To every plant, there is a season, and I find that pretty much the same plants are blooming that were blooming last year and the year before at this time. So even though I’m intoxicated with my peonies and wowed by my poppies, I’ll use this post to showcase some of the other plants that are blooming.
Last year I grew two pansy seed mixes on trial from Renee's Garden. These black pansies wintered over to bloom another year.
This is Sooty Sweet William. My sister grew it from seed. It is a deeper red than appears in this brightly lit photo, but isn't black by any means.
A gift from a friend last year, this white bleeding heart is blooming in my garden for the first time.
This plant is easy to take for granted, growing almost anywhere with little care, so I just wanted to give a shout out to Geranium sanguineum var. striatum.
I received three Flirtation Orange diascias from Proven Winners to trial, and they perfectly matched the passalong canna I had wintered over in my basement.
First blossom of the year for William Shakespeare 2000. I received this Zone 5 hardy rose as a trial plant from David Austin Roses, and buried it deeper than usual to help it through the winter
Yes, it really is that blue. Jay Bird Siberian iris is starting its fourth year in my garden, and has become a worthy escort to my peonies.
Plants That Should Be Here But Aren’t
No bearded irises this year. Their buds were all blasted by the untimely freeze, and some of the leaves were damaged as well.
No foxgloves, either. I had blooming size foxglove rosettes when the snow receded in March. They were gone by May. Why? I’m not sure. Could be too wet, could be too many surprise low temps, perhaps a combination of the two. I have seedling foxgloves that, if all goes well, will bloom next year. There’s always next year. I need that as a Latin motto.
Also Blooming Now
- feverfew
- catmint
- ‘Bev’ peony
- ‘Rozella’ peony
- ‘Aimee’s Petticoat’ peony
- other peonies
- a creeping sedum with yellow flowers
- miniature hosta ‘Crown Jewel’
- golden variegated thyme
- ‘Crater Lake Blue’ veronica
- Oriental poppies
- Telstar picotee dianthus
- yellow flowered ornamental onion
- Cynanchum ascyrifolium
- German catchfly (Lychnis viscaria ‘Plena’)
- perennial flax
- various columbines, including the native one in our field
- maiden pinks
- ‘Joan Elliot’ clustered bellflower
- garden heliotrope
- ‘Miller’s Crimson’ primrose
- Lady’s mantle
- native rose (probably Rosa virginiana, photo here)
- dames’ rocket
- ‘Black Stockings’ thalictrum
- ‘Concord Grape’ spiderwort
- Johnny-jump-ups
- mockorange shrub
Inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year,” Carol of May Dreams Gardens started Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers from all over the world publish what is currently blooming in their gardens, and leave a link in Mr. Linky and the comments of May Dreams Gardens.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: @mycornerofkaty
I’m a pushover for blue flowers and blue iris make me week in the knees. You can imagine how I’m swooning over Jay Bird!
Cindy, MCOK´s last blog ..Through the Garden Gate: Monday, July 6th
I’m glad I made it to your GBBD post. I enjoyed your photos and writing. I think my favorites are the blue iris and black pansies.
I’m very impressed you would have pansies wintering over in your conditions. I’ve never done well with those spring/fall pansies and gave up on them. Congrats on so many bright flowers in spite of all the late frosts and crappy spring weather.
I’m new to gardening and just planted some catmint towards the front of my garden, near the sidewalk, after a few days in the sun, the poor thing looks droopy and wilted. I thought it was due to too much sun but it’s been raining in Toronto for the past two days and it’s still droopy. What did I do wrong? Anyone?
Well, it might just be settling in still. Do you have clay soil? After two days of rain, it’s possible that the soil is oversaturated. I would not give up hope, but offer it shade of some sort when it’s sunny, and avoiding watering unless the soil is dry when you’re finger is in to the second knuckle. It could be something weird like a bug ate all the roots or the stems were snapped off at soil level, but not likely. And forgive me for mentioning the obvious, but you did take it out of its pot and loosen the roots from the soil ball, right?
Hi Kathy, thanks for your reply. I just found your blog and am really excited about reading through the older post. I can not believe how much I am enjoying gardening.
In answer to your question. My soil is a bit clay-y. I did take it out of its pot but didn’t loosen the roots from the soil. Eek. Should I replant it? I propped it up with a brick and it looks like it’s getting a bit upright but still mostly looks droopy.
If there were a ton of roots really crammed in there, it was potbound, and it might be worth digging it back up and teasing the roots out the molded container shape. But if soil could fall away from the roots when you took it out of the pot, it’s probably fine in that regard. I am glad you are enjoying gardening. Welcome to the club! There is always something new to learn.
