what’s blooming

It’s been way too wet this summer!  There are just some days that the rain penetrates everything you have on.  It’s been good for a lot of things, but mostly it’s been a haven for slugs and powdery mildew.  We’ll get through this- and hope for a drier August.

We’ve entered the mid-summer bloom period where daylilies steal the show.  As a garden designer, I ignored daylilies- and actually looked down at them as a rather gaudy and far-too-overplanted perennial.  Over the past 5 years or so, I’ve opened up to them.  When used in moderation, or in sequence down a garden border, they can add color that’s desirable in summer.  I’m especially fond of pale yellow daylilies like ‘Hyperion’ planted with ornamental grasses and Hydrangeas.  The “siloam” daylilies are great- small flowers with a dark eye- unusual cream and plum colors.

Echinaceas also are at peak performance now.  I love the deep orange and almost taffeta patterns in the new “Big Sky” hybrids, but I also love the simple white flowers of ‘White Swan’- great with Hydrangea ‘Blue Billow’ and an ornamental grass like Panicum armarum ‘Dewey Blue’.

Crocosmia is in full bloom right now- intense red flowers- also great when combined with ornamental grasses.  Since it tends to reach out beyond it’s planted space- it’s good to plant this where it can mingle with other plants in the garden.  The arching branches and striking color make it very attractive- but the color is a solid red- so it’s companions must be chosen carefully.

Phlox have been blooming for a while and they also offer a broad color palette.  I particularly like the blue variety- ‘Blue Paradise’ and the white variety-‘David’.  The problems with phlox in a wet and cool year like the one we’re experiencing is that they get an awful case of powdery mildew.  One must be proactive to prevent the onset of powdery mildew.  Read more here.

All sorts of lilies are blooming too- Asiatics are almost done, but oriental lilies and trumpet lilies are perfect right now- except for one thing- the lily leaf beetle.  It’s been a good year for the beetle and our lilies have succumbed to this pest this year.  We’ll have to decide if we can continue to carry lilies because of the constant vigilance it takes to keep this pest at bay.  You can learn more about controlling lily leaf beetle by visiting gardenweb or any extension service website.

Here are some images of other perennials and shrubs blooming now.

Here are some nice photos of tropicals and annuals blooming- now that we’ve had some warm weather- they’re growing!