LOL Muddy, I can just see it... some little family strolling through the woods and the little one asks "Mommy, why are those flowers growing out of the middle of that old tree stump?" < =D Hahahahaahaaa!!!!!!
FIRST FLOWERS OF SUMMER!!! Yay it's finally here!!!
our white monarda and pink echinacea started blooming today ^_^
and the huge Hollyhock has continued to grow tall and is now taller than our roof! I don't even think we have stakes tall enough. It looks like with more blooms coming on, one of the stems is leaning and could use staking. I'll try and post a pic on Friday with one of us standing next to it so you can see how tall it is. Pretty amazing
Oh my, I have got to get some of those Poppies. Just beautiful. Where did you get them, grow from seed?
would love to see some photos, Wind! :-) I'm afraid my hollyhock seedlings are still small...
Wow typ, that's such a a gorgeous bloom. I grew California poppies from seed a couple of years ago, but they really dislike our summer heat.
I sowed a whole bunch of poppies this spring, along with the wildflower mix. Lots of seedlings, but not much blooming yet. I hope at least one poppy blooms for me, although I know it will be brief and fleeting. :-(
Wow Wind, I bet that Hollyhock is a sight to see. Haha Muddy, you're funny. I got a large box of wildflower seeds from a coworker and I'm wondering what to do with them. Perhaps some snow sowing will do the trick.
Holly, yes, they are from seed. Here's the link to the seed packet exactly: https://botanicalinterests.com/products/view/1231/Poppy-Peony-Double-Blend-HEIRLOOM-Seeds
I sowed them in February, on top of the snow, I think. Speedie, Mr. Brown Thumb is probably where I got the idea to sow them on the snow. Seq, the seeds are so tiny that they fall into the snow before the birds can get to them. The problem with snow-sowing is exactly what Muddy said, you don't know what's under the snow.
Does anyone know what this dark purple flower is? It's growing in a wildflower patch at my office. I couldn't get a good picture of it for some reason. The back of the flower comes to a little point, like a pointy hat.
Its a larkspur, see example at http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/251821/
Good id GT, I was going to say the same thing. What a nice surprise. Collect the seeds and then plant them in your yard for next year.
I third that; and larkspur is an easy reseeder to get going. I have a bunch.
Oh thanks, guys! I have never seen them 'in real life' before.
oh innocent child..lol ..funny the things that seem common and obvious to some of us and totally new to others
A few blooms from around the garden.
What's that first one Holly? It looks like a heliopsis. Very nice lilies too.
Have to ask Critter what it is. She gave out Not Chocolate Daisies several years ago and then realized that they weren't what she thought they were. So I have always called them my "Not" Not Chocolate Daisies. LOL I have a huge stand of them
Here are those beautiful head planters Ric and I picked up from the gift table at the swap. I was looking for some kind of hair like plants for them but I just couldn't resist these Sparks Will Fly Begonia.
Beautiful blooms Holly! Love those bushy-head planters! :-)
Holly--
Yes! Jill's "Not Chocolate daisy" turned out to be heliopsis.
I have a bunch of them too....but being in my YUK bed--they are nowhere
as lush as yours....
G.
My first ever Ismene aka Peruvian daffodil Sulfur Queen. Its been too much effort to get here in this zone.
First female cucumber blooms
That daff is really pretty Sally! What do you do with it in the winter, just bring it in?
Ooh, Peruvian daffodils? Never heard of that before.
Holly, I thought of you guys when I picked up those planters! I'm so glad they're getting "hair" now! :)
Finally got my self to sit and upload the pictures to my computer. Here's some from tonight. More poppies. My most satisfying bed right now, with very little actual bloomers but foliage galore. 'Blue Hawaii' kicking it into high gear now.
Very nice Holly
Seq- Its only a daff, in terms of being distantly related to Narcissus, all are Amaryllidaceae (?) It is only hardy toZ8 or so, so I have been growing them for 6? summers and digging them each winter, storing dormant. Leaves are on the size range of big Amaryllis leaves. Most years they made a lot f side bulbs. Never before bloom, for me. Last summer I grew them behind the asparagus in hopes they would get more food and water. Maybe that is how this one got big enough to bloom this year. And they seemed to make far fewer side bulbs, leading me to wonder if side shoots are a survival strategy for this group of plants when nutrients are too low to bloom. Anyway, you can have some at fall swap if you want to try next summer. Great scent but short life on bloom- two days. I'll put the remainder in the ground in my warm side bed. and just take my chances.
'Blackhart' Barley finally ready to cut and dry. 'Moonshine' Yarrow and 'Blue Spruce' flowers are exactly the same color and similar leaf colors too. Almost too similar. 'Limey Lisa' Hosta and her sweet little blooms. A viola who started life a little late but looks really pretty. And drum roll please.... my front yard bed for this year, the big reveal. Finally filling in.
