Bloom Day - July 2025 (Late Edition)

I'm a day late with my Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post and left some blooms behind but I couldn't bring myself to skip the occasion altogether.  It's been an odd month from a weather perspective.  While we had a few brief very warm stretches in June, with temperatures reaching the upper 80sF (31C), July has been surprisingly comfortable by and large.  That hasn't always been true of Southern California's inland valleys but along the coast our morning marine layer has been helping us out.  The sun still shines bright by early afternoon but the temperatures remain cooler than usual for this time of year.  I'm knocking wood that trend continues awhile longer as the garden is already struggling to deal with summer dryness and we don't need the added challenge of any major heatwaves.

As it is, some of the flashiest flowers in my garden have already headed out the door.

Clockwise from the upper left are Orienpet lilies: Lilium 'Conca d'Or', 'Friso', 'Montego Bay', and 'Pretty Woman'.  Both 'Conca d'Or' and 'Montego Bay' only produced single flower stalks this year.  The wind snapped the former off at the base on Sunday afternoon and I cut the sole stem of 'Montego Bay' for a vase the same day.  Only the 'Zeba' lilies I planted from bulbs earlier this year have yet to flower.

Clockwise from the upper left, other plants on their way out include: Leucanthemum x superbum (top 2 photos), Leucospermum 'High Gold', and Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman'

There are still lots of plants putting on a good show, though.  Here are some of the mid-summer stars:

While some of the earliest Agapanthus blooms have turned shaggy, there are plenty still looking good.  The only named variety I have is 'Twister', shown on the bottom right.

Billardiera heterophylla (formerly classified as Sollya heterophylla, aka Australian bluebell creeper) has abundant tiny blue flowers.  It'll be covered with small purple drupes (fruit) later this summer.

I'm never quite sure when Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' will take off but the hummingbirds always alert me when it does

Cenchrus orientalis (formerly classified as Pennisetum orientale, aka Chinese fountain grass) has a remarkably long bloom period

I didn't photograph all my Cupheas but 'Vermillionaire' is looking particularly good this summer

Daucus carota 'Dara' (aka wild carrot) self-seeded liberally throughout my garden this year

Most of my foxgloves have underperformed this year but this Digitalis purpurea is trying to make up for them all by itself.  I think this is the 4th flush of blooms it's produced.

Last year I was unimpressed by the Leonotis leonurus (aka lion's tail) but the plants are doing very well this year

Hybrid Monarda 'Peter's Purple' is the only member of the genus I've managed to grow in my current garden

Myrtus communis is a humble shrub but its fluffy white flowers are appreciated

I cut back Salvia canariensis var candidissima hard last month and it's already bounced back

Santolina virens 'Lemon Fizz' is a little messy but I enjoy both the flower and the foliage colors

I sowed seeds of several varieties of Zinnia elegans this year but 'Benary's Giant Wine' and 'Queeny Red Lime' are first out of the gate

A handful of succulents are also putting on a good show.

Clockwise from the upper left are: Aloe distans, A. lukeana, Crassula pubescens, and C. p. ssp. radicans

Of course, I can't forget the old standbys that bloom for much of the year.

Many of the Gazanias in my garden are now self-sown mixes but the 2 in the top row are 'Yellow Flame' and 'White Flame'

Some Grevilleas bloom year-round.  Clockwise from the upper left: Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', G. sericea, and G. 'Superb' (bottom 2 photos).

Lantana 'Lucky Yellow' (top 2 photos) is exuberant at the moment.  The bottom 2 photos feature 2 smaller varieties, 'Irene' (left) and variegated 'Samantha' (right).

Many of the Pelargoniums bloom off and on all year.  All but one of these are ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum).  The exception is the one on in the second row on the left, for which I have no ID. 

Polygala myrtifolia (aka sweet pea shrub) continues to mount its battle for world domination in my front garden (while also creeping into the back garden whenever I'm not watching)

As usual, I've thrown the best of the rest into color-themed collages:

Pinks, clockwise from the upper left: Arbutus 'Marina', Argyranthemum 'Grandaisy Dark Pink', Cistus 'Grayswood Pink', C. skanbergii, Cuphea 'Honeybells', and Rosa 'Pink Meidiland'

Blues, clockwise from the upper left: Consolida ajacis (aka larkspur), Lavandula 'Provence', Plectranthus neochilus, Globularia x indubia, and Thymus serpyllum

Whites, clockwise from the upper left: Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Achillea millifolium, Diplodenia 'Sundenia White', Eustoma grandiflorum, Magnolia grandiflora, and Osteospermum 'Violet Ice'

Yellows, clockwise from the upper left: Achillea 'Terracotta', Arctotis 'Large Marge', Argyranthemum 'Aramis Apricot', Berlandiera lyrata (aka chocolate daisy), Chrysocephalum apiculatum 'Desert Flame', and Petunia 'Bee's Knees' 

Reds, left to right: Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell', and Leucadendron salignum 'Blush'

So that's it for my late post.  To enjoy more flowers, call on Carol at May Dreams Gardens for connections to other contributors' Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party