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Award winner author of gardening humor books

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May Dreams Gardens

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – July 2014

July 15, 2014 By Carol Michel 65 Comments

Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for July 2014.

Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana I am happy, happy, happy with how my garden looks in mid-summer this year.

As I look around at all the blooms, I think back to just two years ago when we were in the midst of one of the hottest and driest summers we’ve ever experienced.  In 2012, by mid July we were dry and hot and there weren’t many blooms to show.

I really do like it better when we get rain and it isn’t so hot!

The only heat I want in my garden now are from hot colors like this pink phlox. It’s a passalong plant that I’ve brought with me to each of the three gardens I’ve planted.

Across the way, another phlox, ‘David’ is starting to bloom as white as the passalong phlox is pink.

It’s one of the first flowers to bloom in the border I call August Dreams. 

Would you like to see some of my daylilies, growing in Plopper’s Field and elsewhere in the garden?

I live near a daylily and hosta nursery so I have easy, too easy, access to a wide variety of daylilies. Early on, I had a talk with myself and decided I really needed to figure out what I like my daylilies to look like, and stick to just those, or I would end up with way too many.  (As if it is possible to have too many of something in the garden.)

From the pictures,you can see, I hope, that I like spider or unusual forms, green centers, and old varieties like ‘Hyperion’ which is the yellow one in the middle of the top row.

If only I could remember the names of the other daylilies, we could play Hemerocallis Squares.  ‘Moonlight Orchid’ (bottom row, far left) for the win!

Elsewhere in the garden, the members of the Asteraceae family are also making a good showing.

Clockwise from the upper left, there are dark pink coneflowers (Echinacea sp.) in bloom, along with Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum), false sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) and just plain old regular coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea).

For some reason, I didn’t take a picture of the black-eyed Susan’s (Rudbeckia), which are also in the Asteraceae family and also blooming.

And there is more!

Out in the vegetable garden, Alyssum is blooming at the ends of some of the raised beds.

I like how it brings in pollinators, has a nice scent, and adds color to the veg garden.

I also like the lilies now blooming.

This is Lilium lancifolium ‘Flore-Pleno’, a wonderful double tiger lily.  It will be blooming for weeks.

I am ready to declare that this has been one of the best summers we’ve had for blooms in the garden. May all our summers be like this one, and may you someday also experience your version of the perfect summer wherever you garden.

But enough about me and my lovely summer. Is it a good summer for you? What’s blooming in your garden as we celebrate mid-summer? We’d love to see your July blooms.

Just post on your blog about the blooms in your garden, then come back here and leave a comment, then add a link to your bloom day post on the Mr. Linky widget below. Just like last month, you should also be able to choose a picture from your post to include with your link.  (If you have any troubles with the linking, just shoot me an email and I will happily help you out.)

“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: garden bloggers bloom day

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. HELENE says

    July 15, 2014 at 5:17 am

    Thanks for hosting the GBBD again, and I loved your many hemerocallis, wish I lived near a hemerocallis nursery! On second thought, perhaps it’s just as well I don’t live close to a hemerocallis nursery, there is really possible to have too many of something in a garden! I have 16 hemerocallis varieties so far, and I think I can find space for a good few more 🙂

    Reply
  2. Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening says

    July 15, 2014 at 5:20 am

    Thank you for hosting Bloom Day! Your many varieties of Hemerocallis and Echinecea are wonderful and I enjoyed how you presented them in a collage of color…just lovely! Your gardens are looking wonderful!

    Reply
  3. Danielle Bedics-Arizala, The Magic Garden says

    July 15, 2014 at 6:40 am

    So much color in your garden! And the foliage is so green and fresh. Just beautiful!

    Reply
  4. Cathy Thompson says

    July 15, 2014 at 7:55 am

    Hi there Carol – loved the hemerocallis, but glad I don't live near a specialist nursery! Enjoy the perfect summer!

    Reply
  5. rusty duck says

    July 15, 2014 at 8:04 am

    That tiger lily is a real beauty Carol. I think if I lived anywhere near any nursery it would be next step bankruptcy. I am a total plant addict. I have recounted in my post the story of trying to get to one just this last weekend, it's probably for the best this way.
    I'm glad summer has come up trumps for you after your dreadful winter. Enjoy!

    Reply
  6. outlawgardener says

    July 15, 2014 at 9:09 am

    Thanks for throwing such a beautiful party every month, Carol! Your daylilies are gorgeous and I love how tough they are! Happy GBBD!

