It's July. One of my least favorite months, running neck-in-neck with August. While temperatures in my area have been remarkably cooler than usual so far this month, especially by comparison to other parts of the US, it's still very dry. Under current guidelines for our area, irrigation is limited to twice a week. Some of my favorite plants usually at their peak in midsummer, like the shaggy Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) a dear friend gave me years ago, never really got their bloom on. Others, like Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' and Salvia clevelandii, looked so sad I didn't even bother to photograph them. Although our rainfall in 2022 has been nearly double what we received in 2021, it's only about half our "normal" average. Two bad rain years in a row is having an impact.
Even so, the garden offered gifts.
Many of the Zinnias I sowed from seeds are still in bud but I planted others from 6-packs to fill empty spots in my cutting garden as I pulled other plants out |
The white and blue Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus) are doing well this year. The pink variety isn't nearly as vigorous. |
Warmer temperatures have prompted lots of flowers from Magnolia grandiflora |
Pandorea jasminoides 'Alba' is still going strong too |
I picked up Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy' a couple of weeks ago to fill an empty spot in one of my half barrels |
The garden presented a few unexpected surprises.
Delphinium elatum 'Cobalt Dreams', cut back after its first flush in April, returned bigger and better with a second flush of blooms |
Lantana 'Lucky Yellow' isn't an unusual plant but this one has woven itself through a Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire', which drew my notice |
The Lepismium cruciforme (aka hurricane cactus) I picked up my local botanic garden's spring plant sale just produced its first tiny blooms |
The orchids in my lath (shade) house always surprise me when they bloom. Clockwise from the upper left: Oncostele 'Wildcat' and 3 noID Phalaenopsis. |
My old standbys continue to produce a steady stream of flowers (of floral substitutes).
The Grevilleas keep on giving. Top: G. 'Peaches & Cream' and G. 'Poorinda 'Leane' Middle: G. sericea and G. 'Scarlet Sprite' Bottom: Grevillea 'Superb' |
Once again, I've thrown the best of the rest into color collages.
Clockwise from the upper left: Anthurium 'Maine', Cuphea 'Honeybells', Hoya carnosa, Centranthus ruber, Cistus 'Sunset', and Digitalis purpurea |
Clockwise from the upper left: Berlandiera lyrata, noID Coreopsis, Gazania 'Gold Flame', Grindelia camporum, and Gaillardia 'Amazon Sunset' |
Clockwise from the upper left: Aloe nobilis, Antirrhinum majus 'Double Azalea Bronze', Lobelia laxiflora, Digitalis 'Dalmatian Peach', and Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell' |
That's a wrap for my July Bloom Day report. Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to discover what's blooming elsewhere in the US and other parts of the world.
All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Wow! What a wonderful assortment of beautiful blooms!
ReplyDeleteHappy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Thanks Lea.
DeleteSuch a lot of gorgeous blooms. I am full of envy.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't be, Dorothy. Your July garden is looking great.
DeleteI'm having fun with my Dahlias this year. Now that I don't have to go to work anymore I make my coffee and do a stroll, always starting with the Dahlias-they are just starting to open. Your Lilies look great ! It looks like you found some varieties that can handle Socal weather. I am experiencing the same moderate July weather up here as well. Too bad it's not like this til Sept. I hate July and August in the garden too.
ReplyDeleteThe morning marine layer has done a magnificent job of keeping our temperatures down below "normal" levels. It usually clears at our elevation by 10am or earlier but it still makes a different. I hope the climate scientists are wrong about the pending decline of the marine layer.
DeleteI have 10 more dahlias that have yet to bloom so I'm looking forward to the season unfolding in slow motion. Only 2 of those dahlias have buds thus far but, with the possible exception of one plant that seems very slow to beef up, I think all of them will bloom - eventually.
I could feel my heart rate increasing as I scrolled through your garden blooms. My dahlias are still malformed. I haven't noticed an unusual number of ants, but perhaps I should check more carefully. What did you do to solve the ant/aphid problem?
