Even though it's July and it's been warm, we haven't had any temperatures higher than 95F yet this month. Better still, the mercury has fallen this week and at the moment temperatures are in the downright comfortable range of the mid-70sF. There are still a lot of different flowers in bloom but the quantities are small in most cases. I'll start off with those that are most abundant or eye-catching.
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| Our native California aster, Symphyotrichum chilense, is blooming both early and vigorously. While it's very pretty, it's spread with abandon to take over much of one bed and I'm going to have to do something to corral it at the end of the season as it's threatening to choke out other plants. |
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| Leonotis leonurus (aka lion's tail) isn't invasive but it's having a very good year |
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| Okay, these Leucadendrons aren't true flowers but they do a good job of imitating the real ones. Those shown here are Leucadendron 'Jester' and L. 'Summer Red'. |
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| I've shown the Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' and L. 'Devil's Blush' before but they're almost impossible to ignore |
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| I don't envision Cupheas as the stars of my garden but, like some actors in supporting roles, they do occasionally steal the show. This is hybrid Cuphea 'Starfire Pink'. |
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| This is Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' |
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| It's hard to ignore the exuberance of Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' either. They're the Energizer Bunnies of my summer garden. |
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| Pandorea jasminoides (aka white bower vine) is having a good year too |
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| I haven't kept the Globularia x indubia (globe daisies) as manicured as I like but they're blooming better than ever this year |
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| This noID Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) has been here for years and always put on a good show. It's bee and butterfly approved. |
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| The blooms of Phyla nodiflora (aka frogfruit) are tiny but profuse, choking out most weeds (except for the occasional opportunistic Gazania) |
Other blooms are fading but still deserve a shout-out.
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| The Agapanthus didn't get the attention I usually give them this year and now they're waning, although there are new blooms opening here and there |
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| Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' has continued to produce new flushes of blooms and, photographed from this angle, it does a nice job of playing off the blooms on the mimosa tree in the background |
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| The dark blue Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus) bloomed all at once this year and, in this location at least, appear to be preparing to exit on the same schedule too. I don't have the range of colors in these plants I've had in prior years. They're short-lived perennials here and I pulled most of last year's plants, expecting to get new plugs this spring, which didn't happen. |
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| Most of my daylilies are done blooming. This deciduous variety, probably Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell', which came with the garden, is finishing up now. |
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| The foliage of Lagurus ovatus (bunny tail grass) died out a month or more ago but the flowers still look fresh |
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| A friend of mine bought these frilly noID Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta daisies) for me following my mother's death in 2013. My friend passed away somewhat unexpectedly last year. I think of both of them every time I look at these flowers. |
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| The flowers of Limonium perezii (aka sea lavender) dries well but, as it gets scruffier, I start cutting it back |
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| Two of my largest Salvias, Salvia canarienesis var candidissima (left) and Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' (right), are finishing up the season |
There are some recent arrivals to admire as well.
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| I expect this is as good as the mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) is going to get. It was literally cut in half in December 2018 in an effort to save what we could from the damage done by shot hole borers. It looks okay as long as I don't let myself compare it to a healthy intact specimen. The good news is that it drops a lot less leaf and flower litter than it used to. |
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| The red fountain grass (Pennisetum x advena 'Rubrum') is just starting to bloom |
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| As I was late in sowing Zinnia seeds in my cutting garden this year, I added plugs purchased at my local garden center to this bed on the south side of my garden when I pulled the remains of my California poppies to provide an immediate Zinnia fix |
What's most obviously missing from my July garden this year are
Dahlia blooms. As with the
Zinnia seeds, I was late in getting my tubers in. They were planted between mid-April and early May instead of early March as was the case in 2019. I'm trusting that those blooms will make an appearance eventually.
I'll conclude as usual with color collages featuring the best of the rest.
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Top row: Anagallis monellii, Duranta repens 'Sapphire Showers', and remnants of Monarda 'Peter's Purple'
Middle row: Platycodon grandiflorus, Plectranthus neochilus, and Plumbago auriculata 'Imperial Blue'
Bottom row: Thymus serphyllum 'Minus', Trachelium caeruleum, and Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic' |
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Top row: Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', noID Cosmos, and noID Crassula
Middle row: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', and Magnolia grandiflora
Bottom row: Myrtus communis 'Compacta' and Orlaya grandiflora
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Top row: Achillea 'Moonshine', Alstroemeria 'Inca 'Sundance', and Cuphea micropetala
Middle row: self-seeded Gazania, Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream', and Lantana camara 'Irene'
Bottom row: noID dwarf Phalaenopsis and Phlomis fruicosa |
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Top row: Bignonia capreolata, Cotyledon orbiculata, and Grevillea 'Superb'
Middle row: Ammi majus 'Dara' and Calibrachoa 'Cabernet Coral Kiss'
Bottom row: Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' and Pelargonium peltatum 'Dark Burgundy' |
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Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Arbutus 'Marina', Arctotis 'Pink Sugar', and Cistus 'Sunset'
2nd row: Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy', G. pulchella, Hebe 'Wiri Blush', and noID Hoya
3rd row: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, Origanum 'Monterey Bay', Osteospermum 'Berry White', and Pelargonium cucculatum
Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard', Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', and Scabiosa columbaria |
That's a wrap! Drop in on
Carol at May Dreams Gardens to discover what she and other gardeners have blooming in their gardens this month.
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
