Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: July 15, 2014

Cool temps and plenty of rain.  That’s the kind of summer we have been having so far as we enter the middle of July.   That means the gardens are green and full of blooms.  Here is what is blooming today on Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: July, 2014.

Day lilies, white clematis, Jean Davis lavender greeting everyone at the entrance to the Secret Garden.

Day lilies, white clematis, Jean Davis lavender greeting everyone at the entrance to the Secret Garden.

Looking east in the Secret Garden. Great Expectations is blooming.

Looking east in the Secret Garden. Great Expectations is blooming.

White Dome hydrangea, Rosie Returns day lily, Cool Cat catmint, various cone flowers.

White Dome hydrangea, Rosie Returns day lily, Cool Cat catmint, various cone flowers.

Rosie Returns day lily on the left, First Knight is the yellow lily across the path, crocosmia near the garden lady.

Rosie Returns day lily on the left, First Knight is the yellow lily across the path, crocosmia near the garden lady.

A visitor in the Secret Garden.  She is welcome anytime.

A visitor in the Secret Garden. She is welcome anytime.

First Knight

First Knight

The hosta bed in the front garden under the magnolia tree.

The hosta bed in the front garden under the magnolia tree.

My favorite un-named day lily.

My favorite un-named day lily.

Plum Pudding catching an extra petal (and a katydid nymph)

Plum Pudding catching an extra petal (and a katydid nymph)

Rosie Returns also wants to go the extra mile and add an extra petal and sepal.

Rosie Returns also wants to go the extra mile and add an extra petal and sepal.

The hydrangeas are doing far better than I expected since the park removed a maple tree that gave them so much shade.

The hydrangeas are doing far better than I expected since the park removed a maple tree that gave them so much shade.

In the Lower Garden, the Zagreb Coreopsis is blooming.  I cut back the geranium but it still has some lovely blue flowers on it. That's Strawberry Candy under the Rose of Sharon.

In the Lower Garden, the Zagreb Coreopsis is blooming. I cut back the geranium but it still has some lovely blue flowers on it. That’s Strawberry Candy under the Rose of Sharon.

Prince of Midnight day lily.

Prince of Midnight day lily.

Crocosmia in the Secret Garden

Crocosmia in the Secret Garden

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, July 15, 2013

Crocosmia adds such a wonderful pizazz to the day lily bed.  I love the way it drapes over the Garden Lady.

Crocosmia adds such a wonderful pizazz to the day lily bed. I love the way it drapes over the Garden Lady.

The temps rose yesterday to 90 degrees, but the heat isn’t unexpected.  And, we are not experiencing a drought like last year.  July blooms are on schedule and it seems like the whole garden is making up for last year.  The cherry tree is still full of gorgeous red tart cherries.  In fact, I picked 4 cups last night and made a cherry crisp.  Last year I didn’t even bother with picking.  The early warmth and subsequent freeze killed last years crop.

Blooming in the garden right now:

First Knight day lily, one of my favorites.

First Knight day lily, one of my favorites.

Zagreb Coreopsis and rose campion that a neighbor gave me years ago.

Zagreb Coreopsis and rose campion that a neighbor gave me years ago.

A few white clematis keep blooming.  I didn't get much of a show this year, but will take whatever I can get from this lovely vine.

A few white clematis keep blooming. I didn’t get much of a show this year, but will take whatever I can get from this lovely vine.

The Garden Lady is framed in day lilies and crocosmia.  The is the view from the entrance of the Secret Garden.

The Garden Lady is framed in day lilies and crocosmia. The is the view from the entrance of the Secret Garden.

Annabelle Hydrangea putting on a great show.  Last year Annabelle did not do much because of the heat.

Annabelle Hydrangea putting on a great show. Last year Annabelle did not do much because of the heat.

White Dome hydrangeas and Zagreb coreopsis in the lower garden.

White Dome hydrangeas and Zagreb coreopsis in the lower garden.

This is about as blue as this variegated lace cape hydrangea gets. Each year I ammend the soil with acid and it never seems to be enough.

This is about as blue as this variegated lace cape hydrangea gets. Each year I ammend the soil with acid and it never seems to be enough.

The Francis Williams hostas in the front garden are starting to bud.  Behind them are the White Dome hydrangeas that are in full lacy bloom.

The Francis Williams hostas in the front garden are starting to bud. Behind them are the White Dome hydrangeas that are in full lacy bloom.

I removed a lot of the Strawberry Candy day lilies in the front when I took out the Pana Rhododendrons.  This is one of the only clumps left.

I removed a lot of the Strawberry Candy day lilies in the front when I took out the Pana Rhododendrons. This is one of the only clumps left.

Newly planted just a month ago, the Walker's Low catmint is doing very well in the entrance garden.

Newly planted just a month ago, the Walker’s Low catmint is doing very well in the entrance garden.

Red Knockout rose in the rose medallion seems to not only avoid disease, but Japanese beetles. Yes, they've arrived for their yearly feast.

Red Knockout rose in the rose medallion seems to not only avoid disease, but Japanese beetles. Yes, they’ve arrived for their yearly feast.

