Not to be duplicative of recent posts, but just a few things that caught my eye this morning. I actually lost track of the Bloom Day timeline (15th of the month) but was out with the camera this morning to document a few things — nothing splashy, just documenting what’s up and growing and flowering — like the fabulous shrub-like quality of Persicaria polymorpha. (Side note: nearby Dahlia ‘Rosebud’ is nearly as high as the persicaria and in bud, so that will be representing for July. All four dahlias were left in the ground over winter and all returned. A local grower, Old House Dahlias, said that’s how he’d handle them here in a home garden. His operation is offline this spring/summer, don’t know why. Mine all came from OHD. I did cover them with branches from the Christmas tree, if that explains anything! But locally, in front gardens, it’s apparent that the dahlias are all treated as perennials and left in ground. Rainy zone 8b.)
Second year in the garden and first bloom for Iris x robusta ‘Gerald Darby,’ a naturally occurring hybrid of two native species, Iris versicolor x Iris virginica. It is especially celebrated for its plummy-colored new growth and season-long good looks. Not for dry soils, it can even be grown in standing water but does fine in retentive garden soils like mine.
Purple coloring to the soft, arching leaves mostly gone now. It was flooded under a drainspout all winter. Very exciting to find yesterday the potted francoa has a bud too! One of those unforgettable horticultural moments was seeing francoa growing like weeds in Mendocino.
Lysimachia atropurpurea surprised me by returning this spring. It is very short-lived in zone 10, one summer only in my experience.
Osteospermum ‘Voltage Gold’ — a color I couldn’t resist. Planted this spring though I’ve noticed they do overwinter here, at least the pale lilac color. And these daisies are said to bloom til frost in cool-summer climates like this
Another photo of Kniphofia pauciflora, such an impressive performance in its second year. In flower about 18 inches tall. Biggest danger with diminutive plants like this is getting swamped by growth of surrounding plants. ‘Millenium’ allium is budding up, and these two are in perfect scale for each other and would make great mates
Euphorbia ‘Copton Ash,’ planted in spring. ‘Dean’s Hybrid’ did not return after winter. The peachy diascia just started blooming this week, overwintered in stock tanks and garden. ‘My Darling Tangerine’ maybe?
In its second year evergreen Bupleurum fruticosum is throwing its first bloom and making good size and shape
Textural treasure Cassinia x ozothamnus in flower
a martagon hybrid ‘Guinea Gold’
Cotula ‘Tiffendell Gold’ opened blooms this week
When nearby Origanum ‘Xera Cascade’ starts blooming, these two are going to be best buds! If you stopped by Xera’s shop last summer and saw this flowering oregano displayed in a container, you probably are growing it in your garden this year too!
A couple seeds from last year’s Orlaya grandiflora grown in the stock tank made it into the rocked area and liked what they found
I must be subconsciously attracted to sisyrinchiums because I have a few now. This is ‘Quaint and Queer’
We had light rain for a few minutes yesterday morning, the first since…the beginning of May? Daytime temps mostly in the 60s, nights in the 40s. Hope you’re having a fine June! May Dreams Gardens collects bloom day reports the 15th of each month.
Well, you’re having a very nice June! It’s fun to see a few of the flowers found in my garden but so many others I don’t imagine have a chance of surviving. You have a Martagon lily! I planted Sisyrinchium ‘Quaint & Queer’ in my garden a few years ago and it promptly disappeared; however, 2 blue-flowered varieties I planted last year put on a good showing in May this year.
Everything looks gorgeous. Like the photo showing the line for Cotula. We finally received a couple inches of rain yesterday. The first of the year. Everything looked significantly fresher this morning.
I guess I should know this, but I’m still shocked by how much cooler your temps are out there. Lysimachia atropurpurea is fab! Someone (maybe you?) has tempted me by showing photos of this plant in the past. I guess I might need to track it down.
