Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – July 2013

The Lilium regale is the only one other than the Asiatics to have bloomed yet. Aaahh – the fragrance…!

Happy GBBD everyone! Well, things are definitely slowing down over here, or perhaps more so taking a break. The Asiatic lilies are spent while the orientals are coming, the crocosmias are on fire, as are the Rudbeckias. This year the agapanthus (which were new last year) are coming. During their first year in their new home, they didn’t bloom much. “How much did you water them?” asked the lady at the nursery when I compared the abundance of blooms on theirs to the paltry display of mine. “Uum…not super-much”, I admitted, feeling not so little silly. As it turns out, just because a plant originates in Africa doesn’t mean it is drought tolerant – duh! This year, they are returning the favor. There are plenty of buds, but only one is in flower as I write this. For more exciting fare than what I have to offer today, mosey on over to Carol at May Dreams Garden to check out her and others’ lovelies…

More lilies coming! In combination with the Star Jasmine, the end of July is going to be absolutely perfumy!

Lovely lace-caps  in the front of the house still going strong…

… the ones in the back are fading to green.

The very last of the Asiatics on the way out… I really do miss them when they’re gone!

Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’ – currently providing a color explosion with its velvety red petals which will eventually fade to a more rusty color. I’m amazed at how many flowers it has – it is a single plant! Oops, and I just realized that I photographed a Daddy Longlegs in the process too!

Here it is next to Rudbeckia ‘Green Wizard’, which unfortunately is on its way out. I had hoped the two would be more in sync – they would look so cool together…

The Agapanthus I thought was blue turned out to be white! No matter – I still love it!

And here is the ‘Storm Cloud’ version. This one is most definitely going to be blue!

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ in the morning light.

It seems the black calla lilies I bought this year are all very floppy – as in they can’t keep their heads up. My over-wintered ones don’t seem to have that problem, but at least this one had the good sense to flop where it would still look good – resting its weary, somewhat nibbled blossom on a cushion of purple fountain grass.

The surprise of the morning – a new flower on a Hellebore! I just moved it – it must really like its new location…

Speaking of new locations – this one needs to be moved. It’s looking far too un-gangly in its current home, and deserves a better backdrop for its thistely glory, methinks.

These guys always make me laugh – they are so strange… Arum pictum.

Roses, fuchsias and clematis are still full of flowers, but you have already seen those in earlier posts – except for maybe one – Clematis Rooguchi. So far it has only given me one single blossom, and I think I know why. Everything around it has gotten so overgrown and big that I don’t think it’s getting enough light. I think it’s time to release it from its relatively confined existence and let it loose over some nearby, relatively more sun-drenched shrubs instead. Maybe that’ll do the trick… This is by far the most beautiful clematis I have, so I will do what I can to give it what it wants. Believe me – this is not one that I would like to see choked out of existence! But I really don’t want to move it in the mid-July drought…

A whole new level of Lovely, don’t you think?

Finally, a visit to my friend Matthew’s stunning garden last weekend, inspired me to add to my daisy selection. Among his amazing and more exclusive treasures, he had beautiful African daisies, Enchianthus, Rudbeckias, and others whose names evade me. He said the African daisies return every year in his garden, so despite my vow to practically stay away from annuals (for the most part anyway – I made an early exception for a really interesting-looking Osteospermum), I picked a pretty orange one up. In the process, I found a few others I really should have left where I found them.  Where in the universe am I going to put them all? Annual or not, I have never managed to resist adorning my chaotic assembly with a black millet, and I couldn’t this year either. The little fuzzy, green heads of the Dianthus were far too cute to ignore. I think I have a thing for Dr. Seussian plants…  If I had room for a Truffula Tree, I would probably grow one… As for the yellow Rudbeckia – what convinced me was how it turns orange as it ages. I’m an absolute sucker for that rusty color, whether on flowers or on scrap steel…

New purchase, still in its pot – Rudbeckia ‘Cheyenne spririt’. I found four of them looking awfully wilty at Lowes on Sunday night. There was nobody in sight to water them, so I grabbed the best looking one, and stuck the other three in their fountain display for a while, while I browsed. Hopefully they recovered somewhat – they looked pretty miserable. If not, someone else probably jumped for joy when they inventoried the clearance shelf the following day…

My African daisy! Here is to prodigious spreading of seeds all around! 🙂

That black millet I can never stay away from – so cool!

I had never seen this kind of Dianthus before – so very Seussian!

Osteospermum ‘Whirlygig’ – such an oddball! I love how the petals are pinched halfway out. Such an interesting flower!

I like how the colors range from bright yellow to rust. But where to put it…?

Since I have showed a couple of other fuzzy beings today – here is a third one – my favorite gardening buddy – Manneman TsoTso – affectionately named by my oldest son. Not sure what ninja adventure inspired that one, but it fits him perfectly… Anyway, it should be obvious to all that taking care of a lawn is clearly not my thing.

I’ll say my goodbyes with a gentle wish that he leaves the resident birds alone. Obviously, it is not for lack of food that he does it. He does wear a bell, but even that is not entirely foolproof. Until next time – have a great month!

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