Limelight Hydrangea is just starting to bloom.

Limelight Hydrangea is just starting to bloom.

Nameless dark lily doesn't seem to be quite so dark this year.

Nameless dark lily doesn’t seem to be quite so dark this year.

Looking west from the eastern part of the Secret Garden.  The Japanese Maple and various hostas seem happy.

Looking west from the eastern part of the Secret Garden. The Japanese Maple and various hostas seem happy.

Stitch in Time Hosta is starting to bloom.

Stitch in Time Hosta is starting to bloom.

Francee, Stained Glass, June, Great Expectations, and various heuchera.

Francee, Stained Glass, June, Great Expectations, and various heuchera.

Barbara Mitchell day lily in the Secret Garden.

Barbara Mitchell day lily in the Secret Garden.

Day lilies and crocosmia in a riot of bloom.

Day lilies and crocosmia in a riot of bloom.

My Sweet Rose day lily.

My Sweet Rose day lily.

Lavender Doll day lily, Cool Cat Nepetha, Jean Davis Lavender, purple cone flower from a friend, White Dome hydrangea.

Lavender Doll day lily, Cool Cat Nepetha, Jean Davis Lavender, purple cone flower from a friend, White Dome hydrangea.

Purple cone flower just starting to bloom.

Purple cone flower just starting to bloom.

Fragrant Angel echanacea with a friendly bumblebee.

Fragrant Angel echanacea with a friendly bumblebee.

Zagreb coreopsis and a purple coneflower that isn't sure what she is supposed to look like. But she's blooming in her own unique way.

Zagreb coreopsis and a purple coneflower that isn’t sure what she is supposed to look like. But she’s blooming in her own unique way.

Purple coneflower from a friend and Fragrant Angel echinacea.

Purple coneflower from a friend and Fragrant Angel echinacea.

Marigolds and purple petunias great me at the back door.

Marigolds and purple petunias greet me at the back door.

Happy 4th of July

July means day lilies (hemerocallis), and today the fireworks are just beginning to explode into bloom.  These are my favorite flowers.  As much as I love hydrangeas and my hansa roses, it is the day lilies that charm me the most.  The name “hemerocallis” means “bloom for a day” and that’s pretty much what day lilies do.  And, they do not actually belong to the lily family.

The Garden Lady stands sentinel in the day lily bed.

The Garden Lady stands sentinel in the day lily bed. That is Sea Urchin blooming to the left.  Red Rum is in the background.

It was colonists who brought day lilies to the New World, but it wasn’t until the 1930’s that hybridization really began. For centuries gardeners grew what are often referred to as “ditch lilies.”  These are the common orange flowers that we see growing wild along country roads, in old homestead sites, and in sunny meadows.  But those bright orange or sometimes yellow flowers are not native to North America.  They probably came to Europeans from China and other Asian countries where various parts of the plant were valued for their medicinal qualities.  Settlers carried day lily plants on horseback and in covered wagons across the North American continent.

Blooming today in the Secret Garden are Cystal Pinot, First Night, Sea Urchin, a nameless deep plum plant, and Red Rum.

But it’s not just day lilies that are gracing the garden.  Scroll down to see other shots.

The little miniature hostas that I bought a year ago are nestled near the back door.

The little miniature hostas that I bought a year ago are nestled near the back door.

Great Expectations, Francee, Stained Glass, and June are draping over the Secret Garden path, an indication that I really must thin these.

Great Expectations, Francee, Stained Glass, and June are draping over the Secret Garden path, an indication that I really must thin these.

This sunny path shows the Jean Davis lavender and Zagreb coreopsis.

This sunny path shows the Jean Davis lavender and Zagreb coreopsis.  In the foreground is First Knight about to bloom.

The red carpet rose provides a nice pop of color in the seating area of the Secret Garden.

The red carpet rose provides a nice pop of color in the seating area of the Secret Garden. That is Red Rum in the foreground to the right and Zagreb coreopsis in the left center.

The Crazy Daisy hasn't done well for the past couple of years, but it looked like it might be returning to health this year.  Until it flopped over.  Ergggg.

The Crazy Daisy hasn’t done well for the past couple of years, but it looked like it might be returning to health this year. Until it flopped over. Ergggg.

This Annabelle Hydrangea seems to be very happy this summer.  This is such a pleasant change.  Last summer's heat and drought didn't make for happy mop heads of bloom.

This Annabelle Hydrangea seems to be very happy this summer. This is such a pleasant change. Last summer’s heat and drought didn’t make for happy mop heads of bloom.

First Knight

First Knight

Nameless plum day lily that I bought a couple years ago that the Fulton Street Market.

Nameless plum day lily that I bought a couple years ago that the Fulton Street Market.

Crystal Pinot

Crystal Pinot

Red Rum

Red Rum

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

Mid-June is such a wonderful garden moment, and this year it is particularly so.  We’ve had a slower spring than last year and the garden seems to be grateful for this leisurely pace. 

White Dawn rose climbing up the chimney in the entrance garden.

White Dawn rose climbing up the chimney in the entrance garden.

