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From a distance it's pretty much same old, same old.
Close up reveals the hummingbird favourite, Monarda, starting to flower, tent caterpillar damage on the Weigela, deer grazed Hosta stems just right of the Monarda and missing Sedum flower heads bottom left.
To my eye, Tradescantia (blue, center) has an ugly growth habit which can be disguised by thoughtful placement among other plantings. Its long flowering period and pure blue colour make it worthy of inclusion in any garden.
PS. I must remember to cut back the Salvia to promote a second flush of flowers.
The last of the poppies may survive until the Phlox paniculata become prominent.
More tent caterpillar damage on the Philadelphus that hides the base of the utility pole. Pruning will wait until the very last flower, as the bumble bees love this shrub.
How many shades of green do you see? I stopped counting at 20.
The Montauk daisies are about ready for their second trim. I spray with deer repellent, but still get some grazing as witnessed by the nibbled Sedum. Another deer favourite, Lilium, are about to burst open.
A section of the variegated Miscanthus has reverted to green
I could dig it out, but for now I don't mind the contrast.
The pruned Spirea is a perfect backdrop to the Stachys byzantium, appealing to the eye and fingers and probably one of my top five plants. I think I now have eleven top five plants.
Our bright orange Lilies, ones that Michelle finds offensive to the eye, are happily flowering, even hidden at the back of this shady border.
The carpet of spent flowers adds another dimension to the appeal of our Stewartia small tree/shrub.
Planted to distract birds, squirrels, etc from allegedly more valuable fruits. I think the Mulberry is underrated,
but do not plant near paths, walkways or other foot trafficked areas as they will stain everything they come in contact with.
Annabelle has fully flowered without falling foul of deer predation.
The Catalpa (back right) is flowering.
Beautiful close up,
or from a distance. This is the Southern Catalpa bignonioides and not the Northern Catalpa speciosa.
From this angle you can't see the late flowering Azalea
that is just starting to flower.
A few colour combinations from around the gardens.
The Monarda and Phlox, when they flower, will blend with the Astilbe, Hydrangea, Hosta and variegated Acanthopanax to create harmony, but one's eyes are still drawn to those outrageous Hemerocallis.
On the other side of the Monarda, perfect harmony.
In the Memorial Garden we marked the burial spot of our rooster Marcel with a small, terracotta pot and have been on the lookout for over a year to find just the right planting to honor his cheerful spirit and beautiful red coloring. This Gaillardia fits the bill.
We lost a treasured antique climbing rose in the front border that we haven't been able to replace, as the nursery that cultivated it has stopped shipping to the US. This little beauty (Rosa Burgundy Iceberg) is the right colour, we'll be on the lookout for a climber that will complement this.
