It’s the 15th of the month again, and that means it’s time to show you what’s blooming in my zone 4b-5a northern New England garden this month! We’re in a bit of a drought (no outside watering allowed in my town between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.) but there’s still water in the rain barrels, so the vegetable garden and the new plants are faring OK. And though we had a week in early July with temps in the 90Fs, it’s mostly been in the 80s and 70s, with lows from the high 40s to high 60s, not too stressful for plants or people. Or cats.
Let’s look at the garden by region, shall we?
First, the ROCK WALL, a sort of wild area that’s been planted with a few shrubs and some perennials but is mostly left to its own devices.
part of the overgrown rock wall garden (with pathway to our neighbours’ house)volunteer Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)swallowtail butterfly on Sweet William flowersvolunteer veronicastrum with lady’s mantle blooming behindlady’s mantlecreeping Jenny flower (Lysimachia nummularia) in lawn near rock wallone of many hazelnuts on shrub in rock wall – the first year there’s been more than one or two
*
Next, the SHADE GARDEN, a favourite of mine.
Rodgersia seedhead, hosta flower, Japanese painted fern intersectionpurple hosta flowersastilbe – not sure whichgorgeous Tricyrtis of uncertain species (plant sale buy)magenta Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), another volunteerbuds of a small dark hostaanother intersection of hosta flowers, three kinds of hosta leaves, Japanese painted fernwhite bladder campion, a “weed” in the shade gardena rather late-blooming columbine flower
August is really the month when the back border shines.
*
The SUNROOM BORDER:
lavender flowersanother view of the lavender flowers, with chopped-and-dropped comfrey leaves on the right to cover soilmeadow sage stalk“Spirit” sedum flowersa volunteer black-eyed Susan in the patio
*
The FRUIT GUILD:
The peaches are going crazy again this year. We’ve thinned them twice and now have crutches (made mostly from limbs cut from an oak tree in the side-front yard) holding up branches that could break under the weight of the fruit when it’s ripe in a month or so.
Fennel has taken over a lot of the guild, and chives, which have already bloomed once, but there are also yarrow, Sweet William (not shown here), and nasturtium flowers this time of year.
nasturtium
pink (maybe one of the “Summer Pastels”) yarrow flower“Moonshine” yarrow flowerred (possibly “Paprika”?) yarrow flower
*
Moving around the north side of the house to the DRIVEWAY BORDER, the daylilies are almost finished putting on their annual show. Some days, there are 50 or more in bloom!
*
The FRONT BORDER and front gardens in general are becoming more and more filled with blooms of geranium and echinacea in early July, which suits me fine.
part of the front yard
“Rozanne” geraniumsanother geraniumanother geranium – maybe Johnson’s Blue?“Blue Ribbon” bush clematis flowers and fluff, an oragne echinacea, “Purple Emperor” echinacea, spruce, etc.“Blue Ribbon” bush clematis flowers“Blue Ribbon” bush clematis in budan annual lobelia (“Riviera Marine Blue”)“Zing Rose” dianthus deltoides with pollinatorgazania (annual)“Purple Emperor” echinaceaan orange echinacea I am captivated by (plus thyme)the orange echinacea“Petite Delight” bee balm (monarda)red bee balm (monarda)pink canterbury bellflower (Campanula) … very spready!Silene x haageana “Lumina” (catchfly)evening primrose flowerpainted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) on amsonia flowerspink sedum bloom
*
Continuing southeast toward the CORNER GARDEN and SIDE YARD:
“Ice Ballet” asclepiasamsonia and milkweedmilkweed with fliescrocosmia “Lucifer” starting to bloomcrocosmia “Lucifer” flowersvervain spireslast of the “Anita Kistler” phlox blooms (with sensitive fern)echinaceared bee balm (monarda)
Also on the side yard, facing southeast, is the VEGETABLE GARDEN:
Your flowers are so beautiful, looking really very temperate plants. I am looking at your sidebar to see where you are gardening from and i can’t see any. The colors are also very cold country too!
Goodness! You have TOO MANY pictures to look at! In the very first picture, what is that flowering shrubbery to the left? does it happen to be an elderberry of some sort? If so, I know it is the LAST thing that you expected anyone to take interest in, but I happen to think it is RAD! We have only the native blue elderberry here. Others are quarantined in California. That is fine with me. The blue elderberry works just fine for me.
Your yarrows are exquisite as well. The nasturtium is of course my favorite.
I’ve never heard of blue elderberry before! The ones in my garden are Sambucus canadensis, called American or common elderberry. The native ones in New England are Sambucus nigra (black elderberrry) and Sambucus racemosa (red elderberry). And yes, those are elderberry flowers — what’s left of them — on the shrub next to the red bee balm in the first photo (with honeysuckle berries behind). Thanks for looking!
Blue elderberry had not been cultivated for berries until recently. Not many Californians even know what elderberries are. When I started making jelly with them, and wining ribbons at the Harvest Festival, people started taking an interest in them, and some are now using them like Eastern black elderberries.
Loading...
There’s a lot of pretty blooms …loved the collection of yarrow flowers
There’s a lot in your garden to enjoy! I think Astrantia flowers are so interesting in their shape, and dainty.
Your flowers are so beautiful, looking really very temperate plants. I am looking at your sidebar to see where you are gardening from and i can’t see any. The colors are also very cold country too!
I’m in northern New England in the U.S.
Love those stately Veronicastrum! They are beautiful! Happy GBBD!
Goodness! You have TOO MANY pictures to look at! In the very first picture, what is that flowering shrubbery to the left? does it happen to be an elderberry of some sort? If so, I know it is the LAST thing that you expected anyone to take interest in, but I happen to think it is RAD! We have only the native blue elderberry here. Others are quarantined in California. That is fine with me. The blue elderberry works just fine for me.
Your yarrows are exquisite as well. The nasturtium is of course my favorite.
I’ve never heard of blue elderberry before! The ones in my garden are Sambucus canadensis, called American or common elderberry. The native ones in New England are Sambucus nigra (black elderberrry) and Sambucus racemosa (red elderberry). And yes, those are elderberry flowers — what’s left of them — on the shrub next to the red bee balm in the first photo (with honeysuckle berries behind). Thanks for looking!
Blue elderberry had not been cultivated for berries until recently. Not many Californians even know what elderberries are. When I started making jelly with them, and wining ribbons at the Harvest Festival, people started taking an interest in them, and some are now using them like Eastern black elderberries.
There’s a lot of pretty blooms …loved the collection of yarrow flowers
I have never seen a hazelnut growing. How interesting.
Thanks for sharing your MANY pictures.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry