What's in full bloom now? JUNE 1ST - JUNE 15TH 2010

We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1097997/#new

What is in full bloom/color in your yard now? Help me build our bloom database by sharing what you feel is at it's peak right now.
Pictures are not necessary, but are always very much enjoyed. Snipets of other people's gardens are always a joy, and what a wonderful way to discover new plants that you simply MUST have!

Since the operative word in a lot of the postings for the last week has been "MUSH", I decided to steal a picture from June 1st last year for the thread. This is Songwriter in all of it's glory. Dratted slugs got all of the stalks this year. I am consoling myself with the fact that it will just make the plant stronger for next year as it didn't waste effort blooming...

I hope others have some pictures to post, because my garden is a chewed soggy mess right now. We will see what a day without rain has done when I get home!

Wow, songwriter is a beaut. Definitely going on my must-have list! I love all the irises that are that blue color. In fact, I like any flower that is that blue color.

Yeah - I'm with you, Gwen. Songwriter is outstanding!

I just love this clematis but it tool so long to bloom, about 5 years, that I forgot which one it is! I thought it was so nice for this bee to pose!

Songwriter's color is amazing. Blue flowers are my favorites, and pinks. Julie if it bloomed this year it would just get soggy, anyway. Every time something blooms I cut it and put it in a vase to enjoy before it gets mushy. The columbines are loving this weather!

I already pulled out the chard and bok choy and now I need to pull out the lettuces and spinach because they are getting all mushy as well. And I need to replace a tomato plant. My two rhubarbs are doing ok. I cut back the kale because caterpillars are eating it. This is a difficult year for vegetables!

I agree Portland, and such a shame -- this is my younger son's first attempt at 'farming' as he calls his two vegetable beds in our old corral. He's quickly learning about moles and slugs, as well as how spacing of plants can be very helpful. But, there's still time for beans and squash if the sun ever returns.

Whooopsss I posted todays blooms on last months thread.

Here is the plant I thought was the leycestera (sp?) Ignore the flower at the base. It's fake. ;)

Blurry close up.

Yup. Jealous!! The early frost killed mine, which was three years old - and maybe a mature one at Molbak's, as well. I love this plant enough that I will replace it.

Still unidentified plant. The leaves do not match the leaves on my astrantia. It'll be fun to see what it is when it blooms!!!

What did we decide this one was?

This is blooming in the chocolate garden.' It is obviously a plant that was supposed to bloom deep burgandy. I guess it could be the dark astrantia, but it doesn't have the right kind of leaves. It photographs a bit like an allium, which it is not.

Peony getting ready to bloom. This is from the farm my mom grew up on in Missouri. She dug it up and brought it back to Calif where it puts on a spectacular display, even tho technically it's too warm where she lives for it to do well. I hacked up bits and brought back and planted here. It does better than any of the $$$ I've bought and planted. Typical.

This must be some type of clematis. But it doesn't flower. Just goes into these seed head things. ???

#939 is persicaria. I don't know what the others are . . . but I love the allium-like one.

I think the plants that our forebears had are much stronger - what we pay top dollar for is not naturally selected (for toughness, etc.), but is selected for traits that Mother Nature would not have selected for, like color or bloom idiosyncrasy.

This message was edited Jun 3, 2010 10:54 PM

In glorious bloom right now. A small pink rose that scrambles up and covers the crab apple by the house. It was here when we moved in but was pruned back to a smallish shrub. I let it go, being the lazy pruner I am, and what a happy surprise when it covered this tree.

Don't really know exactly what it is. Could be new dawn, could be a pink banks (but I don't think so), could be a couple others. With it covering the whole tree, the scent is lovely out there right now. Not a lot of thorns (which is why I don't think it's the banks because I believe those are thornless) but does have some thorns.

This message was edited Jun 3, 2010 10:58 PM

Here's a piece hanging over the driveway. This thing really goes to town and throws itself all over the place.

This is a gorgeous little columbine that has volunteered itself in the red/white garden. I'd like to transplant it to the blue/yellow garden but am afraid I'd kill it in the move. It isn't very big so I can't divide it. So it gets to stay. I just love it.

