Coleus, Cleome, and Friends

I got out and did some weeding and deadheading today, thankful that the horrible heatwave is taking a hiatus. I think the heat has simply moved over to Ontario though. Poor them! We need some good soaking rains to perk up the poor plants. This raised bed is full of lilies, coneflowers, potentilla, and (the beginnings of) liatris blooms. These perennials completely disguise the tulips' unsightly remains.

Here is Cleome spinosa "Violet Queen". It looks amazing next to the deep blue delphiniums and provides some bright color among the deadheaded perennials. Now that I see it in bloom, the flower reminds me a bit of the wild fireweed.

Finally, my Coleus "Kong Rose" is looking full and lush. It got some frost in early June that stunted it, but it grew back beautifully. This is one of the new large coleus grown from seed (started in my basement).

This is a new delphinium in my garden, started from seed last year. It is a rich purple from the Pacific giant series, called "King Arthur". I absolutely love this color!

Pictured here is daylily "Double River Wye", which has been blooming for weeks now. I am quite happy with it. I like the contrast between it and Delphinium grandiflorum "Blue Elf", which is probably the only reason I don't rip that floppy, self-seeding delphinium out!

My daylily "Little Business" started blooming last week, but I really don't like the color, which is orangy-red. It must go. Besides, it got cooked in its location along the house, which may be more suited to dry and hot-loving plants.

Random Blooms of the Garden

Here is Hybrid Asiatic Lily "Cote d'Azur". It is a shorter lily (about 50 cm) and is a very pretty shade of cherry pink. I've had this variety for three years, and its divisions occupy many places in my flower garden.

I was hoping that I had some purple poppies on the way, and here is the first one! This is Papaver somniferum, an annual poppy with no particular variety name.
Here is a perennial that always looks good in its peak flowering season: Campanula carpatica "Blue Clips", the Carpathian bluebell. I also have "White Clips". They stay compact, get smothered in flowers, and can be easily divided in the spring to make more of them. Deadheading them is a bit tedious, but does result in more flowers. They can be started from seed, but I mainly just get more from division.

A view through the Delphiniums (D. x elatum "Summer skies"), which are at full bloom.

Garden Glories in the Morning

The garden called me from my bed this morning at 6:45 am. Yes, on a weekend. Garden photography is generally better this time of day and I needed to catch some photos of things that are shaded by the afternoon. I was rewarded by my first morning glory bloom! I have never grown these before and the seeds had been sitting in the basement for a few years before I finally decided to plant them. They are one of these seeds you are supposed to either soak or chip (cut a hole in the seed coat - I use an exacto knife). I did both and had very successful germination! I am growing the vines up some support columns for a deck and a rain downspout.

Ipomoea purpurea "Star of Yelta" (Morning glory)

My delphiniums are coming into full bloom. I am impressed that they haven't fallen over despite a tremendous rainstorm two nights ago.

Delphinium x elatum "Summer Skies"

Malva moschata: first blooms 4 days ago. I started this plant from seed 2 years ago. The plants got so big I removed all but this one. It grows about 3 feet (90 cm) tall and 3 feet (90 cm) wide. It's one of those informal "cottage garden" type plants and self seeds a bit.

The "Rock Garden"

I like how the creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) has filled in the blank spots and now has delicate purple blooms. The creeping thyme grows so easily that I wouldn't feel badly if I decided to rip it out and plant something else in its place. I works well as a "filler".

Sweet Williams and the First Delphiniums

Here are the first opening buds of the Delphinium x elatum "Summer Skies" from the Pacific giant series of delphiniums. They are a lovely light blue that looks almost iridescent when observed closely. In front of them are the white Campanula persicifolia (Peachleaf Bellflower). If you know anyone who has either of these, they'd probably be willing to give you one, as both plants reseed and multiply easily.

I was so inspired by the grand appearance of the Pacific giant series of delphiniums that I also grew "Blue Bird" and "King Arthur" from seed last year. I don't see any buds on the "King Arthur" yet, but here is a small plant showing the colors of Delphinium x elatum "Blue Bird". The royal blue closely matches the blue cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) that are also just starting to bloom.

These flowers made their appeal to my nose, especially when the blooms first opened. These Dianthus barbatus (Sweet Williams) are a biennial I started from seed last year. Actually, I thought they might have been mislabeled weed seeds, as they only had an unorganized mash of leaves last year. A gardener's patience is rewarded...and I have very little patience...

Lavender Triumph

LA Hybrid Lilies: Probably "Fangio", a dark reddish-pink Asiatic hybrid (crossed with Aurelians/Trumpets).
Close-up of one of the tall Delphinium elatum "Summer Skies".



I am very excited about the survival of the lavender (Lavendula angustifolia "Munstead") which grows in the perennial border next to the driveway (loaded with snow in winter) and in the rockgarden on a slope (no special protection). This is apparently a dwarf strain and the hardiest of English lavenders. Its foliage and flowers smell lovely and I wish I had huge patch of it. Veseys calls it zone 4, others call it zone 5. Essentially, this is a ground-breaking triumph...or maybe it's just global warming.

July's Colors

The large and bold flowers are the theme of the month. Four-foot pale blue delphiniums bloom around the yard, though I'd like to add some deeper blue and purple ones for next year. (They are started in the basement already).

The containers on the deck are growing well. I started the Petunias, Lobelia, Nicotiana, and Osteospermum from seed. All were quite easy to grow under lights.

Pictured: The large-leafed plants are Nicotiana sylvestris. People visiting the house want to know the name of this giant flower-- "Tobacco", I say..."the ornamental flowering kind". As much as I was enticed by the promise of sweet-smelling flowers, the overwhelming tobacco smell of the leaves doesn't allow you to enjoy any flower scent.

Pictured: Bright blue Delphinium grandiflorum "Blue Elf" and pink Malva Moschata. I am wondering why I put these in the rock garden, because they are both almost 3 feet tall and require staking. Hmmm. Resident-lawnmower-man says they look fine, but I think this situation may keep me up at night...