African Garden + winter

Hydrangeas, Campanulas & Clematis- Oh, My: June Bloom Day

Geranium 'Gerwat' (Rozanne) and Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle)
The photographer risked life and limb (okay, only mosquito bites and much itching) to produce this month's images. Please marvel at the clarity achieved despite mosquitoes flying in the photographer's face.

June is a transitional month, bridging the seasons of spring and summer. The Irises are done, and the daylilies and coneflowers are still in bud. It's been raining here at Squirrelhaven, a lot. By that I mean frequency, more than amount (it's rained six of the last seven days), although it all adds up to quite a lot of wet. Not so good for the gardener, but a boon to the mosquitoes and the plants. The garden is assuming jungle-esque proportions, I've had to beat the mosquitoes off with a stick, but my main complaint is that I can't plant things because the soil is unworkable. On the other hand, the Clematises are having a stellar year. (The only exception is 'Henryi,' that keeps succumbing to wilt.) June is peak Clematis season.

The purple Clematis is 'Evipo031' (Bonanza), the pink is 'Comtesse de Bouchard,' and the red is 'Madame Julia Correvon.'

'Silver Moon' and 'Viola'

the scrambling (rather than climbing) 'Evisix' (Petit Faucon)

'Evipo 023' (Cezanne)

'Betty Corning' and 'Rhapsody' with the last of 'Natascha' in the background

Clematis 'Venosa Violacea' on the trellis by Alchemilla mollis, a winding-down Aquilegia vulgaris, and Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold' and Campanula persicifolia 'Blue-eyed Blonde.'

June is also Heuchera time.

Campanula 'Sarastro' and Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice'

Heuchera 'Frosted Violet'

Heucherella 'Burnished Bronze'

The Astrantias are enjoying the moister than usual conditions here.

Astrantia 'Roma' with a hybrid Geranium

Hydrangea season has begun, with only 'Penny Mac' and 'Claudie' not yet in bloom.

Clockwise from top left: Hydrangea quercifolia 'Flemygea' (sounds like a disease) (Snowqueen), Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer' (Endless Summer), Hydrangea macrophylla 'PIIHM-1' (Twist-n-Shout), Hydrangea macrophylla 'Blue Billow.' To state the obvious, my soil is not acidic.

It's goodbye, Peonies,

last bud of Peony 'Vivid Rose'
and hello, Penstemons, here 'Dark Towers,' growing under the ninebark. Out back, it's Penstemon "Fairegarden," (thanks, Frances!)

waving behind the garlic, Geranium 'Blogold' (Blue Sunrise) and pansies. The Penstemon dominates this border until the Phlox paniculata get going. It's visible in the background of the shot of the patio pot collection.

In a container by itself in the front, Lavender 'Silver Edge' is in bud. I planted it in the ground for the winter, then moved it to the container this spring.
The dwarf hedge of Lavender 'Hidcote,' out front, has started blooming.

It's underneath this Cornus kousa, which is also having a great year. That is especially gratifying, as a late frost kept it from blooming last year.

It's supposed to be 'Beni Fuji,' but I question that. On the left, the first of the Hostas has started blooming: my favorite, 'Olive Bailey Langdon.'

Across the path from the Hosta is this little gem,

Corydalis 'ex Dufu Temple,' clearly enjoying all that extra moisture.

A couple more blue and bluish blooms

the native wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) and Dracocephalum 'Fuji Blue.'

Next to the Ruellia, Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler' is on its second wave of bloom.

The white is sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), which has naturalized in the mini-prairie.
And now, finally, the piece de resistance , the first blooming of one and the first full year of the other, making their Bloom Day debut, let me introduce -

Asclepias purpurascens and Callirhoe involucrata (winecups). I love them, with their over-the-top color. I had no idea the Asclepias would be that incredible. It's a local genotype that I'm growing for the Native Seed Gardeners. I will be collecting the seed, which will then be sown in local restoration areas. (And I just wanted a well-behaved milkweed for the butterflies.)
Thanks goes to Carol, at May Dreams Gardens, the hostess with the mostess, for creating Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.
Also in bloom at Squirrelhaven:
Aquilegia vulgaris 'Leprechaun Gold'
Aquilegia vulgaris 'Sunburst Ruby' Aquilegia vulgaris 'Woodside Blue' Astrantia 'Rainbow'
Calycanthus floridus 'Athens' Campanula persicifolia 'Grandiflora Alba'
Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Blue'
Campanula 'Samantha'
Centaurea montana 'Gold Bullion' Clematis 'Fairy Blue' (Crystal Fountain) - puff stage
Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine' Cotinus 'Nordine'
Dicentra 'Bountiful'
Dicentra 'King of Hearts'
Fuschia
Geranium 'Bob's Blunder'
Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac'
Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' Heuchera 'Smoky Rose'
Oxalis
Pelargonium
Penstemon 'Husker's Red'
Polyganatum biflorum/commutatum
Primula japonica 'Carminea'
Salvia 'Rose Sensation'
Sedum kamtschaticum
Stylophorum diphyllum
Thalictrum/Anemonella thalictroides
Thalictrum/Anemonella thalictroides 'Cameo'
Verbena hastata
Veronica repens 'Verbrig' (Goldwell)
Viola labradorica