Tuesday, August 19, 2008

What's Blooming Now?


It's well past Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, but I wanted to post some of the beautiful things that are blooming here at Our Little Acre. Some of them are the same as last August, but there are some new ones as well.

The gardens are looking tired and dusty, due to the heat and lack of rain. Large cracks in the soil quickly soak up any moisture that comes their way and any watering we do seems to be just a drop in the bucket. Yet, somehow the plants pull from deep within themselves and produce lovely blooms.

Coral Drops (Bessera elegans) are new to the garden this year. Once they put up the tall flower stalks, it seemed to take forever for the buds to form and then even longer for them to open. They hang down, so you have to lift them to see what's inside, but it's worth the effort. They're pretty when viewed from above, too. They aren't hardy to zone 5, so I'll need to lift them late next month.


Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles' has been a non-stop bloomer. I've deadheaded it part of the time, but it's also gone for several weeks without me touching it. It alway looks good, no matter what I do or don't do.


Rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun' , interspersed with Heliopsis 'Loraine Sunshine' just keeps popping them out there. I grew both of these from seed last year.


Clematis 'Mrs. P. Robert Brydon' is in its second full year here and it has really shot up. While it's considered to be a bush-type clematis, it's grown to six feet tall already. Once the blooms are finished, it will have puffs of fuzzy seeds where the flowers once were.


Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum superbum 'Aglaia') is new to the garden this year. I love the frilly pom-pom daisies and would like to get 'Ice Star' if I can find it.


Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Carolina Breeze')


Zinnia 'Profusion Apricot' and 'Profusion Fire'


Everlasting (Xeranthemum annuum) is an easy-to-grow annual that I grew for the first time this year, from seed. The foliage is silvery-gray and the flowers are white, pink, and purple.




Celosia argentea var. plumosa 'Kimono Red'


Lilium 'Black Beauty'


Canna x. generalis 'Lippo'


Oriental Lily 'Sumatra' is planted next to 'Black Beauty' and the colors echo each other. The fragrance is out of this world in that part of the garden.


Geranium 'Rozanne' and Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis 'Hello Yellow'). You can also see Coreopsis 'Zagreb'.


Dianthus 'Siberian Blues' isn't really blue, but it is a really unique shade of purple.



Zinnia 'Envy' I planted these with white Cosmos this year, but neither is blooming very profusely yet and 'Envy' isn't nearly as green as it was last year.


Helenium autumnale
These are in various shades of red, yellow, orange and a combination of those colors. They are loaded with beautiful blooms, as usual. Last year, they got so tall and flopped badly, so I moved them this spring and put them up against the split-rail fence. No flopping!

20 comments:

Entangled said...

I'm happy to see that 'Prairie Sun' is perennial. The sources I've checked are in disagreement about whether it's perennial or annual. I just assumed it was perennial when I started the seeds this spring. Those large flowers really make an impact though - I like it so much that I'd consider growing it from seed every year.

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

The answer to the question : quite a lot. ;-) The flowers don't look dusty and tired to me, especially those with the lovely vibrant colours.

Love that pretty clematis of yours, such elegant flowers and delicate colouring.

Belated happy GBBD, Kylee!

Lona said...

I love the frilly Pom Pom Shasta Daisy. I have never seen one. Also the Tropical Hibiscus is gorgeous.By the way in the Daisy picture, is that a bowling ball painted copper? It is so cute with the ladybug sitting on it.

Anonymous said...

Lovely images of your garden. I particularly like that orange hibiscus against that surreally blue sky.

Anonymous said...

Wow--that's a lot of beautiful blooms. I took my time and enjoyed all the beauty both plant and hardscape. I love the turtle on the gazing ball.

Jessica said...

ah, love all of the colors!! Such a great variety--and I've never heard of Everlasting before! It's beautiful!

I also grew 'Envy', and while I didn't get to watch all of them bloom due to a vacation, mine wasn't very green either (certainly not like I envisioned)....does the amount of sun factor into color intensity for zinnias?

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

The Coral Drops look like fireworks and they are a perfect start to an gorgeous floral show! Thank you for sharing your blooms. We have very few right now just because its August. It's so nice to see yours.

Cindy

Anonymous said...

Lovely blooms. I really love the Coral Drops & the Clematis 'Mrs. P. Robert Brydon. All your flowers look like they are thriving inspite of the drought & heat.

Unknown said...

