Bloom Day - June 2021

I did a quick scan of the last six years of June Bloom Day posts and confirmed my guess that I'd featured either Agapanthus or Achillea 'Moonshine' as the headliner in every case.  So I'm going to break from tradition and start off with some of the other stars of my June garden this time but, don't worry, I'll get to those old dependables eventually.

Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' is covered in peachy-pink blooms.  The hum of bees is audible from feet away.

The pale yellow flowers of Crassula pubescens radicans are tiny but they make up for that in sheer numbers.  The yellow flowers and red stems also provide a perfect accent to the 'Blue Glow' Agaves growing in this area.

Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' is immediately noticeable for both its bright blue flowers and its pungent scent

Salvia canariensis var candidissima is rubbing elbows here with Salvia leucantha x clevelandii 'Pozo Blue'

Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lily), a New Zealand native, is a reliable June bloomer

Cistus crispus 'Sunset' took a few years to settle in but now puts a good show.  The pale pink flowers shown in the upper right are those of Cistus x skanbergii, sited to the left of 'Sunset' 

Last year I grew Ammi majus 'Dara' from plugs but this year I grew its cousin, Daucus carota 'Dara', from seeds.  The latter is more robust but their flowers appear identical to me.

Gaura lindheimeri comes back every year.  It self-seeds but it hasn't gone crazy (yet).

Globularia x indubia (aka globe daisy) isn't commonly found in garden centers but it's a good investment if you come across it

It's daylily season here and Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' is the most vigorous of mine

Other Hemerocallis include, top row: 'Cordon Rouge' and 'Sammy Russell'
Middle row: 'Double Impact' and 'For Pete's Sake'
Bottom row: 'Indian Giver', 'Plum Perfect', and 'Russian Rhapsody'

The Magnolia grandiflora in the front garden is loaded with blooms that are virtually impossible to photograph.  I made several attempts with a telephoto lens before I was able to capture these photos.

At this time of year, Pandorea jasminoides and Trachelospermum jasminoides mingle comfortably on the arbor separating the cutting garden from the dry garden

Tagetes lemmonii blooms more heavily in fall but the smattering of bright yellow color is welcome at any time of year

 

To give the old standbys their due, here are the usual June headliners:

Achillea 'Moonshine' got an early start this year and it looks as though its blooms are already fading but I'll try cutting it back hard within the next few weeks to see if I can get a second flush

I've got Agapanthus (most unidentified cultivars inherited with the garden) in at least eight different areas but I dug up and divided the largest groups in two areas last year, replanting only some of the bulbs.  They'll bulk up again in time but I expect fewer bloom stalks this year.

And, speaking of old standbys, here are my year-round bloomers:

Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream'

Grevillea 'Superb', fronted by Cuphea 'Vermillionaire'

I also have this happy mish-mash of flowers:

The combination here is Erigonum nudum 'Ella Nelson's Yellow', Tanacetum niveum, and Nierembergia 'Purple Robe' 

There were a few surprises this month:

This photo of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Marianne Charlton' was actually taken at the end of May but I couldn't resist sharing it.  It's in a pot and dropped numerous buds before producing this single bloom.  I think it either needs a much larger pot or to be planted in the ground.

I stuck a pot containing Echinopsis oxygona in a shady spot along the house when the mimosa tree was cut down late last year and never moved it into a sunnier spot so I wasn't expecting it to bloom but it has

Lilies don't generally grow well in my climate/soil but this one, received 4-5 years ago as a gift with purchase, blooms every year.  I've no idea as to its identity.

Both of the plants shown here seem to be late in blooming this year.  On the left is the first bloom of a noID ruffled cultivar of Leucanthemum x superbum I've had since 2013.  On the right are flowers of what I now think is Prunus ilicifolia, part of a laurel hedge that came with the garden.

While my garden offers a broad array of flowers, the volume in some categories is lower than in prior years, which can probably be attributed to the exceptionally dry winter and spring we had.  I've also noted that some plants that have bloomed in June (or even earlier) in prior years have failed to show up yet.  As this summer is expected to be hotter than usual, I don't expect things will improve until later this year, when hopefully Mother Nature will throw us a bone and deliver more in the way of rainfall than she gave us this year.

On that note, I'll close with color collages featuring what else is blooming here and there in my garden.

