I really like the Helenium Kevin. I have none in our garden. How tall is that stand? Will it be flowering till fall?

It's a bit over 2 feet tall and yes - flowers until early fall at least.

That Lily Citronella is gorgeous - the color, the stature and the flower shape are all perfect. Any memories of where you got it?

I also love Helenium Mardi Gras and its long bloom time, longer than the seed grown plants I have. Nice to know about dividing it.

I need to go out and take more photos as I've been away for most of the last three weeks, but right now I have day lilies, Penstemon 'Sweet Joanne', clematis (I know that Betty Corning and Avant Garde have been blooming for at least 3 weeks), Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle', Hydrangea paniculata 'Quick Fire', and several reblooming Hydrangea macrophylla.

Clematis Avant Garde hangs onto the petaloid stamens after the petals fall, and then has ornametal seedheads.
{{gwi:248201}}From July 11, 2014 Clems etc

Dayliles with Sambucus/elderbrries
{{gwi:248202}}From July 11, 2014 Clems etc

Clematis Betty Corning
{{gwi:248203}}From July 11, 2014 Clems etc

Clematis Ville de Lyon
{{gwi:248204}}From July 11, 2014 Clems etc

I have tried several times to grow heleniums in my 'hot' area - they just do not like it there! Are lily beetles a problem for you Kevin? I love lilies but have given up on them because of the lily beetles. A few lilies keep popping up but they turn into such a mess that I do not add any more.

nhbabs - what are the big leaves in the bottom right corner of the picture with the daylilies and elderberries?

nhbabs - I probably got that lily from 'The Lily Garden' years and years ago, but in checking their website it doesn't appear they carry it right now. I wonder if McClure and Zimmerman might have it? Sometimes they have a nice lily selection.

Yes, I really like it too. The color is such a nice,deep gold.

I like that Clematis Avant Garde and Betty Corning is really nice too. Very un-clematis like.

woody - To my knowledge lily beetles haven't arrived in MN yet. If they do, I'll probably stop growing lilies.

Kevin

McClure and Zimmerman does have that lily - just checked - 3 @$9.95.

This post was edited by aachenelf on Sun, Jul 20, 14 at 12:00

Great looking plants - plentiful blooms and very colorful!

Thanks for the lily source, Kevin.

Woodyoak, the large leaves are edible rhubarb. They were initially planted there because we were working on the house and that was the only bed out of the way, but I have left it there because it provides nice contrast to the finer textured plants near it. The spring flowers are ornamental too. Also, if I were you, I'd try growing Helenium in a sunny but not dry area for better success. Here it is growing wild on a silty river bank below the high water line on the Green River (Canyonlands National Park, UT). There wasn't any growing higher up, all of it was where it would get regular moisture.

I thought that was probably rhubarb, but I'm always on the lookout for big-leafed plants so was hoping it might be something different and new to me :-) I planted some rhubarb in the front bed this spring, as well as in one of the big driveway pots. Both plants are doing sort of middling-well so far. I've not had luck getting them to grow in the ground here before so that's why I'm trying it in a pot too.

I keep trying to get the helenium to grow in the 'hot' (referring to color) garden. The color of them would not work well in other areas. The 'hot' garden is also quite hot as it faces almost directly south. The soil is clay and the area is a steep bank, so , while the clay retains moisture, the slope helps it drain so it is quite dry there.

Monarda and Shasta daisy:
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Love 'em all..........thanks all for sharing. :-)

but I'm always on the lookout for big-leafed plants

There are some wonderful ligularia with large leaves. Here is what I think is "Bottle Rocket" (picture taken today).

But shadeyplace has a much more spectacular one

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Dragon Ligularia

This post was edited by rouge21 on Mon, Jul 21, 14 at 10:00

I've tried ligularia and it didn't like the conditions here!

'woody', this is the season for Ligularia...nice and damp thus far.

As I recall don't you have a moist shady corner on your property? If so I would give another chance to a Ligularia. The yellow spikes or daisies are striking in deep shade.

(Also my "Silver Heart" Brunnera has huge leaves this season. See the last post in this thread for a picture and dimensions)

Here is a link that might be useful: Look for the huge

This post was edited by rouge21 on Mon, Jul 21, 14 at 8:46

'The wet corner' is where I tried growing the ligularia, and also an area nearby that is not as wet. The wet corner dries out completely in a hot, dry summer (i.e. our normal summers!) so that probably does it in. Those harsh yellow flowers are not an attractive addition to my green-and-white themed shade garden, so I cut them off (in the year or two the plants survived!) If it had white flowers or pale yellow ones, I probably would have made an effort to keep it alive. Kirengeshoma grows there now - it has yellow flowers but they are a nice, soft color that fits in well. Last summer was hot and dry and they barely survived, producing virtually no flowers. They are recovering a bit this year but were probably weakened by the winter too, so I'm not sure what to expect from them this summer in terms of flowers.

Woodyoak, do you have crambe? It has a mound of large cabbage like leaves with tiny white flowers on a branching central stem in early summer.
It is in full sun in my garden and hasn't needed staking. Last fall I divided my single plant to add two more to the border. I leave the stem after it flowers as it adds an airy effect to the border. Have not had any self seeding.

This was a seedling from a group that no one wanted form a plant sale brought to a plant swap. I took one to try and have been delighted with mine. Have not seen it in anyone else's's garden in our area which is probably why no one else wanted the seedlings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crambe cordifolia

Yep, I have (had?) crambe too. It was not in an ideal place in the front garden and I think it has petered out - I don't remember seeing it flower lately. I should probably check on it and either move it or plant another one. We've been gardening here for 15 years now and in the last two years it has become increasingly obvious that conditions have changed a lot in some parts of the front bed as trees and shrubs are getting bigger. So there are a few things that need moving or being replaced. Crambe is probably one of them. I probably wouldn't give it a prominent place to show the leaves though because, in my experience, they can get very ratty-looking as the season progresses. But the flowers are pretty amazing - will have to give some thought of what to pair it with if I move it or get another one.

rouge - your garden is breathtaking!

Too kind 'ruth'. The picture I posted above looks way better than the actual garden!

Penstemon 'Sweet Joanne',

This was a bloom machine for me but it slowly but surely withered away. I would love to see your pictures of this plant.

'nhbabs', I really like your clematis.

'woody' have you considered "Angelica Gigas" as a plant with large leaves?

rouge - I am wary of unbellifers in general because of seeding and I gather that one is either biennial or short-lived perennial so it must need to seed around a fair bit - I have enough of self-seeder types of plants to cope with already and am trying to cut down on them! From the pictures I've seen of it, in addition to the attraction of large leaves,, it looks like it would fit in the red/purple end of driveway 'hot' bed. But the seeding concern makes me resist temptation :-)

LOVE that Helenium! *makes mental note*

Green_go, which monarda is that? Do you cut it back to obtain that cushion shape or is that it's natural habit?

I would say that for a âÂÂmid-summer starâ at my house, you canâÂÂt beat Coreopsis. The sunny, yellow blooms just keep going and going. Even when my cat decided to use one as a nap mat (while she nipped at the catnip planted next to it), it still came right back. Sun or shade, water or drought, Coreopsis is a plant that really delivers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Coreopsis

GreenHearted, it is monarda 'