Whoosh! That's me shifting gears right now for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. From foliage to flowers, that is. I just spent the morning interviewing a talented landscape consultant and scouting photos in her incredibly clever garden. Rather than relying on bursts of bloom to carry her design through the season, she employs a wide variety of foliage from perennials, grasses, shrubs and even veggies that exert a steady and beautiful influence on her yard.
But back to blooms.
Bouncing between heat waves and thunderstorms, my garden is both suffering and thriving. Here's a smattering of what's happening...
Zinnias, the essence of summer bloom, with the frothy seedheads of Deschampsia "Hair Grass" in the background. Having fun with my iPhone camera for this shot. The Garden Buzz
Marigolds, old summer standbys, look fresh and new next to lemon thyme The Garden Buzz
A little Martagon Lily peeking from out of the hydrangeas
Insects on False Spirea shrub. The Garden Buzz
Trial plant: Campanula "Viking", compact, non-invasive and hummingbird-friendly
Trial plant: Rose "Candy, Oh", a sweet rose bred by a sweet guy, Dr. David Zlesak The Garden Buzz
A different sort of catmint, Nepeta "Souvenir D'Andre Chaubord with bigger, looser flower spikes that draw hummingbirds The Garden Buzz
Hydrangea "Let's Dance Starlight" blooming big this year!
Bumblebee in the background of Asclepias incarnata, Swamp Milkweed, milkweeds are the sole larval plant of the Monarch butterfly
Alien pod, or macro shot of a blueberry?
A thick carpet of Chameleon Plant, Hottuynia cordata, attractive but aggressive to somewhat invasive in my garden.
Trial plant: Proven Winners Leucanthemum "Daisy May" emerging from where the mesclun bed is bolting. I'm a sucker for a good daisy.
On the other hand, invasive Oxeye daisies, that I allow to bloom on a limited basis in my garden, love the high meadow look.
Another macro shot, a painterly image of Dahlia "Mystic something or other"
And finally my little green visitor...
