It's a sizzling Bloom Day here at Longview Ranch in Portland, Oregon. Some of us wait all year for this summer heat, so we naturally grow the high-summer bloomers that love it.
Punica granatum 'Nana'.
Trachelospermum jasminiodes 'Confederate Cream'. Two plants in their fourth year are really established and disguising some of the fence now. And the scent is lovely.
It seems as though I show this potentilla (P. fruiticosa 'McKay's White") every Bloom Day from May on, but at the risk of boring you, here it is, still blooming and looking great. Potentillas may be common and easily dismissed, but I love their fuzzy, grayish foliage and ongoing summer blooms.
Crocosmia 'Citronella' (or 'Golden Fleece'), always the last crocosmia to bloom.
It looks wonderful, backed by Helenium 'Moorheim Beauty' and Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths'.
Here's a close-up of 'Moorheim Beauty'. As the blooms mature, the petals recurve almost like an Echinacea.
The bees are still enjoying the color star of the garden - Agastache 'Acapulco Orange'.
It's a big plant and I love its assertive presence in the garden.
Agastache rupestris is smaller and its foliage is grayer, but it has the same great pinky-orange flower.
Three Eucomis comosa 'Sparkling Burgundy' are blooming for the first time.
And the same one-of-three Eucomis pallidiflora ssp. pole evansii is also blooming again. This giant pineapple lily is nearly four feet tall.
Zantedeschia 'Flame'.
Punica granatum 'Nana'.
It seems as though I show this potentilla (P. fruiticosa 'McKay's White") every Bloom Day from May on, but at the risk of boring you, here it is, still blooming and looking great. Potentillas may be common and easily dismissed, but I love their fuzzy, grayish foliage and ongoing summer blooms.
It looks wonderful, backed by Helenium 'Moorheim Beauty' and Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths'.
Here's a close-up of 'Moorheim Beauty'. As the blooms mature, the petals recurve almost like an Echinacea.
The bees are still enjoying the color star of the garden - Agastache 'Acapulco Orange'.
It's a big plant and I love its assertive presence in the garden.
Agastache rupestris is smaller and its foliage is grayer, but it has the same great pinky-orange flower.
Three Eucomis comosa 'Sparkling Burgundy' are blooming for the first time.
And the same one-of-three Eucomis pallidiflora ssp. pole evansii is also blooming again. This giant pineapple lily is nearly four feet tall.
Eryngium 'Jade Frost' has such fabulous blue color.
Caryopteris is a late bloomer each summer, but that blue is so welcome when it arrives.
Campanula americana is past its prime, but still providing a nice hit of blue, too.
A NOID Canna I grow for its foliage has decided to pop.
What is it? The beginnings of the first white flowers blooms on my Langerstroemia 'Natchez'. Although I picked it for its bark, I can't say I'd be sorry to have blooms.
The flowers of Delosperma 'Oberg' are pretty challenging to capture: they won't open until the sun is on them and then the photo burns out. This is a weird in-between. Oberg is loving my hot hell strip.
Carol of May Dreams Gardens hosts bloom Day every month on the 15th. Check out more August flowers at her blog, where you can find links to more than a hundred garden bloggers' posts for today.
Happy Bloom Day!
Stunning! I love your bloom day posts!! And you have officially convinced me I need to some agastache!
ReplyDeleteYes, Louis, you NEED some Agastache!
DeleteYour Agastaches are so big and healthy, and wonderfully gaudy. That Calla lily is rather opulent too. I just planted Eucomis for the first time this year, I'm waiting patiently still for flowers.
ReplyDeleteAlison, it took these Eucomis several years to bloom. But if they're in maximum sun yours may be quicker - I hope so!
DeleteI want to grow everything you've featured. And you, Ricki, and Loree have convinced me that I must get that Eucomis. You peer pressurers!
ReplyDeleteThe Eucomis really are a fun and spectacular plant. I'm happy to add to the pressure!
DeleteEucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy'-be still my heart! Why won't you live in my garden? Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteAw, Sue, I think I'm just lucky since I'm not a very attentive gardener. Try again!
DeleteWhat a beautiful and wide range of plants!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jayne! I'm having fun!
DeleteI must be the only one round here that can not grow Agastache ... I cut mine down. Beautiful blooms as always.
ReplyDeleteI'll bring you a volunteer at our fall exchange so you can try again, Linda.
DeleteSeeing your 'Moerheim Beauty' makes me sad that the Helenium I got a few years ago was actually 'Mardi Gras' (mislabeled). Sigh.
ReplyDeleteScott, 'Mardi Gras' would fit right in here. Maybe we should trade?
DeleteEverything you've shown seems to be taking the heat in stride. The blues and whites give the impression, at least, of cooling things down. I love the pinwheel shapes of 'Confederate Cream'.
ReplyDeleteIt's my cunning plan to avoid watering too much, Ricki. So far, so good.
DeleteWow. Beautiful. Agastache Acapulco Orange is a monster! I love it though it made me realize I'd lost all of mine without replacing any. For me they sort of cycle through. Each one lives a few years, or a year. Normally we buy them at a replenishing rate but we must have been neglectful. Off to the nursery!
ReplyDeleteNice blossoms indeed. I could kill for your Agastaches. Amazing. I just can't keep them alive with my winter-wet clay. Also, I'm not a huge fan of yellow flowers but I really like your yellow Crocosmia. Gorgeous.
ReplyDelete