Roses, Daisies & Salvia: GBBD June 2014

Better late than never, right? 

 

The bad news is: the irises are already done.

 The good news is: I've got all kinds of other stuff blooming right now.

 

Let's get to it, shall we?

 

In the back, shade bed:

 I still have some columbine going strong.

There are some violas and pansies back here, as well.

 

On the shady side of slope, the hardy geraniums are battling valiantly against the grass.

 

Slope, sunny side: we've got wild daisies and wild lupines

I just love that combination!

Back flowerbed: 

'Yellow Topaz' rose

You can't cut this one to bring in, as the petals fall off at the slightest bump, but it's a star right now in the June garden.

mockorange starting to open up

 

Between the Topaz rose and the mockorange, this section of the backyard smells heavenly.

 

My poppy bloomed! I was so excited, as I just put it in last year.

I love that color, too.

 

Heading to the front:

Dutch iris

 

 The salvia really bring some great color to this bed.

And of course, that dianthus won't be ignored, either.

 



 I was tickled to see so many blooms on this peony this year.

This is its 3rd summer and the first time it has really bloomed.

More salvia, with lamb's ear going for broke, and a few small petunias.



Believe it or not, these daises are wild.

They just happen to grow right here at the end of the flowerbed proper, and they're doing so well I decided to leave them.

The daises in the background along the side of the house: also wild.

Some people pull them out as weeds.

I don't mind them a bit.

 

I can hardly believe how huge this salvia has gotten.

I like the contrast with the foliage of the Sem False Spirea right next to it.

 

 

Speaking of spirea, this little shrub is blooming again.

Last but not least, the 'Watercolors' rose that I moved up front.

 

Take a look at other gardens, too:

http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

 

Happy Bloom Day, friends!

 

Flowerbed Tour: Front Beds

 

June 12:

 

Middle Terrace

 

This time I started at the East side and worked my way around towards the driveway.

Some of these shots I will also post for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, but I thought it would be worth it to see the progression. 

 

wild daisies

 

Sem False Spirea and salvia

I love that bright green on the false spirea.

 

Coming around the corner, burgundy iceberg rose, knautia.

The big empty space in front is where the burgundy blanket flowers were.

They didn't get enough sun here, and were very floppy.

I dug them out and gave them to a friend.

salvia starting to crowded out by lamb's ears

Hmmm...one of those may have to move, or the lamb's ears may need to be cut back next year.

 

Coming on around, you can see the oriental lilies at the bottom of the picture, with dianthus, daylilies, and Shasta daisies just coming into bud at the top.

I love this time of year with these terraces!

 

Just past the daisies, we have the pink salvia, more dianthus, some purple salvia, and you can just see the peony at the top of the picture.

 

A bit more salvia and that gorgeous peony.

 

closeup of the peony 'Top Brass.'

 

That's where I stopped as far as going bit by bit along the whole terrace, but here's the view from across the street of all 3 terraces.

Once again, I've arranged the pictures left to right, if you're looking at the house.

 

 

 The part-shade corner

Middle

I really like the repeated colors.

The barberry on bottom echoes the dianthus, which repeats down the bed as well.

Here's a little closer view of about the same place, in the middle.

 

 

Then coming on around a bit.

 

For some reason, the view from the mailbox and driveway was completely neglected this time around.  Maybe I'll catch it next time. 



Containers Filled

As work on the garden expansion continues, I decided today would be a good day to get all my containers planted.

 

True to form, I did purples and pinks across the board.

Like last year, I put in a few perennials, which I plan to plant in my flowerbeds come fall. 

Here's what we've got:

 

#1: Tall & Skinny Blue Pot

This is all herbs this year.

I've got a pineapple sage (just for fun), plus one sweet basil and one purple basil 'Amethyst Improved.' I wanted rosemary, too, but have yet to find it for sale.

 

#2: Dark Blue Pot

Carpathian Bellflower (Campanula carpatica) in the middle, with 3 wave petunias spaced around it. Yes, it looks a little strange right now, but soon those petunias will start billowing, and I wanted something tall enough to still be seen over the petunias.

The bellflower will go in my front flowerbed this fall.

I already have the perfect spot picked out!

#3: Round blue pot

Loaded with pinks this time--literally!

Every year a dianthus practically leaps into my cart. This was the one!

Also in this one, 1 wave petunia in purple, light pink calibrachoa, and a few deep pink stems of stock.  I'm hoping once the dianthus is done with its main blooming, the rest will keep it going through the summer.

 

#4: Gray-Green Pot

These are "Regal" geraniums. They were each going to go in a separate container, but as the name might suggest, they did not play well with others. At least not the others I already had purchased. The pink has some deep red undertones that clashed with my other pink stuff, once I brought it home.

So they got their very own container, with only a few white lobelia on either side to share it with.

I hope Their Majesties are satisfied, and keep giving me those gorgeous blossoms all summer.

 

#5: Green Pot

 The tall plants sticking up are Snapdragons, 'Rocket Mix'. I have never tried snapdragons in a container before--or at all, actually. So I have no idea how this will go.

Also in there: white stock, deep pink & yellow calibrachoa, pink petunia.

I don't love it, but we'll see how it looks when things start to fill in a little more.

 

#6: Blue Boat

Last, but certainly not least, is the succulent boat.

No petunias this time to steal the show!

Clockwise from top left:

Blue Chalk Fingers 'Serpents' (Senecio vitalis). The tag says it produces white flower clusters and it's actually supposed to grow 12-18" high.

Jade 'Hobbit' (crassula ovate)

Zebra plant (Haworthia fasciata)  This one is my favorite!

Hens & chicks, which survived the winter in my back flowerbed.

