Home of the Practically Perfect Pink Phlox and other native plants for pollinators

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Got Bloom? It's Bloom Day August 2009

Japonica hupehensis 'September Charm'

It's that time, the fifteenth of each month, when bloggers from all over the known blogdome open their gardens and share their blooms. To see more Bloom Day posts head over to May Dreams Gardens where your Bloom Day host, Carol, will link you to hundreds of participants!

Now, isn't that exciting! Have a fun day~~gail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone
Here's just a few of our blooms.
I hope you enjoy your time here.
Heuchera villosas 'Autumn Bride', 'Brownie' and 'Mocha' in bloom with a few Susans

All photos enlarge with a click. Some will look much better enlarged~~trust me!

Laurentia axillaris 'Starshine Blue' ~
An annual here; perennial zone 8 and 9.
The flowers have a sweet vanilla fragrance,
but the foliage is not pleasant when bruised!


Ruellia humilis~the native that keeps on keeping on. This one is growing in a crack in the asphalt! Local gardeners call this sweetie pie Wild Petunia and dislike it because it shows up in the lawn~~Of course, that's exactly what I like about it!

Not a bloom but, he's a beauty! Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) males cruise the host plants. Rarely do they perch with fully open wings preferring this 45 degree angle. The host plants are mostly legumes like clovers...but this pretty one does in a pinch.
Perennial sweet pea (Lathyrus latifolius).
It's a pesky plant that hasn't the grace to have any fragrance!
I cut off the flowers before they go to seed!
You should, too!


Now a few beauties we encourage to stay in the garden!
Aster frikartii 'Mönch' with Rudbeckia hirta, Panicum 'Northwind' and a variegated eupatorium with small white flowers, Phlox paniculata spp and with non blooming: Eupatorium purpureum maculatum ‘Little Joe, Kerria japonica and Ruellia strepens.

Aster frikartii 'Mönch' looking beautiful in a close up with panicum blooms.
This aster is a non stop bloomer!

The Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) continue to bloom and light up the garden.
Here they are with Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy',
Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' and Joe Pye Weed in the way back!
Susans up close and personal

Chasmanthus latifolium is representing the various native grasses that reside at C&L!
There are several different panicums, Bluestems, and a new variegated River Oat~
River Mist is a beauty...go here to see the whole story!
Rosa Fairy Queen
has been under attack from something,
but she is back to blooming.

White Swan (Echinacea purpurea alba) just moved into the garden
I think I am really going to like them.
The white flower adds that something special to the bed.

and, last but not least~~

Sedum spectabile 'Purple Emperor'

Thank you all for popping over. Have a delicious weekend.
Gail

49 comments:

  1. bloggerfeeds are really slow today!! I thought your moonflower post was for today.
    Your garden is just lovely. glad to hear that River Mist is doing well. My extension agent has the regular Chasmanthus, I told him about the variegated one-- eyebrows went up!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful blooms Gail! I'm tempted to try a fairy rose - I hear they bloom pretty well without a lot of sun. White Swan is one of my very favorite coneflowers, but alas the cultivars don't seem very happy here. Maybe I'll try it again in a different spot.

    I hope your thumbs are getting better.

    Happy Bloom Day, and have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Janet, Hi! It is pokey and they aren't posting about it either! I like River Mist, a lot! Did the eyebrows go up in interest?

    Linda, Hello there! It's been growing in semi-shade quite nicely. Give it a try!

    gail

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that mass planting of Susans, Gail! I only hope that one day my few will spread to look half as good as this. I'll have to look for the "Purple Emperor" sedum; I really like those dark stems. The Eastern Tailed-Blue is such a beauty!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gail, Great pictures of beautiful blooms. The White Swan is looking particularly lovely. I also like your little Eastern Tailed-blue
    K

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such delicate beauties! (Don't tell the Susans that I wasn't talking 'bout them.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy GBBD! My September Charm is still in the fat bud stage. She is such a beauty, isn't she! I'm going to have to check out that Sedum in the last photo. (And great hed on the moonflower post).

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, great line-up Gail! The Susans are stunning as is everything else! Love the photo of the Eastern Tailed-Blue as well! Happy GBBD!

    Alan

    ReplyDelete
  9. That Eastern tailed blue is a beauty! Say that three time fast:) Your garden is looking most lovely. I adore the combination of the aster with the rudbeckia!

    ReplyDelete
  10. My life will not be complete until Japanese anemones are in my garden. :)
    Donna

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy Bloom Day! Clay & Limestone looks jam packed with beauty now.
    It was years before Ruellia humilis started popping up in my lawn, now I'm digging it out of the lawn like crazy. My husband thinks it's cute there, but I think it looks silly. You do have to admire a plant that can grow in asphalt.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gail, Your garden bounty is leaving my garden green with envy. Lovely photographs, too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. i love the photo of the native grass with the sunlight behind it...so lovely.
    i also love the starshine blue...i will be on the look out for that one. of course all of your blooms are gorgeous. i wish everyone would click on the photos to see them up close and personal...they are so divine.
    happy august weekend to you.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Gail,
    Your Susans drifting through the garden are just stunning! Beautiful blooms you showcase today... and I adore the Eastern Tailed-Blue that opened up wings just for you. I am enthralled with grasses these days... your River Oat reminding of the beach.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Meems

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beautiful August blooms and butterfly too Gail. Sedum spectabile 'Purple Emperor' is my latest plant purchase :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful August blooms and butterfly too Gail. Sedum spectabile 'Purple Emperor' is my latest plant purchase :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Glorious flowers in bloom, Gail. Purple Emperor is a keeper. We have had ours for several years before it really became a stalwart. A little shade helps keep it from burning. They all look like second fiddle to the susans though. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh Gail, those Susans are glorious. Your garden looks divine. I've also gotten very interested in the grasses of late. I really like how they look. But I have to be careful that they don't get too big as I have a small place.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great bloom day post, Gail. And I've had an ephiphany from your photos. I recently discovered that I have some lavender wildflowers in my wooded area and thanks to your post, I think that I have identified them as Ruellia humilis! And I love your Aster Monch and the susans. My Rudbeckia Prairie Sun did not come back from last year - I'm so bummed. Gotta buy some more, I guess!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lots of nice blooms! I really like the photo with the butterfly. You have a sea of Susans!

