June's Loveliness

It's difficult to find fault with the garden in June. There are minor annoyances and improvements to be made but we won't go there right now. Let's just look at pretty things. 

Last fall, I got a cutting of this Impatiens from my sister. I potted it and protected it from winter's cold and this spring, it grew! And here is the first blossom! 

Impatiens sodenii 'Flash

I was in Woodburn a few weeks ago, visiting my sister. Of course we visited nurseries. I found this sweet, colorful Bidens at one of them. 

Bidens x hyrida Cupcake Strawberry

After having no luck with getting my hands on Sempervivum 'Gold Nugget' (the IT plant for 2019), I was pleased to purchase this golden goodie at Miller's Manor Gardens. $5 and unlike 'Gold Nugget' this one stays gold all summer. I feel vindicated.

 

Jovibarba heuffelii 'Gold Bug'

Of all places, I found this mottled-foliaged "dandelion" at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Corvallis. It was the only one of its kind and I quickly grabbed it, knowing nothing about it until I got home and did my research. The seeds come true so I'm going to share with whoever wants them. Oh and it's hardy to Zone 5.

Spotted Hawkweed  (Hieracium maculatum 'Leopard')

The flowers do not thrill me but the seed sure does so I'll allow it to bloom, just for its progeny.

Hieracium maculatum 'Leopard'

I love Helianthemum or "Sun Rose." Usually it's the single flowered ones we see planted in rock gardens or at the edge of a border. However, I found a couple of double flowered ones worth mentioning. Check them out:

Helianthemum nummularium 'Cerise Queen'

Helianthemum nummularium 'Annabel'

I love these unique Dichelostemma I bought while in "bulb-mood" last fall. They're in a pot now but I'll figure out where to plant them, hopefully.

Dichelostemma ida-maia

While nursery hopping with my sister, I also found this unique Artemisia. As soon as I saw it, I knew exactly where I wanted to plant it.

Artemisia versicolor Seafoam'

Grown from seed purchased three years ago, this Lychnis is so easy on the eyes. It's not quite as pink as I wanted but it fits in nicely with the other plants in this "warm" border.

Lychnis chacedonica 'Pink'

Oh and back to last fall's aforementioned "bulb-mood", I bit the bullet (they aren't cheap) and bought more Martagon lilies, this time planting the bulbs in pots. Worked like a charm!

Lilium x martagon 'Claude Shride'

In 2017, I bought this Milkweed vine at Dancing Oaks. This is the first year it's bloomed. It's unique and cool and I like it. 

 Milkweed Vine (Periploca graeca)

And speaking of Milkweed, after several years of searching, I found Purple Milkweed in 2017 for sale at  Prairie Moon Nursery in Minnesota. The plants were small and I admit, I've stressed over losing them but here they are, fixing to bloom! 

Asclepias purpurescens

It was surprisingly easy to start this rose from seed several years ago. It is so fragrant and sweet. I have it growing in large pot amidst the showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa).

Rosa chinensis 'Angel Wings'

Speaking of pink (my favorite!) check out the Deutzia. It's very happy this year!

Deutzia 'Strawberry Fields'

The Dunce Cap I had last year died but I found it again this spring.
 

Dunce Cap (Orostachys boehmeri)

Back to pink, the Rhodohypoxis are perfect rock garden or front-of-the-border plants. I love them.

Rhodohypoxis baurii 'Hebron Farm Pink' and Sidalcea malviflora 'Palustre'

Such a pretty native beauty:

Sidalcea cusickii

 Another pink rock garden favorite:

Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies'

 This rose looks its best ever this year:

Rosa 'Jeanne LaJoie'

Here are some wider garden shots:

Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance')

Rosa chinensis 'Mutabilis' and Penstemon 'Garnet'

Ligularia 'Garden Confetti'

Schefflera delavayi, Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty' and Darmera peltata

Yummy!

A few of our resident critters:

Rufous Hummingbird

A very wet and washed Western Tanager

Thank you for visiting.

MAY I Have Your Attention?

If gardens could talk, right now during this fickle month of May, my garden would sound like this. "MAY I have your attention please? We need staking over here." "Attention please, we need deadheading." "Put down your coffee and attend to me now!" It's ridiculous. And it affirms the futility of it all. It can get discouraging. Why do I bother? Well because I love my garden, that's why. And when things are tidied up, well, I feel better and I can ignore the hundred other things that need done. 

Here are some recent photos. 

Lilium x martagon 'Claude Shride'

I bought six of this Lily bulb. One is blooming. Only one. The rest are just sitting there, three inches tall. Maybe next year? 

Silene aterias

Carpenteria californica and a cute approaching bee

Lots of blooms on it this year.

Another bee, this time on Centaurea dealbata.

I'm happy to introduce the flowers of Geranium palmatum. They're a long time coming considering I sowed the seeds in January 2015. They germinated and grew well. Here is the foliage on last year's plants:

Geranium palmatum foliage

Geranium palmatum foliage

Its foliar good looks persisted all summer and all through (a very mild) winter. Then, a month or so ago, flower buds emerged and finally bloomed! 

Bee-attracting Geranium palmatum flower!

Geranium plamatum flowers -- worth the wait? Oh yes!

You could say I'm pleased with the outcome.

Another "worth the wait" is this flower. I finally was able to purchase a double-flowering Silene! I'm so in love with this flower. 

Silene dioica 'Flore Pleno'

The foliage rosette is in the pot on the left.

And then there's this intensely fragrant rose:

Rosa 'Rhapsody in Blue'

With those yellow centers, you know it's another bee-loving flower

Rosa mutabilis is settling into its newest location.
More sun should produce more flowers.

I'm really loving this flower combo:

Geranium x magnificum and Santa Barbara Daisy (Erigeron kavinskianus 'Profusion'

And speaking of hardy Geranium, check out the foliage on this new one I found at a plant sale a few weeks ago. 

Geranium x oxonianum 'Katherine Adele'

Katherine is so pretty!

The exact identity of the plant below is still in question. It's a Deutzia, but which cultivar? If you know, please do tell.  

Deutzia ??

Nectaroscordum siculum

Clematis 'Princess Diana'

Clematis 'Pink Fantasy'

Variegated Porcelain Vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata 'Elegans')

And speaking of variegated foliage:

Acer pseudoplatanus 'Esk Sunset'

And the peachy-pink undersides of it.

A good match for it is:

Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance')

And then there's this green mess. 

And now, for some wide shots...

These are the aforementioned 'Rhapsody in Blue' roses.

The same area from a different angle.

My new rock garden area, where the pear tree used to be.

The same area looking the opposite direction.

Also a "new" area since limbing up the Laurel hedge.

The Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' and Rosa 'Knock Out'

From the opposite angle.

From yet another angle.

Here is the other side of the above border.

This is what I mean about deadheading and cleaning up.

The hummingbirds seem to enjoy my new water feature
but I'm not patient enough to get photos of them so you'll have to take my word for it.

This silly Erigeron is blooming after an unexplained hiatus last year.
Erigeron glaucus 'Sea Breeze'

And behind the Erigeron, stinky but beautiful Phuopsis stylosa is starting to bloom.

The white flower is Anemone 'Wild Swan'

My Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') is so happy. 

And to finish off, a little fauna to complement the flora.

I literally detest flies, but this shiny green one was pretty enough to photograph.

And finally, Nala the indoor-kitty cat, is waiting for a catnip treat.