Karen- (applause!) Great mix and contrast! I find that so hard to do. You done it!
Funny about the sedum and yarrow. Maybe that sameness can be of use, but separated from each other.
Is the barley like a cool season grass?
Do you like how I went from last to first with my questions LOL?
Nice pics Typ, what do you do with that barley?
typwc, Love those beds great foliage color.
Sally Thumbs up on that Peruvian daffodil.
Typ, the bed is gorgeous! Just love all the contrasting colors and shapes!
Nice work on the Peruvian daff, Sally! My cuke plant has little yellow flowers on it right now. I'll need to inspect them carefully for maleness v femaleness. ;-)
This message was edited Jun 27, 2014 8:04 AM
Thanks guys! It's not my favorite combination ever, but I had to switch things up a lot after getting gifted some scarlet red dahlias. We'll have to watch as things progress this year. Maybe next year I'll do a "black and white" theme? I'm already thinking about next year and this year is only just starting!!! I've got issues!
I grew the Barley for an accent in cut flowers, an experiment. Yes it is a cool season grass. Sown at the same time as peas in March. I didn't grow very much of it and about half of what I did grow got picked apart by birds (or something) before I could harvest it.
The barley is cool-looking, Typ! Will be very pretty in flower arrangements.
Blooms from this morning's roll call:
1) Echinacea 'Secret Affair'--a more purply pink than the Raspberry Truffle (which is more of a coral pink)
2) Cosmos blossoming
3) Monarda fistulosa opened up this morning--yay! Nice lilac color.
4) Monarda 'Coral Reef' doing well
5) Verbena 'Homestead' got a second flush of blooms!
Also from this morning:
1) My first hydrangea blossom of the season beginning to open on 'Endless Summer'! Looks like it's coming in a lavender color
2) First spikes of Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'. I think I need to move it to a sunnier spot--part of the plant is in shade and it's not blooming on that side. This one was a nice surprise for me. I thought it had died over the winter but here it is back!
3) Borage, from seed I sowed this spring, has gotten huge and just put out its first blossoms.
4) Sweetshrub 'Hartlage Wine' has put out another blossom! I had thought the blooms had all died back already a few weeks ago, so it's a bit of a nice surprise
5) Echinacea 'Raspberry Truffle' in full bloom
This message was edited Jun 27, 2014 9:16 AM
lovely blooms everybody! the garden art head planters are fun!
gorgeous front yard bed Typ. loooooove the barley
Cat, you sure have lots in bloom. We don't have either at the moment, but always liked sweetshrubs and borage
our white stokes aster started blooming today
got side tracked weeding this beautiful am. nice break with NO biting mosquitoes. hope to get some pictures to share later on
Nice pics Cat :) I really like that Borage, I've never heard of it before. Is it a perennial? I like your lavender monarda as well.
thanks, Wind and Seq! Seq, the borage (Borago officinalis) is an annual herb--I wish it were perennial! It is very useful in the garden but harder to find than most herbs. I have it down in my database as larval host for Painted Lady butterfly; attracts bees; larval host plant for lacewings; attracts damsel bugs, ground beetles, parasitoid wasps; and repels tomato worms. I was very happy to find the seeds and it has grown like crazy for me.
The lavender monarda is wild bergamot, Monarda fistulosa. I got it at the Loudon wildflower sale this spring. I'm really happy with it so far,
What do all those bugs do for you in the garden? I can see the benefit of repelling the tomato worms but what does a ground beetle or a damsel bug do that's good?
Seq, these are really great sites for learning more about what beneficial insects do in our gardens:
http://ferncreekdesign.org/beneficialinsects.pdf
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/quickref/pest%20management/beneficial_insects.html
Damsel Bug: Feeds on aphids, small caterpillars, leafhoppers, plant bugs, thrips, treehoppers
Ground beetles - Adults are 1 inch or less, fast moving, iridescent bluish-black in color. They hide under rocks and other objects during the day. Larvae are elongated and dark brown-black with large heads. They eat a variety of insects they find on the ground.
Hmm...very interesting. I'll have to check that out later, thanks!
Cat, everything looks gorgeous!
also, borage flowers are edible!
Some pretties from this week.
1--My BIG pot is growing fuller. The Wren still hides in there...see that tiny opening
just left of center? That is her come and go door.
2--A cozy corner in my front bed right below the Koromo Shulibu Azalea.
That wasabi Coleus is something else!
3-My pink Hibiscus today
4--Asiatic (?) Lily--"Pink Sensation". This one is at least 4' tall.
Can't wait for the blooms to open! They are spectacular!
5--Monarda finally blooming in my A/C bed
