plant.

HereÂs one more! It was one of the leftover daylilies from Catladysgarden at last year's Fall Swap! As you can see I still havenÂt found a place to put it in the ground! ItÂs ÂWynnson yellow. I think I may lose the hollyhocks next year and plant it next to my shed!

ThatÂs most of them for now! There are lots more things coming along! ThatÂs the really great thing about perennials! You never get tired of a perennial garden because youÂre always anxious to see the next thing bloom! My Crocosmia is just starting to bloom, but IÂm waiting till there are more flowers open to take a picture. IÂm just getting way too carried away in this digital camera world! I have over 400 perennial pics already this year!!!

Happy summer everyone,
Skybird

Wow wow wow!

J- I know you must have trouble picking plants that grow well in your area but your pansies and roses are simply gorgeous! My pansies are a sad, bedraggled bunch about to be pulled out this time of year every year and my roses arent fairing much better, yours are perfection.

Skybird- I love the mix of the violas and the Scotch bluebells. Maybe Im the only one but I think they complement each other beautifully. Did you recommend Royal candles in a post at some point in the past? Thank you to whoever did, I love mine!

I'm sure I've recommended the 'Royal Candles' around here before, Azura--probably several times! I had never been a fan of spike veronica since it always seemed to have mildew when I was selling it. I was determined I'd never have one, but then Cheryl from Paulino's gave me a free 'Royal Candles' she had so I stuck it in---and the rest, as they say, is history! I love it, and I'd recommend it to anybody looking for a good spike veronica to grow.

I agree the Scotch bluebells and violas look pretty good together, but it sure makes it hard to get a picture that shows what the bluebells themselves look like! Actually, today I pulled out most of the Johnny-jump-ups that are growing here, there, and everywhere in my yard. By the time it's getting hot they're looking pretty bad and getting mildew--and I think they had mites too---but I didn't look that closely! When I was at the garden center before Paulino's I checked them out with a loop one time---and they are absolutely, positively creepy! So there are a few of the violas around yet that look a little better, but most of them are gone---until the next batch of seeds hatch!

Skybird

I hate this Black Dragon lily. I have always hated this lily. It is gorgeous but it is far more work than I like in the garden, but since it was Mom's favorite and I'm the gardener and she wasn't, I took care of it for her. But for all the attention it demands, I tend to be more forgiving when it blooms. :)

I love to take close ups, but tried this time to get a few long shots of some groupings to give you a feel for the overal garden.

This shot is in the main perennial bed, and includes Coreopsis 'Autumn Blush', Penstemon pinifolius, Gaillardia 'Burgundy', Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes', Echinacea Summer Sky' and Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Overdam'.

The is the bed along the walkway from the house to the street. Pictured are Achillea 'Walter Funke', Gaillardia 'Oranges & Lemons', Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns', the "mystery daylily", and top left is Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes'.
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Here is a shot of Gaillardia 'Oranges & Lemons' with Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies'
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This is on the west, windy side of the house, and you can see the Aquileqia chrysantha is looking a bit beat up right now, but the Shasta daisy 'Alaska' is holding up pretty well.

Skybird, that is definitely 'Wynnson' in your photo. Here is a picture of mine, which looks identical.

Here is another mystery lily. This one I purchased at Walmart and the bag of bulbs said Red Dutch, which is red has a red center and yellow tips. Obviously, that is not what I got, but I LOVE the color on this one! I'll probably move it to another spot, but it's a keeper.
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Okay I have one more close up, couldn't help myself, LOL.
This is Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes' with Achillea 'Walter Funke'

This concludes todays' garden tour : )

Hope you enjoyed,
Bonnie

Such pretty blooms, and great photography. Skybird, I love, love, love the acanthus hungaricus. How long did it take to get that large? So different. I think my mom may have had one of those in our yard when I was little.

And your Aruncus dioicus is so soft and feathery. I always thought those were rather invasive. I hope I was wrong.

