June Bloom Day

Island bed.

 

I'm quite a few days late with this post--my computer was in the shop being upgraded and on top of that I came down with a summer virus (another nasty Covid variant?) and was feeling very poorly. Now that I have my Photoshop back, I'll try to catch up with the flowers in my summer garden--most of these shots were taken last week before I got sick. "Bloom Day" is hosted by Carol Michel's blog, May Dreams Gardens, on the 15th of every month.

We've had an extraordinarily wet spring this year in my northwest corner of Virginia (zone 6b). May topped out at a record ten inches of rain, and this month so far I've recorded about 4.6 inches. Some of the storms have been spectacular, with high winds. After three years of drought conditions it's a welcome change. The deer continue to eat so many of my flowers, but there are still enough left to enjoy.

The long island bed next to the veggie pagoda has been filled to red-hot pokers in two colors, Yucca, Tansy and both blue and white lavender. The Sedum ground cover is full of tiny yellow flowers.The English thyme is lush with flowers, and makes a delicious seasoning for chicken and other dishes.

 

White lavender with red-hot pokers and tansy flowers.

English thyme in bloom.

 This year I finally have butterfly weed in both orange and yellow. That makes up for the deer eating all of my Asian lilies and so many of the Stella de Oro daylilies too. I used to have masses of these in a long row, but this year, only a few buds have been spared.

 

Butterfly weed in the Little Indians bed.

 

Regular and 'Hello Yellow' butterfly weed.

 

Lavender is blooming in several beds--'Hidcote', 'Grosso' and 'Munstead' varieties as well as the white. 

 

'Munstead' lavender.

'Hidcote' lavender.

Lavender 'Grosso' in the front.

 

There's a bit of Veronica 'Skywalker' and a pink variety in the front bed by the garage, but not a whole lot of bloom on them this year--I wonder if it's getting too shady there for them? Some of the Clary sage I seeded into this bed is blooming behind the bush roses. The original patch of Clary sage in Herb's bed is also blooming.

 

Veronica 'Skywalker'

Clary sage with Blue Fescue

Clary sage in Herb's bed with Prairie Blazing Star.

The pink Bee Balm under the cherry tree is blooming nicely, but the red 'Jacob Cline' in the back yard has been eaten back by the deer, so I don't know if I'll get much from it this year. The deer have also been attacking the Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) I grew from seed last year, so again, I may not get much bloom this year. I'd read that this plant wasn't particularly liked by them, but apparently they will eat it.

 

Pink Bee Balm (Monarda)

 

This summer the deer have even gone after my 'Incrediball' hydrangea--one they hadn't attacked before--so now I've put them behind a mesh barrier. They spared the Oak Leaf hydrangea for a while, but devoured the flowers right after I took this photo.

 

Oak Leaf Hydrangea with 'Incrediball' Hydrangea behind.

 

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

 

Hydrangea 'Incrediball'

 The Tradescantia in this part of the garden also needs protection, or there'd soon be nothing left of it. I'm seriously considering fencing off the entire back yard, these deer are becoming such pests!

 

Tradescantia '

 

The Japanese maples in the east woodland garden are loving the rain, I've never seen them looking so good! The pagoda dogwood has shot up at least two feet, and the Carolina Silverbell behind it is growing well, though since the little bells were all burnt in the early April frost, there are no seedpods this year. 

 

East garden trees.

 

A new Cuphea called 'Torpedo' bought this year has a very unusual combination of colors. Unforutnately, the deer came by right after I took the photo and ate all the flowers--it's now on the porch regrowing, hopefully will have new flowers soon.

 

Cuphea 'Torpedo'

Cuphea 'Torpedo'

 

That's the highlights for June Bloom Day in my garden, thanks for visiting!