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. 

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.

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.

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 :)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - June 2010

Color abounds in our June garden, but gray skies and showers lately have made it rather difficult to photograph the flowers. I knew there would be no time for picture taking today as I was working at school, so these photos were taken yesterday under cloudy conditions. Of course we had beautiful sunshine today while I was confined to the indoors.  

Lupines and Lemon Lilies brighten the bottom end of the Driveway Garden and the Peony border is looking pretty in pink.

Foxglove, Harebells (Campanula), Shooting Star Pinks (Dianthus) and Sweet William are at the top end, with Peonies, Evening Primrose and Weigela in the Lilac Garden behind. 

The Weigela is smothered in blooms. The Peonies have been beaten down by rain but are still beautiful.

Foxglove adds a lovely splash of pink to the Daisy Garden.

Sweet William cosies up to William Guiness Columbine in the Lower Rock Garden, and white Harebells peek through the greenery of Monarda and Spiderwort.

Evening Primrose and Lamium are running rampant in the Clematis Garden with Clematis Carnaby showing off in the background. Most of that Lamium will have to go. My plan is to transplant it to the front bank by the road where it will make a great ground cover.

 

Red Sweet William and Evening Primrose decorate the Side Porch Garden. Clematis Jackmanii is loaded with buds, preparing to burst into bloom. 

The Pink Garden is blue with Jacob's Ladder, Green with Heuchera, purple with more overgrown Lamium and red with Sweet William.  There's pink Sweet William around the other side, pink Foxgloves in back, and the Spirea will soon be a cloud of pink.

Pansies are blooming in the top Rock Garden and there are annuals waiting to be planted in there.

I'm loving this North Border right now. A few of the flowers providing a colorful palette at the moment are Siberian Iris, Cranesbill Geranium, Bleeding Heart, Columbine (just finishing), Lamium, Sweet William and Foxglove.

As I type I'm inhaling the delicious scent of Peonies wafting from a large bouquet gracing the table behind me.

 Their beauty astounds me.

June is a glorious time in the garden.
Happy Bloom Day and happy gardening everyone!

Please visit Carol of May Dreams Gardens to see blooms far and wide, from sea to shining sea and beyond.

Focus on Poppies

That's not just a title....it's an instruction....for myself.

Many weeks have gone by since I last posted, and you know how much happens in the garden in spring. Life is busy! Between plants, birds, other garden visitors and daily life in general, there is so much to post about that I'm having a hard time focusing on just one topic. So, I've finally zeroed in on poppies for today!

The ethereal Oriental Poppies are such a beautiful sight to look out upon as they nod in the early morning breeze...

...but they are shaded by a small Maple tree until late morning, making it difficult to photograph them in the soft morning light that captures colors so well.

Consequently, most of these photos were taken around 11:30 AM when the sun had moved enough to shine on that garden bed.

I adore this shade of salmon pink...

...and those tissue paper petals with the drops of dew still clinging to them.

Their dark, spidery centers are a stark contrast to the delicate petals.

The vibrant orangy-red shade is harder to capture with the camera so that you end up with the true color.

Late afternoon light produces more yellows.

My focus is wandering......
You didn't really think I could do a post without including a couple of kitty pics, did you?
Columbines and Lupines are just 2 of the other beautiful bloomers filling the garden with color at the moment.

And then there's Hannah....always my faithful companion when I wander with the camera. I think she's a ham.

Regal Mr. Cardinal has been visiting regularly. I'm not sure if the missus is home with the children but we rarely see her.

Hubby is spending time working outside, moving slowly, but breathing the fresh air and soaking up the sun's rays, both of which are so good for his recuperation.

Near the end of May, during a week of soaring temperatures, a sweet friend of our daughter came up from the city and helped her get a good start on planting a large market garden. Those girls worked very hard out in the hot sun, but they had a good time doing it!

Can you believe we're 8 days into June already?

Refocusing on the poppies now....
 one last shot of them basking in the late afternoon sunshine....
something we all like to do.