Connie

The Acanthus was put in the year after I moved in here, Connie, so its been in the ground for 4 years now, and its bloomed for 3 years. It was put in late the year it was planted, and was a VERY small plant. I worried about it that first winter because I had heard that they may not be reliably hardy in z5, but it came thru just fineand theres no stopping it now! Last year it was getting pretty big, and I was really happy with it, but this year its absolutely blown me away! If it gets a whole lot bigger next year, I think I might need to get rid of this one and start over with a small one! I just dont have enough room for HUGE plants. If you think youll be coming to the Fall Swap, Ill put your name on one of them. Its the strangest thing, because last fall I was looking for seed when we did the seed exchange and I couldnt find anybut it must be producing some, and those few must be dropping before Ive been looking for them cause every year I find a few seedlings coming up here and there. I tried hand pollinating a couple days ago, and I have to say this is the most curious flower I have because I looked and looked and never did find a source of pollenand couldnt find where to brush it either! I just kind of brushed here, there, and everywhere! The other really cool thing about the Acanthus is that it provides GREAT winter interest. The flower spikes (and foliage) dry and will stay on the plant all winter if it doesnt get too much heavy snow.

The Aruncus is ok, but its only really white and pretty for about a week! If I ever decide on another tall shade perennial that will hide all the utility boxes on the back of the house, the Aruncus will be out of here! It may be invasive in the midwest or the east, but out here I have to constantly water it just to try to keep it looking halfway decent! Spreading is definitely not a problem out here! I had seen pictures and I always wanted oneand now Ive had one! Its pretty far down on my list, but Ill be looking for something else in a couple years!

Do you have some pics, Connie?

Skybird

Skybird, I do plan to go to the Fall Swap and would love to have an Acanthus. Thanks so much.

Getting hooked into photobucket, etc., has been on my to-do list for some time now. I've seen the links and know that it's easily done....just need to find the time. And my camera just doesn't do the blooms justice either (there's a possibility that it's the eye behind the camera rather than the fault of the camera!). But I'll work on both things. :)

Connie

I guess that means I need to post a pic of my Wynnson lily too :-)

All of my lilies are from catladysgarden -
Amanda's Intrigue

Elizabeth's Magic - first bloom

Elizabeth's Magic - second bloom which looks more purple

Daphne Dale with Clarkia that reseeded from last year

Daisies

Lupine - Gallery Blue (but is actually purple)

The front yard has really filled out with all of the lily additions

And we expanded the area around the tree where the grass wouldn't grow

Dafy/Jen

Ooooh, Jen, thanks for posting that picture of Daphne Dale! That is one of the ones that I got as well, but mine hasn't bloomed yet. The description I found online, said it was melon with a green throat, so I am glad to see that it is more orange than pink.

I wintersowed some Lupines this year, but they don't look like they are going to make it. I may have to try them again next year.

Did the Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes' come from you? It would have been the fall '07 swap.

Bonnie

Bonnie, yes that was from me and I'm really glad it worked out for you. Mine never did anything and eventually died, and then I never reseeded it, so I'm living vicariously through yours :-)

Jen

This ancient trumpetvine is not my favorite plant because it's so invasive, but I've never managed to get rid of it. Some years it's so pretty I almost forgive it. It's about seven feet tall.

This year it seems to be a favorite of the ladybugs. I've had more ladybugs this year than I've ever seen before.

Hey Dafy, you want me to save you some seeds from the Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes'? I can send them to you in the fall if you'd like.

My 'Daphne Dale' opened today:

Here is it's neighbor, Echinacea 'Summer Sky'

... and one of my favorite wintersown annuals this year, Salpiglossis 'Royale Chocolate'

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... and a view from the west end of the main perennial bed.

Okay, I'll stop now, LOL!

Bonnie

Incredible color on that Echinacea. I can't believe the things they're doing with that flower these days!

As we headed out on our hike this morning I made a mental note that my Caesar's Brother Siberian Iris might bloom today. When we got back, it had!! So, here it is. It is much later than the others which already have full seed pods but at least it bloomed. I just put it in last fall along with a...um...the other new Siberian...oh, I forgot! It is something like 'sugar and cream' or 'butter and sugar'. That did not bloom this year. Maybe next year!!

Iris sibirica "Caesar's Brother"