I am absolutely in love with Mrs. P. Robert Brydon... seriously, it's already 6ft tall in its second year?! Wow. :)

By the way, what are you up to this weekend? I'm going home for the latter half of the weekend, and we'll be going to the river, too (near Melrose) so I think I'll be fairly close to you... relatively, anyway, right?

growingagardenindavis said...

The Coral Drops is drop dead gorgeous! I wonder if the Everlasting is what we used to call straw flowers...do they dry so you can keep them?

Carol Michel said...

Beautiful blooms. Thanks for joining in for bloom day again!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

That Clematis is so pretty! I can't imagine a 6 ft. tall bush type Clem, it must be a haze of blue. I love the combo of the Blackberry Lily, Coreopsis & Geranium Rozanne.

Anonymous said...

hi. i googled something about some plants and your blog was in the results.

you have a great eye and a fantastic ablility with your "garden" and camera.

thank you for posting such detailed entries. :-)

joey said...

It has been way too long since I visited your lovely garden, Kylee. but what a joyful selection you have presented through your stunning photos. I'm praying for rain also ...

Kylee Baumle said...

Entangled ~ Last winter was the first winter for 'Prairie Sun' and I hope it winters over again. It's a non-stop bloomer for me once it starts. They do make an impact!

Nancy ~ Thanks! When I saw Coral Drops in the catalog, I knew I had to order them and they have not disappointed. They do have to be sited carefully or they could get lost among many things.

Yolanda Elizabet ~ Oh, believe me, the garden as a whole looks like it's beginning the fall transition. There are still many flowers, but lots of dry stuff as well.

Hocking Gardener ~ Yes! That is indeed a bowling ball painted a copper color. :-)

Pam ~ Thanks, Pam. Actually, that isn't the real sky. It's a reflection of the sky in the pool water!

Anna ~ I'm glad you enjoyed the photos of my garden!

Jessica ~ Thank you! About the zinnias - I'm not sure, but the deeper colors sometimes fade a bit in the sun. I've grown 'Envy' two different years in the same spot and they were much greener the first time I grew them.

Cindy ~ Thanks! It's very warm and dry here, which is typical of August. I'm having to water now just to keep some things going. We need rain badly!

Perennial Garden Lover ~ Thank you. I'm finding it hard to keep up with watering everything now. We just need rain in the worst way!

Kim ~ It's probably more like five feet, but still! I think I said six, because it's in a raised bed, making it seem taller.

I've sent you an e-mail about this weekend. :-) Yes, you'll be about 15 miles from us. I hope to see you!

Leslie ~ No, this Everlasting (Xeranthemum annuum) aren't the same as strawflowers (Helichrysum bracteatum), although I can see why you might think so. They have many similar characteristics. And yes, you can dry them!

Carol ~ Thanks for hosting GBBD and for visiting!

MMD ~ As I said to Kim, it's probably 5 feet tall, but still, it's tall! I need to cut it back, but it's blooming now so I'll wait. Yes, it's got lots and lots of blue flowers! And soon it will be a mass of white fuzz. LOL.

I never really noticed the combo being particularly pretty before I took this photo! It, like 90% of my garden, just happened that way.

Anonymous ~ Thank you for such nice comments! :-) Please come and visit again!

Joey ~ I know how it is! I've not done much visiting of other blogs lately and I do miss seeing what's going on in other people's summer gardens. It just seems like the days zip by and before you know it, my eyelids are drooping and I need to check them for leaks. Thanks for your visit and taking time to leave a comment! You're always welcome here, you know, no matter how long it's been! :-)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

You have some gorgeous blooms now Kylee. I just love that first one pictured. I have never seen it before. It looks like a child chose its favorite colors and colored it.

Benjamin Vogt said...

Oh, that dianthus and 'Sumatra' lily look fantastic! I've got some asiatic lilies just about to bloom, and hope they smell terrific. So sad that the fall bloomers are now just beginning, too--snow's coming....

Kylee Baumle said...

Lisa ~ I've been so thrilled with the Coral Drops! I want to get some more next year!

Ben ~ Did you mean Oriental lilies? Our Asiatics have been finished for quite some time now and they aren't generally fragrant.
You're right, snow's coming, even though it's probably three months away yet, it will be here before we know it! But today, it's 93°...

Benjamin Vogt said...

Actually, I planted some asiatic bulbs about a month ago, and it they have buds on them. I guess they decided they might as well try to do something this year.

Kylee Baumle said...

Well, that's cool! ;-)

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