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    July 15, 2014 at 9:36 am

    I agree with you about the weather so far this summer, Carol; on the whole, it's been really nice here in southeastern PA too. It looks like we're just about caught up to you bloom-wise: maybe just a week or 10 days behind you now. I love how you presented to galleries of your daylilies and daisies. Happy Bloom Day!

    Reply
  8. Yang Saya Suka says

    July 15, 2014 at 9:59 am

    Thank you for hosting Bloom Day, it is new for me. Your garden is so beautiful. Happy Garden Blogger's Bloom Day! Greetings from Indonesia.

    Reply
  9. Ruth @ Camellia Rose says

    July 15, 2014 at 10:09 am

    Glad to hear you're having a good summer this year. Your garden is certainly loving it!

    Reply
  10. Cerberus German shepherds says

    July 15, 2014 at 10:45 am

    I just saw your tag line…why I missed it I never will know. Love the daylilies…I have some but you can't see them for all the weeds

    Reply
  11. Les says

    July 15, 2014 at 11:17 am

    I had a similar conversation with myself about daylilies, only my outcome was different. If I only had the ones I like, they would all look the same, so I have made an effort to create some diversity. The simple fact is that I just need a bigger garden. Happy GBBD to you, and thank you for hosting.

    Reply
  12. Donna says

    July 15, 2014 at 11:29 am

    Carol I have the same issue with daylilies…too many and all different but i do love them. My blooming times are off this year so I have lavender and roses blooming with early lilies…I hope you enjoy them.

    I love that you plant flowers at the end of your beds. I plant borage, nasturtiums and marigolds to bring in pollinators and keep out critters.

    It has been an exceptional summer so far… thanks for hosting GBBD!

    Reply
  13. Trainer John says

    July 15, 2014 at 12:41 pm

    Thanks for hosting again. The garden is looking good. Like you I keep getting tempted by day lilies but it's the same old problem of too many varieties, too little space.

    Reply
  14. LINDA from Each Little World says

    July 15, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    I agree about the weather; it's been perfect in southern Wisconsin as well. I've been considering add that double lily and now that I've seen it growing in a garden rather than a catalog, I am going to order it. Thanks as always for hosting such a fun meme.

    Reply
  15. Shirley Fox says

    July 15, 2014 at 1:01 pm

    Thank you for hosting GBBD, your flowers are gorgeous. Love the coneflowers and daisies.

    Reply
  16. Ann says

    July 15, 2014 at 1:17 pm

    Thanks for hosting bloom day.

    Reply
  17. Rock rose says

    July 15, 2014 at 1:32 pm

    I'm glad the weather has been kind to your garden. You have some wonderful blooms. We once went to a garden of a daylily collector. It was not the kind of garden I would ever have wanted so you are wise to be selective. Happy Bloom day. Not sure if my link pposted but I did try.

    Reply
  18. Jenny H. says

    July 15, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    Everything looks so pretty! I especially love the pink phlox, and am busily working on getting more phlox into my garden. Thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  19. Covegirl says

    July 15, 2014 at 2:21 pm

    Love everything in your garden, Carol. My phlox, 'David" is blooming, also. Last year the pink appeared next to it. Nice surprise!

    Reply
  20. Pauline says

    July 15, 2014 at 2:25 pm

    Thanks for hosting once again. I have tried and tried so many times to leave a link but no success so far unfortunately!

    Reply
  21. Anonymous says

    July 15, 2014 at 2:40 pm

    I can see why you would declare this a "best summer" for blooming–wow! I love that tiger lily–alas, something I can't grow in Texas. The phlox are lovely as are all the other daylilies. Thanks for the show!

    Reply
  22. Jean Campbell says

    July 15, 2014 at 2:45 pm

    Lilies, Daylilies, Daisy forms — you have an abundance. Thank you for this wonderful meme. I took a new tack — a single cultivar this time.

    Reply
  23. Anonymous says

    July 15, 2014 at 3:25 pm

    Thanks again for providing the motivation to get out and document my garden and look around the blogosphere at all the pretty flowers!

    Reply
  24. Kris Peterson says

    July 15, 2014 at 3:58 pm

    Your garden is indeed looking terrific! I envy you the rain you've had – I can only hope our drought will pass next year, allowing my own garden to shine as yours has. Thanks for hosting GBBD, Carol!

    Reply
  25. dorothy says

    July 15, 2014 at 4:14 pm

    Carol, Thank you for hosting GBBD. I always look forward to seeing what's in bloom. Your garden is looking very lovely. So green and healthy! We are continuing under drought conditions but trying to conserve water and make the best of it!