Top row: Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin', Arbutus 'Marina', and Distictus buccinatoria
Middle row: Hesperaloe parviflora, Lantana 'Irene', and a mix of orange and yellow Lantana
Bottom row: Leucospermum 'Brandi' and Rosa 'Medallion'

Top row: Alstromeria 'Inca Sundance' and noID Gazania
Middle row: Hymenolepsis parviflora and variegated Lantana 'Samantha'
Bottom row: Leucospermum 'Goldie' and Osteospermum 'Double Moonglow'

Top row: Agonis flexuosa, Alstroemeria 'Claire', and Centranthus 'Albus'
Middle row: Coriandrum sativum, Nandina domestica, and Nigella 'African Bride'
Bottom row: noID Pelargonium peltatum, Penstemon digitalis 'Onyx & Pearls', and Romneya coulteri

Top row: Artichoke, noID Brachyscome, and Buddleia davidii 'Buzz Purple'
Middle row: Gilia tricolor, Lavandula dentata, and Limonium perezii
Bottom row: Melaleuca thymifolia, Plectranthus neochilus, and Polygala fruticosa

Top row: Allium sphaerocephalon, Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', and Callistemon 'Hot Pink'
Middle row: Cosmos bipinnatus, Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', and noID Pelargonium
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard', Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink'

Top row: Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', and Lobelia laxiflora
Middle row: Lotus berthelotii 'Amazon Sunset', Melinus nerviglumis, and Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy'
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum, Penstemon mexicali, and Xerochrysum bracteatum

For more Bloom Day posts, visit our host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Succulent Stars

I've been spending a lot of time in my garden, partly to escape the pandemonium associated with our remodel, but also in an effort to manage the garden's explosive growth following the best stretch of rain and moderate temperatures we've had in a long time.  I could probably spend several hours a day for a solid month just cutting back Erigeron karvinskianus and even then might have to start all over again with a fresh round of haircuts as soon as I finished.  I've also spent gobs of time deadheading flowering plants, pulling weeds, and cleaning out ripened bulb foliage.  In the midst of the last exercise, I took time to admire my sleek and always tidy succulents.

This is Aloe labworana, native to Uganda.  I picked it up last August because I loved its wavy shape.  Once I cut back the dead daffodil foliage surrounding it and uncovered the Echium debris that had nearly covered it, I noticed that it'd taken on a pretty red tinge.

This Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata' had been nearly smothered by Erigeron karvinskianus (aka Santa Barbara daisy) and was partially hidden behind a tall mass of Gaura lindheimeri.  I purchased the plant in a 4-inch pot about 18 months ago and it's still relatively small but someday it'll be big enough to hold its own in that spot against all comers.

This Agave is sold under a variety of names but now is commonly known as Agave mitis 'Multicolor'.  This is the largest of the 3 I have, given to me as a birthday gift 3 years ago.  It's beefed up dramatically in the past year, presumably in response to the extra rain we received this past winter. 

There are several nice 'Blue Glow' and 'Blue Flame' Agaves here but what dials this vignette up a notch is the mass of Crassula pubescens ssp radicans in full bloom among the Agaves.  The smaller succulent's red foliage nicely echoes the red edges of the 'Blue Glow' Agaves most of the year but the cream-colored flowers light up the bed in early summer.

The same grouping from another angle.  Please ignore the crabgrass I missed during my clean-up.

Some succulents have joined the floral parade.

My Hesperaloe parviflora aren't as exuberant as the plants I saw at last year's Garden Bloggers' Fling in Austin, Texas but I'm pleased with the statement they make here and I'm hopeful that, in time, my 3 plants will form large clumps.

I fell in love with Oscularia deltoides (aka Lampranthus deltoides) several years ago based on its foliage alone.  Its red stems are covered in icy blue-green leaves.  Like many succulents, it's easily grown here simply by sticking a cutting in soil.  This one is happy trailing down a low stacked stone wall in partial shade.  I have others growing in full sun but in my location they look best with some afternoon shade.

The bloom spikes on the 2 Agave desmettiana growing in my street-side bed formed in October.  The plants were in full bloom in March.  It appears that bulbils are finally forming, although thus far most are well above my head and therefore hard to photograph.  Meanwhile the mother plants' foliage has taken on a pretty reddish color.

The 3 Agave desmettiana 'Variegata' growing on the slope here are also progeny of the 2 plants currently in bloom.  I planted 5 pups in this area (not all visible in this photo) several years ago when I put the original plants in the street-side bed.  They also got a major boost from our winter rains.

Blooms are a mixed bag when the blooming plant is monocarpic, as most Agaves are.  But, if the Agave desmettiana produce a host of baby plants, that'll take the sting out of the loss of the 2 large specimens.  I only hope the bulbils develop fully before those 2 bloom stalks fall into the street.

