My July Garden in June-2012

Summer Garden is Early

Wow, what a strange year we are having!  So many blooms are three to four weeks earlier than usual. 

Daylilies are usually putting on their show near the July 4th holiday.
 
As are the oriental lilies.
 

The plumbago, normally seen in bloom in my August garden, is starting to show it’s blue petals.

This cactus is blooming! 
The blooms only last a day, so I was thrilled when two blossoms bloomed the same day!

The red monarda has a cute visitor.  See the hummer?

Another early scene this year is the loving, couple here on a rose – Japanese Beetles!  Generally see these guys the first week of July.  I noted in my Japanese Beetle blog of 2010, that I had seen beetles on June 9.  So my typical sightings are getting earlier. (Check out that post for remedies for Japanese Beetles here.)

 
Tomatoes are showing signs of blossom end-rot so Hubby gave the plants a feeding of Winchester Gardens Bone Meal.  Bone meal is a good source of calcium which the tomatoes need.Winchester Gardens Bone Meal  has an N-P-K of 9-6-0, and a 7% calcium – all natural, all organic.(Winchester Gardens has given me these products in exchange for a review.)


The yard reno is still moving forward.  We’ve had such low humidity, and cooler temperatures, that I’ve been able to move the Penstemon, Husker Red and partnered it with the Heuchera, Purple Palace.  I like the burgundy shades of each.



I transplanted eight daylilies to the new bed too.  Stella D’Oro, a repeat bloomer is at the back, and a reblooming red daylily is tucked in to the front.  I’m not sure which variety this is.

This space was where the daylilies were, and the stacked stone wall is going away soon.  More grass is coming.  Yet another area where we are reducing planting areas to make more lawn. 

I have been ruthless in this area.  A yellow circle flower, Lysimachia, and Obedient plant were dug out.  Both plants are just so-so to me, and I won’t miss them.



This mass of yellow is a St. John’s Wort.  I gave it a couple of handfuls of Triple Phosphate in the early spring.  The phosphate is a root and bloom stimulator and I can definitely see the advantage of this feeding.  Last season I had a mere six or eight blooms.  Quite a difference!


Also fed the hydrangea we divided last summer.  In its original location I went
four or five years without any flowers. 

I know we had a very mild winter, so I’m not sure what caused this shrub to
perform, but I like the results!


Even the Endless Summer hydrangea is thriving!   It got the Triple Phosphate feeding too.

Rose Campion is a favorite of mine.  It likes full sun, at least six hours a day, and is drought tolerant.  The flat blooms tend to seed readily, and I’ve had Rose Campion appear here and there.  It is easy to deadhead, if the seeds become a problem.  As a short lived perennial, I like new seedlings to keep things interesting.
Garden is really changing.  I like the new ‘feel’ and that is why I garden in the first place. 
Thanks for stopping by today.