Bloom Day - June 2015

With early heatwaves in March followed by unusually cool weather through early June, my garden is mixed up this year.  Some summer bloomers, like the Agapanthus, got off to an early start but others, like the dormant Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell' have been slow to get going.  The late rain we received, little as it was, also made a difference, encouraging some flowers, like the Osteospermum, to return for a repeat performance.  This is a long-winded way of saying: the garden is full of flowers this June.

The flowers I'm most excited about are a mixed group, some old favorites and others new introductions.

I can't help but be impressed, as I am each year, by the legion of Agapanthus in bloom

After disappointing results from Agastache in prior years, I've fallen in love with the 2 varieties shown here: A. 'Summer Glow' and A. 'Sunset'

While some of the Hemerocallis have been slow to get started, there are still a lot of them to add interest - clockwise from the top left: 'For Pete's Sake', 'Dallas Star', 'Frank Gladney', 'Indian Giver', 'Persian Market', 'Russian Rhapsody', 'Spanish Harlem' and 'Sammy Russell'

This noID bearded Iris is exciting mainly because it's the only one in my garden that has bloomed this year

I'm very happy with the exuberant Lotus berthelotii in a pot - it's almost uncontrollable here when planted in the ground

Melaleuca thymifolia is putting on a fine show this year, its second in my back border

I love the cerulean blue of this Salvia macrophylla but it's very hard to photograph

Solanum xanti, a California native, shown here with Leucadendron 'Pisa' and Salvia 'Amistad', continues to be one of my favorite plants

Some plant genera are making big shows throughout the garden:

The Cupheas: 'Carribean Sunset', 'Strybing Sunset' and 'Starfire Pink'

The Gazanias: (clockwise from upper left) 'New Day Yellow', unspecified orange from the 'Flame' series, 'Sunbathers Otomi' and 'Kiss Me White Flame'

There are buds but no blooms on Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' this month but those that are blooming include G. alpina x rosmarinifolia, G. 'Ned Kelly' and G. 'Superb'

I have a few Fuchsia: F. thymifolia, 'Neon & White Windchimes', and 'Swingtime'

The Eustoma grandiflorum are just getting started but the white and pink forms are already making a splash

Lantana of various types are adding summer color

The Nasturium (Tropaeolum) I grew from seed bloomed - these are the only seeds that make it past the raccoons in the garden beds

The cooler weather in May brought back the Osteospermum for another run

The ever-present Pelargoniums are blooming in earnest

Even the succulents have joined in

But that's not all!  Here are a few more, organized by color:

Top row: Achillea 'Moonshine', Anigozanthos (noID), and Argyranthmum 'Butterfly'
Middle row: Cotula 'Big Yellow Moon', Cotula 'Tiffendell Gold' and a Cymbidium (noID)
Bottom row: Euphorbia 'Dean's Hybrid', Halimium x pauanum, and Jacobaeus maritima

Clockwise from top left: Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin', Bignonia capreolata, Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' and Russelia equisetiformis

Top row: Albizia julibrissin, Alstromeria (noID), and Arctotis 'Pink Sugar'
Middle row: Centranthus ruber, Hebe 'Wiri Blush', and Heuchera (noID)
Bottom row: California poppies, 'Pink Meidiland' rose and Salvia 'Wendy's Wish'

Top row: Arthropodium cirratum, Gaura lindheimeri, and Geranium 'Biokovo'
Middle row: Lagurus ovatus and Leucanthemum x superbum (2 forms)
Bottom row: Magnolia grandiflora, Trifolium repens, and Hoya 'Shooting Star'

Top row: Ageratum corybosum, Aster frikartii, and Duranta (noID)
Middle row: Geranium 'Tiny Monster', Pericallis stellata, and rosemary
Bottom row: Teucrium x lucidrys, Tulbaghia violacea, and Wahlenbergia with Nierembergia

You'll find even more blooms by visiting Carol at May Dreams Gardens, the host of the monthly event that is Bloom Day.  As it's Monday, it's also the day to put forward a bouquet for "In a vase on Monday," the popular meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Here's mine:

A hasty construction of blooms from a recently purchased Digiplexis 'Berry Canary' accompanied by Abelia x grandiflora, Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Pink', Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' and Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' (photographed with my ceramic frog sprouting Rhipsalis)

All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party