Friday, July 14, 2023

Bloom Day - July 2023

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day officially falls on Saturday but I'm once again operating on my own schedule and posting a day early.  Our morning marine layer seems to have finally deserted us and our temperatures have soared.  We reached a high of 92F (33C) on both Wednesday and Thursday.  That's not horrible, at least by comparison to heatwaves in other years, but it's a big contrast to the cooler temperatures we'd been enjoying.  Gardening has been limited to early morning watering sessions.

Fortunately, I took my Bloom Day photos earlier this week.  I'll start with this month's stars.

My Agapanthus bloomed about one month behind schedule this year.  They're at their peak now.  With the exception of the flower on the lower right, a cultivar named 'Twister', all those shown here are unnamed varieties that came with the garden.

This is the first time I've grown Helianthus 'Sunbelievable Brown-Eyed Girl' and I love it

Although daylilies differ in terms of their flowering schedules, mine peaked in June last year but I have more blooms in July this year.  Clockwise from the upper left are: Hemerocallis 'Cordon Rouge', 'Persian Market', 'For Pete's Sake', 'Spacecoast Behavior Pattern''Spanish Harlem', and 'Sammy Russell'.

The lilies keep coming.  Clockwise from the upper left are: Lilium 'Conca d'Or', 'Pretty Woman', 'Friso', and a noID white variety.

I needed a telephoto lens to photograph the Magnolia grandiflora flowers, which grow high above my head

Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' is peaking this month.  'Pozo Blue' is also blooming but it doesn't have the deep blue color of 'Winnifred'.

 

Several of my hardworking summer stalwarts are also putting on a good show.

The Cupheas bloom most of the year but are at their most floriferous now.  From the upper left are Cuphea 'Honeybells', 'Starfire Pink', and 'Vermillionaire' (shown in context and in closeup).

The sun also brought out the Gaillardias en masse.  Shown on the right are closeups of Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' and 'Spintop Copper Sun'.

All of a sudden Gazanias are everywhere too.  The only 2 named varieties I can identify are Gazania 'Gold Flame' (top, left) and 'Otomi' (middle left).  Several of the others are self-sown.

Lantana also responded to the sunshine by flowering profusely.  Lantana camara 'Irene' (left) makes the strongest statement but I'm fond of the more demure variegated Lantana 'Samantha' (upper right) too.  The plant on the lower right isn't a Lantana  - it's Lobelia laxiflora but I included it here as it complements L. 'Irene' so well.

 

A variety of plants are making their first appearances this month.

A shaggy Leucanthemum x superbum I've had for many years

I added Sollya heterophylla (aka Australian bluebell creeper) in May 2022 but it's only now flowering for the first time.  I grew this plant in my former garden but this is the first time I've tried it in my current garden.

Other plants making an appearance this month include, clockwise from the upper left: Catanache caerulea (aka cupid's dart), Globularia x indubia (aka globe daisy), Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', white-flowered Crassula pubescens, Sonchus palmensis, and Dahlia 'XXL Veracruz'

 

I had one big surprise involving a plant I installed not long after we moved in 12 years ago, which is blooming now for the very first time.

This is Phormium 'Atropurpureum'.  I have at least 7 other Phormiums, all in place 7 or more years, and this is the first and only one to date to ever bloom for me.

 

There are also a host of plants that are still flowering, albeit more lightly, warranting a nod of appreciation.

Top row: Arctotis 'Large Marge' and 'Pink Sugar' and the ever-blooming Grevillea 'Superb'
Middle: assorted Dianthus, assorted Digitalis, and Limonium perezii
Bottom: Pandorea jasminoides with Trachelospermum jasminoides, Salvia canariensis, and Viola 'Penny Peach'

 

And then there are a couple of plants which appeared earlier this month, exiting prior to the usual Bloom Day recognition; however, they still warrant acknowledgement.

Epiphyllum 'King Midas' (left) and Gladiolus 'Guinea' (right)

 

As usual, I'll end this post with color-themed collages representing the best of the rest currently in bloom.

Top row: Ageratum corymbosum, Gladiolus 'Vuvuzela', and Melaleuca thymifolia
Middle: Nemesia 'Sunglow Bicolor', Osteospermum 'Violet Ice', and Pericallis 'Violet Bicolor'
Bottom: Polygala myrtifolia, Scabiosa columbaria, and Thymus serpyllum

Clockwise from the upper left: noID Ageratum, Agonis flexuosa (aka peppermint willow), Angelonia 'Archangel White', Fuchsia 'Windchimes White', 2 self-seeded Osteospermum, and Phyla nodiflora (aka frogfruit)

Top: Alstromeria 'Inca Vienna', Argyranthemum 'Pink Comet', and Hebe 'Wiri Blush'
Middle: Cistus 'Grayswood Pink', C. 'Sunset', and Grevillea sericea
Bottom: Oenothera speciosa, Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', and Teucrium chamaedrys

Top: stray Aeonium arboreum, Berlandiera lyrata (aka chocolate daisy), and yellow-flowered Crassula pubescens
Middle: Mangave 'Freckles & Speckles', Santolina 'Lemon Fizz', and Tagetes lemmonii
Bottom: noID Bacopa, Allium sphaerocephalon (drumstick allium), and Pelargonium peltatum


In the midst of plenty, there are several noticeable absences this month.  With the exception of the one small dahlia I picked up a local garden center to fill a pot, none of the dahlia tubers I originally planted in temporary pots before giving them more root space in my cutting garden have produced blooms yet.  The zinnias and sunflowers I sowed from seed are still relatively small seedlings.  And the lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) I've often used in floral arrangements in prior years have been virtual no-shows this year.  I didn't plant any new lisianthus in the past year so that may be part of the problem.  As to the dahlias, zinnias and sunflowers, I'm hoping that, as was the case with my spring blooms, the summer flowers will eventually catch up.


