African Garden + winter

We Now Resume Our Regularly Scheduled Blog: Bloom Day

That darling of Spring Fling, Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) is smoking at Squirrelhaven.
After living with Spring Fling for over a year, and having it take over my life for the last six months, I'm finally able to put it to bed, so to speak. And now, I can concentrate on other things, such as Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, that monthly flower-a-rama started by Carol, of May Dreams Gardens. June marks the beginning of summer here, and the spring ephemerals are giving the stage over to the stars of summer. I had thought this Geranium, which I found growing in the garden two years ago, was merely another Geranium macrorrhizum seedling

but it must be some kind of hybrid of that plant, as its leaves are smaller, the bloom is more pink, and it blooms slightly later.
How's this for staying power:

this Hellebore is still blooming and has a few more buds yet to unfurl. That's two solid months of blooms. I must confess, I'm impressed with it. I'm changing over the containers to summer bloomers; the bright pink Pelargonium jazzing up this container on the front porch is from Rose of Prairie Rose's Garden and Beckie of Dragonfly Corner. Thanks, ladies!

Also added to the mix is an Oxalis and Salvia nemorosa 'Sensation Rose.'
It's Clematis time at Squirrelhaven. Click on any photo to enlarge.

Above clockwise from left, Clematis 'Crystal Fountain' in its puff phase, Clematis 'Betty Corning,' and Clematis 'Silver Moon.'Below top: Clematises 'Evipo023' (Cezanne), 'Vyvyan Pennell,' 'EviSix' (Petit Faucon).

Above bottom row: 'Evipo 31' (Bonanza), 'Natascha,' and 'Venosa Violacea' in budBelow left, Dracocephalum 'Fuji Blue', Wisteria macrostachys 'Blue Moon'; center Iris siberica 'Orville Fay,' right Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Blue.'

The Lavender 'Hidcote' is about to bloom, while its companion, Rose 'Carefree Beauty' is in full bloom (top left). Top right: a Penstemon from Faire Garden that has opened now. Thanks, Frances!

Above, bottom left, this Astilbe 'Ilostthetaggia' is in bud, on right is a bad color representation of Peony 'Port Royale.' It is actually crimson.Below left, a self sown Campanula persicifolia 'Alba' blooms with Physocarpus opulifolia 'Monlo' (Diablo), center top, Polyganatum, right a seedling from Aquilegia vulgaris 'Woodside Strain.'

Above, middle, a dark spathed Arisaema triphyllum, bottom center Astrantia 'Alba.'
Below, top left, the native Porteranthus trifoliatus a/k/a Gillenia trifoliata, a/k/a Bowman's Root, top right, a seedling Columbine.

Above bottom left, Peony 'Vivid Rose, right Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler' with Sporabolus heteroleptis (Prairie Dropseed) and Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima).Below top left, Dicentra 'Bountiful,' right Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold' with Sedum kamtschaticum.

Above bottom left, Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine,' right Heuchera 'Rasberry Ice' with Campanula 'Sarastro.'
Below top left, Aquilegia 'Leprechaun Gold,' right who said Cotinus coggyria 'Ancot' (Golden Spirit) doesn't bloom and have "smoke"?

Above bottom left, Stylophorum diphyllum (Celadine Poppy) still blooming, but not as profusely as last month, right Alchemilla mollis.

Above from left, Aquilegia vulgaris 'Woodside Strain,' Aquilegia 'Sunburst Ruby' with reblooming Heucherella 'Burnished Bronze,' Thalictrum 'Thudercloud,' and Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac.'Below from left top: Geranium 'Rozanne,' bottom 'Calycanthus floridus 'Athens,' center Aquilegia seedling, top right Anemonella/Thalictrum thalictroides, bottom right Peony Monsieur Jules Elie'?

Last year, Heuchera 'Hollywood' was full of blooms. The winter was a hard one on it, and it has sat there like a plastic plant and done virtually nothing this year. Similarly, Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' is also not blooming, but this is probably my fault, as it is being overrun by the Alchemilla mollis, and needs to be moved. The Cornus kousa is not going to bloom this year. I fear the winter was too cold for it, though it looks healthy enough otherwise. Clematis 'Henryi' would have been in bloom already, had it's more mature stem not succumed to wilt. The growth of plants has slowed down significantly with the cool temperatures we've been experiencing, with highs often only in the 60sF (upper teens C), normal highs are in the upper 70sF (mid to upper 20sC). Fewer things are in bloom now than a year ago.In bloom but not pictured: Campanula 'Samantha,' double Anemonella ('Cameo'?), Penstemon 'Husker's Red,' Tiarella 'Pink Brushes' (reblooming), purple seedling Aquilegia, Flowering Quince, Labrador Violet, Cotinus 'Nordine,' Brunnera 'Jack Frost,' and Dicentra 'King of Hearts.'