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| The Driveway Garden: Lavender, pink lilies, lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis) and blue fescue (Festuca 'Elijah Blue'). |
Welcome to our small garden in Pennsylvania, zone 5. We are still quite a bit ahead for the year in our bloom cycle. Many flowers are blooming now that usually wait until July. The lilies are just getting started, as are the daylilies (
Hemerocallis). Some roses are finishing their bloom, though
Rosa 'The Fairy' is just beginning. And there are
Clematis vines blooming everywhere. Here is the quick tour at Gilmore Gardens...
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| Clematis 'Lil' Nell' growing on the back gate, and the steps, and the banister... I love it. Such a dainty white and pink striped flower. |
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| Clematis 'Perle 'd Azur' scampering up one of our maple trees on the Shade Path with some help. |
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| Circle Lawn: Our mock orange (Philadelphus) is blooming! It took five years of rehab pruning, but here it is with its wonderfully fragrant flowers. I forget the name of the pink clematis that I planted in it, but it is all working quite well this year. This is next to a little sitting area on our handicap ramp, which is now unused but was left from our houses' former owners. |
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| Clematis 'Fairy Dust' is looking quite a bit more pink than it did last November when it bloomed unexpectedly. |
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| One of my favorite border plants for sun is variegated loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander'). It is in its yellow bloom phase now which goes so well with the orange and red Hemerocallis planted in the Cherry Corner garden. It's mounded form always looks neat. Here it has a pink geranium woven through it. |
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| Another view of variegated loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander') on the other side of Cherry Corner, looking back to the Shade Path. |
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| The Front Woodland is studded with daylily blooms today. Here is the common orange (Hemerocallis fulva), which is still pretty and worth saving. Grace was out helping me take photos today. (She is on the sidewalk and mummy is on the road! What am I teaching her?) |
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| A step back into traffic gives you a better view of the Front Woodland by our walk. Classic Hemerocallis 'Stella 'd Oro' blooms in front with the tall orange daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) behind it and Sedum 'Acre' out grows the weeds. |
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| Walking a bit more brings you to the Hill Garden, which is full to the brim with Rosa 'The Fairy' right now. Silvery lamb's ears (Stachys byzantine) have sent up their towering purple flowers. I am working to build up a new clump of Veronicastrum in the upper corner for more spires in this garden. |
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| And the rose (Rosa 'Moonlight') on our trellis is smothered in petals and a heady fragrance to cover-up the sight (and smell) of trash cans behind it. The rose heads droop so much though that I wish I had a pergola to move it to... hmmm... |
Thanks to
Carol for hosting
Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Julie, clematis on the maple tree! It's great idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It really is beautiful and is easily tucked in to the rough bark of this type of tree (silver maple). Clematis are pretty anywhere :)
DeleteReally lovely mix of plants in that first shot. And that variegated loosestrife is great! We don't have that in our neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy! Variegated loosestrife is hardy zones 4-8, so it just might work in Austin, TX. It would look really great in the winter months for sure with its little pink buds and in late spring with yellow flowers. I am sure it would get a bit bedraggled in summer.
Delete~Julie
Very pretty all of it. I love the first photo there is just something about blue fescue grass to me, I have it here and there. The variegated loosedstrife with the geranium is a wonderful combination.
ReplyDeleteThanks Darla! I agree - I love the blue tone of the fescue as a foil to the greens.
DeleteI am always in awe of all your color combinations throughout the seasons. They are all so pretty! Hurray for your mock orange. And, great location to enjoy the fragrant blooms!
ReplyDeleteThanks Karin! I like that they color combinations keep changing all season. There is always something new to look at, especially in spring and early summer.
Delete~Julie
So pretty! The rose is just perfect. I love when tall blooms drop down so you can see them. And that photo with Grace is adorable! Thanks for braving the traffic to get that picture of your Front Woodland. I have been wanting Sedum Acre, but wasn't exactly sure where to put it or how to use it. That photo has given me lots of ideas!
