June 2026 Bloom Day

Gaillardia 'Arizona Sunset'

It's the 15th of June 2026, Bloom Day for garden bloggers hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams blog. Not to be confused with the literary Bloomsday celebration in Ireland, commemorating James Joyce's novel Ulysses, which takes place on a June 16th of the early 1900's, whose protagonist is Leopold Bloom. The Bloomsday literary festival in Dublin now extends over the entire week.

This post is being written a few days earlier, since today I have to help hang our Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region's (BASNCR) Botanica 2026 exhibition at Brookside Gardens in Maryland. Our theme is a celebration of this year's 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, titled "Enduring Plants from Colonial Times" and I'm proud to say one of my paintings was chosen for the exhibition poster.

 

"Red White and Blue Lobelias" watercolor, 

 

The models for my painting were plants from my garden, Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) for the red, and Blue Lobelias (Lobelia syphilitica) for the blue and white. Thomas Jefferson grew the Cardinal Flower in his gardens at Monticello, and George Washington grew the Blue Lobelias in Mount Vernon's gardens. Of course, these are not blooming right now, but they'll put on a show later in summer.

Here's what is blooming right now in my garden--butterfly weed bushes, and the Fritillary butterflies love them! There were several flirting about when I took this shot, but only one posed.

 

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) with Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly

 

The Little Indians bed in the east

The red-hot pokers are also putting on a show--two colors in the long island bed by the veggie pagoda, and orange ones on the west side of the house. This spring my 'Color Guard' Yucca regenerated some bi-color growth, so I cut back the ordinary green ones that were overtaking the plant, hoping the golden foliage will predominate once again. But, no flowers are likely this year. 

 

Red-hot pokers (Knifophia uvaria) with Yucca "Color Guard'

 

Red-hot Pokers with creeping and English thyme.

Salvia 'Pink Nebula' with rosemary and English thyme

Red-hot pokers and red yarrow on west side of the house.

The Texas Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) in the Herb bed is sporting a flower spike this year, though not yet open. The Clary sage, which usually is ready to bloom about now, doesn't look like it will have much in the way of flowers this year--it's a biennial, after all. The poppy mallow planted two years ago is making a nice display next to some lavender.

 

Sedum in flower with Texas Yucca spike.

Poppy mallow and lavender 'Hidcote'

The coneflowers in the back bed are starting to open--we'll see how many the deer leave for me to enjoy this year. The new deer repellents seem to be dissuading them somewhat, but some plants are still way too appetizing for them to pass up.

 

Coneflowers in the back bed.

 

A little Cranesbill geranium in the back bed survives only because of a protective wire cloche--it was decimated a few years ago, and is only now recovering enough to flower. It's a constant struggle!

 

Geranium 'Biokovo'

 My shrub roses have escaped the munching thus far, but the 'Simplicity' rose behind them had all its buds eaten, despite the repellent placed right next to it. Ditto for my red 'Double Knockout' rose right along the front walk. 

 

'Petal Pushers' roses along the west front yard.

 

The deer even munched on the leaves of a Rhododendron in the blue pot that I'd been nursing, and my flame azalea (this shot was taken before they ate them back). But they didn't touch the exotic Florida Coonties (Zamia integrifolia) that I grew from seed collected during a trip a few years ago. Those are growing well, but need to come indoors every winter, as they're not hardy.

 

Potted plants in the front yard, Florida Coonties on the right

My  porch baskets are themed red white a blue this year, with 'Pretty Grand mix' petunias, which I love--the blue ones have a wonderful scent! That's it for June, thanks for visiting!

 

Porch baskets