ReplyDeleteHere, ants "herd" aphids in order to collect their honeydew - it's a prevalent problem with certain succulents. I believe that pairing is what damaged the blooms of the 'Labyrinth' dahlia I bought as a potted plant last year. When I noticed the very first malformed blooms on 'Calin', I sprayed the plant with insecticidal soap. When I continued to see ants in and around the buds/flowers, I used a sharp stream of the hose to wash down each stem bearing buds, then sprayed with insecticidal soap again. I also cut off all the malformed buds/flowers and thinned buds where they were densely clustered. I've continued to monitor 'Calin' closely and have also sprayed the buds on my other dahlias as a preventive measure. I hope that helps, Susie.
Delete'Spacecoast Behavior Pattern' must be a contender for strangest plant name ever, right up there with the memorable rose called "Weight Watcher's Success'.
ReplyDeleteGreat array of flowers once again. The Zinnias are so cheerful. The Dahlias make up for it being July somewhat. July and August are my two least favorite months as well. When the June-Gloom started to dissipate, the plants all started to look unhappy. Unhappy plants, unhappy gardener.
I'd never heard of that rose but it certainly deserves a place on the worst plant names list! The morning marine layer has been with us into July here - not every day but most. At our elevation it clears well before 10am, yet still takes the edge off the afternoon temperatures. Weather forecasts suggest it's not likely to continue. My sandy soil is ridiculously dry and, after 2 irrigation system leaks, I'm reluctant to take the hose out to hand-water but it's getting depressing.
DeleteKris, I am thrilled to see your beautiful blooms. Your dahlias are just gorgeous as are all of your blooms. Do you water everything by a garden hose or do you use drip lines?
ReplyDeleteI have drip lines and soaker hoses in some areas and a gray water system that deposits water from our washing machine on our back slope. I also have 3 rain water tanks (now all empty or nearly so). That said, the majority of the garden is on a sprinkler system, which runs twice a week at present (within time limits specified under California's current water restrictions). I hand water my cutting garden, using a hose with an adjustable nozzle.
DeleteAll wonderful and such an array of blooms. I'm surprised that you can grow delphinium! I love the peach digitalis.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that I could grow Delphinium too, Phillip! It can't survive in my garden borders but, treating it as an annual, I've found I can support a couple of the plants in my cutting garden, which gets hand-watered.
DeleteI absolutely love your Grevilleas! I really would love to grow 'Poorinda Leanne', the color of the blooms is just amazing and it might actually be hardy for me, but it's not available around here. Hopefully it will be someday. Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDelete'Poorinda Leane' doesn't bloom as continuously (or heavily) as 'Superb' and 'Peaches & Cream' but I love its blooms too.
DeleteGorgeous blooms, Kris. The sunset shades of your zinnias and dahlias are particularly gorgeous. Interesting to see that many of your leucadendrons still have really good colour, despite it being mid summer in your part of the world. Do you think that is due to the specific varieties you have chosen, your cooler than expected temps, or is that just normal in your garden?
ReplyDeleteThe Leucadendrons I featured in this post are generally colorful this time of year, Horticat. I have a LOT of Leucadendrons and some, like 'Pisa', 'Chief', 'Cloudbank Ginny' and 'Safari Goldstrike', are more striking during our cool season.
DeleteIn spite of the doldrum of summer, your garden, not surprising, is full of blooms. I enjoyed the unexpected bloom of the hurricane cactus.
ReplyDeleteLucky you, to get second flush of Delphinium flowers. I can't get a first :-D... I have given up on growing Delphinium until earlier this year, when Seattle nurseries had a new (at least to me) variety, already blooming in coral and bits of red: I was smitten, unable to resist.
Chavli
Ooh, a coral-red Delphinium! I haven't seen that one. This morning I noticed that yet another tall stem of Delphinium 'Cobalt Dreams' has taken a nosedive - it's gotten too big for its own good :(
DeleteI'll say...your gifts are plentiful, as always. :) May through October are my favorite months here. We are hot in July and August (often hotter than your part of the country), but most years we have enough rainfall, which is a blessing.
