Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - July 2018

The soccer World Cup Final is on and it's Garden Bloggers Bloom day for July 2018. I got up at 5am to water this morning and then snap a few pics to capture new blooms before I wrote this post.

(Pardon me as I type up this post and watch World Cup soccer at the same time. It's an exciting morning!)

The Pacific Northwest is experiencing a heat wave and temps will climb above 100 degrees today. June was fairly mild and temperate. My garden stayed green and lush, with blooms arriving a little later than normal.

The big switch to 'summer' is always a shock to the system, but nevertheless, we march on.

echinacea - Pow Wow White and Purple

Above, the summer 'sun garden' is a riot of colorful echinacea, salvia, yarrow and phlox. Here are a few more views of bright, happy colors taken this morning:

echinacea purpurea

echinacea 'Tomato Soup'

Yarrow 'Paprika'

Salvia 'Black and Blue' got the nod to join this garden bed in ground as it has wintered over for several garden bloggers in the Portland area. I prefer 'Amistad' but have had mixed results with them surviving our sometimes harsh winters.

Salvia 'Black and Blue'

Hall's Honeysuckle growing on the trellis at the back of the flower bed

Some blooms just pop up on their own and I let them go...

Nasturtium, self sown from last years crop

In containers, I'm growing hyssop with panicums as a backdrop.

agastache 'apricot sprite'

agastache 'giant hyssop'

And who doesn't love geraniums?! The scent alone is amazing. I had one come back from last year and am rewarded with a big, fat bloom. The two on the sides were grown from seed by the fabulous Ann, who gave some away at our Portland area spring plant swap. I am a lucky recipient.

This geranium started by Ann @ Amature Bot-ann-ist - Devine!

Crocosmia are a beginning to open - much to the delight of the rufus hummingbirds visiting my garden.

crocosima 'Fire King'

Around the house, a lot of yummy plants for the hummers and bee's to love, are in bloom.

Good ol' Bee Balm lighting up the landscape like little red torches at 6am in the morning. You can imagine how much I love reading a book in this garden nook and enjoying my feathered visitors.

Around to the other side, the veronica is coming to the end of it's first flush of blooms while the helenium 'Mardi Gras' is just beginning with the bright yellow color of goldenrod. 

Here is a close up of Helenium 'Mardi Gras'..

The collection of veronicas are finishing up their first flush and the bees are clinging to every last petite blossom. Pictured below is newly blooming goldenrod in front of the finishing veronica.

All of my summer blooms are geared towards maximum color combined with maximum bloom longevity. Couple those requirements with plants that are hummingbird and bee favorites and you'll understand why I end up with the selections I have.

In containers, I am growing salvia 'Amistad'. I had 3 of 4 plants winter over. They are no where near as lush as the swaths I saw growing around the Austin, Texas area in May, but I'm thankful for what I can grow and the hummers love them!

salvia 'Amistad'

To round out my show of blooms, coreoposis 'Route 66' grows under a young acer palmatum 'Mikazuki'.

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Check out Carol's blog 'May Dreams Garden' to find more Garden Bloggers Bloom Day posts from around the world.

Cheers, Jenni