Nikko Blue Hydrangea with tall Butterfly Bush behind
I think we are still about 3 weeks ahead of schedule, here is a link to the garden last year at the end of June. I’m still not quite sure what that means for later in the summer, since by then almost everything will have bloomed by then. I guess we will see!
Red Asiatic Lily (a bulb from Home Depot)
Yellow Reblooming Daylily 'Happy Returns'
Orange Reblooming Daylily variety unknown
When the weather heats up some of the warmer colored flowers appear in my garden(in my case lots of lilies). I really like that the color palette changes though the season. I would love to say that I planned it that way, but I didn’t. I think it is partially mother nature who gives us cooler colored plants in the cooler weather and then lets the brighter blooms appear with the heat. I also have planted quite a few lilies over the years, mostly because they are readily available, inexpensive and divide well (particularly the daylilies). I now find their foliage kind of boring, but they do provide color at an important time in the garden, that I would have a hard time filling with other plants. I have to say that the “reblooming” feature of some of these lilies is greatly exaggerated. I will get full bloom for next couple of weeks and then it will peter out and I will get very sporadic blooms later in the summer. Has anyone had better luck?
Nikko Blue Hydrangea
Fortunately I do have a few cooler colored plants to counter the hot plants. One of my favorite plants is the hydrangea. Hydrangeas vary in color based on the acidity, but in my yard the soil is all pretty acidic which guarantees blue varieties, with the exception of one lace cap variety that is more purple. My biggest hydrangea is Nikko Blue and I have since added a pair of Endless Summer which now that they are established are also quite blue. I use to have some lilies planted with the Nikko blue, but I think they were overgrown by the hydrangea. I think I might need to move a few of the orange daylilies over to the front, now that it is at its full size (thanks to a trim every fall). This Nikko blue plant is now 11 years old, I am pretty sure this is the first shrub I planted at the house.
The weather looks good for the weekend here, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! I picked up a couple of plants at Home Depot on sale yesterday, that I need to plant in the next few days.
What is blooming in your garden right now?
*My garden is located in SE Pennsylvania and is in Zone 7a/6b.
