Thursday, July 15, 2010

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - July 2010

Hot is the word that comes to mind on this July Bloom Day: hot weather and hot colors in the garden.
Although not so much here in the Lily Garden, where several daylilies are blooming exuberantly. 

We've had a taste of Texas weather this summer, or at least that's what the oppressive heat, humidity and dry conditions of recent weeks put me in mind of. As garden bloggers congregated in Buffalo, NY for the Buffa10 Meet Up last Thursday, upstate NY was experiencing one of the hottest days I can remember. I'm sure those southern gardeners weren't expecting to be sizzling in an upstate NY summer!  I was disappointed that I couldn't be there to meet all the wonderful bloggers and see the beautiful gardens of Buffalo. Judging by the posts I've read so far, they had a fantastic time.
Today is cooler and much more comfortable, for which I'm very thankful...
perfect weather for a little tour of the gardens to see what's blooming.


Persian Market is one of the earliest daylilies to bloom, and wow, does she put on a delightful show!


The lovely yellow Atlanta Moonlight and pink Mariska are not to be outdone.
Looking over toward the Driveway Garden we see a riot of color.


Beautiful Cleo is one of my favorite daylilies. She never disappoints with her tall stature and abundant blooms.
Yarrow, Monarda, Phlox and Gloriosa Daisies are providing plenty of color in the mid-July garden. Posted by Picasa


The Lilac Garden in the background is mostly red and white,


but let's look the other way for a moment.




Reds and yellows are the stars in the fence garden at this time.


Ellen's Lily (named for my friend who generously shared it with me) is gorgeous next to the self-sown Gloriosas. Posted by Picasa


Now we're up behind the Lilac Garden trying to beat the heat in the shade of the big sugar maple.


Red Monarda and white Shasta Daisies compliment each other nicely.


Chicago Star provides some hot contrast.




I found this black swallowtail feasting on the Monarda. It's a big favorite of the hummingbirds too.
Posted by Picasa


Centerfold, an Asiatic lily, is stunning with the other colors.


Hannah prefers to wait in the shade while I do my photo tour.


This shot of lilies at the top of the Driveway Garden was taken after a welcome early morning shower on July 10th. The reddish-pink Asiatic was just finishing its bloom.


The bright orange-red lily is gorgeous at the moment. I don't know how it found its way into this garden but I'm becoming reconciled to the gaudy contrast...mainly because I haven't had time to move it. Might as well just enjoy the beauty :) Posted by Picasa


Let's walk over toward the south lawn.....


Coneflowers and Phlox are offering some lovely pinks here.


I spotted this friendly little skipper feasting on the coneflowers.


Charles Johnston and an unnamed purple daylily are adding their beauty to the other bloomers. Posted by Picasa


Over here by the side porch Summerwine daylily is a stunner alongside Shasta Daisies and Gloriosas. Please try to ignore the brown daffodil foliage that still needs to be cleaned up. A gardener's work is never done!


Clematis Jackmanii is always a star, and Clematis Carnaby continues on throughout the summer with a few blooms after the big show in June. The perennial Sweet peas are particularly pretty in pink this year.


Lamium has gone wild in this garden and needs to be ruthlessly thinned out to make room for some colorful annuals. Posted by Picasa


Queen Elizabeth is one of only 2 of my roses showing much growth this summer. They were off to a very slow start and the hot, dry weather has not helped them.


Pink Morn Petunia and a purple calibrachoa (Million Bells) are good companions in the window box.


If we look behind these enthusiastic Gloriosas and Shastas....


.....we find Joan Senior blooming her heart out.
This daylily is a wonderful performer. 


Several Dahlias are still in pots, waiting for a space to be cleared for them. This pretty pink one is Park Princess....a real beauty.


The afternoon light is delightful in the Top Lilac Garden, where Phlox, Daylilies and Monarda are blooming. 


This was a blessed sight yesterday afternoon.....rain in the garden! The welcome showers continued into the evening and gave us relief from the heat and humidity of the day. I imagined the plants sighing happily as they soaked up the moisture. Posted by Picasa

Here is Jasmine sitting on the front porch watching the birds after that early morning shower on July 10th.


She is fascinated by their antics as they feed safely out of harm's reach.


A female hairy woodpecker enjoys a breakfast of suet, and do you see that beautiful plant?


