It's the 15th, the day every month when Carol of May Dreams Gardens asks us to show what's blooming in our gardens now. In the spirit of the fifth anniversary of this blog, I will now present, in no particular order, the five plants that make the most impact and were not yet blooming last month. While the heat has retreated and the rains have returned, several more inches need to fall before the soil moisture returns to its normal level. The garden has responded enthusiastically.
1. The first is shown in the photo above, Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender'. It tends to bloom a bit later than most of the other Phlox paniculata, and is in the first flush of full bloom.
2. Solidago 'Dansolitlem' (Little Lemon™)
It's the first goldenrod to bloom and my favorite. Little Lemon is a mini about a foot tall.
3. Lobelia syphilitica
The native Lobelia syphilitica blooms blue in drier soil than Lobelia cardinalis can handle.
4. Lobelia 'Sparkle DeVine'
'Sparkle DeVine' is much shorter than L. syphilitica, but its magenta blooms pack more punch in the garden.
5. Hylotelephium spectabile (Sedum) 'Xenox'
'Xenox' blooms the earliest of the tall sedums here at Squirrelhaven. It is the best large dark sedum I've seen.
Finally, and not quite in bloom yet, because I'm just too excited and it probably won't still be in bloom for September Bloom Day, Angelica gigas.
Growing this plant from seed requires fresh seed, which I got from Kathy of Cold Climate Gardening. I sowed several seeds in a container, then selected the strongest seedling and planted it. There wasn't room at the time for more than one of these large beauties. Last year I admired its red-veined foliage, but this year, it's finally going to bloom. I hope to collect seed to grow this biennial again.
What's blooming now:
Alchemilla sericata 'Gold Strike'
Allium cernuum
Angelonia angustifolia
Antirrhinum
Astilbe pumila
Campanula 'Samantha', 'Sarastro'
Campanula persicifolia 'Blue-eyed Blond', 'Grandiflora Alba', 'Telham Blue'
Clematis 'Betty Corning', 'Comtesse de Bouchaud', 'Evipo 031' (Bonanza™), 'Evisix' (Petite Faucon™), 'Madame Julia Correvon', 'Rhapsody'
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Coreopsis 'Star Cluster'
Dianthus 'Cranberry Ice'
Echinacea purpurea
Eupatorium (Eutrochium dubium) 'Phantom'
Eurybia divaricata
Geranium 'Blogold' (Blue Sunrise™), 'Bob's Blunder', 'Gerwat' (Rozanne™), 'Jolly Bee'
Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac'
Heuchera 'Havana', 'Frosted Violet', Raspberry Ice'
Hibiscus syriaca 'Red Heart'
Hosta 'Cherry Berry', 'Halcyon', 'June', 'Krossa Regal'
Hosta plantaginea
Knautia macedonia and 'Thunder and Lightning'
Lavandula 'Hidcote'
Liatris spicata
Lobelia 'Monet Moment'
Lobularia maritima
Lonicera 'Winchester'
Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina'
Oxalis regnellii 'Triangularis'
Pelargoniums
Phlox maculata
Phlox paniculata 'Blue Paradise', 'David', 'Goldmine', 'Laura', 'Nicky', 'Red Super', 'Starfire'
Phuopsis
Platycodon grandiflorus
Rosa 'Carefree Beauty'
Ruellia humilis
Salvia nemorosa 'Sensation Rose'
Sanguisorba officionalis 'Tanna'
Stylophorum diphyllum
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Talinum paniculatum 'Limon'
Tricyrtis 'Gilty Pleasure', 'Tojen'