Wednesday 14 July 2021

What's in Bloom July 14, 2021

 Hello anyone who is reading this. The weather has been lovely with lots of rain and heat, perfect growing conditions (grows great mosquitos as well). I went around the property this morning, cell phone in hand. If you are someone who has read my blog for a while, you've likely seen these same plants last year at this time, but since I'm not super busy with my silly broken toe, I don't have much else to report on. So... here's what's in bloom:


Pots on the porch. The canna lilies have just bloomed!



Looking down on a bed that contains hostas and a pretty pink hydrangea, as well as the top of Aristotle's head.



Luscious dark daylilies!



This is Incrediball hydrangea, pretty much taking over the world.



This was one of the only still-standing delphiniums. Later this evening, I lassoed a bunch of delphiniums that got knocked over (but the stems weren't cracked) and tied them to a porch spindle and to the rail fence. The rain has been wonderful, but it's no friend to tall flowers like this.







Daylilies, daylilies, daylilies. So dependable, such a nice pop of colour.





Hollyhocks are here and there on the property. I seem to have a lot of pale yellow / peach, however I seem to have not taken any pictures of those! 


Potentilla (also known as cinquefoils) makes a lovely shrub right now.


I cut these spirea shrubs back quite a lot this spring. They are called Shirobana and they combine white and pink on their blossoms.


Limelight hydrangea is in its beautiful bright white stage.


I seem to have less and less purple coneflower (echinacea) in my flower beds, not sure why.


My crocosmia is just starting to bloom. The hummingbirds love it.


This is a medium height cranesbill (have no idea the specific kind) which blooms later than the lower growing kind. It gets a bit straggly, but it's a good filler.


My poor old Hansa rose is looking a bit dumpy, but it's still producing blooms.


I'm pretty sure this is spirea Anthony Waterer. It got a good cutting back this spring as well and is blooming very well now.


Finally, sometimes it's not about the blooms, but about the foliage instead. This is my block of lettuce in the vegetable garden. I planted alternating little mini rows of different kinds (colours) of leaf lettuce and it makes me smile to see it, plus it's so pretty in a salad. (Excuse my giant shadow in the picture!)

I'm enjoying reading my Elly Griffiths books (see my "pages" at the top for my reading list). The kitten is growing and is 80% adorable and 20% arse, but that's the way with kittens. I'm waging a constant war with cucumber beetles (also attacking my zucchini). Summer is at its height of loveliness, all hot and buzzy. 


46 comments:

  1. All I have blooming at the moment are orange "ditch lilies" and purple cranesbill. That one has one lonely blossom. My friend down near Kingston posted photos of her flowers too......way ahead of mine! We had that darn late frost that turned things upside down.

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  2. Love your hollyhocks. So many blooming plants in your yard. I like to alternate my rows of lettuces, too, but had terrible luck with germination this year. The only row that did well was one called "Mesclun Mix." Lucky for me, it had a lovely selection of red and green lettuces, all with different leaves and shapes. As you say, great for salads!

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    1. I've planted that mix before - it's like what you get if you buy a box of Spring Mix at the grocery store.

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  3. What a beautiful array of flowers. So much colour. Bravo. It must be a sight to life your spirit

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  4. Serious hollyhock envy going on here. Tour garden has all the sorts of things that ours did on the South Coast in UK - climate (temperature ranges, precipitation) and even soil type must be similar. You have much better specimens of day lilies and we never managed to grow hollyhocks that didn't get covered in rust. You have a really beautiful garden (and your blue delph is F's favorite). How's your 'kitten' by the way?

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    1. I actually do get that rust that turns the bottom leaves of hollyhocks into lace, I just don't photograph that part! I think the southern UK is a bit more warm and temperate to us here. If I lived in the most southern part of Ontario, it might be more similar.

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  5. Your garden is looking lovely.. hollyhock envy here too!
    Our roses are struggling, but the Rosa Mundi has just started blooming

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  6. What beauties your have! Love that Delph in particular. Interesting that you are having the same thing happen with your echinacea, as I am. I've been trying to figure out why. I only have two, but they have gone from being loaded with blooms, to just a handful, over the last few years.???

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    1. Flowers come and go. I just realized I haven't seen a particular cranesbill (Johnson Blue, I think it's called) this year. It must be gone, too.