It's Lophospermum/Creeping Gloxinia and new to me this year. I've admired it from afar for a couple of summers and decided to give it a try. Posted by Picasa

Aren't those wine red blossoms gorgeous?


The Pink Morn Wave Petunias were so beautiful in this basket last summer that I repeated them, but this time I added a white trailing Lobelia instead of the lavender one. Do you see the downy woody on the chain and the purple finch on the tray? Jasmine isn't the only one who enjoys the feathered entertainment. Posted by Picasa

Much more is blooming in the summer gardens and I hope to find time to share more with you in the following weeks. Isn't it ironic that when we have the most to share our gardens keep us too busy to blog? I'm hoping to find time to visit you all and catch up with your summer activities and gardens soon!

Many thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for bringing us together for the Bloom Day show on the 15th of each month. Visit her for a list of beautiful blooms being shared for our enjoyment by gardeners all over the globe.

Busy bee on Cranesbill Geranium

Happy Bloom Day everyone!

39 comments:

F Cameron said...[Reply]

Such beautiful swathes of color! I do love the phlox and coneflowers together, but your other companion plantings are also so perfect. Love seeing the kitty photos, too!

verobirdie said...[Reply]

Your garden is so gorgeous at the moment that I had to take the tour several times to enjoy it :-)

Anonymous said...[Reply]

I would be outdoors all the time just admiring the flowers! My garden does not look nice at all. I hope this heat breaks soon.

What a lot of lovely lilies! Those clear red ones are stunning.

That Joan Senior does look like my no name. I need to write that down.

My coneflowers are close, but not blooming yet. I think they used up all their energy getting too tall.

You all must be getting some rain, it is pretty and green there.

Thanks for another beautiful garden tour, Kerri.

sweetbay said...[Reply]

Your garden looks so beautiful, so much color!! Cleo is lovely, and I am green with envy over your Clematis. Thank you for the tour, it was a delight!

Unknown said...[Reply]

You may move that gaudy orange-red lily to my house - I think it is magnificent! The tour was fabulous.

Gail said...[Reply]

Kerri~Your garden is beautiful~great color combinations and so much sunshine~Love the daylilies and wow how shasta daisies and monarda love NY! They were all over Buffalo, too. gail

Linda said...[Reply]

Breath-taking Kerri. I would dearly love to stroll through your amazing gardens. The pictures are the next best thing. Thank you!

Needled Mom said...[Reply]

One would never know that the heat was having any impact on your glorious garden, Kerri. The daylilies are just stunning as well as the rest of the beautiful flowers. A creeping Gloxinia? I don't think I have heard of one before. It is just gorgeous!

Dahlias have always been one of my favorites too. I think we need to swap a little of our weather. Up until this week it has been sooooo cool and foggy. My roses are really suffering right now, but hope they will pick up soon.

Of course I always enjoy seeing all of your furry friends in your photos!!!! I am sure they must love the summer months of being outside cats.

Philosophical Karen said...[Reply]

Oh, my goodness, your gardens are beautiful as always, Kerri. I love that I recognize many of your daylilies from my own garden, but also that you have so much room and so much more than daylilies to see. I always enjoy the cats and the birds that decorate your posts. Things just wouldn't be the same without them.

Susan Tidwell said...[Reply]

Love the summer flowers! And all the accessories you have added to enhance the flowers - like that wonderful gray weathered split rail fence, and the mountains in the background. You are blessed with a green thumb and a beautiful garden! Thanks for sharing.

Beth said...[Reply]

Kerri - lovely as always. I really like that white Asiatic Lily. I've wanted to try one for a long time but haven't found the right color (or right place in the garden) for them.

My gloriosas are beautiful and plentiful. I've shared them with my gardening friends here too. :O)

Unknown said...[Reply]

I was all set to rave about the gorgeous flame colors of Ellen's daylily, and to ask you how/when you move your asiatic lilies (because I have one that needs moved, too)... but now all I can think about is that AMAZING Lophospermum! I've never seen those before, but I'm drooling!!!

p.s. For all the heat, Kerri, your garden still looks as lush and full and gorgeous as ever. :)

Larry said...[Reply]

So much bloom... I really enjoy rustic fences... it's all very nice! Larry

Babara said...[Reply]

