Some Like it Hot

The weather has been perfect for those who love 90+ degree daytime highs. I'm not a fan of extremes but it's July. What can a gardener do? I'm also not a fan of extreme water bills but the garden is happy and when the garden is happy, the gardener is also happy.

That white flowering shrub is my Gardenia 'Frostproof.' It loves the heat.

Purple Agastache also loves the heat.

Ditto for the red flowering Oleander, the fuchsia and the spiky red flowered Persicaria.

Jasmine on the right and Clematis (almost finished) on the left side of the trellis.

On the right are Echinacea tennesseensis 'Rocky Top' blooming away

Allium and 'Shenandoah' Panicum enjoy the heat.

I cut back these Phlox in May so they're much shorter.

Gardenia 'Frostproof' after deadheading the brown ones.

Anemonopsis macrophylla with a bug I didn't notice until now.

Lilium 'Black Beauty'

These Oriental lilies were part of the mixed bag from Costco this spring.

Check out this leaf sport on 'Laura' Phlox.

We'll see if it comes true next year.

Lobelia are just starting to bloom

The Clerodendrum bungei have been blooming for about a week.

My Calycanthus 'Hartlage Wine' is blooming again!

'Ayesha' Hydrangea is getting lots of water and it's paying off.

Among my Clematis cacophony, we have 'Avant Garde'. Such a pretty thing.

I purchased  Nicotiana suaveolens seed from Nancy Ondra last winter. They just started blooming.

Clethra 'Ruby Spice' always makes me think of Donna at Nowlens Bridge Perennials, where I got my plant.

Hydrangea 'Limelight' is still very limey looking with a Gladiolus photobomb.

Bumblebee on the Scabiosa flower.

And on this one too.

I love the foliage on Hibiscus moscheutos 'Kopper King'

This little Dianthus refuses to stop blooming.

The last of the Daylilies

Tetrapanax

Euphorbia stygiana

Finally, in May I found this little variegated Morning Glory at Garland Nursery.  I hope you all are staying cool and enjoying life in the garden.

Variegated Morning Glory

Thank you for visiting!

New Plants!

I am ashamed to admit this but, well, here goes. I have really gone nuts with plant purchases this year. And why not? There are so many cool nurseries to visit and each one has its own special must-haves. How is a gardener to resist? 

I'm really excited about this plant. Check it out.  

Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty'

Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty' has been on my radar since the first time I "spotted" it growing outside the main pavilion at Dancing Oaks Nursery years ago. However, usually I'm so caught up in a spring flower frenzy when I'm there that I forget about it. 

Well, my sister and I took a drive to Nowlens Bridge Perennials last Saturday and dang if Dotty didn't jump right into my hot little hands!  

Part of the allure was knowing that I already had a "spot" picked out for it. That also helped justify the cost which I'm not going to reveal here because most people already think I'm a little nutty.

If you haven't been to Nowlens Bridge Perennials, you really should go. Owner Donna is a kindred spirit with equal parts friendliness and plant knowledge. And her inventory is amazing. Here are a few of the other jewels I was unable to resist. 

Clematis heracleifolia

I saw this shrubby Clemmy last August in the Village Green Garden in Cottage Grove. It was blooming then and a savvy commenter IDed it. Until now I hadn't seen it in a nursery.  

Mukgenia nova 'Flame'

Mukgenia Nova 'Flame' is a new (to me anyway) intergenetic cross between Mukdenia and Bergenia developed by Oregon's own Terra Nova Nurseries. With all of the attributes of both genera, you can imagine how popular this plant is going to be. My specimen is still smallish so I'll keep it in a container for awhile. Click on the Terra Nova link to see better photos.  

When Donna showed my sister and I a large pot of her Beesia deltophylla, I was immediately smitten and had to get one of my own. Looks like a classy, stepped-up wild ginger. 

Beesia deltophylla 

Aren't these leaves delicious? 

And when I spotted this Sophora prostrata 'Little Baby' I turned to mush. Look how healthy it is. It will need winter protection. I lost one a few years ago and I can't let it happen again. 

Sophora prostrata 'Little Baby' 

This plant is notoriously difficult to photograph. Here it is from the top.
It's still in its one gallon pot. Nice, huh? 

And last Saturday wasn't the only plant shopping I've done. Oh no. Here are a few more new acquisitions.

Oenothera pallida "White Evening Primrose" 

I found this White Evening Primrose on Annie's Annuals' website. It was calling my name. This is the very first flowers. The plant was quite small when I got it but has grown quickly. It has a lot going for it: It's hardy, low-growing and has white, fragrant flowers that last all day. You can see Annie's photos here. 

In early June my sister and I visited another nursery, Secret Garden Growers also on the Cascade Nursery Trail. One of the plants I bought was a, then, very small Hibiscus. Here it is now.

Hibiscus moscheutos 'Southern Belle' 

My southern Belle friend Anna Mullins in Texas grows these big-flowered Hibiscus so I've gleaned as much cultivation information from her--full sun, lots of water. Bazinga! 

Well that's all the newbies for now. Oh wait. This rose is new and is putting out a luscious cluster of flowers again.

Rosa 'Adelaide Hoodless'
Thank you to the commenter who IDed it for me. 

Two little Zinnias among the California poppy foliage

My hardy banana (Musa basjoo) has really gone to town this year.
Notice the neighbor's bamboo behind the fence. 

This must be the first year for this hollyhock to bloom.
I can't remember ever having a nearly black blossom. Cool, huh?

Oh wait. One more newbie. The darkest Sedum ever is Sedum 'Touchdown Teak.'
I'm excited to see the blooms. 

 And finally, a few random garden shots.

Keep cool and garden on.