    ReplyDelete
  21. There is always some new type of flower to see there in your Clay and Limestone! My asters didn't make it over the winter, and now must be replaced. I'll certainly look for your non-stop bloomer variety. But my Sedum Purple Emporer just gave out, and now I'll need a replacement for that too. Always an excuse needed for buying more plants!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Gail I can't get over how beautiful your meadow of Susans is. Great shot of the butterfly. I have perennial Sweet Pea too and wish it had a fragrance. It's a long time bloomer though.

    Beautiful post!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oooh... I think that you WILL love that 'White Swan,' Gail! I had her in my garden for quite a few years, and even though I dislike white flowers in my own garden, I adored her. (Moonflowers, like in your previous post, are another exception to my rule!)

    ReplyDelete
  24. As always , Gail, your blog is such fun to visit. That too for me, who took a long break in between, look at all your blooms like the riotous Susans and elegant White swans, I feel renewed.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Looks really good for mid August!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I often see some flowers in bloom at your place that come into flower shortly after I see them on your blog. I can't wait for the Anemones to start blooming here. I want a pink one too. Lovely blooms Gail.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Now I see my vision (of asters & susans) come to life. Or maybe I thought of it after viewing your blog? Either way, they are lovely together. Happy belated bloom day. Once again, I missed it but that's okay, there's always another time, right? I can't believe your anemones are already blooming too? I'm going to check mine but I haven't even noticed buds yet...

    ReplyDelete
  28. My Japanese anemone have also started to bloom, a bit early in these parts. But the biggest surprise is your Penstemon X which has been laying low all season--it now has buds!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Gail..... white swan is stunning, as you know I love white blooms and that is one that really stands out. Gorgeous.

    Your garden is a riot of colour, so beautiful. With the autumn approaching we have to make the most of this time. To enjoy each moment and hold on to it during those dull winter days.

    A joy and pleasure to visit your garden as always......

    ReplyDelete
  30. How nice of you to put out that gorgeous open sign for me so that I didn't have to sneak over the fence to find my way to the waiting bench. Without exception, your posts are always outstanding.

    ReplyDelete
  31. i'm a sucker for butterflies, and i know how hard it can be to capture a little blue! great shot!

    ReplyDelete
  32. The Aster frikartii 'Mönch' is very intriguing. Just what we need up here, more aters.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Gail, a delightful blooming visit to Clay and Limestone. Such a lot going on in your gardens. Love that the Susans are still looking so great, and the aster Monch is really outstanding. But what's this about not letting sweet peas go to seed? I would love to have one growing in my garden up a trellis, but they don't seem to like it here.

    Thanks for a wonderful Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
  34. You stumped me with that first plant. I thought it was a Jap. anemome at first. Have you smelled your Ech. White Swan yet?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks everyone for stopping by...I've read every comment and would be visiting everyone except I've been away from the computer. I'll be by this week! gail

    ReplyDelete
  36. Gail, I love your slide show. I have a great stand of those vigorous anemone, too. How do you keep them in bounds? (Or do you?) ;-) It’s beautiful your way! The next-best thing to actually being there.

    Here's an odd event... this comment ended up on someone else's post. Crazy! But, I just copied and pasted. Hope you've enjoyed the weekend. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Happy Bloom Day, Gail! I recently got some Ruellia humilis from Mr. McGregor's Daughter, and I'm thrilled to see how tough it is! To survive in my garden plants must be willing to take a joke!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I've always see new flowers when I visit your blog. Love the photo of the bench amid the sea of rudbeckia. You should put that on your banner.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Love that "Starshine" blue - so perfect and delicate. I also grew White Swan this year, but the petals got chewed on. Yours looks so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  40. You have so many bright and colorful blooms...sure GOT BLOOM.
    The Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly won my heart.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Wonderful post. Love all your photos. You've created a wonderful garden, things look so natural and beautiful. I love the Goldstrum and keep adding and moving it around my garden but I don't have nearly as large an area of it as you do. My White Swan has disappeared probably crowded out by the purples.
    Marnie

    ReplyDelete
  42. Gail,
    Everything looks so pretty. You have so much color in your garden. It’s very inspiring, we need to do something, our blooms are getting few and far between.--Randy

    ReplyDelete
  43. Just beautiful flowers! And so many. Thanks for showing them.

    ReplyDelete
  44. You have a ton of blooms and they all look great. The purple Sedum is unique and I like it!

    Jake

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thanks for putting a name on that Japanese Anemone. I had planted years ago, and had forgotten the name until you jogged my memory...

    ReplyDelete
  46. catching up at your garden and let me say the Laurentia axillaris 'Starshine Blue' just caught my eye. wonderful photo, wonderful flower. Lovely

    ReplyDelete
  47. nice read. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did any one hear that some chinese hacker had hacked twitter yesterday again.
    [url=http://amazon.reviewazone.com/]Pamela[/url]

    ReplyDelete
  48. very useful article. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did any one hear that some chinese hacker had busted twitter yesterday again.
    [url=http://amazon.reviewazone.com/]Tammy[/url]

    ReplyDelete

"Insects are the little things that run the world." Dr. E O Wilson