Friday, June 15, 2012

The Garden in the first days of June


Is it just me, or is June passing by at lightening speed? 

With a second chest cold keeping me from my garden, I found that the early summer flowers came and went before I had much of a chance to take any pictures. Already the peonies are almost finished and I have very few records of them.

Let's take a look at what I did manage to document in the first days of the month.


Baptisia nicely anchors the corner of the front garden.


As you can see, it is quite a sizeable perennial.


In the center of the front flowerbed, there is a pretty clematis that only reaches 4' in height. 
I like its small size so much that I have decided to collect more of these shorter varieties.



I have two clumps of Oriental poppies. I find their vivid, orangey-red color clashes with the blues, pinks and purples that dominate the garden in June.


So next year, I am going to move them to a new spot in the backyard and replace them with these soft, pink poppies that I saw on a recent garden tour.


One of my favourite plants of the moment is this Penstemon.


And just behind it I have a delpinium.


The Korean Lilac by the white picket fence was spectacular this year, but all the other varieties of lilacs were a bust! I had very few blooms in the back garden, so I had better do some pruning to renew them. 


This year I had more peonies than ever. 



As always, they look amazing for a few days. Then rain sends them sinking to the ground.



Gas Plant, Dictamnus fraxinella


The gas plant in the front garden.


The shrubs along the driveway have put on a nice show this month.



This one has a lovely honey scent. 
(This shrub and the previous one were here when we moved in. 
Sorry, I do not know their names. If you do, please be sure to let me know.)


A John Cabot Explorer Rose overhangs the driveway as well.


In the back garden, there is Dame's Rocket that has self-seeded itself everywhere. 
(That's Beauty Bush in the background.)


It get a bit messy looking and is prone to mildew when it finishes flowering, so I yank most of it out. I always manage to miss enough plants for the Rocket to reseed itself for next summer.


Beauty Bush


There are several shades of Spiderwort including mauve and white.


Tall, feathery Thalictrum Aquilegifolium in half-shade.


Tiny Epimedium in full shade of the back garden.



The geraniums are almost finished flowering.


Last year, I was so excited to have one foxglove. This year I have almost ten! 

So what's blooming in your garden? I will be around to visit and see.

I am going to link this post to May Dreams Gardens Garden Bloggers Bloom Day
I will also link to Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie Time
To see what is blooming in other gardens around the world, please click the links. 

43 comments:

  1. Um, your blooms are beyond stunning. OMG! Will take me a while to recover. Especially the Baptisia blooms. Fantastic!

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  2. What a gorgeous garden! I'm just starting...again, but gardens like yours give me the inspiration I need to keep moving forward. Wonderful photos!

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  3. It would take me forever to get to your front door, because there is so much beauty to admire on the way. I have to stop and look up some of the plants, like Gas Plant, and Dame's Rocket. I was not familiar with these.

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  4. Your blooms are wonderful and lasting this June, many far extended their time than here in the Falls. Our peonies are done, Tranescantia is over, and the Korean lilac just finished. Too bad too, since the June weather was far more accommodating to the garden than in May. You have many beautiful images too.

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  5. Jennifer - what terrific flowers! I remember seeing Gas plant for the first time on a Toronto Garden tour in the 90's. Had to run right out and buy some the next day. Of 3 plants, one remains. I also adore your Foxglove, late-blooming Epimedium and the Baptisia. Very very nice.

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    1. Thanks Astrid. A gas plant that has lived in your garden since the 90's! That's very impressive! Mine is about 6 or 7 years old and is quite the sizeable bush.

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  6. aloha,

    what a fun tour of your garden, i loved that first photo with the peonies - stunning! ...you have alot of beautiful blooms in your garden, thanks for sharing them :)

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  7. Beautiful blooms all, but the peonies are really outstanding!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  8. Wonderful pictures from a very beautiful garden. I wish you a nice weekend! Zinnia

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  9. Fantastic! I am in awe, you have so many of the flowers that I long to grow and can't...peonies, baptista, etc. And they all look so robust, vigorious and beautiful.

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  10. I love the color of your delphinium! Your peonies are pretty, and I love the poppies but understand why you need to switch out the orange for the soft pink.