Senecio 'Blazin' Glory' (Senecio cephalophorus) Supposed to have bright orange blooms

Aeonium 'Tip Top' (Aeonium arborescens)

 

I may move them a little closer together and put a couple others in there, as well.

And yes, I am planning to bring most of them inside this fall.

 

Do I really have SIX containers?

It's more than I thought, but still doesn't seem like enough!



Container Goodness

We're due for an update on the flowerpot status.

 

These give me a little shot of "happy" every time I see them--which is often, as they are at both entrances to my home.

 

#1: Round Blue

I could have sworn I had only 2 colors (the purples) planted in here.

Not that I mind the pink.

They are spilling over and I'm loving it!

#2: Big Green

More petunias going for broke.

The mix between them and the verbena: luscious.

The tall dianthus no longer look so tall with everything else billowing up, but it is still fun to see those little pink faces popping up here and there.

 #3: Blue Boat

 

#3 again

Hello, photobomber child!

The sedums in front and back are holding their own, but are soon to be hidden by the petunia extravaganza.

 

#4: Tall Blue

 

Respectable.

Not as filled in as the rest, but still easy on the eyes.

I'm liking the carnations, just wish they would fill in a bit more.

Lobelia just got sheared back, so it's pretty much non-existent in this shot.

 

Overall, I'm still liking these far better than last year's attempts.

I love petunias, what can I say?
 

Lupines & Daisies: June GBBD

Hello friends! I'm happy to linking up to Garden Blogger's Bloom Day once again.

It's a good chance for me to take a look around and see what's happening in my garden--and in yours.

 

Up on the back slope, lupines and daisies are coming on strong.

Both wild and fairly indifferent to work projects all kinds, not to mention unruly children (who, mine?) running roughshod over and around them.

The best part is: they compete with all the weeds and weedy grass up there!

Go! Go! Go!

 

[That little yellow lupine in the corner is one I planted, in hopes of starting a bicolor display. I'm sure I'll have to put in a few more if that's really going to happen.]

[Will somebody plant me, please?]

This lovely hollyhock is destined for the new flowerbed that will be built soon out front.

The dirt is there already. The blocks...not there.

On order, though! There is hope!

So in the meantime, it gets to live on the back deck.

I'm quite enjoying it back there. I hope it survives to live in its new home.

I've already put it into a bigger pot once.

One of these days maybe I'll learn to not buy things until I have a space for them!

We can't leave the backyard behind without a salute to the peas.

Soon, very soon, we will be picking peas straight from the garden.

And loving every minute of it.

 

 

Let's head to the front, shall we?

 

Front Flowerbed

Dianthus, 'May Night' salvia, plus a pink salvia--'Rose Queen,' maybe.

This flowerbed makes my heart happy.

Pretty soon purple phlox, shasta daisies, and yellow daylilies will join the show.

Maybe for next month! 

 

 



 My Dutch irises bloomed!

(Behind the salvia.)

 

Dutch iris.

I have only 5 of these, and now I'm thinking I need to scatter more little groups of them throughout this whole front flowerbed.

The dainty height they bring on those long slim stems is just perfect. 

I have to give this tough little viola a mention.

This is growing in the ground in front of the wall you can see above.

It was planted there last summer.

It has been neglected, walked on, covered with gravel, surrounded by weeds, frozen and snowed on--you name it, and it has probably happened to this viola.

Look at it! Blooming like it hasn't a care in the world.

Every time I see it down there, I'm impressed all over again.

And I make sure to step over it.

I'll end with a mystery.

Does anyone know what kind of bush this is?

Each branch has those flat clusters of small white flowers along the top side.

 

Happy June everyone!

Flower Pots Planted

I did some experimenting last year with my flower pots, and for the most part, it was unsucessful. I wasn't very happy with any of the pots, really.

So...back to the drawing board this time around.

 

Also, I bought 2 new pots this spring. Yippee!

 

Hi, my name is Linnae and I'm addicted to blue pots.

I'm kind of wishing I had a few more, actually, but I'm trying to pace myself.

I do have one green pot that was given to me, but every one I've purchased is blue.

 

Cool or warm flower colors look great against the blue. 

They bring a little pop of color on the porch or deck.

Blue pots + me = BFF's

 

Anyway, yes.

Here's what I came up with:

 

Tall Blue Pot

Dusty miller (never used this before, but I'm liking how it plays off the pinks)

Pale pink petunias

Pink carnations

mixed purple/white lobelia

 

side view

This pot will end up on our front porch.

 

Green Pot

Tall dianthus, purple verbena, purple wave petunias, and vinca

 

 I like how tall those dianthus are.

Plus, some of the stems have started leaning over the edge of the pot in a charming way.

 

I've actually never tried perennials in my pots before.

Don't know why.

I'm sure I can find someplace to tuck them into my flowerbeds this fall.

 

Blue Boat

Hen and chicks (2 varieties), purple wave petunias, and Wee Willie dianthus.

The dianthus have since died. Already!

I haven't replaced them with anything yet.

 

I had envisioned this one chock full of sedums, but I couldn't help tucking in the petunias as well.

This will probably be moved up to the front, as well.

 

Round Blue Pot

Dusty miller, surrounded by purple wave petunias, and purple/white wave petunias. 

 

I didn't even wash off the edges or the leaves before I took these photos.

There was a wild and crazy windstorm going on at the time.

I was hustling just to get everything planted before the rain started.

You can see how wet the deck was already!

Literally minutes afer I came inside it was pouring rain.

 

I already enjoy these pots, just planted, more than I did last year's.

Every time I look out our back door they bring a smile to my face.

I'm hoping in another month they will be all filled in and look even better!