Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day July

Good morning campers! It’s the 15th of the month so, you know that means Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day hosted by the splendid Carol of May Dreams Gardens. I went out last night and took some photos. Because we had popup showers all day, and my son mowed the grass, which is still surprisingly green, everything sparkled.

New border and older garage border.

Beds facing the street and cut flower beds. Brennan mowed the grass and weedeated so it looks very neat and tidy.

Let’s go check out the blooms at our Little Cedar Garden, shall we? Click on the photos in the galleries to increase the size of the pictures and read the captions.

I took these yesterday evening after I worked in the garden all day. It was cloudy, and we had intermittent showers so the weather was humid, but not too hot. I would say that’s Oklahoma’s summer song this year, and in the garden, it shows.

Still working on symmetry in the long border in the back garden. Even though I repeated the plants on both sides, they stubbornly don’t grow the same size and shape which is odd because they get the same amount of sun.

Side border next to the deck has Tightwad Wad crapemyrtles, Little Lime® and Quick Fire® hydrangeas. There are also daylilies and Mexican feather grass in this border.

Hydrangea panciulata Limelight is a proven performer, but its flowers are sterile.

Blooms are abundant, and the stars of the summer garden are the panicle hydrangeas and crapemyrtles, although the roses have also responded to the rain. All of this makes me very happy, but it also means the weeds are very happy too. For every action, there is a corresponding reaction. I’ve been showing some of my battles with the weeds on my Instagram profile. I think it’s important to not only show the beautiful, but also the reality of garden work.

While laboring outside yesterday, I even considered showing my Instagram followers a before and after of me working in the garden. Then, I thought again. Covered in sweat, I am not a pretty sight.

I always grow several varieties of sunflowers in the cutting garden. I look forward to them each year.

Sunflowers probably ‘Strawberry Blonde,’ one of my favorites.

Shasta daisy ‘Becky’ and Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ in the tiered border on the back side of the house.

The other day, someone asked me who keeps up with the garden here. After laughing a bit hysterically, I said, “Me.” I rarely have help with the actual garden, but today is a nice change. I hired my friend, Annette, to come over and help me tidy up the spent daylily scapes along with mulching some areas that need it.

As for other garden chores, deadheading is essential now. It makes everything look better, but it also encourages many plants to rebloom. So, don’t forget to cut your zinnias and other annuals, trim up your roses and other blooming shrubs and lay down a little mulch to get everything through summer. In September with cooler temperatures, you’ll have abundant blooms again.

‘Scheherazade,’ an Orienpet hybrid lily, is my most successful lily in the garage garden. The other lilies didin’t do well this year.

Queen Lime with Blush zinnia in the cutting garden in 2018.

Orange crocosmia in partial shade.

I’m growing Queen Lime with Blush zinnias for the first time this year, and I think they are splendid. I think they’re a sport of Queen Lime Ruby zinnia seeds. At the other end of the garden flower spectrum, ‘Scheherazade’ OT lilies are blooing their big hearts out. Sadly, my other lilies didn’t do much this year. I think I didn’t remove spring bulb foliage fast enough for them to grow through. I do still have plants, but they are very small. Something to remember for next year.

Rosa Pretty Lady is blooming yet again. I’m surprised by this, but we’ve gotten a lot of rain this year along with cooler temperatures. I like this Hybrid Tea very much.

The final and prettiest bloom of Hemerocallis Black to the Future. Many of the others were spoiled by thrips, which are attracted to dark blooms.

Rosa ‘The Poet’s Wife’ with a shorter variety of phlox. The name of the phlox is long gone. I like it though.

The daylilies are nearly done. ‘Autumn Minaret’ is blooming at the end of the garden, and other yellow and red daylilies are still putting up a few desultory flowers. It’s nearly time for the asters and mums which is hard to believe. This summer has gone by so fast. One more month of extremely hot weather, but the sun is already going down in the sky a bit earlier each day.

Hibiscus syriacus ‘America Irene Scott’ Sugar Tip. Don’t try to say that one three times fast. You might embarrass yourself. Ha!

Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’ is an American Beauty selection. I was given two plants a couple of years ago, and I bought three more this year.

Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’ is a newer selection that I’ve worked to get started in my garden. It’s supposed to be a pollinator favorite.

Phlox paniculata ‘Bright Eyes’, ‘Becky’ shasta daisies and ‘Goldsturm’ blackeyed Susans.

Speaking of daylilies, my friend, Pat Leuchtman, wrote her Between the Rows column this month for the Greenfield Recorder on the fabulous daylily. You should go read it. Lots of great information there. She can also be found at her blog, Commonweeder.

Hemerocallis Buddy’s Jane with Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime®

Hemerocallis Tomorrow is Another Day (Reed 2012) is one of the most beautiful UF daylilies in my garden. The color is splendid too.

Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’

Closeup of Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition.’ See those little eyebrows? They make me smile.

H. quercifolia Ruby Slippers and Orange Rocket barberry.

Okay, gotta go weed some more. Happy Bloom Day everyone! Here’s hoping summer has been kind to you, and your blooms are abundant and bright.