In June, it seems like everywhere you point the camera, something is in bloom.
Glaucium grandiflorum wants the entire garden for itself, so there’s been lots of ongoing, strategic pruning.
The blooms of Eryngium planum eventually slide from silvery-green into blue.
Berkheya purpurea has matured into several big clumps and probably won’t stop there.
‘Enor’ was planted in spring from gallons, just two, plus a ‘Pike’s Peak Purple. I like the almost dierama-like effect from the the tall, smaller-flowered varieties of penstemon.
And I always fall for the darkest colors. ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Raven’ are similarly dark-flowered varieties.
Salvia uliginosa is unapologetically robust. I’m already making mental notes to split this clump in fall.
I think this might be the salvia to interplant with big grasses.
Chocolate Daisy, Berlandiera lyrata, unlike Chocolate Cosmos, really does scent the garden chocolate. As long as the sun is out, that is.
Small, frost-free, the back garden chugs along year round, so summer must share ground.
And I’m partial to long-lasting flowers with a strong architectural presence. (Which means BD posts can be a tad repetitive.)
Gomphrena ‘Fireworks’ returns for at least its third year, same footprint, no reseeding, reveling in the driest, hottest conditions. It’s a performance so perfect as to be almost artificial.
Anthemis ‘Susanna Mitchell’ is the buttery daisy. Agastatche ‘Blue Blazes’ is barely noticeable, just starting to gain height. The latter two are both new this year, though I’ve grown them in the past.
A similar effect can be had from the succulent Cistanthe/Calandrinia grandiflora (long-stemmed, screaming magenta flowers), but clumps of calandrinia seem to double in size overnight.
Agastache ‘Blue Blazes’
Anthemis ‘Susanna Mitchell’
I thought the ‘Terracotta’ yarrow would never bloom. It was playing by the rules and waiting to make that fabled third year leap.
The kangaroo paws aren’t nearly as tall as they should be. Steady irrigation before and during flowering seems to be key.
I put El Nino in charge of the irrigation this winter, and what a slacker he turned out to be. At least in Southern California.
I’m loving the bright chartreuse new growth on Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’
The Pittosporum crassifolium ‘Variegatum’ was a recent indulgence.
Even in June, flowers just aren’t enough. Let’s give it up for leaves.
June is a month not to be missed for Bloom Day news, which Carol collects for us at May Dreams Gardens.
Your garden is always an inspiration. Your Glaucium grandiflorum is stunning. I’m on my second one, and it hasn’t grown an inch in months. I don’t think it will flower this year. I wonder what’s going on?
Love your Berkheya purpurea, too. Annie’s Annuals was out the last time I was there, otherwise I would have bought one.
So the chartreuse new growth on Grevilleas is not chlorosis? I thought maybe because of the extended May-Grey/June-Gloom the soil cooled off and made them chlorotic. All mine are doing that, except the lanigeras, which never seem to have new growth, they seem to get larger and larger without producing any new growth at all, which come to think of it is rather mysterious.
Fabulous photos, all. Mine eyes are happy.
I love the sound of the chocolate daisy. Yes, Cosmos you have to stick your nose right up to.. watching out for bees!
@Gerhard, still no seedlings from this glaucium, and the plant is getting woody. Might be its last year. That berkheya is easy to propagate from a piece of root. Let me know.
@Hoov, my ‘Moonlight’ also has bright new growth. Chlorosis, huh? Jeez, and here I was thrilled with it. The heat is coming, 90s this weekend! Nice respite, wasn’t it?
@Jessica, I keep a chair nearby to enjoy the chocolate! It’s a prolific reseeder too.
I’d be tempted to let those Glaucium run rampant – they’re so cheerfully exuberant. I remember admiring the Berkheya purpurea last year – it has great structure and pretty flowers too.
I think your photography can make any plant look drool-worthy. That’s a great shot of the Anigozanthos. I know it’s a primarily-bloom post, but hot-damn, that Pittosporum. That’s a super spiffy plant. A worthy indulgence!
This is the third time this week I’ve seen Berkheya purpurea featured in a post. I think the universe is trying to tell me something. And that Agastache ‘Blue Blazes’ – I never got it, exactly, but your photos explain it all! Such wonderful photos and plants, Denise: I love seeing how our various gardens compare on GBBD.
I planted two Berkheya purpurea last fall in my back garden. I’m looking forward to them clumping up in a couple of years. The flowers are so cool and different.
Beautiful garden.
I have tried to grow Chocolate Daisy, Berlandiera lyrata from seed but with no luck. I should try again. They look so good in your picture. The seeds were from a seed exchange and might not have been all that fresh.
@Kris, there’s one other glaucium just starting to bloom. It’s been held back probably by more winter shade than this one, so the orange poppies march on.
@Jane, I’d read about berkheya but never saw it in a garden until the Portland fling. Without checking, I’m guessing I bought it from Cistus.
@Alison, the berkheya clumps are semi-evergreen in winter but become greatly reduced. It wasn’t until spring that I could tell how much it had spread.
@Alain, I was given it as small plants from a friend, so maybe sowing it first in pots to get it started. It quickly begins to reseed in the garden.
You have so many lovely plants growing in your garden. Many of which I do not know. Your garden is beautiful, the pollinators must love it there.
Interesting to learn that Calandrinia doubles in size rather quickly. Wonder if it does that up here in PDX too? It would be exciting if it does as I just got my first one! Your garden looks beautiful Denise, and as always, the photos are phenomenal. What are those fabulous oak-like leaves in the last photo? They are wonderful!
@Angie, I’ve been doing a lot of sitting and watching in the recent heat wave, and I can affirm there are a lot of pollinators out there!
@Anna, the oak-leaved plant is a bocconia, a macleaya relative. It’s really jumped in size this year. I have no experience with calandrinia in the PNW. In our long growing seasons it really bulks up fast. It might behave beautifully for you. It supposedly is damaged beyond recovery at 18F though.