Bloomday, July 2015

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, when we show you what's currently blooming in our gardens. I usually miss this, or only remember in months when nothing is really in flower. Luckily neither of those is the case this month, and there's lots to show.

Starting with Agastache foeniculum and Agastache rugosa -- they're mixed together in my garden and are just past their peak but will still be going for a few weeks or longer.

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The bees love these, so I let it grow almost anywhere -- including right next to the driveway where its impressive height this year (5'/1.5m) makes it difficult to get in and out of the car. (I'll move them next year...)

Another Agastache that I grew from seed and have forgotten the species name:

I'll have to look that one up sometime.

I've got half a dozen more Agastaches in bloom but will only show you Agastache 'Bolero':

Just assume that the others are all similar but different. If you're not growing any Agastache in your garden, you really need to give it a try!

I think I will cut the catnip back now...

...even though it's still feeding the bees. I don't want these to go to seed this year and they're way too big.

What's not big is feverfew:

And although I have to do a lot of deadheading, there are a surprising number of fresh blooms.

Another tiny flower is Talinum paniculatum (Jewels of Opar):

Love it! (I've got *so many* of these that have reseeded from last year!)

From tiny to big, the native rose mallow -- which is as tall as me this year! -- started blooming two days ago:

A few blooms open every day, close in the evening, and I think they last just one day. Sigh.

Although I'm sort of staying in order as I make my way around the yard counterclockwise, I think it's worthwhile to jump out of order once in a while. For instance my fairly new hardy hibiscus in back:

Not sure why it's doing that weird curled edges thing...

...but it's interesting. Can't say that I'm thrilled with the bloom color, but I grow this for the foliage mainly so it doesn't really matter.

New this year is Persicaria polymorpha (giant fleece flower), still small but blooming anyway:

Not new -- one of my oldest plants -- and not really wanted anymore but still coming back here and there is Eryngium (planum I believe):

These things smell terrible (like cat poop) but the bees like them so I don't pull them. I don't encourage them either though.

Another old one for me that has just a few blooms right now is Salvia greggii 'Wild Thing':

I wonder why it's not blooming more? Too early maybe?

Continuing with Salvias now, the Clary Sage is still producing some flowers, although they're almost white instead of purple/blue:

A pink form of Salvia coccinea:

I just realized -- my pineapple sage was blooming earlier but I didn't see it this morning. Did I just overlook it? It's too early for Salvia leucantha blooms, but they're coming... I love salvias!

The blue globe thistle (Echinops banaticus) is in full swing now:

Between this and the Agastache, the bee activity is crazy here right now.

Another bee magnet is the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum). I have three different types, all attracting a wide variety of pollinators:

Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (slender mountain mint)

Pycnanthemum pilosum (probably)

Pycnanthemum muticum I believe

Speaking of mints, bee balm is past its prime but still going:

Lots of pinks and purples in my garden, not intentionally. Perhaps subconsciously?

Greek oregano:

Cleome, reseeds itself every year but has migrated from one bed to a sunnier one:

Fine by me!

I wish I had drifts of Verbena bonariensis, but not yet:

Haven't seen the powdery mildew on this one yet, but it gets it every year here.

Budleia (butterfly bush):

I have an orange or white-flowered one too (or is it yellow?) but it's not blooming right now -- got deer pruned earlier I believe so is a bit behind.

Can we get out of the pinks now?

No because the Asclepias syriaca is still blooming.

Does this count?

The other Asclepias got a slow start because I kept them in pots for too long before planting.

I'll use the native plant theme to break into a different color, as somehow I have some Rudbeckias that the deer and rabbits did not eat:

I've forgotten the species names of both of these, as they're tucked behind other plants and are now just peeking out. This one...

...is taller than I am! It never got that nig last year, but this is year three (third year leaps).

Rusbeckia maxima has just a couple of blooms left:

I want to plant a few more of these next year because the blue foliage is so great. Maybe I can grow them from seed?

Texas greeneyes (Berlandiera betonicifolia or Berlandiera texana) is also huge this year, at least 5'/1.5m tall:

It was less than 1/2 that height last year! This thing blooms all summer long!

Just wish it had the chocolate fragrance of Berlandiera lyrata.

Let's move things along...

Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccafolium):

Natives are great, but is there anything showier?

Cannas!

Fuchsia:

A few hydrangea straggler blooms:

Hostas:

The red-whisker clammyweed is still going strong, but the freshest flowers are from the plants that got a late start:

Anthemis kelwayi:

The Datura inoxia volunteers have just started blooming, but the flowers open in the evening and close up during the day:

Am I going to end with white flowers?

Nope, as the Clematis 'Sweet Summer Love' is still blooming:

This one is a winner! I haven't noticed much fragrance, but love the long bloom time! Can't wait to see what it does next year!


That's about it for blooms in my garden this month. Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this meme! See a million more blooms on the blog posts linked there.


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