FWIW, dahlias do fine overwintering here in the frozen tundra of the zone 7 Coastal Mountain foothills. I’ve never had one die out on me yet. Nice to see what Gerald Darby looks like in bloom. I just brought one home that Loree brought to the bloggers meet-up back in May. Thought it would do well down by the creek, about the only place that will get consistent water around here. Your garden is so lush and full of vibrant colors. Beautiful. I am amazed how you are able to keep your mulch out of the gravel.
Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’ knocked my socks off a few weeks back when I saw in a local nursery. The color combination of foliage and flower is such an attention grabber.
An unfamiliar plant, I was disappointed to read its a ‘short lived’ perennial.
Excited by the return of yours, maybe mine will too.
@Kris, another sisyrinchium I’m growing you might like to try is ‘Moody Blues,’ with leaves substantial enough to be mistaken for a dianellla.
@Hoov, that martagon flower is tiny, tiny, maybe 2 inches across, which is fine with me, but just wanted to clarify!
@Elaine, we finally had a good bit of rain today, Father’s Day. You’re right, it makes such a difference — it’s like a nitrogen bath!
@Loree, that lysimachia is quick at making an impact, so even growing it as an annual is a good investment. Surprising it came back 2 years in a row, but I doubt it will come back next spring. The cool summer here, to me, is heaven!
@Jerry, thanks for the dahlia info. I was more worried about all the rain rotting the tubers. As far as mulch out of the gravel, the landscape timbers make a good barrier — no problem so far! And that flower on iris ‘Gerald Darby’ is still in good shape today, able to stand up with others now opening.
@Chavli, it’s worth a test to see if the lysimachia returns for you. I’m wondering now whether it will self-sow…
Well, you’re having a very nice June! It’s fun to see a few of the flowers found in my garden but so many others I don’t imagine have a chance of surviving. You have a Martagon lily! I planted Sisyrinchium ‘Quaint & Queer’ in my garden a few years ago and it promptly disappeared; however, 2 blue-flowered varieties I planted last year put on a good showing in May this year.
Martagon lily–wow! “Cool summer climate” –now that sounds heavenly. A fascinating mix of uncommon plants–very Denise.
Everything looks gorgeous. Like the photo showing the line for Cotula. We finally received a couple inches of rain yesterday. The first of the year. Everything looked significantly fresher this morning.
I guess I should know this, but I’m still shocked by how much cooler your temps are out there. Lysimachia atropurpurea is fab! Someone (maybe you?) has tempted me by showing photos of this plant in the past. I guess I might need to track it down.
FWIW, dahlias do fine overwintering here in the frozen tundra of the zone 7 Coastal Mountain foothills. I’ve never had one die out on me yet. Nice to see what Gerald Darby looks like in bloom. I just brought one home that Loree brought to the bloggers meet-up back in May. Thought it would do well down by the creek, about the only place that will get consistent water around here. Your garden is so lush and full of vibrant colors. Beautiful. I am amazed how you are able to keep your mulch out of the gravel.
Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’ knocked my socks off a few weeks back when I saw in a local nursery. The color combination of foliage and flower is such an attention grabber.
An unfamiliar plant, I was disappointed to read its a ‘short lived’ perennial.
Excited by the return of yours, maybe mine will too.
@Kris, another sisyrinchium I’m growing you might like to try is ‘Moody Blues,’ with leaves substantial enough to be mistaken for a dianellla.
@Hoov, that martagon flower is tiny, tiny, maybe 2 inches across, which is fine with me, but just wanted to clarify!
@Elaine, we finally had a good bit of rain today, Father’s Day. You’re right, it makes such a difference — it’s like a nitrogen bath!
@Loree, that lysimachia is quick at making an impact, so even growing it as an annual is a good investment. Surprising it came back 2 years in a row, but I doubt it will come back next spring. The cool summer here, to me, is heaven!
@Jerry, thanks for the dahlia info. I was more worried about all the rain rotting the tubers. As far as mulch out of the gravel, the landscape timbers make a good barrier — no problem so far! And that flower on iris ‘Gerald Darby’ is still in good shape today, able to stand up with others now opening.
@Chavli, it’s worth a test to see if the lysimachia returns for you. I’m wondering now whether it will self-sow…