Lycoris radiata

A total surprise for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day is this lovely Lycoris.  It started blooming last week and I almost missed it because it’s been terribly dry and not very rewarding to check out the growing things.  In general it’s been more a case of survival with less than a 1/4 inch of rain in September and only just now getting a few drops.

We can still count on the annual zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos, but we’re definitely on the light side for flowers right now.  

The Nasturtium in Beth’s raised bed have been putting on quite a show.

Very happy Nasturtium

A couple of the perennials that reliably show up, even with drought are shown below.

Japanese anemone ‘Whirlwind’

Tricyrtis ‘Sinonome’

And a first time plant for us that may or not be perennial is the Cestrum.

Cestrum x ‘Orange Peel’

This flowers all during the growing season in our area.  And it just keeps getting bigger.

There are also some lovely flowers still hanging on the Hydrangea by the back porch.

Hydrangea ‘Limelight’

One of the troughs that I inherited from a member of the Potomac Valley Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society has a delectable little Sedum growing in it.

Sedum cauticola (?)

I noticed in the alpine bed several flowers on one of the Daphnes, and that seems quite out of season.

Daphne collina x cneorum

Also in the alpine bed the Sculletaria continues to flower, as it has all year long.

Scutellaria resinosa

In the greenhouse itself, there is a marvelous little gloxinia-looking plant from Bolivia.

Seemannia nematanthodes

The color on this little beauty is really remarkable.

And just outside the greenhouse is a little Zephyranthes that has jumped ship into the alpine bed.

Zephyranthes sp. escapee

Speaking of escapees the grass in the orchard has all of a sudden become Japanese stiltgrass.  This is an almost total takeover in one year.  It’s quite beautiful, but definitely invasive.

Japanese stiltgrass

I did mow it after taking pictures.  Ideally one does this before it sets seeds for next year.

Deep Red Daylily

Well the middle of July Bloom Day update is always highlighted by lilies, daylilies, and sunflowers.  They are the strength of the season.  We’ve just returned from a vacation and they are the first flowers I see.

Rich Golden Daylily

Light pink Lily

Lily ‘Stargazer’

Lily ‘Scheherazade’

Lily ‘Anastasia’

Anastasia is an Orienpet (cross between Oriental and Trumpet lilies) and it’s one of our favorites but it’s season is nearly done.  Two week ago it was sprawling across the fence row.

Lily ‘Anastasia’ coming into bloom at the end of June

Nearby are the crocosmia that are a long-lasting flower for July.

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’

Out in the vegetable garden the sunflowers are reaching for the sky.

First Big Sunflower

Hybrid Sunflower

Also from the vegetable garden are the gladiolas that are now part of the inside decor.

Harvesting glads from the garden

A really unusual flower for July comes from the greenhouse.

Haemanthus humilis ssp. humilis

Haemanthus humilis ssp. humilis detail

This is a South African flower that I obtained from the Pacific Bulb Society.

I had this plant growing for 5 years before I got the first flower, but it is delightful.  During the 1-2 month dormant period it does a good imitation of a dead plant, so you have to have some patience.

Outside the world of flowers the redhaven peach is covered with peaches right now

Red-haven peaches

And the Kingbird is in command of the mulberry tree in the mornings.

Kingbird eating mulberries

That’s it for quick look at Ball Rd.  What is blooming in your garden?

Lily ‘Forever Susan’

In June the lilies begin to make their statement for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day.  They are exploding around the yard and they provide excellent cutting flowers as well.

Lilium ‘Forever Susan’ inside the house

One of my favorites is in the monument bed

Lilium ‘Netty’s Pride’ group

Lilium ‘Netty’s Pride’

In addition to the lilies another regular for this season is a very extravagant japanese iris

Iris ensata ‘Flashing Koi’

The bletilla continue with their orchid-like flowers.

Bletilla ‘Brigantes’

And nearby is a new Roscoea that we got from Far Reaches this year.

Roscoea purpurea f. alba NAPE 239

We have several clematis that have been trailing on fences and trellis including this one that runs up the sambuccus.

Clematis ‘Krakowiak’

A very long-lasting flower is one of the gentians in the alpine bed.

Gentiana dahurica

Walking in the front yard you discover there are many white flowers on the grass and then you look up in the tree and see the source.

Stewartia japonica

There are many, many flower buds on the tree.

With all the rain that we continue to have it’s not surprising that the green leafy plants are doing well.

Pinellia ‘Polly Spout’

Arisaema farghesii

Arisaema candidissum

In the greenhouse there are multiple habranthus in bloom (they seed around abundantly).

Habranthus robustus

The habranthus are much bigger than their zephyranthus cousins.

We were in the orchard this week bagging apples (basically to ward off insects).  The really odd thing is that we have a much smaller crop than normal because many of the trees flowered last fall in response to our tremendous rainfall.  It turns out that one the few trees to have a few apples worth protecting is our Spitzenburg.  I don’t know if you have tried Spitzenburg but it is one of the best apples ever.  In our case this is the one survivor of a row of Spizenburgs and it is barely hanging on as a tree.

