July-August 2014: High Summer in Garden and Meadow: 3.More July Photos

One of the hybrid verbascums that turned up in our garden (seen against the front of the house)

These hybrid mulleins are more branched and heavier blooming than their common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) parent, seen with them here. 

We enjoy the common mullein in most of the places it chooses to turn up-- here, in the gravel of the soutwest terrace, against the fine texture of a mountain mint, Pycnanthemum tenuifolium.

The stems of Himalayan Indigofera, Indigofera heterantha, die to the ground each winter here, but bloom for a long time in summer.

Indigofera heterantha by the east garden steps, with Scabiosa ochroleuca, Ratibida pinnata, and Veronicastrum virginicum

Alcea rugosa, or something like it-- I'm not sure it's true to name.

The little flowers of Hemerocallis 'Corky', one of two daylilies we grow that are fairly early blooming. It's in the fenced garden with red Shirley Poppies, Phlox 'Katherine, Alcea rugosa, and Thalictrum lucidum.

The fresh yellow flowers of Gray Coneflower, Ratibida pinnata, in meadow behind the circle terrace-- and having spread by seed into the terrace gravel.

Veronicastrum virginicum's elegant structure of whorled horizontal leaves is topped by vertical spikes of small flowers. Here, in white, they echo the variegation of Iris laevigata 'Variegata' in the circle terrace pool.

Gray coneflower, Ratibida pinnata, with magenta touches from Geranium palustre.

A hybrid indigofera that was discovered at Plant Delights Nursery, Indigofera 'Little Pinkie' likely has Indigofera amblyantha as one parent; like that species, it will die to the ground each winter here. It is just starting to bloom in this photo, but continued with increasing strength well into fall.

Silene vulgaris volunteered as an edging plant of delicate charm in the fenced garden. I've been warned against it as a weed, but over several years it has claimed little new territory.

The shortgrass meadow to the east of the house has its heaviest flowering of the year in early to mid July with big lilac swaths of bergamot, Monarda fistulosa-- here with yellow Heliopsis helianthoides, Smooth Oxeye or False Sunflower. 

A pink veroncastrum turned up in the gravel courtyard, apparently a seedling from nearby Veroncastrum 'Fascination'.

The fenced garden, folly birdhouses, and meadow heliopsis seen through living room windows

Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising''s deep red flowers with Dianthus amurensis.

Coreopsis 'Cosmic Eye', another of Darrell Probst's recent hybrids, with Agastache 'Kudos Apricot', Allium pulchellum 'Album' and the enduring foliage spears of Iris pallida, Dalmatian Iris (which remain fresh looking into the autumn).

A long-blooming hybrid dianthus from Lazy S'S Farm Nursery. Dianthus amurensis must have been one parent.

Gray Coneflowers, Ratibida pinnata, through a scrim of Turkeyfoot grass, Andropogon gerardii.

Hybrid mullein through a study window

The view from the screened porch includes Hydrangea paniculata 'Pink Diamond'.

Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa, and False Sunflower, Heliopsis heliathoides, in the west (shortgrass) meadow

A Shirley Poppy, Papaver rhoeas, in an unusual orange color in the fenced garden

A big pot of Agastache 'Acapulco Orange' on the SW gravel terrace

Looking through the east meadow's Turkeyfoot grass flowers, Andropogon gerardii, up the east garden steps, with Scabiosa ochroleuca

Orange Butterflyweed, Aclepias tuberosa, glows against the chartreuse of Euphorbia seguieriana var. niciciana, with white spikes of Culver's Root, Veronicastrum virginianum.

Veronicastrums have self-sown along the east garden steps.

Pardancanda 'LSS New Red' in the fenced garden

Tiger Lily, Lilium tigrinum-- but these tiger lilies were wild-collected in Siberia! (They look much like everyone else's tiger lilies.) 