The siberian iris is just amazing! I had some bad results with my gardening, we had some very hot days and then lots of rain, so I think my garden just doesn’t know what to do next… grow or wait?
I have that white bleeding heart, I love it! and the pink geranium, too. sorry about your irises that is a tragedy. love the Siberian Jay Bird , that looks like a real winner!
Muum’s last blog post..Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day – June 15, 2009
Twitter: @thekaygee
The Jay Bird Siberian Iris is fabulous! Love the color!
KayGee In the Weeds’s last blog post..New (to me) herbs!
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Oh, that siberian iris is just stunning! Spring is finally arriving is full force in your garden.
Leslie’s last blog post..GBBD June 2009
Those black pansies are amazing. A low-growing artemesia would look good with them, or dusty miller perhaps. It’s a nice surprise when pansies occasionally come back. They don’t often do it for me either.
The color of that Siberian Iris is luscious! Wow! I’m loving mine at the moment, but your blue is truly spectacular. I had one open peony bloom on the 15th, but forgot to post the picture of it. I think my blooms are a little later this year. I’ll have to check. Happy Bloom Day, Kathy!
kerri’s last blog post..Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – June ’09
Twitter: @Indygardener
That’s too bad about the bearded irises and the foxgloves, but I see that you have some very pretty blooms to more than make up for them not making it through spring.
Thanks for joining in for bloom day!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens’s last blog post..Weeding Therapy: Good For The Garden And The Gardener
Twitter: @sharinggarden
Those pansies are intriguing — I’d love to see what you have around them for contrast to the black. And I think that Sooty Sweet William is so rich-looking. I’m sure the color is amazing in person because your photo is pretty amazing to begin with. I was just complaining about not quite getting the right color out of my camera — or maybe it’s just me!
Diana, when I sowed them they were in a packet of mixed colors, and when I planted them out, none had bloomed. So I didn’t know what color they would be and didn’t plant anything to complement them. That was last year. Pansies don’t usually pull through the winter for me, so I wasn’t expecting any to come back. I would either plant something with pale pink flowers, or lime green foliage to complement them. They are not too far from Actaea ‘Black Negligee’ but there is nothing tying them together.
Twitter: @clayanlimestone
Oh, yes, those black pansies are eye catching…and the blue iris is wonderful.
Gail’s last blog post..Let’s Go To The Place On The Sunny Strip ~~Bloom Day June 2009
Strangely enough here in the North West of UK we are having a very dry parch after a wet spring and the flowers are doing really well. The foxgloves are beautiful and have never been so good with the roses and geraniums – or should that be geranii!
Hi there Kathy, wow what wonderful blooms. I like you giving the cast of your garden some starring roles
Oh… yep the colours have got me here too! Love the pansy… I grew the viola Molly Sanderson many years ago but sadly it didn’t return after the cold and wet of winter. Love the deep colour of the sweet William but like others above the colour of the Jay Bird Iris is stunning! Happy Bloom Day
My post is up now too if you would like to visit. I’ve some videos for this month
Twitter: @gardenfix
Kathy, ‘Jaybird’ is a fabulous blue. For some reason, Siberian irises don’t agree with my garden, or vice versa. I suspect they need more water than my sandy soil provides. I’d be tempted to go with ‘Jaybird’ otherwise. ‘Sooty’ is a great name for the Sweet Williams; everyone should have some SWs.
Helen at Toronto Gardens’s last blog post..Lust List: Beauty of Livermere Poppy
Siberian irises are supposed to like acid clay–exactly what I have. They are the easiest irises for me to grow.
Twitter: @reddirtramblin
I can relate to the late freezes too although mine aren’t as late in the year as yours. I didn’t get any irises this year either, and some of my peonies didn’t bloom, which was sad. Fortunately, gardeners are the most hopeful of people and are always enjoying the “now” while still looking ahead.~~Dee
The siberian iris is stunning. I also love the black pansies and the sweet william. Great colors!
Phillip’s last blog post..June Bloom Day
Twitter: @suburbangarden
I just saw Dianthus ‘Sooty’ at a garden center and was admiring it’s velvety blooms. It is a lovely thing. Iris ‘Jay Bird’ is gorgeous!
Mr. McGregor’s Daughter’s last blog post..We Now Resume Our Regularly Scheduled Blog: Bloom Day
Those black pansies are fabulous. I need one of those cannas too, even though I’ll have to dig it every fall. Some things are worth the effort.
Illic est semper annus proximus. or Illic est semper tunc annus. Sometimes you just have to hold to that. I totally relate to badly timed freezes and cool/wet times. I just hate it when a promising plant bites the dust because the weather is squirrelly.
Thanks for the Latin motto. Some things are worth the effort, agreed.