Friday, June 15, 2012

June 2012, Bloomday…

Where to start? Well since I labeled the photos with plant names and Blogger uploaded them in a random alphabetical-ish sort order what the heck, it works. Here goes...

Abutilon hybrid 'Fairy Coral Red' I had no idea this plant would make it through the winter, yay for happy surprises!

Acanthus mollis, I know...these aren't technically blooms yet, but the promise of blooms is sometimes even more exciting!

Callistemon viridiflorus...

This is the first time this Callistemon has bloomed. I LOVE IT! The red flowered ones seem to be about a week or two behind, hopefully they'll still be around for Blooday July (July...my god, how did that happen!?).

Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens' yes, again...but they are still looking great. This one, it glows...

Echium russicum, the only Echiums left standing in my front garden. The Wildpretti and Echium x wildpretii 'Rocket' both fell over under the weight of the rain. You can see a few of these have too...

Luckily the (12 ft tall?) Echium x wildpretii 'Rocket' in the back garden is still upright. If this one fell over it could be ugly.

Eryngium agavifolium

Eryngium giganteum

So pretty I needed to show it twice (different plants)...

Eryngium variifolium with a couple of blooms from the Ceanothus impressus ‘Victoria’...

Euphorbia 'Excalibur'

Grevillea juniperina ‘Molonglo’

Grevillea ‘Poorinda Leane’ - just a couple of blooms left.

Gunnera

Kniphofia hirsuta Fire Dance

Pulsatilla Vulgaris, since in previous months I've shown the flowers and raved about the seed heads that follow, here they are...

Saxifraga x longifolia

And again a bit later after more flowers have opened...

Yellow flowered Sedum

I think this might be the first year I haven't done an entire blog post bitching about the Styrax japonica. They seemed a little better behaved this year, or maybe I'm just getting used to dealing with their mess. Only a few flowers remain, there was a point they were heavy with blooms and the neighbors complained, saying driving under it felt like driving through a car wash.

Veratrum californicum succumbed to the rain...

Pretty though...

The Verbascum olympicum is just starting to open.

I can't wait until the tall spires are covered with yellow flowers!

There's only going to be one Hesperaloe parviflora bloom in the garden this summer.

Naturally since I bought this Lupine for the foliage it just keeps on pumping out the flowers.

Okay, I went a bit overboard with the Magnolia macrophylla photos. This is it's biggest year yet for blooms and I wanted to share all the stages.

When fully open the flowers are 15-20" accross...

And when they expire the petals turn to brown leather and fall to the ground.

Another plant that I like best it it's "about to bloom" state...Sempervivum, they look like little aliens.

And a bit of a preview of what's to come, this is going to be a very good year for the Yucca blooms. I've counted 20 of them!

I hope I found this one trapped in the leaves in time for it to straighten out and stand proud.

Visit Carol at her blog May Dreams Gardens for the Bloomday wrap up and links to blogs all over the world!

40 comments:

  1. Wowzer! Everytime you post Rocket I just shake my head. I never tire of the unique plants that you grow...the lupine is beautiful no matter your reason for planting it. I had to learn, the hard way, to leave the my Semps alone...they prefer to grow independently from the gardener.

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    1. What did you do to your Semps that had them protesting?

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  2. The life cycle of the magnolia bloom was well worth recording.
    I think that veratum would land in a vase, if it were me.
    June really is bustin out all over at your place.

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    1. Great minds...as soon as I took that picture I snipped it off and it's been living indoors ever since.

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  3. Such variety and just plain awesomeness! I love all of the tall flower spikes!

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    1. It's kind of strange that I seem to have an attraction to those isn't it? Especially since I don't buy for the flower but the foliage.

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  4. NICE! I'm happy your echium 'monster' is still standing. That thing is incredible. Can you believe I actually forgot it was bloom day!?! oh well, I'll be real, I don't really have many flowers. Flower folks would be really shocked here in the land of foliage. I'll just have to step it up for July. Yikes, you are right, how did we get to July already?! By August I'm in full on anxiety. July, however, is THE month. The single best time of the year. In my dream garden, it would be July forever!!!!!!

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    1. It's kind of freaking me out that June is half over. Usually I feel like I give every day of May, June, and on, their proper due. But this year it feels like I didn't even acknowledge that May occurred and the same for the first half of June. Must do better...

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  5. Oh, man, that Grevillea 'Molonglo' has me drooling! Your Callistemon viridiflorus is still blooming! Mine has passed on to the messy stage and wasn't fit for Bloom Day pictures, unfortunately. Love the verbascum spikes! And Clifford definitely deserved every bit of the coverage you gave him - he's a star!

