Plant of the Week: Philadelphus x 'Belle Etoile'

After a ridiculously long self-imposed hiatus from my blog, I'm back. Again, it wasn't easy to pick a favorite because, as all plant people know, there are so many plants to love. 

But with Belle Etoile's exquisite fragrance wooing me as I meandered my garden paths, I chose to focus on her. After all, she is in her finest element right now. 

 

In early June Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile' or Mock Orange explodes with hundreds of three inch flowers on lax branches.  They emit a powerfully, sweet, slightly citrus fragrance.

I bought this shrub back in 2007 from Dancing Oaks Nursery. But nowadays you don't have to seek out a specialty nursery to find it since it's fairly readily available.

My plant is growing in part shade and still puts on quite a show.  

 

A variegated shrubby dogwood (Cornus alba 'Argenteovariegata') is situated nearby and I like their white color echo.

The variegated foliage of Japanese Iris (Iris ensata 'Variegata') also contributes to the green and white theme. And if you look closely at the upper right of the photo above you'll see a white-blooming Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica 'Hawkshead'). Blooming since early May, this is its earliest ever, thanks to a mild winter. 

Once it is finished blooming, I'll cut back all of the lax branches and give it a good drink. It responds well, maybe even better than I need it to. 

 Now, I'm going to go outside and pick a bouquet. Thank you for visiting.

I Had Raspberries For Dinner

YEP, IT'S TRUE. WITH CLEAR, blue sky to entice me and my workday behind me, I ventured into the garden and had my raspberry fill. Of course the evening was all the more pleasant thanks to a happy and adamant robin gracing the garden with birdsong.  

'Autumn Gold' produces fruit all summer and well into fall. 

And 'Autumn Bliss' is an equally prolific producer. 

The weather people have declared this June as the third wettest on record here in western Oregon. While the rain has been good for the garden, I can't help feel pangs of sadness over the horrific fires raging in Colorado. I sure wish I could magically send them our rains.  

Fireweed 

A few years ago, I dug up a single stem of a Fireweed plant among a modest clump on a roadside. I stuck it in a pot and forgot about it. Last year, I got a single flower panicle which solved the question I had about what mystery plant was growing in that pot. This year, there are two panicles so far and several more to come. I know this is a weed and all but I really love these flowers.  

Alstroemeria 

More June bloomers...

Bletilla striata or Hardy Orchid

A serendipitous combination: 'Belle Etoile' Philadelphis (Mock Orange)
 and Nepeta subsessilis  

Veronica longifolia 'Evelyn' or was it 'Sonja'? leans into the pathway.
Behind it is Phygelius 'Cherry Ripe.' They seem to be competing with each other
to see who can trip a passerby first. 

My Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica 'Purpurea' is blooming. It smells heavenly.

One of my deciduous ferns. Although it's a little late emerging, I love the color of the new foliage.

One of the corners where I keep a bunch of plants. 

Clemmy 'Julia Correvon' in full regalia. 

The Berberis foliage is a dead match for the splotchy chevron in the Persicaria 'Painter's Palette.' 

My Darmeria peltata is huge thanks to all the rain. The Callas are starting to bloom. 

And finally, the photo below is a drive-by. I had to capture these Eremurus or Foxtail Lilies growing at one of the entrances to the university campus. The school's colors are orange and black. I don't have any Eremurus in my garden which makes these all the more special.  

As always,