For more GBBD post, check in with our host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens on July 15th.



All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

25 comments:

  1. I posted early, too. Every time you do a Bloom Day post, I find flowers I could grow. One of these days I will have to add them to my garden. Love that 'Spanish Harlem' daylily. One of my Agapanthus has 4 buds so that is a big thrill. The other has none and I think it may be in too much shade. Every time you show one of your special Pelargoniums like P. pefltatum I swoon. Just a gorgeous assortment and display as usual.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'Spanish Harlem' is both a fairly heavy bloomer and it repeat blooms (usually) in the fall so it's a great value, Linda. (I think I got mine by mail order from Oakes Daylilies years ago.) Ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum) is also a tough-as-nails perennial here. The burgundy variety is my favorite but it comes in lots of other colors too.

      Delete
  2. I have been shocked at how consistantly warmer than you we have been up here in Portland! I am also shocked to learn that's the first phormium bloom you've had in your garden. Epiphyllum 'King Midas' is a real looker.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's pretty weird that this is the first time I've had a Phormium bloom, isn't it?! By my off-hand count, I have at least 7 other Phormiums, some much larger than that one, albeit none older. I think the rain may have made the key difference (even if that's the only one that bloomed). I noticed blooms on a Cordyline 'Renegade' this year too but I could never get a good photo.

      Delete
  3. All your lilies are incredible, Kris, along with everything else. It's interesting how our temps and garden plants are similar at this peak of the summer. Enjoy all your beauties!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel lucky that our temperatures haven't climbed as high as those in our inland valleys or even the northern part of the state, at least not yet. I hope we can avoid temperatures in the triple digits for the rest of the summer but that's certainly not guaranteed :(

      Delete
  4. Agapanthus 'Twister' is such a dazzling introduction! It is an attention grabber for sure.
    Hooray for the Phormium bloom. I don't believe I ever seen one. Lucky you.
    Leptospermum 'Copper Glow': love it a lot... I know how useful it is in your IAVOM too. The contrast of dark foliage and white flowers is great.
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' has become one of my favorite (top 20) plants, Chavli. It isn't often that you find a plant that provides both beautiful foliage and graceful (but not obtrusive) spays of summer flowers. The oddest thing is thaty I've never seen it anywhere other than my own garden.

      Delete
  5. So many pretties! Lovely daylilies. I like that 'Spintop Copper Sun' very much. I have Spintop Orange Halo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I didn't know 'Spintop Copper Sun' has a sibling, Lisa. I'll look for it!

      Delete
  6. Beautiful! Love the Lilies!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lea. The lilies are putting on an especially good show this year.

      Delete
  7. You have so many gorgeous booms as always, Kris, but your agapanthus especially caught my eye, as did the Sunbelievable Brown-Eyed Girl. I've decided I need to grow more Black or Brown Eyed Girl flowers, if I can get the darn deer to stop eating them that is. :(

    I hope the heat speeds up the progress on your dahlias zinnias!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have rabbits, squirrels, possums, raccoons, gophers and, occasionally peacocks, but I'm glad to say there are no deer here!

      Delete
  8. Everything has been late here in western Oregon. Winter was very long and unusually drawn out this year. Spring lasted all of two days or so, and we're currently enjoying a heat spike. Thankfully not as bad as the southwestern, but it still makes me grumpy. Your flower power post cheered me up! I adore that Sollya heterophylla - those bells are just lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope that the Sollya is better behaved than it was in my former garden, where it actually strangled a young tree, Anna. So far, so good.

      Delete
  9. Hard to do a Bloomsday post when there is so much blooming in your garden. It must be quite stunning right now. Interesting that all of your plants are behind as we are so far ahead. Kind of wondering what will be left in August when I have a tour coming. Hopefully the annuals and still-to-be-planted dahlias will pick up the slack. The dahlias are blooming in their pots and would desperately love to be freed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As both the Agapanthus and the lilies seem to be in a particular hurry to finish up since the heat arrived, I've been wondering if my dahlias will be in time to fill the gap. I hope your plants come through for the August garden tour, Elaine! I can't imagine a garden tour in August, which is usually when the gardens here start to tank due to the heat.

      Delete
  10. SO. MANY. FLOWERS!!! Your garden is a wonderland!

    I planted two agapanthus last fall (1 gal) and neither one survived our record-wet winter :-(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Agapanthus drowned?! I've always considered them immortal here.

      Delete
  11. I always enjoy your bloom-day posts, Kris. Great varieties of flowers in all shapes and colors. I love the Phormium flower, it is a beauty. Eliza

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now I just need to give a good talking to the rest of my Phormium about getting their bloom on!

      Delete
  12. Kris-you never cease to amaze me with all your blooms, which just keep on giving! Your capture of the Magnolia grandiflora blooms is stunning!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lee. I admit to wishing that the Magnolia flowers were closer to eye level so I could more fully enjoy them. Seeing them from a distance or through a telephoto lens isn't quite the same.

      Delete
  13. Lots to see this month! I didn't manage to get a bloom post out with all the travels. Always enjoy seeing something new, such as the Sollya and the purple/white Globularia. Your Gallardias are so well-behaved! I buy all the dwarf varieties, but they didn't read the labels, I guess, as they always shoot up 18-24" or so.

    ReplyDelete

I enjoy receiving your comments and suggestions! Google has turned on reCAPTCHA affecting some commentator IDs so, if you wish to identify yourself, please add your name to your comment.