Gertrude Jekyll still in its nursery pot and blooming its head off. I'll put it in the ground soon and hoping I don't get any stray deer in the yard.

Love your pink climber and the columbine. My peonys are about like yours.

Wow, that climber is awesome. :)

Well, my comfrey fell over for the first time this year (usually does so at least 3 times) and I cut it back to the quick. I tossed it all into the compost, although I've heard it is really good as mulch for tomatoes. Don't have any as yet - I let those greenhouse guys grow mine until the sun really starts shining, which doesn't appear to be anytime soon.

I took a cherry tomato, tomatillo, a few sweet peppers and eggplant out of the greenhouse yesterday and set them atop a raised bed. They all have little buds and/or flowers on them, but maybe that doesn't count for this topic since they were in the greenhouse.

It's supposed to be nice tomorrow (believe it when I see it, right?) so I'm hoping to get them in the ground. When the raised beds are too wet to dig in, I know it's really wet. As if I needed more proof. OK, enough griping.

My snow peas are finally blooming! Hooray! They have a grown a foot in the last week. I guess they like the rain. The kolkwitzea flowers are just beginning to open up. Very pretty. Oh, and one of my lilies is blooming - I think it's a daylily. Doesn't it seem early for that?

Horned rampion is blooming, but sulking. It's never been a draper before, but it is now.

I'll get out there with a camera when the you-know-what stops!

Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant' blooming with blue fescue grass, a California poppy and 'snow-in-summer' behind. The Helianthemum is kind of a cheat because I bought it in bloom, but I don't care because it's so cuuuuuute!

Spanish lavender is in full bloom. Unfortunately I didn't get a bee in this shot, but there are bumbles all over it.

And finally, my peas are in bloom (the ones that made it past the slugs that is).

This is a color combination I've been very pleased with, but haven't been able to get a great shot of. This is the best I've got and it's still not great. It's a rather busy looking picture, when in reality I find this little combo very soothing and calm.

Hosta (Pauls Gold I think), two Japanese painted ferns, Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' with white flower spikes, and the last of the forget-me-nots with their beautiful blue spikes. The white and blue flowers made a cool veil in front of the greens and yellows and purples of the foliage.

Very Pretty pictures.

I love the veil effect...... And very beautiful shades of green!!

I like the different textures and scales of the leaves. Very pretty!

Both very nice Kymmco.

The first (orange, yellow, and white one) is exactly what I want in my orange/yellow/white bed I posted about recently. That's the one in the bright shade.

Totally Gwen - that's why I was excited when the tag on the Helianthemum said it would work in part shade. I think you should try it - seems like it would be warm next to that nice white fence (which is apparently what it likes). Some feverfew and short white campanula maybe to ramble, and it will be awesome.

I have a red Helianthemum and and orange one, a pink one, and a yellow one. I love them all. I was going to take pictures today, but the batteries were no good and then I got too busy weeding to put in new ones. Before I knew it, the sun was going down.

I love Helianthemum, too. Highly recommended!
Gwen, could your climber be Cecile Brunner? I love it! Also love the flower that is not allium. Can you get a photo of the leaves? It's a stunning color!

Kymmco, beautiful combinations!

This year's front walkway photo. Blue, blue and more blue (and also purple). The 'johnson's blue' geraniums are going nuts this year. Plus all the bees are back! Hurray! Two kinds of bumble bees and HONEY BEES! I was so glad to see them. I also saw some small black bees which I believe must be mason bees.

Interesting observation: I have two kinds of Ceonothus blooming in the front garden. One is covered with bees, the other has no bees on it at all.

Pix that is a lovely photo. So very peaceful. Makes me want to take a deep breath and go aaahhhhh.

Pixy, yes, it could be cecile brunner. I think it's either that or new dawn. Most likely it's cecile brunner tho.

That photo above is just gorgeous!

I'll try and get a photo of the leaves. They are crummy looking and last time I was there taking the flower photo, the leaves seemed to be mostly buried in another plant growing next to it.

Gwen I think your pin cushiony flower is Knautia macedonica.