Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Bloomday! June 2011

Finally it looks like spring in my Pacific Northwest garden and I’ve got a few happy blooms to share! Above and below is Grevillea juniperina ‘Molonglo,’ it took them forever to bloom but now that they are it is a big floppy fun show! Kniphofia…these first two pictures are of the same plant. The color is yellow/green depending on the age of the bloom (not the washed out white they appear to be in the second shot). This Kniphofia flip flops back and forth. The first bloom of the season was yellow/green. This one looks to be more on the orange side. Kniphofia hirsuta Fire Dance can’t wait to bloom, barely out of the base and already coloring up. The Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle) isn’t quite at its blooming best yet…but getting close. Euphorbia Excalibur This is really a wonderful Euphorbia (but then aren’t they all?). I love the leaves with their stripe of white and this one blooms after the rest of the Euphorbia have faded. Genista Lydia, not a particularly glamorous plant but I love it. Scotch moss flowers. Halimium x pauanum, this plant has been flowering for weeks and shows no signs of slowing down. Sedum ‘Cape Blanco’ Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicas)…the smell when standing under these trees is just heavenly! (even if the buzzing of the bees is a little frightening) The Gunnera is blooming… Inherited Peony…both colors are on the same plant! Echium russicum, I’m hoping this one produces lots of little babies (which I resist the temptation to pull up thinking they may be weeds). Sempervivum arachnoideum Lewisia Echium pininana This bloom spike is almost 6ft tall! Ceanothus Impress ‘Victoria’ Yucca recurvifolia 'margarita' Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Willmott's Ghost,’ I planted several plants this spring and only this one is showing signs of blooming (so far?). And to wrap up this Bloomday post here is my "blooming" Astelia nervosa 'Westland' or perhaps it’s actually done blooming? Who can tell as these are not your typical pretty flowers! As usual visit our Bloomday hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens for links to blooms all over the world this June 15th.

23 comments:

  1. I am so fascinated by the Gunnera blooms...they are so primeval looking! That Echium has to win for awesomest bloom of the year...love it...and 6' tall...that's outstanding!

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  2. Yay! Your Gunnera is blooming! I love the milky-white yucca blossoms. Not to mention all the pink flowers. :)

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  3. Your flowers are wonderful...I am particularly jealous of the Echium piniana and that Grevillea. I wish we could grow such botanical jewels here.

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  4. Echium, thats taller than me.

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  5. Your Echium ! ... mine isn't bloody blooming yet.

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  6. How nice to see plants from the other side of the states. I really like the euphorbia! Happy GBBD!

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  7. That 'Molonglo' is so exotic! Very different plants than what I usually see. Enjoyed the show!

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  8. I love those kniphopfias and echiums! I have to admit that your echiums have made me envy your Pacific Northwest climate a tad.

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  9. You have many things that I have not seen before... I am however on a several year quest to winter over Lewisias as I really enjoy them... I've bought many and have had only minimal success thus far with the winters in our climate... I'm assuming the big factor is drainage. I am impressed with all the wonderful plants you share in this post... Larry

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  10. Your new paint color shows off those yucca flowers very nicely. You could build a very attractive color palette from those photos.
    BTW, I enjoyed the second part of your tour. Happy GBBD!

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  11. I love your blooms. To me they are very unusual and exotic. We have lots of grevillia here but not sure if I've seen any of the others.
    Makes GBBD all the more special.

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  12. everything is going off!! my favorite are the peonies. it's criminal, but we used to love popping off the buds and peeling down the layers when i was growing up in illinois. so much better when you let them open by themselves!

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  13. So beautiful! I love the way you posted the colors together too!

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  14. I thought to myself, "holy crap!" when I saw the 6' tall Echium, so I just had to comment.

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  15. Such wonderful variety in your garden!

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  16. This is an inspiring post. I've been wanting to see a picture of G. juniperina ‘Molonglo’ in flower for a while: yours is a gorgeous color and effect. I see you succumbed to a C. 'Victoria' after all. Your Echiums are amazing in their height and fullness, and I can't believe you have that beautiful Yucca recurvifolia bloom so early. Just what are you feeding to these things??

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  17. Wow, those are really interesting plants! What a thrill.

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  18. I had never seen a flowering Sempervivum arachnoideum - that's pretty cool! Everything is looking wonderful. Happy GBBD!

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  19. scott, I too love the Gunnera for the same reason. The ones out at the Edgefield are like 3 ft long!

    Grace, pink? In my garden? No...

    C Gardener, I have to fess up to having bought the Echium earlier in the spring and planting it shortly there-after. It wouldn't likely have lived through the winter here.

    Deb, thank you!

    greggo, fun huh!?

    linda, you'll share when it does right?

    ricki, ha!

    Sage Butterfly, thank you for stopping by!

    HolleyGarden, isn't it crazy!

    RFG, only one of the ones blooming spent the winter in the ground...maybe rather than envying our climate you can envy our nurseries!

    Larry, I bought that Lewisia because it was cheap ($2.88) and looked so cute as a foliage plant. I didn't count on it being such a happy bloomer but it certainly is!

    Les, the new house color definitely makes it easier to photograph the plants!

    Thank you for stopping by Missy.

    Laguna, criminal indeed!

    Gale, thank you...I started posting and realized I had put together quite a jarring combination. I decided to move them around so it was a little less chaotic.

    Houston GG, a blogger can really appreciate an occasional "holy crap" comment...thank you!

    Wendy, gotta keep surprising the neighbors!

    MulchMaid, actually I planted that Ceanothus last year. I've been mildly annoyed by it ever since (the shape and color of the leaves). Right now it's earning its keep with all those gorgeous blooms. As for the yucca flower spike it was already "showing" when I bought it last month. No doubt due to a nice warm greenhouse somewhere.

    Town Mouse, so happy to thrill!

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  20. R Bell, seems I have several of this Semp that are about ready to burst into flower...I have a feeling they'll be in full glory come July 15th so check back for more!

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  21. Very impressive! Love those Echiums -- even the weedy blue one that grows wild around here is a pretty flower. Happy Blooms Day!

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