ReplyDeleteI love Sedum 'Acre'. It is aggressive, but easily removed if it is not wanted because of its shallow rooting. It really is pretty en mass I think. I have had so many more comments about our garden this year, since installing the sedum in the curb strip last year.
DeleteThanks!
~Julie
Oh, the Roses on the trellis--lovely! I'm so surprised that your Mock Orange is just blooming now and mine is long gone. We must have had an even milder spring. Usually you'd be a bit ahead of me, I think? I'd love to see your gardens in person--they must be stunning!
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth! I would love to have some garden bloggers visit! Please let me know if you are ever near Pittsburgh and would like to drop in. Our garden is not too large, so it is a quick tour, but there is a lot in a small space.
DeleteMy mock orange is really in a bad place, which is part of why it has taken a while to bloom I think. It was planted here long before we bought the house in the shade at the north side of the house. That is probably why it is blooming later than yours when usually my season is a bit ahead of yours. But I have thoroughly enjoyed it this year anyway.
~Julie
How I wish I was a neighbour of yours, then I could see your beautiful garden every day!! Your season is certainly ahead of ours, my digitalis grandiflora hasn't even started yet, neither have our lilies, your pink one looks lovely with the blue Festuca. So glad you didn't cause a traffic hazard as you were taking your photos!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pauline! I wish that I was a neighbor of yours so that we could tour all of those beautiful gardens in England together ;) I guess our summer must truly be heating up fast than yours because you were definitely ahead of me just a little bit ago.
Delete~Julie
Julie I just love the Fairy rose. Mine is taking over in the front but has not bloomed yet. And all the daylilies. You are still ahead of me and what a wonderful tour through the gardens.
ReplyDeleteI love those Fairy roses too. I have found that a spray with the hose really shoots away though tiny brown petals, and the aphids of course. They are my absolute favorite though when they re-bloom in October.
Delete~Julie
I like the clematis climbing the tree. Now I wonder if I could make that work here somewhere. . . The yellow foxglove are lovely, too. How shady is the spot with those orange daylilies? I have a shady area I'd like to bring some color to, so I'm enjoying seeing what other bloggers have going on!
ReplyDeleteKimberley,
DeleteThe Front Woodland has spotty shade through the afternoon, but the orange daylilies, H. fulva, seem to do fine there. It is very dry also. They seem to handle just about anything, which is probably why they are so frequently seen in deserted areas blooming away.
That clematis always makes me smile :) Glad you like it.
~Julie
I always forget that clematis grows in the shade even though I grow it there myself. I was surprised by dozens of flowers on General Sikorski growing up the trunk of my Yellow Bird magnolia in full shade under its canopy. They just seem like sun plants.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that they like their feet in the shade and their heads in the sun, like in their native woodland environment... lots of rich soil, etc. So, I would include them in your shade lists for sure! I would love to see your clematis on your magnolia some time.
Delete~Julie
I love your color palette. I use the same colors only different flowers. My favorite is yellow with white, pinks,lavender, blue, and purple. I have put in some scarlet and red this year to see if I like them with the lavenders. What about you? Have you ever used red?
ReplyDeleteHappy GBBD.
David/:0)
David,
DeleteYes, I tend to like pastels, though I am trying to push myself into using more daring colors like orange. I did do lots of red (with pink!) last year in my annuals, dahlias and cannas, and I really liked how it turned out! See them here: http://wifemothergardener.blogspot.com/2011/08/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-august-2011.html
Thanks!
Julie
Beautiful Julie! Love all your clematis vines, I've planted several in my garden this spring and can't wait for them to look like yours. Your roses look (and I'm sure smell) breathtaking.Lovely...
ReplyDeleteWhen I am ready to plan my back yard once our house is finished I know I will turn to you for flowery inspiration and advice because WOW, your garden looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is still lush and beautiful, hot, hot winds and very high temperatures have left my garden scorched; I love how your garden looks so full and that things change as one plant takes over from another – stunning! Christina
ReplyDelete