What's Blooming: Maestro & Perilla

After this hot, dry summer many of my perennials, especially Bee Balm and Purple Cones, have already donned their seed heads for Winter. Their rusty brown and black forms contrast nicely with the fall palette of blooms. In the Bird & Butterfly Garden, perennial sunflowers, always reliable, bloom through Miscanthus Morning Light and peek from beneath Switch Grass Dallas Blues, Black-eyed Susans pop against Purple Perilla. An annual that reseeds itself, Purple Perilla pops up everywhere in my garden. It is also especially nice combined with the silver leaves of Lambs Ears.

In the Woodland Edge, Persicaria Firetail's blooms are now in flame, burning through the puffs of Prairie Dropseed and Nodding Onion.

A purple haze of not-so-Obedient Plants drifts throughout my garden.

Out front, Russian Sage and Walker's Low set off the dark foliage of Elderberry Black Lace. Sedum Maestro sings from a bed of Lambs Ears. Sweet Autumn Clematis perfumes the front porch.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month.

What's Blooming: Gold, Fire & Lime

Is it me or does Fall seem to be creeping and sneaking into the garden? A misty green morning but already I see the golds of Black-eyed Susans, reds of Joe-pye and browns of emerging Sea Holly seed heads that will hopefully withstand Winter winds.

On and on the Hydrangeas bloom spilling onto the driveway from the heavy draping wall of grapes.

A few firsts (blooms) this month. A new Hydrangea – Quick Fire. I  miss my Oakleaf and planned to replace it but wondered did it really die from moving or from the stretch of -30° below cold? It would be heartbreaking to kill another. Although not native, Quick Fire is hardy to zone 3! A struggling Ligularia, dentata 'Desdemona' Golden Ray, assures me it will adapt to its spot with first-ever blooms even as it wilts in too much sun and dry conditions. As the surrounding trees and shrubs fill in it will find itself relief in deeper shade. Finally, finally the Cimicifuga Black Snakeroot is sending up blooms. I've been waiting for three years! Gentian Violet is sporting big violet-purple buds. The Trumpet Vine creeping up the rustic arbor blares out its first-ever blooms.

Orange Jewelweed has made itself at home just beyond the screened porch where I can watch the hummingbirds sip from its flowers. Great Blue Lobelia siphilitica stretches through the Raspberry leaves. Persicaria Firetail contrasts with pink Yarrow through a veil of Prairie Dropseed and Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii.

I'll be saving some seed from these beautiful Queen Red Lime Zinnias for hopefully, repeat blooms next year.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month. 

What's Blooming: Bee Balminess

Well, here it is Summer in full swing. Welcome to the jungle – busy buzzing, mad blossoming, balmy nights. Some plants are withering with lack of rain but overall the garden seems content.

A few surprises ... a floating water plant in a galvanized tub blooms, a Clematis bloom peeks through the wall of hydrangeas and grapevine.

The wall of Hydrangeas and Grapevine

In the Bird & Butterfly Garden Bee Balm, Shasta Daisies, Purple Coneflowers, Joe Pye Weed, and Summer Nights Oxeye Daisies dance together among grasses Morning Light and Dallas Blues.

In the Woodland Edge Cutleaf Coneflower and Cup Plant reach new heights.

Ligularia "The Rocket" (yellow spikes)

The orange blooms of Lilies and Jewelweed

Native Nodding Onion

The towering heights of Cutleaf Coneflower and Cup Plant

The foamy blooms of Meadow Rue and spires of Culver's Root

The pollinator border in the Potager overflows onto this path.

Scabiosa Butterfly Blue

Pepperbox Poppy

Cheers to you Nice Driveway! Hummingbirds float in a heavenly state of Bee Balminess.

Giant Coneflower Rudbeckia Maxima

Out front Allium sphaerocephalon poms replace the blooms of common chives, baskets of Begonias and herbs thrive.

Allium Sphaerocephalon

Volunteer Milkweeds

Russian Sage

Not-so-patiently waiting for the first bloom of Night Blooming Datura

Thank you Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day the 15th of each month.

What's Blooming: Black Lace and Roses

So much is going on in the garden that I fear I have missed a glorious moment or two. I still have plants to get into the ground and the days seem to whir by like dragonflies ... are those dragonflies already out prowling the garden? Yes, they are! And evenings seem to sparkle ... yes, those are fireflies! The Catbird has finally come out of hiding and I watch him hop about the Potager. He even dares to perch on a trellis and study me. It's mid June, and time to pause, sit in the garden instead of running around frantically with my shovel leading the way.

Out front chives are cheering like pom poms and Sambucus Black Lace is revealing her best show ever.

Sambucus Black Lace

Clematis are creeping and peeping from corners along the drive. My native clematis, Virginiana were coming up nicely until Mr. Rabbit ... well actually it must be Mrs. because now there are little rabbits hopping about! ... decided they would make a tasty salad. I have wrapped them so that they can hopefully, reestablish themselves.

Clematis Claire de Lune

Clematis Rooguchi

This year I am enjoying the changing palettes of the garden – pinks and purples, blues and yellows.

Spiderwort, Tradescantia Osprey

Yellow Evening Primrose with Cranesbill

The foamy yellow flowers of Lady's Mantle

Blue Flag Iris

Amsonias with golden Creeping Jenny

Overnight, my swamp rose burst into bloom and surprise!, this year a neighboring rose that was on our property line decided to creep under our new fence and join us.

Swamp Rose, Rosa palustris

The flowering raspberry bushes, Rubus odoratus, that the Rabbit seemed to enjoy dining on so much this winter are bigger than ever in spite of all my worries. Their blooms resemble wild roses. Their leaves are big and beautiful.

Thank you Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day the 15th of each month.