Dear Kerri
the big amount of your beautiful flowers is always impressing me. It's almost unbelievable that your garden is also suffering from the heat, it looks so lush and fresh! July is the month of daylilies in your garden too, as I can see. I love this plant and every year there are a few more coming to my garden....but I am far away from the amount you have ! There is an outstanding clematis in one of your pictures. So beautiful...and so big!! We are longing for some rain as the last two weeks temperatures were around 34°C. There is no chance to work in the garden except deadheading (soil is too hard!) and watering. But I enjoy these summerdays, being a bit slowly in everything I do!
Warmest regards and best wishes,
Barbara

Kathleen said...[Reply]

Hi Kerri!
I rarely make it over here in the summer but I knew if I did, it would be gorgeous. I sure wasn't disappointed. Your garden is looking amazing even if it has been hot.
I particularly love the shots with your trellises and the clematis. So beautiful. Do you feed suet year round? I have to pull mine when the grackles & starlings return (well, I don't HAVE to but I do since I don't want to encourage them visiting my yard).
Your new vine reminds me of one I grow called 'Red Dragon??' It's really pretty.
Hope you are having a great summer.

Pat said...[Reply]

Hi stranger.

Great blooms...but for me, mostly it's the mountain and cats...just being at home.

I have a better understanding of what you were talking about 2 years ago.
It takes lots of work to be popular...with 40 +hours at work and the garden is pretty much in place, well I'm going back to mostly record keeping. If I can post one a week it's a big deal.

Wish I was there...90+ temps here.

Mountain Mama said...[Reply]

Your gardens are just gorgeous Kerri!! I am surprised that your Phlox is blooming already. Mine isn't showing any color at all yet. I know your cold temps lasted longer than mine so I would have thought mine would bloom sooner.
I also have the Joan Senior Daylily. It's the second year for mine and although it's blooming it isn't nearly as prolific as yours. I'm wondering how old yours is and do you fertilize it heavily? Also if we deadhead will they bloom again?
Sorry about all the questions. I am new at Daylilies.
Thanks for showing your beautiful flowers.

em said...[Reply]

kerri, what a profusion of blooms! and everywhere! very impressive work. love jasmine looking up, so beautiful. how are the birds reacting by you in this heat? everytime i turn on the sprinkler, they are bathing. seems the cat birds have claimed my yard, and i don't see as many other birds. whew. your garden is lovely!

Anonymous said...[Reply]

As usual, your garden is a feast for the eyes! That gloxinia is fabulous, I've never seen one like that. I'm sure you'll be able to overwinter it, since many people keep gloxinias as houseplants anyway. We are enjoying some welcome rain here right now. Bring it on!

Sue Swift said...[Reply]

Wow - a wonderful show. I scrolled down thinking each photo must be the best - and then found more.

Pam said...[Reply]

Ah, you've overtaken us - my day lilies aren't out yet.

I love monarda and coneflowers but they never last more than a year with me. It can't be that it's too cold - your winters must be colder than ours. It's so frustrating. It's maybe too wet. Grr.

It's lovely seeing yours, though.

Merle said...[Reply]

G'Day Kerri- Your garden is very beautiful as always.Thank you for sharing it with us. I love all the day lilys and especially that
creeping Gloxinia -lovely red blooms

I would like to wish you a very Happy
Birthday tomorrow. I hope you have a
wonderful day with some nice surprises. Love and Best Wishes and
take care. Merle.

Lynn said...[Reply]

Kerri, I was so happy to get to see it in person on bloom day, and we knew it was your garden a long way off from all that color! We had a wonderful time with y'all, and I hope to be there again soon. I'm way behind on posts from all this travel but will have something new up in the next few days. Hugs to all of you and thanks again! ~Lynn

Alice said...[Reply]

Brilliant splashes of colour wherever one looks, especially that stunning errant red lily. Oh, leave it there, it's fantastic!

I always enjoy your gardens by the house. Partly because they contrast so well with the white walls, but also it's the home where my friends live, and that makes it special.

I looked hard to see if I was still blooming in your garden.....I'm sure 'Sweet Alice' must be hiding in there somewhere?

While watering my hanging baskets of ivy geranium today, which have been taken off their hooks and placed against the house wall so that the parrots and cockatoos won't destroy the plants, I wondered if maybe this coming summer I could have baskets to match yours? It's asking a lot, but always something to aspire to you.

