Almost July

Well, the garden survived the (second) heat wave of the summer and it's not even July yet. I'm sure glad for the shade my maturing trees are providing. And I'm thankful for good ole water. 

Filipendula rubra blossom--such frothy goodness.

Actually I have to bend the stem down to look at it because
it towers over the garden. 

This Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'Aphrodite')
is blooming already--way early!

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' is looking fab!

The hardy fuchsias are starting to bloom.
This one is called 'Flash'. I love the vibrant reds.

This is that little Evening Primrose (Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta')
Several times I've grown it in a pot but it never wintered-over,
This year, I decided to put it in the ground, hoping it will winter-over.

I'm really impressed with this Cuphea. I think it's Cuphea llavea 'Flamenco Cha Cha'

Mondarda didyma 'Raspberry Wine' with Impatiens glandulifera

The beginnings of the hollyhock fest.

Pretty milkweed -- Asclepias speciosa

Galega officinalis 'Lady Wilson' and Geranium 'Patricia'

Not the most complementary photo, this is Stipa barbata being all regal.

Here are a few wide shots of the garden:

Almost daily we're seeing butterflies in the garden.
I'm still hoping for a monarch.

I hope you all are enjoying your gardens. 

Random Photos

I'VE BEEN TAKING A lot of photos lately so I thought I'd share them with you all. They're pretty random, taken at various times during the last few months. 

This is a Filipendula rubra blooming in a hellstrip, of all places.
I thought they liked shade and water. 

One of the gardens featured on the tour in June had this vertical planter
with fresh Viola blossoms growing in a vertical planter.  

Is it just me or are the Crocosmias looking exceptionally vibrant this year?

I have several photos of  hellstrip plantings. This Echinacea is especially healthy.

Sea Hollies (Eryngium) are such an unusual color of blue. 

At one of the entrances to the university, a very healthy Dierama is in full bloom. 

Recently I spotted this very tall, pink-flowered Poor Man's Orchid (Impatiens balfouri) growing at a park.
I was able to collect some of the seed. 

I've been watching a church yard near where I work. Here is one of the Penstemons in full bloom. 

Here is another shot of the church yard's perennial border. 

Another shot of the church garden. The photo doesn't do it justice. 

I thought this variegated Liriope planting was kind of cool. 

As you can imagine, the bees were very happy with this planting. 

Another hellstrip planting. Common, annual Cosmos. 

Another hellstrip had a small above-ground water feature. There was a tiny pump and fish.
I'm not quite sure what the wire was all about. It kind of detracts from the aesthetics, don't you think? 

I'm not sure what this "Victory Garden" mobile greenhouse is all about but it's kind of cute, don't you think?

How's this for unique garden art? 

I like the combination of Japanese Blood Grass and  Voodoo Sedum 

This pretty display is part of the garden tour in June. 

Another garden tour planting. 

I really like this cement bird bath/planter. 

One of the backyards on the tour. The tree made it really shady and pleasant. 

From the garden tour: isn't this an ingenious composting system? 

Functional and fun. 

Nix the lawn and have a fun front yard. 

I thought this gate was really cool. 

This house is near my work. If you look closely at the railing you'll see that it's a one-of-a-kind.

I like this front porch with the blooming clemmy. 

And finally, I couldn't resist snapping a photo of my friend Annie's pot.

As always,