Don't be fooled. Inside this thin coating of sweetness is a fiery core of total insanity.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day -- June 2013

Our host for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, Carol Michel, has named her blog May Dreams Gardens, subtitled "All year I dream of the days of May when the sun is warm, the sky is blue, the grass is green, and the garden is all new again!" My garden, here in the state of Washington, doesn't reach that state of nirvana until at least June (and I often have to wait until July for blue sky). I don't know if I just need to plant more early spring bloomers, but right now, finally, everything is busting out all over! And there's still more flowers to come.

Dichelostemma congestum

Dichelostemma 'Pink Diamond'

Dichelostemma ida maia
A nice view of my brand new foxgloves blooming in front of a classical fiberglass sculpture. But to get this view you actually have to crawl under the hazelnut on hands and knees and crouch down and shoot in relative darkness.


 
Dancing white poppies in the front garden, stand relatively straight in good western sunshine.


Red poppies, in the back garden with less sun, flop all over. I did buy supports for them at the Flower Show back in February, brought them home and put them away somewhere safe. Then when I needed them, I couldn't find them.

My native Lilium columbianum just started blooming this week. I'm wondering if I can divide it in the fall and spread it around a bit. It's gone a bit sprawly.



My peonies are finally opening too.

PNW Native Philadelphus lewisii is also just starting to bloom. The shrub is enormous and absolutely covered in buds.

Iris chrysographes, a recent purchase

Tradescantia, another recent purchase

All kinds of Dianthus are blooming. They're real workhorses in the garden, and grow so easily from seed.


'Arctic Fire'

 'Pop Star'

 'Whetman Pink'


Styrax japonicus in the gravel garden has produced lots of little white, bell-shaped flowers



Eryngium zabelii 'Big Blue'

Eryngium with its bright orange companion, Kniphofia

Stipa gigantea, planted in the gravel garden last year, has produced a few tall seedheads
I have three Dactylorhiza hybrids, aka marsh orchid or spotted orhcid, one that I bought last year and never planted out, and then two more that I bought at the Rhododendron Species Garden Plant Sale earlier this spring. I have them planted together, but each is just slightly different from its neighbors.




Clematis 'Amethyst Beauty'

Hardy Geranium 'Vision Light Pink,' sown a couple of winters ago, against the large, dark foliage of Ligularia 'Osiris Fantaisie'

Penstemon, possibly 'Tubular Bells'

Ornamental Oregano 'Kent Beauty'

Allium 'Globemaster'

Nasturtium 'Alaska' grown from direct-sown seed

I don't know the name of this flower, but it's bright and cheerful, and a good note to end on!

Check out May Dreams Gardens here, for even more posts with pictures of flowers from all around the world.