African Garden + time

Blue Moon of June Bloom Day
Paeonia 'Vivid Rose'

It's the 15th of the month, the day that Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, asks us to show what's blooming in our gardens. It wouldn't be June in Chicagoland without peonies, Clematis and Campanulas.

Clematis 'Rhapsody' with a few buds of 'Betty Corning' coming from the left

It's been a fabulous year for Clematis here.

Clematis 'Silver Moon'

This is just a sampler of the Clematis blooming now.

Clematis 'Evipo 023' (Cezanne) with Dicentra 'Bountiful' and Penstemon 'Husker's Red' in the background

Even 'Vyvyan Pennell', which was moved last year, then accidentally dug up in March, looks better than ever, even with only 2 blooms.

The Calycanthus floridus 'Athens' is still blooming and scenting the garden.

Clematis 'Fairy Blue' (Crystal Fountain) has spread into the Calycanthus. I hope it doesn't get smothered.

Other sweet scents courtesy of

Dianthus 'Cranberry Ice', with Lavender 'Hidcote' and Rosa'Carefree Beauty'

and

Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler'

My next door neighbor even commented on the scent of this little phlox. Stinky scent courtesy of Phuopsis.

(Thanks, Nan Ondra.) Towering above them are the last blooms of Baptisia 'Midnight Prairie Blues'

a free trial plant that I just love. It's in its second year here.

The long border is in full bloom now.

Campanula persicifolia 'Grandiflora Alba' and 'Telham Blue' with Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' and Campanula 'Sarastro'

The dark purple dots further down are Aquilegia vulgaris 'Leprechaun Gold'. The columbines are past peak, but still blooming. This Aquilegia vulgaris 'Sunburst Ruby' seedling got a late start.

All the Astrantias are blooming now.

Astrantia 'Roma' with a hybrid Geranium

The Penstemons are all blooming.

Penstemon "Fairegarden"

This plant is a seedling from Fairegarden.

Making its Bloom Day debut is Geranium 'Jolly Bee'.

Also making its Bloom Day debut is a Knautia.

Sorry, no name for this one at this time. I had it in a container last summer, then stuffed it in the ground and forgot about it. Shame on me. I'll have to track down the tag when I get a chance. That chartreuse background is the foliage of Cotinus coggrygia 'Ancot' (Golden Spirit). While not technically a bloom,

the seed heads are more showy. Also not technically a bloom are the bracts of Cornus kousa 'Beni-fuji' with the fallen petals of the just finished Paeonia 'Port Royale'.

This has been a spectacular year for this little tree.

And here it is, the promised 'Blue Moon'

in full bloom, Wisteria macrostachys 'Blue Moon'. What's blooming in your garden?

Also in bloom:
Alchemilla mollis
Aquilegia vulgaris 'Woodside Blue'
Astrantia 'Moulin Rouge'
Astrantia 'Rainbow Loveliness'
Brunnera 'Jack Frost'
Callirhoe involucrata
Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold'
Campanula 'Samantha'
Clematis 'Evipo 31' (Bonanza)
Clematis 'Evisix' (Petit Faucon'
Clematis 'Henryi'
Clematis 'Natascha'
Clematis 'Viola'
Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine'
Corydalis 'ex Du Fu Temple'
Dicentra 'King of Hearts'
Dracocephalum 'Fuji Blue'
Geranium 'Bob's Blunder'
Geranium macrorrhizum
Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac'
Geum triflorum (smoke)
Gillenia/Porteranthes trifoliata
Heuchera 'Lime Rickey'
Heuchera 'Smoky Rose'
Heuchera 'Vesuvius'
Heucherella 'Burnished Bronze'
Iris siberica
Paeonia 'Monsuier Jules Elie'
Penstemon digitalis 'Dark Towers'
Polyganatum commutatum
sweet peas
Stylophorum diphyllum
Thalictrum 'Thundercloud'
Thalictrum thalictroides/Anemonella and 'Cameo'
Tiarella 'Iron Butterfly'
Tiarella 'Pink Brushes'
Veronica prostrata 'Verbrig' (Goldwell)