A new attitude concerning "the lull" between spring and summer...

Amethyst Falls Wisteria

For years we apologized for the lack of bloom in the late May/early June gardens here at Oak Lawn... finally I matured enough as a gardener to realize that this period is one of the highlights of the gardening season. Lush with the rains of spring and the warmth of summer, the garden seems to change overnight. Without the benefit of large expanses of bloom, the textures of the new growth on conifers can be more fully appreciated. This is the period of time when the hostas are at their very best, the colors of variegated maple and european beeches have not faded in the summer heat, and the mosquitos have yet to invade the gardens. I have learned to embrace this time, and in my senior years, I love to just sit in a comfortable chair and soak it all in. I will insert "texture photos" after the June blooms in this post.


I'll start where I left off a few days ago... some peonies are past while others have yet to bloom...these were spectacular this year, but short lived due to several days of extreme heat and wind... had they only bloomed a bit later, they would be reveling in this wonderful period of gentle winds and 70 degree temperatures.

Blooming later, my Tinka Philips is still going strong with many lovely blooms yet to open. Were I to disbud, individual stems would sport huge blossoms, but I prefer the extended bloom allowed by the blossoming of side buds...

We are coming into the siberian iris season and a few are opening throughout the gardens... Illini Glory blooms next to one of the Bartzella intersectional peonies...

Sweet Surrender blooms in similar colors...

There are also a number of self-sown siberian irises throughout the gardens...

The texture of the siberian foliage works well with a Taxodium distichum, a Pinus strobus 'Pendula', and a Black Hills spruce...

Three plants of Hosta 'Great Arrival' show how much a little variation in light can change their appearance.... makes me wonder if they are in fact all the same plants! To the left are 'Big Daddy's with 'Pineapple Upside Down Cake' behind them and 'Twilight' to their right...

Amethyst Falls wisteria is in full bloom just now... despite it's small size bloom, I find it very appealing situated along the rockery path...

I noted in a previous post that I've finally discovered a placein the gardens where oriental poppies will thrive... many are in bloom now. I appreciated a comment from VW gardener a couple days back informing me of Super Poppies in beautiful colors with petals that last longer and that often bloom twice a season... I intend on investigating these thoroughly and adding some, as their colors appear to be beautiful in the pictures I've located on the internet... Patty's Plum, blooming heavily, has been making quite a show this season in our gardens...

Beauty of Livermore is a fabulous red that I love...

There are some later flowering tree peonies,  including this bloom from Hesphestos...

I am not into German tall bearded iris very much although I am convinced that if you need a heavy downpour with wind, growing them will assure that happening whenever they are at peak bloom... I'm also going to start digging out and disposing of most of my intermediate iris as well... beautiful for a week or two, and a pain to maintain where I have them for most of the remainder of the year! This is a part of my new 'easier maintenance' agreement with myself! Here's one of the bearded iris that I do grow in the gardens and that is in bloom now as well as my favorite 'Stepping Out' which I've had just about forever...

And now for a few other blooms doing their thing this week...

Bartzella intersectional peony

Numerous varieties of Dianthus, including the following...

Clematis such as niobe and ramona shown here...

Geranium magnificum is a peak bloom just now...

I'm really pleased with my Taylor's Sunburst Lodgepole Pine...

Aruncus dioecious or the large goatsbeards are in bloom this week...

Another big change for me this year has been cutting back on the 26, 14" hanging pots of surfinia petunias on the arbor, to just nine baskets of Freestyle ivy geraniums... I'm hoping these will do well in our climate and I am really pleased with this color...

Chionanthus virginicus in bloom... the fringe tree or 'Old Man's Beard...

We had another garden get-together here tonight after visiting another friend's garden and the local peony garden... it was a fun time spent with about 50 folks. The first thing my guests saw upon entering the yards was an estimated 15+ tons of really nice looking field stones (although dirty) that I moved in today. Some are quite large weighing perhaps a ton. This new project will involve creating an environment for miniature conifers of all sorts. 

The eventual home of a miniature conifer garden

Now for those shots I mentioned focusing on texture and foliage color throughout the June gardens... 

With that I bid adieu for a few days... I'll be spending much of my time watching things bloom as I seem to have done what feels like considerable damage to my back... it's a good time for a healing break from all the work... here's wishing you a happy Garden Blogger's Bloom day for June 2011...

Take care, Larry

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