Foreground yellow daisy is Anthemis ‘Susannah Mitchell’
Typical of my small zone 10 Southern California garden, the month of June is as much subtractive as additive. Gone are the winter-growing annuals like poppies, nicotiana, and umbellifer Orlaya grandiflora, and as the hot dry summer bears down, the outlines of succulents like agaves and aloes once again come to the fore. The kangaroo paws are still prominent verticals, though the reds can start looking a little burnt out and scruffy. Annual coreopsis and cosmos, in pots and the garden, can handle the heat to come, and they’re just about the size of summer daisy a small overplanted garden can handle (no to dahlias, rudbeckias, etc). A 20-degree jump from a short, intense heatwave seared stripes into the cuticle on a couple established agaves, but we’re back into the very tolerable high 70s/low 80s again, at least for this week.
Nicotianas were pulled to give spears of summer-blooming Aloe elgonica some room to shine
The yellow kangaroo paws hold their color much better than the dark reds (‘Harmony’)
A tall flavidus hybrid with samphire, Crithmum maritimum, lower left
Annual coreopsis ‘Tiger Stripes’ handled the heat wave fine, but a couple leaves on Agave lophantha ‘Quadricolor’ got a bit toasty
Eryngium ‘Blue Glitter’ — with their small basal footprint, the eryngos fit in nicely amongst succulents like Yucca ‘Blue Boy’
Arctotis ‘Ruby Creeper’ stays tight and low
Miscanthus ‘Silver Sceptre’ really kicked into gear after the heat wave
Agapanthus ‘Indigo Frost’ planted last year surrounded by Stipa ichu
Also with Sesleria ‘Campo Azul’ — not many flowers from the sesleria in half day sun but fat creamy brushes in full sun.
I moved Sinningia ‘Invasion Force’ just after the heat wave. A strong-growing tuberous gesneriad that managed to throw multiple blooms in very dry soil in half-day sun, I had to see what it could do in more favorable conditions.
The Helenium puberulum has been lightly blooming since planting last fall, but those stunning leaves are of course from eucomis and are a total cheat — one of two gallons of ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ I dropped into the garden in full sun just before the heat wave. So far I haven’t had success with eucomis in the ground, and I’ve probably grown them in too much shade and/or kept them too dry. These gallons were in a nursery’s remaindered aisle, literally bursting through the pots with multiple bulbs, and since one bulb can go for $20 it was an incredible deal. I think I’ll keep them in pots, maybe divide the two gallons into four gallons in fall.
Passiflora vitifolia ‘Scarlet Flame’ had dozens of blooms open yesterday, only buds today
Miscanthus nepalensis has been slow but steadily improves every year. The grass blades so far make a thin, low clump, with the arching blooms similar to Stipa gigantea — but silky, not oatlike
Cypella herbertii’s intricate blooms come steadily, each lasting just a day
glaucium is starting to reseed a bit at the periphery near hardscape, never mid-border
Not just bred for the florists anymore, this orange gerbera is from the ‘Garvinea’ series intended for gardens and containers, planted in the last few weeks
Pelargonium ‘Vancouver Centennial’ was thrown in with the pot of vines Solanum wendlandii and the coyote gourd
Spadix-type flower of Piper auritum makes a contrapuntal rhythm across the wavy leaves
May Dreams Gardens collects the bloom day reports the 15th of every month.
Oh, my, Tiger Stripes is the first thing I need to grow next year! I have several perennial coreopsis, and two kinds of plains, but not like Tiger Stripes! It’s like my tall plains but rolled up!
Oh I think that Helenium is as cute as hell ! And I am totally impressed by the lack of flopping on your Coreopsis ‘Tiger Stripes’ . Perhaps the neighbors are lending a hand ? Love your Agapanthus too-I’m sure you remember the beautys at Windcliff-really made me rethink my unjustified aversion to the genus. I had my Eucomis in pots for a few years-they did quite well. Full sun too. They are in the ground now, but I’m about ready to SP the bunch in front. I have to re-do that section of the garden. Well, I don’t actually have to but…y’know.
As usual, viewing your Bloom Day post gives me a list of things to look for if/when I get to a garden center. I have a Coreopsis that comes back to a limited extent each year but it’s nowhere near as flashy as ‘Tiger Stripes’. I remember admiring the ‘Indigo Frost’ Agapanthus last year and now find I “need” to have it despite the number of Agapanthus I inherited with this garden. As to Sinningia ‘Invasion Force’, your mention of it has me wondering what happened to the plant I picked up at The Huntington plant sale a couple of years ago – apparently my garden those invaders went elsewhere.
Your garden still looks fabulous even with the heat waves. Fun to see what you grow as it is so different from what I can. Most of your plants are are so exotic looking and virtually unknown here. Would love to find Coreopsis Tiger Stripe. Wow!
