Garden Journal: July 26, 2009

Morning clouds and cooler temperatures with a tad of rain made gardening very enjoyable this week. Much time was spent cutting back both annuals and perennials and I am hoping for a rebloom on at least the annuals. I am facing the challenge of filling in the holes left by the perennials that will not rebloom. Fortunately some annuals I bought or started from seed were not planted in the garden and I am using them to fill at least some of the holes. I really hate those holes! I am encouraged, however, by the reblooming of plants I cut back in past weeks.

The rose garden is the most responsive to my deadheading. Every rose plant is blooming and ‘Awakening’ and ‘Autumn Sunset’ at the entrances give off a heavenly scent as you enter.

For the past few weeks the head gardener has been working on a new arbor to frame the window that looks out on the rose garden. We plan to grow clematis on it because we especially like the look of them with roses.

Speaking of clematis, the one that was encircling my lamp post until a couple of weeks ago has stopped blooming and has produced these wonderful pods that I like almost as much as the flowers. These are ‘Jackmanii’, a simple purple-blue flowered one that we especially like.

Another cheerful rebloomer is this balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflora ‘Sentimental Blue’). This blue color is always a welcome color in my garden.

The American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens ‘amethyst Falls’) on the pergola over our patio is reblooming but only slightly. The American wisteria is much better behaved that the Asian kinds but we became so desperate for shade there that we bought some Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis). In addition to being less vigorous and invasive, the American wisteria blooms twice. The blooms are short and stubby but they are a lovely color lavender and are pretty in their own right.

A surprise rebloomer was my perennial floxglove, Digitalis grandiflora. I cut it back quite a while ago when it was lanky, floppy and somewhat out of control. It has returned as a lovely and refined member of the secret garden flora and I welcome her back.

The daylily ‘Hyperion’ is not reblooming, it is still blooming and the longest blooming of all my daylilies. It is a large, simple daylily with a lovely fragrance that can be enjoyed at several feet away.

The bright blue flowers of leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) are a special treat during these hot dog days of summer. The plants will bloom until fall when their leaves will turn red and add fall color.

In the white border I have paired white garden phlox (Pholox paniculata ‘David’ with Artemisia absinthium “Powis Castle’. I like the contrast of the texture and the complementary white color with the gray.

‘Bright Eyes’ garden phlox peaks over the foliage of sedum ‘Vera Johnson’ that is bearing its beautiful green buds above blue-green foliage.

The red of the moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora ) echo the crimson of the red barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’) . The moss rose was a volunteer but I am very happy to have it and will plant here it next year.

My cleome is super large and looks nice with silver maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’) and butterfly bush (Buddlea) davidii ‘Nanho Purple’.

Bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’) covers the feet and legs of the rose Yellow Fairy.

The yellow patio rose is enhanced by the delicate florescence of northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

The hot border is dominated by the black eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’) golden rod (Solidago ‘Peter Pan’), and daylily ‘Stella d’Oro

Some of the trees and shrubs are blooming or showing color now like this red crape myrtle.

Large clusters of crimson red flowers are a real show stopper and form part of the backdrop for the rose garden.

The abelia nearby is more subltle but looks good for many weeks adding a delicate texture and color to our front planting.

The andromeda (Pieris japonica ‘Mountain Fire’ ) in a shady spot near our front door is putting up new grow of red shoots that echo the color of the brick.

Rain is becoming an issue again and I hope we get a good soaking so the garden will thrive. These long hot rainless days are stressing both the plants and me and it is only July.