Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day June 2010

Shade garden with hosta, astilbe and hydrangea. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

The other day as I was pulling out of the driveway to head to work, I thought the landscape looked like a garden show. You know, those fakey landscapes where plants that normally don’t bloom at the same time are all in flower? Right now, practically everything in the garden is in bloom or about to bloom, including some fall-blooming perennials.

Here in Indianapolis, we can thank all of the R-A-I-N we’ve had the past two months and the incredible H-E-A-T. Let me tell you, the weather has depressed me, the plants and sales at the garden center where I work. Who wants to slog through the muddy landscape to plant in 85-degree days with 85 percent humidity? It’s been in the 80s and/or raining every weekend since the first of May.

The rain and heat have stretched plants so much that I had to cut back my hardy geraniums (Geranium) ‘Rozanne’ and ‘Wargrave’s Pink’ just as they were beginning to bloom because they were so leggy.

Still, the rain has produced a lush feeling in the landscape, more tropical than Midwest.

I’ve never had such a display of Hydrangea macrophylla. Even the Bailey’s Endless Summer bloomed, along with its sister, ‘Blushing Bride,’ which in my opinion, is a much better plant. Also, some of the Forever and Ever hydrangeas are blooming, along with Twist-n-Shout, another Bailey’s introducton. Of course, ‘Annabelle,’ White Dome (H. arborescens), oakleafs (H. quercifolia) and ‘Limelight’ (H. paniculata) are as reliable as they come and beautiful, too.

In the shade garden, the hydrangeas, hostas and astilbes look lovely, but I can tell I’m going to have to do some rearranging because the astilbes seem a bit lost.

Yarrow, rose, sedum and campanula make a natural, pink bouquet. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

A chance planting of a ‘Strawberry Seduction’ (Achillea), ‘Pantaloon’ campanula, ‘Purple Emperor’ sedum, Stachys hummelo and ‘Lady Elsie May’ rose, is absolutely stunning, especially when I edit out the Ailianthus altissima that was overlooked.

'Burning Hearts' bleeding heart was introducted in 2010 by Skagit Gardens. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

Around the corner is a cultivar of one of my favorite plants: ‘Burning Hearts’ bleeding heart (Dicentra) from Skagit Gardens. The old-fashion bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) was one of the very first plants I planted when I started down the path of a gardener.

Unplanted, except in a pot ready to go in the ground, is Mystical Red Star (Hypericum), which is a new introduction from Novalis’ Plants that Work brand.

Mystical Red Star hypericum. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

Tomatoes also are in bloom and some are fruited. Also, the monarda ‘Jacob Cline’ and a self-sown larkspur (Consolida) look great, as do various annuals. They may take center stage another month.

To see what’s blooming in other gardens, visit May Dreams Gardens.