A Few Blooms for Friday

We had a half inch of rain last night. It was a wonderful sight to see the water drops on the foliage of the plants. They are responding to the moisture and I am beginning to see the promise of a few more blooms. This rose was planted earlier this spring. I haven't added a hybrid tea to my garden for quite some time but I loved the soft peach of 'Medallion'.

The English rose 'Abraham Darby' has started to bloom again. This plant was full of buds when the late April freeze hit it. I have a clematis 'Mr. President' growing up through this rose and it has a couple of new blooms on it.

One of the new daylilies that I purchased this spring has a first bloom on it. This one is 'Brooke's Bright Star' hybridized by Bill Waldrop in Georgia. I am finding blooms on several of the daylilies now.

As I was walking around the garden this morning and I came close to the row of crepe myrtles I could hear a constant buzz. The blooms were full of honey bees. He is a little hard to see in this photo which certainly shows that I am not that good with a camera but I was so glad to know that the honey bees were close enough to be gathering pollen from the garden.

Blooms in the 'Limelight'

We planted this 'Limelight' hydragea from Proven Winners this spring. I have tried to grow the mophead hydragea for several years and not had a great deal of luck getting them to bloom. I am really pleased with this one and want to add more of the paniculata type hydragea to the garden.

  

I did find this hydragea on a sales table and planted it where it will get a little more sun than the other mopheads. I love the blue color of the bloom but our soil is not acid enough for the color to remain blue. If you look closely you can tell the leaves are not in great shape but there is lots of new bright green growth sprouting.

The heat and lack of rain has really affected the daylily bloom but there are still some in spite of this weather. A few favorites blooming now are:

'Margo Reed Indeed'

'Stella's Ruffled Fingers'

This daylily has been blooming non stop since the last of May.

'Premium Cream'

 
 
 

Daylily Companions

As I have added daylilies to the garden I have also been searching for companion plants. I find myself adding far more dayliles than other plants but it is my goal as the clumps become large enough that I need to divide to space them so that I can add those plants that will compliment the daylily.

Highland Pinched Fingers with Verbena bonariensis

Serene Thoughts with Mealy Cup Sage

I have also planted some lily bulbs as an experiment in some of the beds. This is one of the beds that will need to be divided soon.