Bloom On for May 2013

Practically Perfect Pink Phlox pilosa is blooming on for Bloom Day~It's my favorite spring plant and I am happy to say it's made a marvelous comeback from the last years droughts.

Although, it's an adaptable plant it needed more moisture than we have had the last many summers to set seed and spread around the garden. This year has more than made up for those disappointing years.

Next up is Penstemon. I am having a marvelous love affair with P 'Prairie Twilight' and P 'Prairie Dusk'.  Both plants rescued from a big box sale rack last summer. Experts often tell you not to buy late in the season or off the sale racks because plants are root bound, etc. That has never stopped me, I've gotten my best bargains from the racks and I am careful to choose plants that can take a good root pruning. I rinsed the potting medium away from the roots, trimmed the roots, making sure none were circling the plant and then planted them in good soil (or in this case, a fast draining rocky soil that these penstemons require). (Go here to read more about Penstemons and Bumblebees)

Also blooming are Western Daisy/Astranthium integrifolium~I discovered these cutie pie daisies in my way back 'meadow' many years ago...and they have been moved all over the garden. WD is a winter annual that blooms heavenly in the late spring and on and off all summer. The flower is small by daisy standards, but, it carries a lot of wow factor when allowed to naturalize in your native plant lawn or as a ground cover beneath later blooming perennials.

Golden Alexander has been in my garden several years, but this year it's been outstanding. I think I need to take a page from Fairegarden and plant a pretty purple flower to compliment the golden yellow and help it stand apart. In my garden it's made a lovely two foot mound and smells of  honey. It evokes memories of my childhood when my good friends and I had the freedom to explore neighboring overgrown fields in early summer. If you get a chance, lean into Zizia aurea and catch that delicious fresh summer fragrance.

Camassias continues to bloom on. I adore them and will be planting more this fall, in fact I have already put a reminder in my calender to order more. One thing I won't do is underplant it with the Tommies. The chipmunks have dug around trying to get the tasty Tommie corms and damaged several of the Camassia quamash.  (But true to advertising the squirrels don't touch it, which is perfect if you garden where there are no chippers))

Verbena canadensis is looking more beautiful than you can imagine. The plants survived our non winter and have been blooming their hearts out.

Phlox 'Minnie Pear' is new to the garden. Research reveals that Minnie is a naturally occurring hybrid between Phlox maculata and Phlox glaberrima. I've placed it next to species P glaberrima, it needs the same moist soil and I do want to see any offspring from this union.

Two-flowered Cynthia is still blooming. You can read about this dandelion imposter and pollinator attractor Krigia here.

Oenothera speciosa

Showy Evening Primrose is just working up to a big show~I love its colonizing ways. I'll pull up the spent flowers, but there's no stopping this plant once it's in your garden.

I fell head over heals in love with Monarda bradburiana while at Chicago Fling several years ago. It blooms faithfully each year and doesn't require a moist soil. Take that M didyma cultivars that tempt me in the nursery and fail to bloom after the first year.

The non-native alliums are gorgeous and as always a nectar treat for all the visiting pollinators.

The last Columbine bloom of the spring 

All in all the garden has enjoyed the long spring and extra rainfall and now, summer is coming on strong. There's a lot more in bloom, but I have to hold some flowers back to post about later! I know you understand.

Happy Bloom Day my dears,  now take the magic carpet ride to May Dreams Gardens and host extraordinaire Carol's links to gardens all over this great big beautiful world.

xoxogail


Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

What's Blooming At Clay and Limestone!

Iris germainca (Lily family), Phlox pilosa (Polemoniaceae family),  Aquilegia canadensis (Ranunculaceae family) and Lunaria  annua (Mustard family)

Hello and welcome to Clay and Limestone's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day celebration.  Many of my favorite plants are blooming today, like Phlox pilosa, the Practically Perfect Pink Phlox,  my favorite sweet grape scented iris and the perfect red and yellow of native columbine. (A Wildflower Celebration)

Phlox pilosa is  blooming all over the garden

Phlox pilosa is so perfect it needs its own closeup!  This denizen of the Garden of Benign Neglect has been spreading through other parts of the garden with abandon.  This is a good thing, because the drought, over jealous sharing and a few nasty rodents have taken a toll on it.  I can see light at the end of the tunnel and it's pink!

 It's been an odd year and plants that normally are blooming in late April and May are blooming now and plants that should be blooming now are already past their prime.  The very best news is that the critters are back~Pollen eating beetles and a small skipper are happy with the Ox-eye daisy that's found it's way to Clay and Limestone.

Then there's this absolutely delightful late blooming narcissus that held out past the 80F degree days in March  to  start blooming this past week. It's a small cup narcissus~Possibly 'Actaea' or another one whose name I have misplaced! You'll have to forgive the out of focus beauty, the winds were gusting like crazy this weekend and this is the best shot I have! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Physocarpus opulifolius/Ninebark~Rosaceae family

Ninebark has been fantastic this spring...What a delightful shrub with  great foliage color when the flowers fade away. Later, this month, I'll share 'Little Devil' a miniature of the cultivar 'Diablo' that is perfect for smaller gardens and/or tucks into a border beautifully.

Salvia lyrata/Lyreleaf sage~(Lamiaceae family)

Lyreleaf sage is blooming in the lawnette~This is a perfect evergreen plant to replace lawn grasses~Sometimes it repeat blooms if you mow/deadhead the flower. I am always shocked when I see neighbors trying to get rid of this wildflower~Call me folks, I'll be glad to come dig it up!

Ornamental Kale (Mustard family)

I can't imagine not having kale in my garden from fall through the spring. It brightens up the winter garden, but, really sparkles when it flowers in the spring to make a delicious combo with Iris germanica.

Euonymus americanus/hearts-bustin'-with-love~ Celastraceae family

 Hearts-bustin'-with-love is blooming~it's not a showy flower and is quite small,  but, later when the seed head bursts open you'll fall in love.

Astranthium integrifolium/Entireleaf Western Daisy~Asteraceae family

Western Daisy will bloom all summer and is happy in the lawn or in a garden bed.  This little cutie pie is an annual and native. If you want more you must let it go to seed. I know you can do, trust me, even if Mr I has been known to mow it down before it's gone to seed.

Monarda bradburiana/Eastern bergamot~Lamiaceae family

 I had to go to Chicago to discover  this Tennessee beauty that can take dry conditions! It's a major planting at the Lurie Garden and although, not as showy as some of the other monardas...it has its charms.

Hypoxis hirsuta/Yellow Stargrass (Lily family)

Yellow Stargrass is absolutely charming and it will bloom on and off all summer....It's a small plant and you can tuck it  here and there.

Baptisia X 'Starlight Prairie Blues'~(Fabaceae Family)

I love baptisia~all of them, but, please  don't tell the species that I told you that this hybrid is my favorite! (A Fab Fabiaceae)

Penstemon smallii 'Violet Dusk' in the background (Scrophulariaceae family

Although, my garden isn't as floriferous as it has been in past years~It's not looking bad! As the spring heats up the Penstemons will burst into bloom and the Hummers will be feeding like crazy.  Maybe this year, I'll catch a photo!

One of the seedlings of Penstemon 'Dark Towers' or 'Husker Red'

Have a wonderful day.
xxoogail

PS Now, please pop over to May Dreams Gardens, where our delightful hostess, Carol,  has set up the Mr Linky magic carpet ride  to more Bloom Day posts than you can imagine.  You're in for a treat~it's Spring (and Autumn in the Southern Hemphisphere) and gardens are dressed in their finest.

 Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.