    Reply
  26. Unknown says

    July 15, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    Thanks for hosting again, Carol. I love the double tiger lily. I'm hoping to get some next season – tiger babies I think. The garden looks wonderful as always!

    Reply
  27. Nic says

    July 15, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    Thank you! My family's Michigan garden is definitely benefiting from the same wetter weather!

    Reply
  28. Anonymous says

    July 15, 2014 at 5:19 pm

    Those clumps of phlox are looking good – and your hemerocallis certainly have that wow factor! Thanks for hosting

    Reply
  29. Lisa at Greenbow says

    July 15, 2014 at 5:37 pm

    This has been the most comfortable July 15th I can remember. Cool, the garden was watered by nature yesterday. AAAhhhhh and all the blooms of course. Your daylily collection is gorgeous. Happy GBBD.

    Reply
  30. Amy Farrier says

    July 15, 2014 at 5:49 pm

    Glad your garden is having such a wonderful summer! The phlox has amazing color, and I love the elegant double tiger lily.

    Reply
  31. Anonymous says

    July 15, 2014 at 6:45 pm

    Rain – no wonder we gardeners are so pleased when it arrives (usually). Looking lovely, Carol.

    Reply
  32. Anonymous says

    July 15, 2014 at 9:13 pm

    Thanks so much for hosting! I tried to link but I'm not sure it worked? I'll check back later!

    Reply
  33. WashingtonGardener says

    July 15, 2014 at 9:29 pm

    I'm having a heck of a time to get the Mister Linky widget to load my link – keep getting error after error – hadnot had this issue in previous months, and am hoping I'm not loaded up 50 times now!
    In any case, summer is here and the blooms are bursting! Thank you for hosting this, Carol, and to all for sharing their flowers.

    Reply
  34. Dee Nash says

    July 15, 2014 at 10:11 pm

    Hey Carol, glad to hear Indiana is having a grand summer. It's not bad here either. Happy Bloom Day!~~Dee

    Reply
  35. Erica Smith says

    July 15, 2014 at 10:33 pm

    Thanks for hosting! I very much agree with your daylily choices. 🙂

    Reply
  36. ~~~jennifer~~~ says

    July 15, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    Beautiful flowers! Thanks for hosting.

    Reply
  37. chloris says

    July 15, 2014 at 10:49 pm

    Lovely that you are having good weather so that you can enjoy your beautiful garden. It all looks wonderful. Thank you for hosting this great meme. It is clearly very popular.

    Reply
  38. bookworm says

    July 15, 2014 at 11:45 pm

    Beautiful, as always. I loved your blocks of flower pictures. I wish I knew how to do that! I've never grown tall phlox; I suspect I would have mildew problems with it. But I love them so much!

    Reply
  39. Anonymous says

    July 16, 2014 at 12:20 am

    Lovely collection of day lilies. Thanks for hosting bloggers bloom day. 🙂

    Reply
  40. Kate @ Gardening and Gardens says

    July 16, 2014 at 12:35 am

    Love your collection of hemerocallis. So beautiful!

    Reply
  41. Evan Bean says

    July 16, 2014 at 12:39 am

    I love your daylilies! We have similar taste, it seems, gravitating towards the spiders and unusual forms.

    Reply
  42. MulchMaid says

    July 16, 2014 at 1:06 am

    I am so glad to hear you're having wonderful blooms this summer. Goodness knows you deserve it after your loooong hard winter. Thank you so much for hosting Bloom Day, Carol!

    Reply
  43. Hannah says

    July 16, 2014 at 2:00 am

    I mostly have photos of my daylilies, and also some vegetables, this month. Your daylilies look a lot like some of mine, I'm still waiting on Phlox paniculata and Echinaceas to bloom, yours look great!

    Reply
  44. Unknown says

    July 16, 2014 at 3:20 am

    Wow – your phlox are amazing! I wonder how they would do in Central Texas – zone 8b? I love the hydrangea-look of them. Unfortunately, hydrangeas don't do well in the heat, sun and drought of Central Texas. Maybe the phlox is up for the challenge?

    Reply
  45. Indie says

    July 16, 2014 at 3:27 am

    Your garden is looking so lush – love those tiger lilies! I wish I lived close to a daylily nursery! I want some pink ones for my front yard, but I'm having a tough time finding some I love. You have some gorgeous ones!

    Reply
  46. Deanne Fortnam says

    July 16, 2014 at 4:02 am

    I just love phlox and daylily time! thanks for hosting this great Bloom Day!