ReplyDeleteI've been surprised at just how hot your area gets, Beth. This year it seems that much of the country is running hotter than we are. I'm amazed - as well as grateful - that we haven't reached 100F yet, although our inland valleys haven't been as lucky. Rain of course is non-existent but then that's normal here. My favorite months are December-May (aka our cool season).
DeleteWow, you have so many gorgeous flowers! I really love your dahlias. I planted some dahlias this spring for the first time and am still anxiously awaiting blooms.
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DeleteBest wishes with your dahlias, Candi. Mine always seem to take far longer to go from tuber to bloom stage than I expect. Planting the tubers early (late March) just made the waiting game worse, probably because the soil was just too cool (even here) to prompt germination at that point.
I threw seeds for the wild carrot 'Dara' and to my knowledge, only one came up. That was one flower I was hoping to see more of.
ReplyDeleteYou may not have as many blooms as usual, but you still have tons more varieties that I'll ever have in a lifetime. I never ceased to be amazed at the variety you have on one piece of property - a gardener's dream.
I'm glad you're enjoying somewhat cooler temperatures. We, on the other hand, have had a much hotter summer than usual. I hope that trend doesn't continue, but at least we've had several monsoons along the way.
I hope the wild carrot surprises you by self-seeding and delivering a plethora of blooms next year, Cindy. It feels monsoonal here at the moment with temperature and humidity readings nearly the same but I gather that any thunderstorms are likely to remain to the east of us.
DeleteI'm absolutely loving your dahlias! I've got quite a few in the garden, I guess I should do a garden post soon :)
ReplyDeleteDahlias help make the summers here palatable, Nikki. I look forward to seeing yours.
DeleteKris, you could write a book on successfully gardening in drought conditions. Despite the extreme conditions you garden under, you manage to have an extraordinary selection in bloom. Kudos! Eliza
ReplyDeleteI suspect a truly successful garden in this climate would have a lot more succulents, Eliza. I'm facing that reality more squarely now and plan to replant more areas with succulents. In fact I mail ordered 4 agaves and 3 mangaves just yesterday ;)
DeleteOh my goodness Kris! You have so many blooms and I love how you categorize them by color. Your garden is ALWAYS amazing and I am in awe every time!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee.
DeleteSo much happening despite drought conditions. The Grevillea's are gorgeous. Thought I would give Zinnias another try as I see them all the time in your blog. Started them indoors and transplanted them out when warm enough. First night out they were devoured by slugs. Grrr.
ReplyDeleteHow disappointing! I don't see slugs or snails here during our long "warm" season but whether that has to do with the dry conditions or the efforts of the local raccoons I don't know. I'm grateful, though.
DeleteSplendid collection, especially your Dahlias!
ReplyDeleteDahlias make summer here a little less awful ;)
DeleteJuly may be your least favorite month, but you'd never know it looking at what's in bloom in your garden. A joyous feast for the eyes.
ReplyDeleteDaucus carota 'Dara' is on my wish list now. There's a lot of Daucus carota growing next to roadsides around here (which I love), but this cultivar looks extra nice.
Daucus carota appears to be an enthusiastic self-seeder, although it seems that it doesn't necessarily come true from that seed. Some of my self-seeded flowers are still that deep burgundy 'Dara' is known for whereas others are much lighter (albeit not pure white).
DeleteIt's all been said by everyone else as I come late to your garden party. The hurricane cactus - how fascinating! I love it.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers on the hurricane cactus are really small but very cute!
DeleteA fabulous showing as always Kris! Seeing yours I realize my Pelargonium sidoides has up and disappeared.
ReplyDeleteIt may have been too cold and wet for the Pelargonium in your area, Loree, but it may surprise you by coming back from the roots one day,
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