Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for June 2020.
Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, the next parade of blooms—the summer blooms—are arriving just in time. The official start of summer is just a few days off.
First up is a perennial I planted just last year, a trial plant from Darwin perennials called Phlox paniculata ‘Ka-Pow® White’. It is the first tall phlox to bloom this year and caught my eye because if you look closely, you’ll see it has a lovely soft pink center.
And not one spit of disease.
It’s a keeper and I want more of them… a big drift of them would be nice.
Elsewhere in the garden, I’m ready for the Monarch butterflies with milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, in bloom.
Nearby a large shrub, Diervilla rivularis ‘Kodiak® Black’ from Proven Winners is in full bloom.
I have another Diervilla in front, Diervilla lonicera, also in full bloom. Both shrubs do a good job of attracting pollinating insects and provide great cover for little birds all year round.
Out in the vegetable garden, I have two gigantic lavenders in bloom.
I don’t know the varieties, but I wish I did because with virtually no care, they’ve grown and thrived for probably seven or eight years. In my climate that is a long time for lavender to live.
For the first time in several years, I am also growing annual sweet peas at the ends of the vegetable garden raised beds.
I took all the sweet pea seeds I had purchased over several years when I thought I was going to grow them, mixed them up, and sowed them. I had no idea what I’d get but I do like this one which has a lovely scent too.
It appears I have a fondness for purple bell-shaped clematis.
This one is ‘Pagoda’.
This one is unknown!
This one is ‘Betty Corning’.
And this is ‘Rooguchi’.
I’m not opposed to acquiring more bell-shaped clematis if anyone knows of one I should get!
I could go on and on with blooms, but no one has time because no doubt your garden is calling. So let’s wrap this up with a hardy ground orchid, Bletilla striata.
I thought these were not going to make it after two freezes this spring. You can see on the foliage the ragged tops caused by the emerging foliage being zapped by the cold.
But they did make it and so did everything else here at May Dreams Gardens.
What’s blooming in your garden on what I hope is a lovely beginning of summer? Join in for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and show us. It is easy (and fun) to participate! Just post on your blog about the blooms in your garden on our near the 15th of the month and then come back here and leave a comment to tell us what you have and a link in the Mr. Linky widget so we know how to find you.
“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence
You have so many pretty blooms Carol and I love the Phlox! Happy Bloom Day and thanks for hosting!
Happy BloomDay Carol !
Lovely post ! your blooms are marvelous especially liked the Clematis ' rogucchi ' among all the other blooms . We are in to summers and now desperately awaiting for the advent of monsoon season .
Lovely! . I have Clematis 'jacmanii", oakleaf hydrangea, butterfly weed, lavender"hidcote", Astilbe, Redhot Poker, and lo and behold Victoria blue salvia reseeded from last year. It was a great surprise.
Carol – You, and my neighbor, have beautiful clematis. Now I am searching for a spot. Ilove that phlox, too.
I wish I could grow Clematis as successfully as you do. Only my sweet autumn clematis is reliable here. Thanks for hosting Carol!
Some summertime gold…Stela de Oro
I love your approach to sweet pea sowing and that 'Rooguchi'…wow!
A disease resistant tall phlox – sign me up! Ours gets something every year, although it does bloom (not yet). You have lots of pretty blooms. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
Hi again Carol, Happy Bloom Day to you! I love the vision of a drift of that phlox. These pollinators seem to like white too, don't they. I have a tubular flowering clematis here – alpina 'Constance' picked for its deep pink colour and name – my mum's �� you've got a wonderful selection of plants for pollinators in June ��
Thank you for hosting this! I really look forward to seeing all the gardens every month.
Love those Clematis, Carol! This month I'm enjoying delightful citrusy scents in my garden. Happy Blooms Day everyone!
It's so interesting that we are in the same zone but your season is much more advanced. My upright phlox are not anywhere close to blooming! Of course, our season is rather late this year. Thanks again for hosting Bloom Day; it's always fun to participate and see what other gardeners are enjoying right now in their gardens.
Love those clematis!
BTW, I'm sharing some daylilies on my Bloom Day post. I am hoping the second one you can help me ID – I am sure I got it at a GWA/Gardencomm meeting at some point.
So nice to join again (first time since 2012)! Thank you for hosting and giving us a way to connect and share. Glad your orchid made it through the winter. – Paula
I love the bell-shaped clematis, yours are so beautiful. In my zone 9b is only one happy to grow, I believe, and that is Clematis reticulata. Sadly, I lost mine to construction.
thank you for hosting the monthly bloom day 🙂
Thanks for Bloom Day. I have been away from all this blogging for about five years, but am glad to get back to it and be inspired by what everyone is growing. I really like your Clematis, and that little orchid.
Pleased to see your Asclepias tuberosa blooming. Mine have buds, but they are being shy, probably because of our wet, cool spring. Bring on summer. Happy Bloom Day, Carol!
I always enjoy seeing what you have blooming, Carol. I'm catching up with you. Although they're not in bloom yet, my butterfly weed and lavender both have buds on them. Thanks again for hosting this monthly celebration.
Love the phlox best.
-Ray
Thank you Carol! Your blooms are lovely — way ahead of mine.
I like the 'Rooguchi' clematis. I have a bush clematis with a nodding bell-shaped flower. It's called 'Blue Ribbons.' Some of the photos online show it with a flat flower but it spends most of its bloom time in a bell-shape in my yard (in New Hampshire).
My Clematis Pagoda is flowering too over on this side of the Atlantic, such lovely nodding purple bells, it is one of my favourites!
Your flowers are beautiful. Happy bloom day!
I've loved glancing at your garden and enjoying your humor for years – keep up the good work. Other bell-shaped clematis include Duchess of Albany and Princess Diana for pink, and Clematis tangutica and rehderiana (and varieties), although I'm not sure for the yellow ones of their hardiness.