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  11. Beautiful blooms and lovely photos! Larry

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  12. Hope the cold passes in a flash - even though you didn't get as many photos as you wanted, those you did get are choice. Very odd about the lilacs, did the buds get whacked by the hot/cold do you suppose? Smiled when I saw you find the blues/purple clash with the shocking poppies. I moved my poppy, just for that heart stopping combination. The pale pink/coral will be much more soothing. As far as the gardener's garden, I think that was my favourite too. So many surprises, and different plants - something I really appreciate.
    B.

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    1. Thanks Barbara. I still have a nagging cough, but it gets better each day. The lilacs were all green with no buds. It has been a while since I pruned them. There is a lot of old wood that may be effected by lilac borer.

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  13. Jennifer, your own gardens are ever so much more beautiful than the ugly, ravine designer gardens with the hulking rocks. For all the money those folks spend, in my humble opinion, those gardens look forced. They look cold. You weave your magic in a way that allows nature to play right along, which to me makes for a very pleasant, relaxing, inspiring garden I much rather wander in.

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    1. Ruth, You are too kind. Thanks for the compliments.

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  14. I am blown away but those shots- really really crisp clear and clean. The poppy shots! WOW!!! Love stopping by to see what you have blooming- always something new and different for me and always a pleasure! Happy GBBD!!!

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  15. I love penstemon and the pink poppies, too. The peonies and the hosta are a pretty pairing. Happy Bloom Day!

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  16. I am mesmerized! All your blooms are simply stunning! The Baptisia is amazing as are the poppies and peonies. Well, everything really!

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  17. Loved the photo of the peonies arching out over the walkway. You've got a stunning array of flowers there and everything looks so healthy. Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well again but hopefully eyeing up all those fabulous blooms made you feel a little bit better.

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    1. Thanks Marguerite. The worst of the cold is over. I always find a chest cold zaps my energy in the early stages, but I am better now.

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  18. Your peonies are absolutely stunning, it doesn't matter that they are arching over, they are beautiful. Had to smile when I read that you want to move an oriental poppy, the post that I will publish tomorrow is about just that, and how they come back from the tiniest bit of root left behind!

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    1. Good to know Pauline! I have never tried to move one of these poppies before.

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  19. Your flowers are absolutely gorgeous!

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  20. I love the Rue! Beautiful! Mine flowers white. Also love epimediums! I had a nice little yellow one in Maine but haven't come across any here. Your gardens are spectacular. Hope you get well soon and back in the garden.

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  21. Your peonies are stunning!! You have a great deal of color in your garden right now...love it!

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  22. Stunning and Beautiful. Loved all the gorgeous flowers.

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  23. Jennifer, your garden is filled with beauty. It is so picture perfect. I must find a place for Baptisia, see it in the nurseries but I keep wondering where I can put it. Feel better soon,

    Eileen

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  24. Your garden is absolutely breathtaking. I hope you feel better soon.

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  25. Gorgeous! (And get well soon!)

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  26. I have been wanting to try beautybush and gas plant. Now I am more inspired. The red-flowered shrub is old-fashioned weigela, W. florida, great plant.

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    1. Thanks Carolyn, I am familiar with the weigela and agree it is a great little shrub. Now if someone can just identify the other two less common shrubs, I'll be all set.

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  27. Jennifer, I am sure the first shrub is a ninebark, the species. My father has it growing all over his property, and I have Coppertina and Diablo. The second I am not sure of, could it be the golden leaf form of mockorange, certainly flowering at the right time of year.

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  28. Jennifer, your GBBD is like a breath of fresh air...just absolutely amazing! I kept thinking one shot would be my favorite and then I'd come to the next and think no, that's my favorite! Too many to decide.

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  29. Well, I must declare my self in love with your garden ... Sooo beautiful, Jennifer !!!

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  30. I agree with Deborah on the ninebark ID (Physocarpus opulifolius), and the only yellow leaf variety I know of is 'Dart's Gold. Your garden is marvelous!

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  31. Replies
    1. I have a new yellow variety of Ninebark 'Lemon Candy', a compact one...supposed to only get to 4 feet tall.

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    2. Interesting to know Janet! I have a number of Ninebarks and think they are a great shrub. A compact variety could be very useful.

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  32. Your June flowers are gorgeous! I love that baptisia. It's a wonderful shade of blue.

    You have an amazing cottage garden.

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  33. Lovely home and garden! I agree, foxgloves are a special treat-thanks for the tour..

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