June has been a busy month here. I've been in the garden as much as possible. I've been digging, pulling, cutting, transplanting, shopping, digging, planting and sweating - just about every day. Blogging has taken a backseat! But before June comes to a close, I want to share some of what's been going on in my Virginia gardens.
I have been taking photos nonstop, and have a backlog of them to sort through! Because of the active garden season, I've found it difficult to sit for any length of time and sort them out! I've just wanted to enjoy my life--without feeling pressure to document everything. But I have to admit, I've missed visiting all of your gardens and communicating via our blogs.
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia unknown variety)
Clematis (may be Jackmanii) and a 2nd unknown variety)
Day Lily - (Hemerocallis 'Stella d'Oro)
Lily (Lilium tigrinum or 'Turk's cap')
Hosta or Plantain Lily blooms (Agavaceae or Hostaceae, once Lileaceae - many varieties blooming)
Astilbe or False Spirea (Astilbe x. arendssi 'Amethyst')
Perennial Sage (Salvia x. sylvestris 'May Night')
Salvia (l. fx. Balsalmisp 'Mystic Spires blue')
Rose (Rosa 'Flower Carpet-Red')
Rose (Rosa 'Flower Carpet-Pink')
Bee Balm - dwarf variety (Monarda 'Petite Delight')
Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies')
Gauraor Apple Blossom Grass (Gaura l. 'Pink Cloud')
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun')
Purple Coneflower - dwarf variety (Echinacea purpurea 'Pikie Meadowbrite')
Coneflower - dwarf variety (Echinacea 'Pink Double Delight')
Coneflower (Echinacea 'Coconut Lime')
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Lobelia (Lobelia erinus 'Techno Heat')
Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorous)
Tickseed (Coreopsis g. 'Rising Sun')
Cut-leaved Anemone (Anemone multifida 'Annabella deep rose')
Windflower (Anemone - mixed bulbs)
Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa 'Butterfly blue')
Nepal Cinquefoil (Potentilla napelensisa 'Melton Fire')
Geum or Goldball (Geum 'Lady Stratheden')
Poor little hydrangea macrophylla did not produce in abundance this year...this is the lone 'partial' bloom. She was new last year and I cut her back too far in the fall, then moved her to a different location this spring. Hopefully next year will be better.
Speedwell (Veronica 'Royal candles')
Speedwell (Veronica 'Red Fox')
Sedum (Pruniatum 'Blue Spruce')
Yarrow (Achillea millifolium - pink variety, possibly 'Saucy Seduction')
Shasta Daisies (Leucanthemum)
Plumbago or Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
Here are a few annuals I've planted in pots:
Nasturtium 'Papaya Cream' (planted from seed), Geranium, and Plumbago auriculata 'Imperial Blue'
Pansies
Coleus (Solenostemon 'Pink Chaos') ...hard to believe this is just ONE plant, as each side of it has differently-colored leaves!
'Kong' Coleus variety
Herbs and veggies currently providing blooms include
Zucchini
Parsley
Cucumber
Other plants have been blooming since spring, some of which include Lavendar, Forget-Me-Nots, Dianthus, Geranium 'Johnson's Blue, Blue Star Creeper, Lamium, Honeysuckle--all of which I've shown in previous posts.
It's ironic that during the most beautiful time in the garden, I find it nearly impossible to share it all in a timely manner, here on my blog! But I have no doubt many garden-bloggers can relate to this phenomenom, especially if your true love is gardening! Isn't that why the 'rest of the year' exists, to catch up with our posts?!
Happy 1st day of summer, my friends:-) I hope you're enjoying life to the fullest!
Today I am thankful that blogging is a pleasant activity, but not a requirement--so my posts can never really be 'late'!
Words and photos ©Thanks For Today, by Jan Huston Doble
Hi Jan. You have so many beautiful blooms in your garden now. Wow! So many beautiful lilies and salvias. Love your Coconut Lime Echinacea. My Red Fox Veronica acts like it is not even going to grow this year let alone bloom for me. You have so many beautiful blooms and coleus I had to look them all over a couple of times LOL!
ReplyDeleteeverything looks really pretty and so healthy! Your busy-ness in the garden is obviously paying off!
ReplyDeleteWow you have flowers! My favorite is the photo of the balloon flower just opening. You really captured each bloom well.