Pardancanda 'LSS New Red'

The second story back deck is partly shaded by an arbor of Trumpetvine, Campsis radicans. Two pots of blue hostas, including H. 'Pewterware' (at lower right) have wintered in our unheated garage-- so far.

A favorite potted plant on our deck, Cuphea ignea. We like to grow hummingbird flowers on the deck-- the cuphea is a favorite of theirs, too, like the orange Trumpetvine, Campsis radicans,  beside and behind the cuphea.

We look out on that back deck through a (slightly splattered) kitchen window, past the windowsill's Paphiopedilum niveum, a white slipper orchid here in full summer bloom.

A self-sown seedling daylily that might be worth keeping, an apparent offspring of Darrel Apps's Hemerocallis 'Cottage Garden Gift' and, probably, H. 'Autumn Minaret'. It's tall and late blooming, the way we like our daylilies.

Pardancanda (Candy Lily) 'Butterfly Magic'

Agastache foeniculum, Amaranthus 'Hot Biscuits', and putative Alcea rugosa in the fenced garden, with Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa, beyond

Thailictrum lucidum and Alcea rugosa in the fenced garden, with Heliopsis helianthoides, garage stonework, and folly birdhouses beyond

Lilium 'Leslie Woodriff' in the fenced garden. Its stiff stems are almost self-supporting: lately I give its two stems each their own bamboo tripod.

Pardancanda 'LSS New Red' in the fenced garden, with Carex 'Silk Tassel' and a black chair

Scabiosa ochroleuca, Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower), Agastache 'Acapulco Orange' and Monarda fistulosa (Bergamot) on the SW gravel terrace and in the meadow beyond

Veronicastrum virginicum, Culver's Root in a summer fog

A young American Smoketree, Cotinus obovatus in the east, tallgrass meadow

Veronicastrum virginicum

This gateway arbor from the gravel entry courtyard has only three legs, solving several design problems, including helping to lead on to a curving path.

White Euphorbia corollata, Flowering Spurge, resembles an extra sturdy baby's breath.

The new chairs are just starting to weather.

The fenced garden in the west, shortgrass, meadow

A stone basin in the gravel courtyard with Knautia macedica, mulleins and, on the curved path beyond, early white blooms of Hydrangea paniculata 'Pink Diamond'

Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium

Pardancanda 'Spooky World'

Pardancanda 'Spooky World'

Individual flowers of pardancandas last only one day, but day-old flower remnants always make these marvelous twists.

Pardancanda 'Spooky World' with Euphorbia corollata

Allium lusitanicum 'Summer Skies'(aka Allium senescens ssp. montanum cv, and purchased as A. tanguticum 'Summer Skies'; I take  Mark McDonough's word on the nomenclature!) outside a study window

A nameless but sturdy pink Rex begonia and Cryptanthus 'Chocolate Soldier' in a basement plant room window (Veronicastrum virginicum outside)

Lantana and streptocarpus in the other plant room window

The same bright pink and nameless Rex begonia

From a guest room window (with aloe) to the east, tallgrass meadow (with American smoketree)

Begonia listada in another window in the guest room. I have grown this begonia for over thirty years.

Paphiopedilum niveum and Cryptanthus 'Chocalate Soldier' over the kitchen sink, looking out to the back deck, Cuphea ignea, and the hills beyond

Begonia 'Sinbad' in silhouette on the screened porch

The screened porch table and garden view. We have breakfast and lunch here most summer days.

Lilies and daylilies in the fenced garden: in foreground Lilium 'Leslie Woodriff', with orange L. tigrinum, Hemerocallis 'Autumn Minaret', Thalictrum rochebrunianum and Lilium 'Dunyazade' behind

Lilium 'Dunyazade' with Amaranthus 'Hot Biscuits' in the fenced garden; Monarda fistulosa in the meadow behind the fence

Lilium 'Leslie Woodriff' with Hemerocallis 'Autumn Minaret' and Thalictrum rochebrunianum blurred behind

Mixed mulleins in the gravel of the SW terrace