For Bloom Day, What’s New and Good in the Garden

Gardenbloggers are recording what’s blooming this month but it’s June, so what’s NOT blooming? (I exaggerate, but you know what I mean.) A quick walk through my garden reveals blooms on:oakleaf and lacecap hydrangeas, daylilies, hardy geraniums, coreopsis, evening primrose, roses, astilbe, rose campion, coneflowers, and others I’ve probably missed. All lovely, but what I’m admiring most are the blooms that are new to me.

Above left is something I rarely see on variegated hydrangeas – blooms.  Guess I finally gave it the right spot.  On the right is a brand-new acquisition, a Gaura with the unceremonial name of Dark Pink (as far as I can tell).  I bought three and want at least six more.  I’ll soon be visiting its grower, though, and who knows but  Sandy’s Plants may have some extras to get off their hands.   I also bought some Agastache ‘Tutti Fruitti, but I’ll link to that coz mine aren’t photographing well yet.

Help Needed with ID of Creeping Sedum

Above left is new favorite of the groundcovers that replaced my front lawn (mostly thymes, creeping Jenny and Potentilla).  It’s ‘Dragon’s Blood’ sedum and in its second year it’s filling out nicely and blooming like crazy.   On the right is what I thought was S. ternatum but now that I’ve seen other plants labeled as that, I’m doubting that that’s what this is.  (Anybody know?)  Its flower – a gold puffball on a pike – was a total surprise.  I want more of both of these sedums, so some of the thymes will have to go.  Sorry, but compared to these guys, most of my thymes are pretty boring.

Still Fabulous

Now for old time’s sake, here’s my best border in June.   Starting at the top you see hardy kiwi vine, cherry laurel hedge, two lacecap hydrangeas, an ‘Anthony Waterer spirea’, and then a skirt of astilbes and a creeping sedum, which I now believe is S. linare “Golden Teardrop.”