A Morning in the Perennial Garden

     This morning I joined a co-worker in the Baker Perennial Garden at work. She was leading two daylily-centric "walk and talks" of the garden in conjunction with the Tidewater Daylily Society's annual show and sale. To make these plants look their best, we went through and deadheaded every daylily in the garden, which took the two of us about 90 minutes. After we were done I took advantage of the beautiful 70 degree weather, and grabbed some shots of the recently groomed photogenic beauties.

     Hemerocallis citrina

     'Cricket Call'

     'El Desperado'

     'All Things to All Men'

      'Green Inferno'

     This is 'VT Purple Passion', and it was bred and introduced by my former employer and local daylily enthusiast, Linda Pinkham. It compliments her 'VT Spirit', which has the school colors of Virgnia Tech. 

     'Sundays with Vernon'

 
     'Summer Fireworks'

     'Premier Surprise'

     'Nona's Garnet Spider'

     'Lord of the Rings'

     'Lime Peel'

      'Land of Cotton'

     Although they were the reason I was there, daylilies were not the only things blooming. Rudbeckia maxima is probably becoming my favorite member of the genus.

     Lilium 'Holland Beauty'

     These hanging baskets have Elymus arenarius (whose color is a dead match for the arbor), 'Carita Cascade Purple' Angelonia, and 'Silver Falls' Dichondra. 

     Verbena boanriensis with Filipendula rubra 'Venusta'

Bloom Day - Excuses, Excuses

     Yes, I am still here. I just haven't felt like giving up precious time to the blog. I am very busy at work, the weather has been pleasant, my writing assignments have bordered on excessive, I prefer the seat of my kayak or bike to that of the computer, and the garden calls. At the moment hydrangeas, coneflowers, daylilies, and gardenias, and others, are vying for my attention.

     Greeting me when I got home yesterday afternoon were blooms from my giant coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima). I have had this plant two years, and these are the first blossoms.

     We are in peak hydrangea season right now, and Annabelle (H. arborescens 'Annabelle') seems to be having a very good year.

          H. macrophylla 'Mariesii'

     H. macrophylla serrata 'Kiyosumi'

     H. macrophylla serrata 'Bluebird'

     H. quercifolia 'Little Honey'

     H. macrophylla 'Frau Kinue' (Angel Robe)

     My daylilies are blooming right now, and I kick myself for not keeping better records of which cultivars I have. 

     Gardenia jasminoides 'August Beauty'

     Callistemon 'Woodlander's Hardy'

     Sinningia sellovii (Hardy Gloxinia) is one of my newest plants.

     Kniphofia 'Papaya Popsicle'

     Cestrum aurantiaum 'Orange Zest'

     I am especially pleased to see tthe unusual amount of Echinacea purpurea seedlings in my garden this year. I know this is a very common perennial, but it is one of my favorites, and I have found that the straight species is as prolific as the seemingly hundreds of new cultivars are not.

     To see what other gardeners are especially pleased to see, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th of each month.