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    1. I was afraid with the trip to Cali and then up to WA that I'd miss the C. viridiflorus at it's best, thankfully not. As I type this I'm setting on the patio looking at the much loved Clifford and his bald spot. I'm looking southeast and there isn't a single branch or leaf facing me. He's in his awkward teenage years.

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  6. Three cheers for your Magnolia macrophylla! I was just lusting after one yesterday at Garden Fever.

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  7. Those yuccas are going to be fantastic in bloom! Those stalks are stunning--I hope for more photos when they all open.

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    1. Guaranted! I love them. Unfortunately several are doing to disappear into the Styrax japonica above (bad planning from the gardener).

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  8. I totally agree about the Pulsatilla…the seed heads are WAY better than the flowers (nice as they are), plus, they last much longer. I totally jealous of your Eryngium giganteum…I just adore those. I'm utterly amazed the GIANT Echium is still standing…and yes, I'd be slightly terrified of what it might flatten once it gives up the ghost! I'm really hoping my Lupine foliage stays decent-looking this summer…mine usually get so ratty. Happy GBBD!

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    1. Hopefully I can get a few volunteers from the E. giganteum and share with you next spring. And just before I read your comment I was looking at the trunk (seriously...it's like 5" wide) on the Echium thinking about how we are going to take it down. The others who have fallen had almost no roots. The roots on this guy must go for miles...

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  9. aloha,

    what a fun tour of your garden, i loved all your collections but that vidiflorus is new to me and quite stunning...you have alot of beautiful blooms in your garden, thanks for sharing them :)

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    1. Thank you Noel, since you live in plant paradise that is high praise indeed!

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  10. That Verbascum is of interest to me as I grow some of its noxious cousins. You know the ones from across the track. he he. Great showing, you must be proud.

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    1. I love the ones from across the track. On our road trip last week I was admiring them along the freeway. Even their spent brown bloom spikes are attractive!

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  11. Love your blog name - love your uniqueness - love those photos. That just about sums it up. Happy GBBD.

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    1. I love that you loved all of those things!

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  12. That huge echium is amazing and I love the Magnolia macrophylla... I have a friend who is having success with one here in Wisconsin... an unusual plant in this climate! Excellent post and a pleasure to have visited! Larry

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    1. Thank you Larry, glad to have had you stop by!

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  13. Splendid Bloomday from you Loree! Lovin' that Callistemon v. ...

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    1. Thanks! Me too, I think it's my fav, thankfully I've got another one in the front garden, but it didn't bloom this year.

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  14. I really wish we had a better climate. Your verbascum is lots taller than mine, I can't grow echium, they just don't over winter well.Cerinthe grows well for me and self seeds everywhere but sadly really needs to be started in the greenhouse to get the lovely purple colours you get.

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    1. Thanks for the reminder of how good I've got it climate wise...I get all got up in wishing I were in a warmer place and forget that it's actually pretty ideal here.

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  15. Let the neighbors bitch. Similar complaints are often heard around here regarding Crape Myrtles. When I come out in the morning to see my gray car showered with pink petals, I feel like I am in a parade. Happy GBBD.

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    1. What a lovely way to look at what some might consider a nuisance!

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  16. An amazing collection, with a spiky undertone, of course. That first Abutilon is really something to me. Funny how surprises like that are perfect - hopefully, it spawns that plant sold more!

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    1. I think the surprise factor was actually due to my stupidity. I assumed it wasn't hardy but when it lived with no special treatment I did a little research and discovered it actually was hardy in my zone...duh.

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  17. Your Callistemon viridiflorus is gorgeous. I really want one to go with the C. viminalis 'little john' I have. And a yellow one too!

    Happy GBBD!

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    1. Oh you're trying to make me jealous aren't you?

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  18. You have some fabulous flowers this month Magnolia--wow! Twenty Yucca flowers?!? Awwww...I just got the first one ever here...

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    1. I know 20! They are all on the common yucca though, nothing fancy (which is a good reason to keep a few commoners around!).

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  19. I have seen Eryngium in garden catalogs, but never anyone growing it until you. Is it easy? Slow grower?

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    1. Very easy! I do nothing. As for the speed of growth it depends on which one you're interested in, but I guess I wouldn't call any of them slow.

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  20. Looks absolutely wonderful, Loree. I haven't been able to get my Hesperaloe to bloom since two years ago. It's a very healthy plant though so I'm not complaining. Not too much anyway. My favorite photo is the 7th one with all the foliage in the foreground. I love the split-leaf wonder next to the hostas. Is that Tapioca? The Cerinthe does indeed glow. Gorgeous. And that Magnolia blossom is exquisite. My Abutilon has made it through two or three winters now. It's not blooming yet but it's got promise. I think this past winter was very kind to our plants.

    Great post!

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    1. Thanks Grace! The plant you're asking about is Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace' from Cistus...it's AMAZING!

      You're right about last winter. I'm praying for an encore...

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