Thursday, June 18, 2015

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June 2015

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, that celebration of all things floral at May Dreams Gardens, has come and gone for the month of June. But I was traveling, so I'll caboose onto this event a few days late to document the blooms at Longview Ranch this month.

First things first: this monster Salvia, S. desoleana, is finally blooming with big, wild, flower heads and tiny tongues of pale lavender.
So far, I haven't seen pollinators enjoying the blooms, but wouldn't you think they would make a beeline to them?

Triteleia laxa is mostly forgiven for its messy, lax leaves (could that be the genesis of the name?) when it blooms with such glorious blue abandon. (Note to self: relocate this lovely native bulb to a place where its foliage will be hidden by other plants next summer.)

It's lavender time, and several plants added years ago as space fillers still earn their keep when they bloom.

Variety names are long-since forgotten, but their scent lives on.


Callistemon 'Woodlander's Hardy Red' has been putting on a show for several weeks.

The neighbor's Bignonia brightens up the north end of our lot. It's a welcome hit of orange in that mostly utilitarian part of our backyard. (correction: this is Campsis radicans. Seems I mixed up my orange-flowered vines.)

Then, when you come around the corner to our back patio, this Clivia miniata is doing its bit to promote the appreciation of green and orange together.

Out in the sun again, Kniphofia 'Timothy' is just beginning to bloom.

The scent from two plantings of Trachelospermum jasminoides drifts in through our open windows this time of year.

Rosa 'Darlow's Enigma' is coming back strong from a major pruning last year.

Libertia peregrinans 'Bronze Sword' is loving our early heat.

Feverfew fills in a dry spot under the big Ceanothus.

Lewisia columbiana var. rupicola is still blooming after all the other showier Lewisias have finished.

My former mystery plant, the mullein (Verbascum thapsis) is blooming way up in and under the Trachycarpus fortunei.

Lastly, I'm sorry to report that Halimium ocymoides isn't long for this world. Most of the plant died back and has been pruned back, but I had to share and enjoy these last few yellow blossoms before reluctantly giving it the coup de grace.


Although I'm late for June's Bloom Day, it is celebrated at May Dreams Gardens on the 15th of each month. Pay Carol a visit there to find out how to join in.

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

17 comments:

  1. That salvia! New to me. Thanks for calling it to my attention. I think I need it.

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    1. Yes, you need it. I got mine from Ryan Miller who grew it from seed apparently provided by Kate Bryant.

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    2. Thanks for the seed, Jane. They're germinating on the back patio now!

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  2. Welcome back! Happy GBBD! Thanks for sharing your flowers. I didn't realize Bignonia was hardy there in Portland. I have some native bulbs similar to Triteleia that have messy foliage. It can get annoying, I hope you find a solution.

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    1. It seems the neighbor's vine is actually Campsis radicans, but I think Bignonia would grow here as it's Zn 7.

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  3. That salvia is incredible. I've never seen one like it. Your neighbor's bignonia looks like our campsis radicans, a pretty plant but one intent on taking over the world. I hope yours is better behaved.

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    1. MartiDIY, thanks for the correction on the vine's name. And thankfully, my neighbor does keep it in check.

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  4. Really nice Salvia, Jane. I planted bulbs of Triteleia laxa but I must have killed all but one with kindness and now that one might actually bloom. And yes, the foliage is extremely lazy. ;)

    Earlier this spring, I found a small Darlow's Enigma and couldn't pass it up. I found a spot for it and it appears very happy. Yours looks great. I also bought a second Star Jasmine the other day. That scent is so yummy. One plant just isn't enough.

    I just love your Lewisia columbiana var. rupicola. One of these days I'll find it. Great post.

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    1. Happy to hear you've opened your garden to Rosa 'Darlow's Enigma' again!

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  5. Oooh, I too love that salvia. And thank you for the Triteleia laxa ID. I have some that comes up in a pot every year, but had no idea what they were - and still no clue where they came from!

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    1. I love the T. laxa, and they vary subtly in color from flowerhead to flowerhead.

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  6. That salvia is gorgeous! I love all the orange blooms, too. I've been using lavender as a filler plant, too. Now that I don't have to rely on it so much with the deer shut out, I've been re-evaluating it.

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  7. I love the blooms in your garden, partly because many or so different from my own. That Salvia is stupendous. I also love the Treteleia, the flowers remind me of Gentian. One flower that we do share is 'Darlow's Enigma'. Yours is blooming wonderfully, and earlier than mine.

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  8. Never seen that Salvia before - quite beautiful! Love the shot with the jasmine in the jaws of the Trachycarpus - very cool! :)

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  9. I like stringing out Bloom Day, so thanks for coming late with your beautiful blooms.

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  10. Good afternoon! I was wondering if you would possibly be interested in a guest blogging opportunity with Gardening Know How? If so, please e-mail me for more details at:
    shelley AT gardeningknowhow DOT com

    Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!

    ReplyDelete

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