Since practically the dawn of blogging, garden bloggers have posted photos of whatever is blooming in their garden on the 15th of each month. This blogging “meme” is called the Garden Blogger Bloom Day and they’re compiled in the blog of a pioneer garden blogger in Indiana. Click here to see what’s blooming in mid-July in the gardens of 138 other bloggers around the country and internationally, too. (I’ll be adding the link to this post to that long list.)
Bloom Day
The reason for this belated Bloom Day post is a good one, I hope you’ll agree. I just returned last night from a really big garden show in Columbus, Ohio, which was great fun and will be covered in blog stories coming soon.
I also have an excuse to offer about my blooms – remember my garden’s new, right? In its first year.
The top photo could, I’m sure, be duplicated in almost anyone’s garden here in Maryland, because what Marylander doesn’t grow Black-eyed Susans? State flower, ya. They’re growing against a background of the 11 ‘Emerald Green’ Arborvitae which will soon be blocking the view of a parking lot from my house and front garden.
I also see Purple Coneflower blooming in my garden, though not enough to photograph. (I’m hoping they self-seed profusely!)
Of course I grow Petunias in my beds, not just in containers – because the perennial beds haven’t filled in yet. GREAT use of annuals, imho.
My visitors and I have been admiring the Heuchera above all season but now that it’s blooming – wow. It’s one of the dozens of purple-leaved Heucheras now available to us.
I still love the old-fashioned big-leaf Hydrangeas, but have also made room for an oakleaf hydrangea in my new garden. That drooping pinkish flower above will slowly turn color and look pretty into the winter. (Though like everyone, I’m having a hard time this week imagining cold weather ever returning.)
Here’s another annual I’m using lots of this year to fill up my flower beds – Lobelia, in blue, purple and blue/white. On the right is a flower that rarely gets noticed, thought right now it’s creating quite a show in my garden. Good old hostas!
Clockwise from upper left are Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’, the annual ‘Purple Queen Setcreasea, ‘Velocity Blue’ Salvia (an annual), and the bloom of an ‘Apricot Drift’ rose.
More blooms that fight for attention in mid-summer are the tiny but profuse ones of the Glossy Abelia shown above. This shrub grows fast, has gorgeous shiny leaves, and flowers that are covered with pollinating bees – nice bees that don’t sting.
Additional Plants
And although the meme here is all about blooms, here’s my shout-out to the most colorful annual I’ve ever grown – the reliable and increasingly sun-tolerant Coleus, shown here in three mixed containers. This plant says to visitors, “Don’t both about blooms; my leaves are fabulous all season.” I’ve done just a bit of pinching and been very happy with the resulting bushiness.