All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

June's Top 10 Blooms

Chloris at The Blooming Garden hosts a monthly recap of the top 10 blooms selected by gardeners each month.  I'm joining this month with my own list.  While my Bloom Day posts are free-for-alls that cram together virtually everything I find in flower, the top 10 exercise requires more thought and, better perhaps for readers of my blog, much less to digest.  The exercise of distilling my list down to 10 plants was surprisingly difficult, at least at this time of year.  What is the basis for selecting such favorites?  Do I apply that rationale consistently?  Should I rule out plants that bloom all or most of the year to focus only on plants that peak during the month in question?  Am I over-thinking this?  The answer to the last question is "probably."

I often over-analyze things; however, in this case, I found that the blooms that are the most profuse in my garden generally rose to the top of my list, followed by flashy plants that put on a limited show.  Then, once I ruled out plants that I'd previously listed as favorites this year, plants that are new and haven't yet proven their value, and plants that are only just starting their bloom cycle, I was able to settle on my top 10.

Agapanthus was an easy choice.  It's blooming en masse this month.

The plants and their flowers are often dismissed as common here because you see them everywhere but that's because they're tough, attractive in and out of bloom, and fairly drought resistant

These 2 large masses consisting of multiple clumps of Agapanthus are located in my front garden.  There are similar masses in other areas of the front and back gardens.

All my Agapanthus came with the garden, although I've dug up, divided and moved some clumps over the course of our time here.  This group sits under the mimosa tree in the back garden.

Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lily) is also blooming in spots throughout my garden.

This is a plant I introduced in this garden.  I purchased 3 plants by mail order from Annie's Annuals & Perennials our first year here and I've divided them several times already.  I've spread them throughout the garden.  They bloom best when given morning sun and afternoon shade.

Another profuse bloomer is Crassula pubescens ssp radicans.

This Crassula with its tiny yellow flowers is another one I've spread throughout my garden but the flowers show up best against the larger agaves in this area

My choice of Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' surprised me a bit but, after doing little or nothing last year, it's come into its own this summer.

It looks best when backlit.  Between the Cuphea and the Grevillea 'Superb' (right) the hummingbirds are in heaven here.

Gazanias Gaillardias are one of the flowers with an exceptionally long bloom period in my garden, although unlike some of my Grevilleas they don't actually bloom all year.  However, 'Arizona Sun' is at its best this time of year.

I've used 'Arizona Sun' in a number of areas as it nicely echoes the reds, oranges and yellows in many of my beds

This clump is in the front garden.  Even though this photo was taken at dusk, 'Arizona Sun' still shines.

Gaura lindheimeri also has a long bloom period.  In addition, its delicate bloom stalks blow in the wind, adding movement in the garden.

Gaura is admittedly a rampant self-seeder but, if you're watchful, you can pull up the seedlings easily when they're small

Perhaps you noticed the flowers of Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' in the photo of the Gaura above.  That photo was taken in the late afternoon after a day of intense sun and the flowers look more washed out that they appeared earlier in the day.

'Spanish Harlem' was one of the first daylilies I introduced to this garden.  It's flowered well this year despite our pitifully low winter rainfall.  It also hasn't had the rust issues I've noticed in prior years.

No one can claim that this bloom looks washed out!

Leucanthemum x superbum (aka Shasta Daisies) are common in gardens all across the country but I love the ruffled form that grows in my garden.  A friend gifted me with 6 plants in 4-inch pots following my mother's death in 2013.  They come back more strongly every year.

If the plants came with a tag identifying the cultivar, I've no record of it.  This mass of blooms is in my back garden.

And this is one of several in my front garden

My next choice, Polygala, almost didn't make the cut for this list because it doesn't photograph well, or, more accurately, I never managed to capture it well.  Still, I notice it every time I walk through both the front and back gardens so it deserves a place on the list.

This is a smaller variety, Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly'.  It's self-seeded a bit in my front garden.

This taller variety is Polygala myrtifolia 'Mariposa'.  The flowers are identical to those of 'Petite Butterfly'.  Only the plant's mature size seems to be different.  These in the back garden get more sun and the foliage tends to yellow a bit.

My last selection, Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman', also didn't show up especially well in its photos but its flowers are a bright blue so I'll forgive it just about anything.

This Salvia has been in the ground just 2 years and it's still well shy of its projected mature size

That's my top 10 list of blooms.  What's on yours?  To see others, visit Chloris at The Blooming Garden.


All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party