Walker's Low Catmint newly planted in the entrance garden.  Those are yellow cannas behind it.

Walker’s Low Catmint newly planted in the entrance garden. Those are yellow cannas behind it.

Perennial geranium that, even when propped up by a frame, gets leggy and flops.

Perennial geranium that, even when propped up by a frame, gets leggy and flops.

White Carpet Rose in the lower garden

White Carpet Rose in the lower garden

Red Knock Out Rose in the rose medallion in the lower garden

Red Knock Out Rose in the rose medallion in the lower garden

White Dome Hydrangeas just beginning to bloom, with a red canna

White Dome Hydrangeas just beginning to bloom, with a red canna

Annabelle Hydrangea full of buds with marigolds and a new purchase from the Reed's Lake Art Fair

Annabelle Hydrangea full of buds with marigolds and a new purchase from the Reed’s Lake Art Fair

Hansa Rose in the Secret Garden with Crazy Daisy Shastas just starting to open.

Hansa Rose in the Secret Garden with Crazy Daisy Shastas just starting to open.

The last of the white poppies in the Secret Garden with Jean Davis Lavender beginning to open

The last of the white poppies in the Secret Garden with Jean Davis Lavender beginning to open

East Friesland Salvia, Cool Cat Catmint, and Jean Davis Lavender

East Friesland Salvia and Jean Davis Lavender

East Friesland Slavia and Rose Campion given to me by a neighbor several years ago.

East Friesland Slavia and Rose Campion given to me by a neighbor several years ago.

Kousa Dogwood in full bloom, with Caramel Coral Bells

Kousa Dogwood in full bloom, with Caramel Coral Bells

A double flowering mock orange that is pretty but has very little scent, with the last of the very fragrant James McFarlane lilacs

A double flowering mock orange that is pretty but has very little scent, with the last of the very fragrant James McFarlane lilacs and Blue Ice Amsonia

Chocolate Ruffles Heuchera in the Secret Garden under the Kousa

Various Heucheras in the Secret Garden under the Kousa

Peaking out behind the Francee Hostas are a few late Bleeding Hearts in the Secret Garden

Peaking out behind the Francee Hostas are a few late Bleeding Hearts in the Secret Garden

New Dawn Rose climbing along a fence and into the old dogwood in the Secret Garden

New Dawn Rose climbing along a fence and into the old dogwood in the Secret Garden

A single white clematis flowering on the arbor.

A single white clematis flowering on the arbor.

The little bed near the back door.  The nameless white rambling rose came from a neighbor a number of years ago.

The little bed near the back door. The nameless white rambling rose came from a neighbor a number of years ago.

Everything’s Coming Up Lilies (and Daisies)

It’s July and the garden is bursting with bees and blossoms.  Oh, and Japanese Beetles.  I found a bunch of them copulating on the Virginia Creeper.  I decided to keep a respectful distance, mostly because they can chew the virginia creeper to their little beetle-heart’s content.  I did look at the hansa roses, though, and discovered bunches of lewd beetles there, too.

But it’s day lily season.  This is my favorite time in the garden, when the day lilies start to bloom.  I have most of the lilies grouped together around my Garden Lady.

Day Lilies and the Garden Lady

If I have things planned right, I should get a month of blooms.  The early lilies are in the middle of their bloom cycle.  The pale yellow lilies to the right of this photo are one of the few things I kept from the previous owner’s garden.  In fact, I now have several clumps of these in different gardens.  The bright red to the right of the lady is crocosmia.

Lavender Stardust

Below is Lavender Stardust, a lily I selected because of its name.  How could I not have Lavender Stardust in my garden.   This, like many of the lilies in this bed, was added late last summer.

The queen, though, is the un-named dark, dark red lily that I bought perhaps seven years ago and planted in my previous garden.  It represents for me a continuity.  And my affection for it is bound up in the story of where I found it, the distance I had to travel to get it, take it home, and then take it again when I moved to this house.   I remember that first summer when I faced a shabby house and a shabbier yard, overgrown with weeds, neglect, and poor planning.  So, I look at this dark, dark red lily and remember that I healed it into that shabby front yard, then moved it to the side yard when the front landscaping took place.  Then I moved it to the back yard.  And finally, two summers ago, moved to its place of honor in front of the Garden Lady.  It is the first lily I see when I enter the garden.

Dark, Dark Red Day Lily

Entrance to the Secret Garden

But there is more than just day lilies blooming.  The Crazy Daisies are tall and lush and host to lots of buzzing things.  And a few butterflies.  Too bad this little swallowtail wouldn’t open his wings for the camera.

Crazy Daisy and Friend

And the Annabelle Hydrangea seems to like this spot at the entrance of the Secret Garden. It replaces a very old and very large lilac bush that was so fragrant when it bloomed, but so ungainly and overgrown when it wasn’t blooming.  It was really nothing more than a huge thicket.  And though I used to get huge bouquets from it, I had to remove it.  I know the Annabelle will fill part of that space.  And I’ve planted two caryopteris in front of it.  Those should get quite large, too.  And I’ve planted other lilacs, so I will get more bouquets.

Annabelle Hydrangea