Here we are, halfway through June and almost halfway through the year. The skies in most of the Pacific Northwest have been cloudy, cool and wet for too long, and continue as I write this. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of days I haven't needed an extra layer. I am cold! Although most of the plants continue to grow and bloom, they are all behind by at least two weeks from last year. I guess I should be grateful we haven't had a repeat of last year's heat dome, but really, does it have to be feast or famine?
Okay, I'll stop whining and show you what's blooming this month at Longview Ranch, with a couple of Astoria flowers at the end for fun.
Erigeron glaucus is just beginning, but the bumblebees instantly gravitated to it.
Brugmansia sangunea surprised me with a lush trumpet bloom about a week ago. It's holding nicely and another is forming to follow it.
I have been nursing this Echium wildprettii along for two and a half years. This year, it finally decided to spit out some blooms, but it's apparent that the center was stunted or damaged this past winter. At this point, however, I'll take whatever it cares to give.
This is my first time growing Dactylorhiza. D. fuchsii 'Bressingham Bonus' has the coolest patterned florets that easily show why it's in the orchid family.
Lewisia continue to bloom this month, probably because of our cooler weather. Here are two L. cotyledon 'Sunset Shades'. They are one of my favorite natives!
Ceanothus 'Victoria' has been glorious outside our dining room window. Because I suffer from a complete inability to understand mature plant sizes, you can spot two Eremuris coming up through its structure.
Nicotiana alata 'Lime Green' adds the perfect acid note to the shade garden. I don't know whether it will self-seed, but I hope it does that, or comes back from the base next year.
And here are a couple of happy Astoria dwellers. Cistus obtusifolius is in its third year and blooming like mad - much to the delight of my local bees.
Lastly, several Penstemon 'Electric Blue' have weathered deer predation and extreme weather for two years. I can't say they are the best examples of their cultivar, but I'm happy to see a few intense blue flowers bravely blooming.
Bloom Day is brought to you by the lovely Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, where you can see all sorts of flowering plants on the 15th of each month.
Happy Bloom Day, all!
Well Jane , I'm glad to know that I'm not the only Echium owner waiting patiently for a flower. Planted mine from 4" last summer and it looks fantastic but not any indication of a bloom ! I love your Lewisias !
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics Jane, each shot is beautiful. Love seeing all of your varieties.
ReplyDeleteUnlike most other gardeners, I'm really grateful for the relative cold and all the moisture we're given. I have not had time to be in the garden - no less water it. And observing devastating heat in other parts of the country and planet, I'm thankful for the more tolerable conditions in our PNW bubble. You made me laugh - I'll ditto your self-professed ability to ignore the prospect of mature plant sizes. The generous water this spring has by now rendered several shrubs too large for their locations in my garden. For years, they fit in nicely, but now the time has come for some major editing. Sigh... the window of perfection was so darn short... Oh well - gives us something else to work on, right?
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