ReplyDeleteGood grief Jan, you have no shortage of blooms! Makes my garden look rather drab! I really love your pink bee balm, and that pretty pale nasturtium too!
ReplyDeleteOh what a treat for the eyes!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I can pick a favorite,
they are all beautiful. I think we must
gravitate to the same colors, as many
of your blooms can be found here as well.
But your combinations are lovely, I
truely enjoyed my visit.
~Brooke
http://creativecountrymom.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/WebGarden/261885457648?ref=ts
Jan, you have so many wonderful blooms here. I especially like all the purples and that Turks Cap! Wow! The balloon flower is awesome too...very unique.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers and fantastic photos!
ReplyDeleteJan -- that's a lot of blooms! I hadn't realized how many different coneflowers you grow.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about gardening and not blogging. I can't seem to get my photos taken when the sun is right. It is shining on my garden so early in the morning these days and waking me up at 6 am.
Jan: The network was broken when I finished a long comment and ready to post! Well, I will try again :)
ReplyDeleteOh, My! You have so many beautiful flowers! I was trying to pick some favorites to comment when I scrolling down the post, but then the more I see, the more difficult for to pick! It is just too difficult when you have so many beauties. I can see why you are so busy, and sitting in front of the computer has to take the backseat :) Oh, if I have to pick the favorites, I will say all those blue/purple flowers are my absolute favorites! Happy Gardening!
Oh, in case my previous comment also made through to your post, don't be surprised why I commented twice :)
I can see why you have been so busy, Jan--lots and lots of lovely blooms! I agree this is the time of year when there's so much to do in the garden there's little time left over to blog. We share some of the same flowers, though I see many new ones here as well that I don't have. The cream-colored nasturtium is so pretty, and I love all the blues that you have.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt you were busy, Jan! Look at those riotous colors! I'm glad you found time to share these beauties with us.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
What beautiful blooms, Jan -- and well worth the wait :-) Such a variety. Thank you for taking me for a stroll around your garden.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, gardening can take over your life , if you let it :) Your photos are gorgeous Jan and so inspirational.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, Jan, this was definitely worth waiting a few extra days for! I love that photo of the balloon flower just starting to open. -Jean
ReplyDeleteDear Jan, Your garden is way ahead of mine ... flowers and vegetables! It is obvious you have been working very hard. This has paid off with exquisite blooms captured by your outstanding photography! Pam x
ReplyDeleteWhere do we start? What a gorgeous collection of color.
ReplyDeleteAll your hard work has been paying off, keep it up.
Jen
Better get started now photographing all the blooms we now expect for July's Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a variety of beautiful flowers and blooms! All your work and sweat is definitely paying off:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blooms! Wow there is alot going on in your garden this month Jan. Don't worry, it's better late than never huh? :)
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post, Jan! Your garden is lovely ... Happy Summer :)
ReplyDeleteGoodness Jan, I scrolled down and down looking at all your wonderful blooms. My garden is kinda' in between. There are many buds but the weather has been cool up until this week, so I am hoping those blooms will start bursting forth.
ReplyDeleteJan everything is beautiful. It appears you have been busy. You have so many beauties - where do I start. The butterfly bush and the clematis is stunning. I have planted a butterfly bush this year. Your yard must be swarming with bees and butterfly's with so many beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteBecca
Jan - I am speechless; your photos (and gardens) are incredible! -Shyrlene
ReplyDeleteYou have so much colour right now. Your clematis on the mailbox makes a wonderful draping. Love the sky blue colour of the plumbago, and Royal Candles has wonderful mini spires. I used to grow Scabiosa, but they got too much mildew, unfortunately. The ballon flower is both fun and pretty. Who can resist those puff buds.
ReplyDeleteHi Jan~~ I feel exactly the same way. Reading the blogs of my gardening co-horts is something I enjoy immensely but there just aren't enough hours in the day to do it all. I think this is at least part of the reason I posted so many summer photos during the winter months, when there was more time.
ReplyDelete'Saucy Seduction' LOL!! I want that plant. If for no other reason than the mere name alone.