Spitzenburg trunk

Nonetheless the apples on it are looking very nice.

Apple ‘Spitzenburg’

This is usually a tree that is very hard hit by pests.  So it’s very strange to see it outyielding much bigger stronger trees.

By the front of the second pasture is a volunteer adam’s needle that is flowering by its lonesome.

Adam’s Needle (Yucca filamentosa)

And nearby are various meadow plantings of wildflowers that son Josh put in this year. They are prospering.

Wildflower mix

And of course the wildlife are enjoying Josh’s efforts.

Cosmos in wildfire mix

Stewartia malacodendron

Last year at Stonecrop’s alpine sale I purchased this small tree from Don Dembowski with the hope of someday seeing the beautiful flowers that websites described.  I was amazed this year when several flowers appeared in its first year on our rocky hillside.  This is multiple weeks ahead of it’s neighbor, Stewartia japonica.  Not to take anything away from Stewartia japonica with its lovely bark and many flowers, but the S. malacondendron has much larger and absolutely gorgeous flowers.

Stewartia malacodendron flower

So far the deer have chosen to ignore this wonderful addition to our front yard.  It seems happy within the shade of surrounding trees.  Inspired by this success I’ve purchased Stewartia monadelpha as well and I’m looking for where to place what will eventually be a pretty large tree.

The remarkably consistent event on the first of June is the appearance of the Arisaema fargessi and Arisaema candidissum

Arisaema fargessi emerging

Each year I wonder if they have disappeared over the winter and each year they check the calendar and stick up their cone on June 1st (A. fargessi was a day early this year, but A. candidissum was right on schedule.  Meanwhile many of their Arisaema brethren have been up and about for many weeks.  The most striking at the moment is a new Arisaema ringens cultivar.

Arisaema ringens ‘Black Mamba’

The Arisaema ringens are big plants with leaves that extend over a couple of feet.  Here is the normal A. ringens in its third year.

Arisaema ringens

This is also the time of year for the martagon lilies to share their elegance.

Lilium x martagon ‘Claude Shride’

This one looked particularly nice when we put it in the middle stones that had been painted at a garden party last week.

Martagon lily with stones

In the front yard right now we have white daphne that is covered with fragrant blossoms.

Daphne x transatalantica ‘Eternal Fragrance’

And an azalea with some of the largest azalea blossoms I have ever seen.

White azalea

A focal point of the center garden is a large spuria iris with striking purple blossoms.

Spuria Iris ‘Stella Irene’

And in the monument bed a very pretty bletilla is in full bloom.

Bletilla ‘Brigantes’

The greenhouse still has a few contributions as well.  A pine woods lily that has appeared in other years at this time.

Alophia drummondi (Pine Woods Lily)

And a flower from Brazil that I don’t recalled having flowered before.

Neomarica candida

It’s very exotic, but you have to pay attention because the flower is only there for a day.

Aquilegia buergeriana v. oxysepala

The surprise for this month’ Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day (in a month that has been full of flowers) is this striking Aquilegia that is almost 4 feet tall.  It is also volunteering in places where I didn’t plant it, but that’s all right for now.

Aquilegia buergeriana v. oxysepala

Aquilegia buergeriana v. oxysepala

I grew this several years ago from seed obtained from Growild in Scotland and I was immediately captured by the color combo.  Nearby is a related plant grown from the same source.

Semiaquilegia adoxoides fl. pl. Alba

Of course we also have the old reliables.  

Peony ‘Festiva Maxima’

Rhododendron ‘Chionoides’

Allium triumphant in the front bed

A striking addition to the front bed is this dark purple salvia from Plant Delights

Salvia ‘Amistad’

Recently I’ve been noticing that the extravagant foliage of the podyphyllums hides some lovely flowers.  The p. delavayi has dark red flowers.

Podophyllum delavayi

But even prettier flowers are on the podophyllum pleianthum

Podophyllum pleianthum

Podophyllum pleianthum flowers

Back at the alpine bed the various dianthus are putting up a spectacular show right now.

Dianthus petraeus subsp. petraeus

Dianthus petraeus subsp. petraeus

And the saxifraga’s are illustrating their value in troughs.

Saxifraga x longifolia

In one of the more recent troughs i’ve now added a little horned rampion that came from one of last year’s seed exchanges.

Phyteuma sieberi (Horned Rampion)

Let me close by noting that son Josh has planted many allium in the orchard as potential deer deterrent and wonderful eye candy.

Allium around young peach tree

They are wonderful mixed in with all the meadow flowers we have growing right now.

Allium as accent in the meadow garden

Besides the buttercups and daisies that we get naturally Josh has added crimson clover to the mix.

Buttercups and clover

Crimson Clover

We are continuing to run a couple of weeks ahead of last year, with again a powerful amount of rain in the mix.  Currently our rainfall is 60 % above normal and it has left the ground wet and fields green and lush.