Thanks, Kerri, for so generously sharing your beautiful garden. Such a delight during our frosty days mornings and cold sunny days.

Corner Gardener Sue said...[Reply]

Hi Kerri,
I came over to tell you happy birthday, and was pleased to see the lovely tour of your gardens. You are blessed to live in such a beautiful area and have lovely critters, including your kitty, to share it with.

I hope you are getting some relief from the heat. It's been hot in Nebraska, but we've also had way more rain than usual.

Happy Birthday!

meemsnyc said...[Reply]

What pretty blooms. I loved reading about Buffa10 also. Looks like everyone had fun. It sure is hot in NY! Here in Staten Island, we haven't much rain in weeks!

Dee @ Red Dirt Ramblings said...[Reply]

Kerri, I love those hot colors, and you captured that butterfly in a picture (started to say film, but that's showing my age.) I tried, but mine was moving his wings too fast.

It's hot here, but normal seasonal weather I guess.~~Dee

andrea said...[Reply]

how lucky that lynn and i were able to see your beautiful garden, in person, on bloom day! we were quite impressed that you knew every single daylily, by name, without a tag in sight! my favorite of those blooming was cleo. joan senior is another one of my favorites... thanks again for your wonderful hospitality... you and your sweetie are too cute for words... stay cool up there! xox

Merle said...[Reply]

Dear Kerri ~ ~I once again enjoyed
your beautiful garden. What a lot of work it must be for you. But a work of love, no doubt. I am glad you had a good birthday. They come around quickly these days don't they?
Thanks for your comments and hug. I
can tell you when you feel a bit down, a hug helps, even a distant one. Take care, my friend. Love, Merle.

Carol Michel said...[Reply]

Wow, such a beautiful place you have and the blooms of summer - outstanding. I'm sorry you couldn't join is in Buffalo, too. We did enjoy ourselves, saw quite a bit, and yes, got to experience some of the hottest days they've had in years.

Thanks for joining in for bloom day!

Naturegirl said...[Reply]

Kerri such a treat to view your colorful summer garden!Oh my that Queen Elizabeth rose is stunning! Mine passed on last year..I'm moving to a house in the woodlands so my garden will certainly be quite different! Always a treat to stop by your garden and see the kitties too!Happy summer Daze

dining table said...[Reply]

I love flowers. That is why I also love visiting your blog. I always find beautiful flowers when open this blog.

Anonymous said...[Reply]

I love how your garden is just a riot of color, that my favorite way to garden! Sounds like you have having a hot, steamy summer too. We'll appreciate it a little more this winter when it seems like the snow will never end.

Annie in Austin said...[Reply]

Your GBBD was too beautiful, Kerri - no wonder your visitors are practically swooning after seeing it in person. The clematis are astounding.

A multi-stalked orange-red lily somehow "found its way into this garden"? Stealth squirrels? Gnomes relocating anonymous lilies to protected locations?

The gloxinia is weirdly beautiful - maybe the hummingbirds will like it, too?

Happy Belated Birthday,

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Midlife Mom said...[Reply]

Hi Kerri, your flowers are just soooooooooo gorgeous!!!! Each and every one of them is beautiful, I don't know how you take care of so much!! Loved the picture with the butterfly on the flower, that's worth framing my friend!

Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...[Reply]

It has been unusually HOT this summer. Your garden looks beautiful, as always. Mine is so bad I've stopped taking pictures this year. I took the boys out to help me cut things back they worked all of 15 minutes before they were invited to go swimming. I have to get them out there on a cooler day I guess. Hope you and your hubby are well and have found a shady spot to beat the heat.

*Ulrike* said...[Reply]

You have so many beautiful daylilies! All of your plants have done so well even with the hot weather. Here in the south everything has pretty much stopped if it even had a chance to start growing. So sad, but hopefully fall will be pretty!

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...[Reply]

The wine red of Creeping Gloxinia is so rich and amazing.....I am glad you chose to try it since it seems to have given you so much of happiness and that photo of jasmine watching the bird with fascination is aboslutely precious!

Susan Holt Simpson said...[Reply]

WOW! Your garden is outstandingly beautiful! I was searching for a link to a Joan Senior daylily and found your blog. My Joan is just coming up out of the frosty ground! How nice to take a tour of your lovely garden. I'm going to link back to your blog and give my pals a summer walk-through, if it's OK with you!

s