Lovely Lacecap

This Hydrangea macrophylla was a cutting from Frances' garden in Atkinson NC.
She did not know the name of it but I suspect 'Blue Wave' 
which was popular at the time. It is so blue at the peak of bloom
it almost makes your teeth ache!

Lacecap Hydrangea growing in the shade of the oak tree

Cutting from the original cutting 2 years ago

The earth is very acidic here
soil test a few years ago ph 4.5

Last of the Lilies & Silver Spires

Vitex 'Silver Spires'
from Montrose in Hillsborough
several years ago is finally making
a statement

Coneflowers

Practically all my coneflowers are seedlings. 
A plant of the species (Echinacea purpurea)
was here before us & I brought a plant or two with me of the variety "Magnus"

I move the seedlings around the garden'
The goldfinches love the seed heads so I leave them on.
And therein lies the reason for so many seedlings.

These annoying little beetles are eating the buds before they open causing deformed flowers.

Pretty in Pink

On the edge of the driveway & maybe not exactly pink but in order from the camera,

 Salvia greggii 'Diane'; Teucrium chamaedrys the Wall Germander; Pink Rain Lily;

& lastly Scutellaria suffutescens or skullcap 'Texas Rose'

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) 'Oertel's Rose'

Legend has it that Achillea (named for the Greek general Achilles) was valued by  Roman & Greek warriors who carried into battle

 to dress wounds. A natural coagulant it was also grown around carpenter's shops.

A must in the herb garden for centuries.

This one is shorter and prettier than the species.

A double pink Hibiscus syriacus or Rose of Sharon
blooms all summer
grown from a cutting from a garden in Atkinson NC

The flowers of the
 Oak Leaf Hydrangea
turning from white to pink

Small Trees in Bloom

Vitex agnus-castus or Chaste Tree in bloom all over the garden

Sometimes confused with Butterfly bush
this small tree or large shrub is in full bloom now

Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)

next to Arborvitae 'Green Giant'

It's A Jungle Out There

The circle garden filling in

Fruits of Our Labours

Breakfast blueberries from our bushes.
The first to ripen is Premier the others are still green
I have one 'Powder Blue' late variety 
Two' Ira' a cross between Rabbiteye and Highbush
All from Dan Finch's place in Bailey NC

The tomatoes are getting big here is 'Cherokee Purple' our favorite.
The fruit is less than pretty but the taste is terrific.
One of these is grafted onto 'Sungold' root stock.
I finally got the graft to work after abject failure last year.

'Cherokee Purple' grafted on 'Sungold'

Cherokee Purple' on it's own root

Sungold
It's orange when ripe

Gardenias

The Gardenias are all blooming

The dwarf  Gardenia radicans makes a pleasant border for
 Autumn Fern and Sassanqua Camellias by the garden room renovation.
Next year I hope to be able to open the windows & enjoy their fragrance
from this north facing, shady space.

Tall, Taller & Tallest

With all this regular rain even though we are 2" down from normal,

at this time of year, everything is growing very tall.

I love this Salvia because it starts blooming in June & does not stop until frost.

Buddleia x weyeriana 'Sungold'
Salvia x 'Indigo Spires'

 Old fashioned Hollyhocks in
 the old veggie garden

My friend Ann gave me a division of
Pennisetum orientale 'Tall Tails
a few years ago
I love it for it's early bloom and elegant droop
even if it forms a solid mass that increases every year

99 Degrees

The rabbits have eaten holes in the bird netting so an extra layer of protection to the blueberry enclosure
has been added. Even then a magician mockingbird has found his way in. I will prevail somehow.

Daylilies are coming into their own.
The rain arrived just in time for large blooms.
I wonder about who names these.
This 'Fairy Tale Pink' looks apricot to me
 but lovely all the same.
This is the best they have ever been
in the ten years in the circle.

















For a 99 degree day a cool spot
under the redbud tree (Cercis canadensis)
Ajuga reptans or Bugle Weed is the ground cover

Self Sufficient Hydrangea

Is it really necessary to deadhead or prune your Hydrangeas?

Hey! Let me out of here.
Hydrangea trying to push through the trunks of
a Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

 This old mop head 
(Hydrangea macrophylla)
has bloomed the same as usual 
without any pruning at all.
You can see the old dry heads 
if you look carefully.
It had great winter interest too.
How I love plants that 
take care of themselves!

The Circle from Two Sides

After several days of rainy hot weather

 everything is getting so tall 

 Black-Eyed Susan

 (Rudbeckia hirta)

&

the scarlet Bee Balm

(Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline')

 

Lavender on the Driveway

The Lavender (Lavendula x 'Provence')

 is just starting to bloom.

This is the only variety I have found to be successful in this humid climate.

It is my experience that the concrete

& gravel driveway and the slope away from it helps keep these plants healthy as well as cutting off the spent flowers and some judicious pruning to allow air and light to the inside of the plant.

These plants are several years old.

Last year I took out the first one I planted 9 years ago.

After the rain you can smell the fragrance of the lavender as you walk down the driveway.
One of my garden fantasies come true!

The polyantha rose 'The Fairy' is almost finished it's first bloom
between the lavender

r

Bees sleeping on lavender early on 

Sunday morning

Hydrangeas

 Two very ordinary garden plants
mop head hydrangea
 (Hydrangea macrophylla) 
& common yarrow

 (Achillea millefolium)

looking delightful together

Hydrangea serrata 'Beni Gaku' under the Oak Tree

Close up of Beni after the rain

The Oak Leaf (Hydrangea quercifolia)
starting to change color
after pink they turn to buff
 in the fall their leaves will be red & purple
What a great plant!

Plants from Friends & The Potting Shed

This Annabelle type Hydrangea 'Mountain Spring'
 in front of my new potting shed is from my friend Kathy
 just divided from her garden  this spring and it is already blooming!

The potting shed my husband built early this year with help from our friend Jan. 
It is only sunny during the winter before the trees leaf out. Never went below 40 this winter and cool so far this spring/summer. 
We shall see if that continues.

Pale Purple Coneflower

Echinacea pallida native to the SE USA

 Echinacea pallida a new plant in my garden from Big Bloomers this spring. 
Verbena "Purple Homestead' below.
I like the way the petals come out standing up and then droop.
I confess to a liking for the more wild looking rather than multi petalled hybrids, not that I don't have the latter.

Morning Light

Mexican Feather Grass (Nasella tenuissima)

 by the curb with Angelina Sedum

 waving 'Good Morning"