@Lisa, I bought the plants from Annie’s Annuals and planted them out early February. I’m going to explore more of these plains tickseeds too!
@Kathy, I just deep-watered that helenium yesterday — it shows when it needs some! I think the cordyline and agave are definitely helping support the coreopsis. This spot is where the Grevillea ‘King’s Fire’ was removed — I’m wondering if this coreopsis’ performance can be repeated again or maybe it’s just a one-off. I’ll be looking for self-sown seedlings for sure. Yep, I think it was Windcliff that opened my eyes to the agapanthus — I’ve got really nothing going on in the garden mid, late summer, so why not? And they seem pretty tough so far.
@Kris, I’ve ordered a bunch of seeds since there’s so much time to tend them (!) And I’m going to try serial sowings of coreopsis and cosmos thru summer, so hopefully there’ll be new plants for August. These sinningias look really promising — Plants Delights has the best selection, as far as I know.
@Lea, thank you! Happy Bloom Day back at ya!
@Elaine, I was trying to figure out how to include your observation in my post but abandoned the idea — that seeing what the different climate zones grow in, for example, June is what makes the Bloom Days so interesting. I bought Tiger Stripes from Annies Annuals — check them out in fall.
@Arun, I don’t have a lot of blooms but I do need some summer daisies!
Oh, how I envy your California warmth, but I was planted in Michigan, and this is where I am happily root bound. You can see what is blooming in my universe at https://garden337.com
Oh, my, Tiger Stripes is the first thing I need to grow next year! I have several perennial coreopsis, and two kinds of plains, but not like Tiger Stripes! It’s like my tall plains but rolled up!
Oh I think that Helenium is as cute as hell ! And I am totally impressed by the lack of flopping on your Coreopsis ‘Tiger Stripes’ . Perhaps the neighbors are lending a hand ? Love your Agapanthus too-I’m sure you remember the beautys at Windcliff-really made me rethink my unjustified aversion to the genus. I had my Eucomis in pots for a few years-they did quite well. Full sun too. They are in the ground now, but I’m about ready to SP the bunch in front. I have to re-do that section of the garden. Well, I don’t actually have to but…y’know.
As usual, viewing your Bloom Day post gives me a list of things to look for if/when I get to a garden center. I have a Coreopsis that comes back to a limited extent each year but it’s nowhere near as flashy as ‘Tiger Stripes’. I remember admiring the ‘Indigo Frost’ Agapanthus last year and now find I “need” to have it despite the number of Agapanthus I inherited with this garden. As to Sinningia ‘Invasion Force’, your mention of it has me wondering what happened to the plant I picked up at The Huntington plant sale a couple of years ago – apparently my garden those invaders went elsewhere.
Beautiful!
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Your garden still looks fabulous even with the heat waves. Fun to see what you grow as it is so different from what I can. Most of your plants are are so exotic looking and virtually unknown here. Would love to find Coreopsis Tiger Stripe. Wow!
Beautiful blooms.
@Lisa, I bought the plants from Annie’s Annuals and planted them out early February. I’m going to explore more of these plains tickseeds too!
@Kathy, I just deep-watered that helenium yesterday — it shows when it needs some! I think the cordyline and agave are definitely helping support the coreopsis. This spot is where the Grevillea ‘King’s Fire’ was removed — I’m wondering if this coreopsis’ performance can be repeated again or maybe it’s just a one-off. I’ll be looking for self-sown seedlings for sure. Yep, I think it was Windcliff that opened my eyes to the agapanthus — I’ve got really nothing going on in the garden mid, late summer, so why not? And they seem pretty tough so far.
@Kris, I’ve ordered a bunch of seeds since there’s so much time to tend them (!) And I’m going to try serial sowings of coreopsis and cosmos thru summer, so hopefully there’ll be new plants for August. These sinningias look really promising — Plants Delights has the best selection, as far as I know.
@Lea, thank you! Happy Bloom Day back at ya!
@Elaine, I was trying to figure out how to include your observation in my post but abandoned the idea — that seeing what the different climate zones grow in, for example, June is what makes the Bloom Days so interesting. I bought Tiger Stripes from Annies Annuals — check them out in fall.
@Arun, I don’t have a lot of blooms but I do need some summer daisies!
Oh, how I envy your California warmth, but I was planted in Michigan, and this is where I am happily root bound. You can see what is blooming in my universe at https://garden337.com
@Hi Nancy — I envy you all that water! But it’s all about where you’re planted, and this is where my roots are too. Thanks for the link.
Beautiful pictures and a beautiful garden!
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
The patio looks like a tropical oasis in Hawaii. You did a great arrangement to create such a peaceful mood in a landscape.
-Ray
Some wonderful flowers. We wants that Agapanthus. It’s special.
Such a deal on the Eucomis! You did good.