    Reply
  47. Anonymous says

    July 16, 2014 at 7:17 am

    Happy Bloom Day! I think my favorite daylily is the yellow one with the green throat. I hear there is a green one out there somewhere too. Your neighborhood specialty nursery wouldn't have it, by chance? So cool… http://flutterandhum.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/bloom-day-july-2014/

    Reply
  48. Anonymous says

    July 16, 2014 at 8:40 am

    Thanks for hosting GBBD! I'm so glad you're having a wonderful summer after such a hard winter.

    Reply
  49. Sue Link says

    July 16, 2014 at 3:06 pm

    Thanks so much for allowing us to share our garden blog pages on yours. It's wonderful to view other pages, get ideas, and share.
    Loved all your daylilies, and I have quite a few myself, and like you said I think you have to be selective on your varieties of them because there are so many out there.

    Reply
  50. Rose says

    July 16, 2014 at 3:21 pm

    Love that double tiger lily! It has indeed been a wonderful summer for the garden. My husband was in charge of watering while I was in Portland, and he did an excellent job–thanks to more than 5 inches of rain:)

    I haven't had time yet to take many photos at home, but didn't want to miss out on Bloom Day, so I'm featuring just one plant, the star of my garden in July.

    Reply
  51. www.ravenscourtgardens. com says

    July 16, 2014 at 3:47 pm

    So many beautiful blooms! Hope you enjoy mine from my time at the Garden Bloggers Fling in Portland. Happy Gardening all ya'll.

    Reply
  52. John says

    July 16, 2014 at 4:10 pm

    Hi Carol, I'm all for a wet July too. So refreshing in every sense of the word. We've had rainfall every week and it makes such a difference to the garden. We've added more daylilies this year as well. It's hard not to like a plant that is so persistent about flowering.

    Reply
  53. Matthew Stout says

    July 16, 2014 at 4:16 pm

    Thanks for all the Blooms, love the Tiger Lilies. And so much more… but those I have been growing the single form for years from the bulbils, amazing propagation strategy they have.

    Reply
  54. Denise says

    July 16, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    Oooh, that daylily, middle of the second row. Good to hear summer is treating you right.

    Reply
  55. Heather says

    July 16, 2014 at 5:57 pm

    Oh, I love your coneflowers! Happy bloom day!

    Reply
  56. _emily_rose says

    July 16, 2014 at 7:18 pm

    I have my first tiger lily this year 🙂 I love your double.

    Thanks for hosting!!

    Reply
  57. Anonymous says

    July 16, 2014 at 10:32 pm

    Your day lillies look wonderful. I love those flowers.
    Thanks for hosting. I don't think my site added correctly this time? http://myaberdeengarden.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-july/

    Reply
  58. Anonymous says

    July 16, 2014 at 10:32 pm

    Your day lillies look wonderful. I love those flowers.
    Thanks for hosting. I don't think my site added correctly this time? http://myaberdeengarden.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-july/

    Reply
  59. Kathy says

    July 16, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    It's been a great summer for blooms here, too. We've had a few hot and muggy days, but not endless strings of them.

    Reply
  60. Mara Paz says

    July 16, 2014 at 11:22 pm

    I'm pleased with my mid-July garden, too. Happy Bloom Day!

    Reply
  61. Pam's English Garden says

    July 17, 2014 at 2:56 am

    Your garden is more lovely than ever with your day lilies and phlox. Thanks for hosting. Sorry I couldn't get Mr. Linky to accept my thumbnail. P. x

    Reply
  62. PetalTalk says

    July 17, 2014 at 10:18 pm

    Wow – Carol! What a hunk of Hemerocallis! It's amazing how many forms and colors you have in your garden. Great photos, and as always, great post. Thanks for hosting.

    Reply
  63. Anonymous says

    July 18, 2014 at 12:50 am

    Your blooms are looking beautiful. I always look to your garden to see what will be happening in about a month in mine. In my Maine garden, the daylilies are just beginning to bloom, and the phlox have not yet begun to make flowers. We are having a classic "Goldilocks" summer — not too hot, not too cold, not too wet, not too dry; just right! -Jean

    Reply
  64. ShellE says

    July 18, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    I'm enjoying (still) all the GBBD postings. This is my 2nd month and I did not realize we linked in every month. Better late than never!

    Reply
  65. RobinL says

    August 1, 2014 at 3:00 am

    Yes, yes, it is the perfect summer! The amazing part to me is that having sufficient rain is even improving the blooms of flowers that don't even need much rain. What is this all about? Could it be that all flowers need rain? I think my new theory has already been proven, at least here in Robin's Nest.

    Reply

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