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  7. Everything's so gorgeous! You're the only person I know with a garden statue of Aristotle. What, a gnome isn't good enough for you, LOL?

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    1. That made me smile. MANY years ago when teaching jobs were next to impossible to find unless you were born and raised in the area and related to the superintendent, we opened a home decor and gift shop (this was pre-Walmart). We had quite a lot of garden decor and ended up with Aristotle that way. We didn't sell gnomes ;)

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  8. Wonderful garden tour. Daylilies are one of my most favourite flowers in the garden. Beautiful Hollyhocks. I don't know why I don't have any? Time to rethink that. I chuckled at your description of your little kitten's development! Hoping that your toe continues to heal. How's hubby's eye situation?

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    1. He saw the opthemologist four times in total and was declared to be healing nicely. The contact lense was removed and all is good. Murphy the kitten and our other cat, Scooter BOTH brought one frog each into the house last night. The frogs were rescued and released. (Must be all that rain).

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  9. Your hydrangeas look fantastic, I'm still waiting for flowers on mine after they got hit by the frost.

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    1. I'm not sure what a late frost does for developing hydrangeas. I hope they bloom for you.

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  10. Lovely blossoms! Sorry about your broken toe!

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  11. Your garden is so beautiful. I like that you have such a variety of plants and colors! Hope your toe is better soon.
    I really enjoyed the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths.

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  12. All the blooms are so gorgeous! I was saying, oh I like that one and then I like that one and that one and .... all of them truly.
    I belong to a local gardening group on FB and everyone seems to battling one bug or another this year. So far, I've been pretty lucky as the only thing that has had much damage is my coleus and only the one plant. Weird!

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    1. Maybe earwigs? They are usually the problem for me with annuals in pots.

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  13. Jenn all your flowers are so pretty. Hydrangeas are my faves and your look so pretty. Yikes a broken toe. That is painful. Hope that starts to feel better. Have a great rest of the week. xoxo Kris

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    1. There are so many more kinds of interesting hydrangeas now, too.

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  14. Your flowers are gorgeous! I love those Hollyhocks. They remind me of my childhood. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.

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    1. Hollyhocks are one of those old fashioned flowers that take people back.

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  15. That’s a beautiful garden. I love hollyhocks but can’t seem to keep them alive. I’ve had elly Griffiths latest Ruth whatshername book on hold at the library for ages.

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    1. I read it and then thought, I'd better go back and read all the books in order (there are lots I hadn't read yet).

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  16. I"m reading! I hope the toe isn't too miserable but at least you are getting out and around and able to walk so we can share in your joy of these beautiful blooms. I'd say summer has been very good to your garden -- it's lovely!

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  17. Your garden is expansive and very beautiful. Everything is in bloom and looking great. Your groupings of hollyhocks are tall and blooming prolifically. It is good to hear Murphy and Scooter are frog hunting together. Sounds like they are pals.

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    1. I think they are only hunting pals, otherwise Murphy is mercilessly annoying to Scooter, and sometimes quite a jerk.

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  18. The hollyhocks are my favorite; I miss growing them.

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    1. They are likely not a good choice for your neck of the woods.

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  19. Magnificent garden! Enjoy your time in it as the summer progresses.

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  20. What a magnificent display of flower gardens! Hollyhocks! I forget I want them until I see them blooming.

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  21. Hi Jenn! :) Your lettuces look amazing!!! :) And I always love your flower garden tour. I can't wait to start a beautiful rose garden, a few years away at this point! Oh, I'm growing lots of 'skeeters too this time of year! :)

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  22. Oh my word, natural beauty abounds! Beautiful photos.

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  23. Wow, everything looks so gorgeous! All the rain and heat we've had...POW...everything has exploded!

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  24. Everything is in bloom and it looks spectacular. I'm an Elly Griffiths fan, too, and have so enjoyed the series.

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  25. Oh what beautiful blooms! I will refer back to this post when I order plants next year. I see a lot I like. And hollyhocks! I keep trying--maybe one day.

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  26. You have an emerald thumb!! What a fabulous collection of blooms. I am not great in the garden, but I aspire to be and get a little better each year. My husband is a great gardener, thank goodness, or we'd be living with a lot of shriveled blooms! haha!

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