JULY GARDEN BLOGGERS’ BLOOM DAY

Mid-July already!

Now that our personal weather station reports to us all the deets every day, I have hyperlocal numbers to record, analyse, and compare. It’s been a fairly cool and quite rainy month so far. The high, 84.2F, occurred today, though it was 90F or 91F on the last three days of June. The high temperature on six days this month reached only into the 50s or 60s. The lowest low for July so far was 51.1F, on the 4th of July. We’ve received 7.87 inches of rain since the 1st, with only four rainless days — now we are not only NOT in a drought but we’re not even “abnormally dry,” though points north of us in New Hampshire are. I’ve heard complaints about all the rain lately, even from gardeners, but I’m very happy to have it.

Here’s what I’ve got blooming now:

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FRONT YARD

The firing squad line of daylilies, planted along the driveway by a former owner, numbers in the many hundreds so far, and I’ve lost count. Some days we’ve had 5, other days 85, and there are many more to bloom yet.

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The ‘Ice Ballet’ Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) — two new plants bought at a local plant sale about a month ago — is attracting insects, including one of my favourites, the great golden digger wasp.

Also red milkweed beetles —

And large milkweed bugs —

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The geraniums are blooming nicely, both the ‘Rozanne’ (left) and what I think is a ‘Mourning Widow’ (right). The ‘Rozanne’ will bloom into October.

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Echinacea (coneflower) is also in full bloom all over the yard but especially in the front yard now. I don’t know what variety the red-orange one is; I think the purple is ‘Purple Emperor,’ a gift from an acquaintance.

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One of the few annuals I plant is zinnia — they’re just cheerful.

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I’ve pulled out a lot of the campanula (Canterbury bells) that trailed along with a gift from a friend a few years ago, but I left a little, though it’s invasive, because I like the sculpted pink bells.

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The red bee balms (Monarda didyma) are blooming in the front and side yards, with lots of bee visitors.

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I’ve got oregano and various thymes tucked in around the front border, including this oregano attracting a pollinator.

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SIDE YARD & VEG GARDEN

Like the oregano above, thyme is also in bloom now.

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And borage, a favourite of mine.

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For some reason, I tend to confuse the names vervain and valerian; the valerian, white and very tall (and a volunteer), is almost finished blooming, while the vervain (V. hastata), purple, pink, or white, and not quite as tall, is just beginning.

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The ‘Intensia Neon Pink’ hybrid phlox is starting to bloom, earlier than most of the other summer phloxes here.

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I was pleased yesterday to see a monarch on the common milkweed (A. syrica), which is all over the yard and is almost finished blooming.

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Finally, the Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is abundant and attracts bumblebees and hummingbirds (no photo yet though both male and female ruby-throated have been frequent if skittish visitors) — and it’s just so splashy.

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FRUIT GUILD

A few lone black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are blooming in the fruit guild, along with some yarrow and Queen Anne’s Lace, and the woodland sunflower is about to pop. The peaches are rapidly growing and blushing.

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BACK YARD

The Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is alllllllmost in bloom.

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The Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’ has just begun its romp. Still looking pretty pale here.

I can’t resist the Dr. Seuss-ness of the blooms.

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Lavender (L. intermedia ‘Provence’ I think, though L. munstead is also planted around the yard) is still blooming and smelling lovely.

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Comfrey is on its second bloom of the season already.

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White Filipendula (meadowsweet, Queen of the Prairie), a few plants from various local plant sales, is beginning to bloom, and the fluffy pink won’t be far behind.

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SHADE GARDEN

Gotta love this funky spready Inula helenium (elecampane, horseheal) that grows to a sturdy 6 feet tall and blooms bright yellow in fairly deep shade. It’s in bud now.

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By contrast, the delicate ‘Sweet Kate’ tradescantia (spiderwort) is starting to bloom next to the Inula.

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‘Spirit’ Sedum selkianum has spread everywhere (along with Echinops bannaticus, blue globe-thistle, almost in bloom), which is fine.

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The ‘Golden Leopard’ tricyrtis latifolia (toadlily) is another favourite flower of mine and this plant (from a local plant sale in 2017) is so robust!

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WRENS

We had a family of house wrens in the birdhouse on the shed this year, the first time in 11 years that we’ve noticed any birds in the box. They’ve been fledged for a week or two and we hear and see them all over the yard now. (Last photo with a titmouse friend?)

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That wraps it up for the garden in early July this year. Come back next month for more blooms!

Featured image is echinacea blooms and buds, with a weeping spruce. Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.