Bloom Day - June 2021

I did a quick scan of the last six years of June Bloom Day posts and confirmed my guess that I'd featured either Agapanthus or Achillea 'Moonshine' as the headliner in every case.  So I'm going to break from tradition and start off with some of the other stars of my June garden this time but, don't worry, I'll get to those old dependables eventually.

Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' is covered in peachy-pink blooms.  The hum of bees is audible from feet away.

The pale yellow flowers of Crassula pubescens radicans are tiny but they make up for that in sheer numbers.  The yellow flowers and red stems also provide a perfect accent to the 'Blue Glow' Agaves growing in this area.

Salvia clevelandii 'Winnifred Gilman' is immediately noticeable for both its bright blue flowers and its pungent scent

Salvia canariensis var candidissima is rubbing elbows here with Salvia leucantha x clevelandii 'Pozo Blue'

Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lily), a New Zealand native, is a reliable June bloomer

Cistus crispus 'Sunset' took a few years to settle in but now puts a good show.  The pale pink flowers shown in the upper right are those of Cistus x skanbergii, sited to the left of 'Sunset'

Last year I grew Ammi majus 'Dara' from plugs but this year I grew its cousin, Daucus carota 'Dara', from seeds.  The latter is more robust but their flowers appear identical to me.

Gaura lindheimeri comes back every year.  It self-seeds but it hasn't gone crazy (yet).

Globularia x indubia (aka globe daisy) isn't commonly found in garden centers but it's a good investment if you come across it

It's daylily season here and Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem' is the most vigorous of mine

Other Hemerocallis include, top row: 'Cordon Rouge' and 'Sammy Russell' Middle row: 'Double Impact' and 'For Pete's Sake' Bottom row: 'Indian Giver', 'Plum Perfect', and 'Russian Rhapsody'

The Magnolia grandiflora in the front garden is loaded with blooms that are virtually impossible to photograph.  I made several attempts with a telephoto lens before I was able to capture these photos.

At this time of year, Pandorea jasminoides and Trachelospermum jasminoides mingle comfortably on the arbor separating the cutting garden from the dry garden

Tagetes lemmonii blooms more heavily in fall but the smattering of bright yellow color is welcome at any time of year

To give the old standbys their due, here are the usual June headliners:

Achillea 'Moonshine' got an early start this year and it looks as though its blooms are already fading but I'll try cutting it back hard within the next few weeks to see if I can get a second flush

I've got Agapanthus (most unidentified cultivars inherited with the garden) in at least eight different areas but I dug up and divided the largest groups in two areas last year, replanting only some of the bulbs.  They'll bulk up again in time but I expect fewer bloom stalks this year.

And, speaking of old standbys, here are my year-round bloomers:

Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream'

Grevillea 'Superb', fronted by Cuphea 'Vermillionaire'

I also have this happy mish-mash of flowers:

The combination here is Erigonum nudum 'Ella Nelson's Yellow', Tanacetum niveum, and Nierembergia 'Purple Robe'

There were a few surprises this month:

This photo of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Marianne Charlton' was actually taken at the end of May but I couldn't resist sharing it.  It's in a pot and dropped numerous buds before producing this single bloom.  I think it either needs a much larger pot or to be planted in the ground.

I stuck a pot containing Echinopsis oxygona in a shady spot along the house when the mimosa tree was cut down late last year and never moved it into a sunnier spot so I wasn't expecting it to bloom but it has

Lilies don't generally grow well in my climate/soil but this one, received 4-5 years ago as a gift with purchase, blooms every year.  I've no idea as to its identity.

Both of the plants shown here seem to be late in blooming this year.  On the left is the first bloom of a noID ruffled cultivar of Leucanthemum x superbum I've had since 2013.  On the right are flowers of what I now think is Prunus ilicifolia, part of a laurel hedge that came with the garden.

While my garden offers a broad array of flowers, the volume in some categories is lower than in prior years, which can probably be attributed to the exceptionally dry winter and spring we had.  I've also noted that some plants that have bloomed in June (or even earlier) in prior years have failed to show up yet.  As this summer is expected to be hotter than usual, I don't expect things will improve until later this year, when hopefully Mother Nature will throw us a bone and deliver more in the way of rainfall than she gave us this year.

On that note, I'll close with color collages featuring what else is blooming here and there in my garden.

Top row: Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin', Arbutus 'Marina', and Distictus buccinatoria Middle row: Hesperaloe parviflora, Lantana 'Irene', and a mix of orange and yellow Lantana Bottom row: Leucospermum 'Brandi' and Rosa 'Medallion'

Top row: Alstromeria 'Inca Sundance' and noID Gazania Middle row: Hymenolepsis parviflora and variegated Lantana 'Samantha' Bottom row: Leucospermum 'Goldie' and Osteospermum 'Double Moonglow'

Top row: Agonis flexuosa, Alstroemeria 'Claire', and Centranthus 'Albus' Middle row: Coriandrum sativum, Nandina domestica, and Nigella 'African Bride' Bottom row: noID Pelargonium peltatum, Penstemon digitalis 'Onyx & Pearls', and Romneya coulteri

Top row: Artichoke, noID Brachyscome, and Buddleia davidii 'Buzz Purple' Middle row: Gilia tricolor, Lavandula dentata, and Limonium perezii Bottom row: Melaleuca thymifolia, Plectranthus neochilus, and Polygala fruticosa

Top row: Allium sphaerocephalon, Alstroemeria 'Inca Vienna', and Callistemon 'Hot Pink' Middle row: Cosmos bipinnatus, Cuphea 'Starfire Pink', and noID Pelargonium Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard', Rosa 'Pink Meidiland', and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink'

Top row: Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun', Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', and Lobelia laxiflora Middle row: Lotus berthelotii 'Amazon Sunset', Melinus nerviglumis, and Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' Bottom row: Pelargonium peltatum, Penstemon mexicali, and Xerochrysum bracteatum

For more Bloom Day posts, visit our host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party