As much as I adore your header photo of the honeysuckle, I think your second daylily photo from under the tree, is just positively outstanding and would make an equally delightful header, hint, hint. :)
Oh Jan, it's BEE YOU TEE FULL!! I swear you deserve an award for that photo!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog. I hope you consider me true-blue as I do you. I'm feeling all rhyme-y today. :)
Jan, Wow!! You are definitely doing an Awesome job with this site, the Photos are Beautiful...
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely showing the images of things that alot of folks don't even slow down enough to trully appreciate...
Keep up the Great work, I will definitely be following along...
Take Care
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What a treasury of blooms, Jan! So many and each one so beautiful in its own way!
ReplyDeleteI smiled when I read about your mention of summer. Here Summer is well over and we're in the middle of our wonderful monsoon season. Summer sees me out in the garden the whole day too but for such a different reason ... I'm busy trying to stop my plants from dying in the heat :P
I think I much prefer enjoying the glories of summer this way ... all the beauty but none of the heat! ;D
You are so right blogging is an individual thing and you can never be late. Lovely blooms. Is that Annabelle a special cultivar? I don't think I've ever seen a pink one. Mine are all white and fade to green. Your flowers are beautiful beyond words and all your hard work in the garden shows. Those daylilies by the crepe-the best!
ReplyDeleteYou know, Tina, I can see that I was incorrect w/the ID of my hydrangea. I know it can't be 'Invinceable Spirit', either...a newer hydrangea propagated to be similar to Annabelle, but in pink rather than white. That was just new in 2010...so, guess I just don't know the correct ID. I didn't even make a note of it in last years GBBD post. Wow, what a slacker I am! It's obvious it's a 'mophead' and I have 2 of them, 1 was pink, 1 was blue, when I purchased them. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, because I really am trying to be more 'specific' and 'accurate' with ID's.
ReplyDeleteDoing a tiny bit of research, it's probably an Endless Summer variety...and now I do remember the blue one is Nikko blue. The main reason mine have not done well is that I improperly pruned them last year...at the wrong time--although I've read that Endless Summer often bloom despite improper pruning. It's always said that they might even get a second round of blooms, so maybe later in the summer they'll give out more!! That'd be a real treat. Another factor that contributed to them not doing well was that I moved them around several times. They just need time to settle in to their new location and hopefully they will eventually thrive. I guess Endless Summer is a very manageable variety so in the future, I should have pretty good luck with them.
ReplyDeleteHello Jan,
ReplyDeleteYou've got me chuckling about being in the garden and not enough time to blog or visit. Being we don't have a 'down' time that's how I feel all year long. The balance is to make blogging an enjoyable extension of actual gardening.
It is always nice to visit here with all your pretty blooms/photos and I can see you have been very busy this spring/summer. We grow a few of the same varieties. I fell in love with that Lobelia (Lobelia erinus 'Techno Heat')this spring but when the humidity came on full force into the night it succumbed and perished with many others that grow better here in the dead of winter.
Beautiful showing today.
Meems
The clematis on the mailbox is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteWonderful pics. Thanks for your kind remarks. jim
ReplyDeleteHappy belated Solstice, Jan! What a lovely garden you have, and what amazing pictures you take! My favorite shot was that butterfly bush with the bright red (pelargoniums?) in the background. But the Turk's Cap lily was pretty enough to make me smile.
ReplyDeleteYou'll share it all with us when the season calms down again. I can totally relate. :)
This is beautiful...lovely garden and superb photography.
ReplyDeleteI am smiling and it is getting broader..thanks
and yes:
Today I am thankful that blogging is a pleasant activity, but not a requirement--so my posts can never really be 'late'!
it says all, you are a gem.
keep posting.
The garden is a full time job!
ReplyDeleteYou have so many gorgeous blooms. I am trying to reclaim my gardens after being gone for a month!
Happy Summer,
Sherry
What a beautiful garden, so many lovely blooms! I found you at Blotanical, I love the colors of your garden! Looking forward to reading your posts :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jan, Lovely blooms! I love your clematis growing up your mailbox - what a great idea....
ReplyDeleteYou're flowers are really beautiful! I'm really attracted with the daylily, tiger lily and the red rose!You're so expert having those flowers bloom well.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! The Tiger Lily picture is my favorite, but all of them are extraordinary!
ReplyDeleteYou have lots of lovely blooms, Jan!
ReplyDelete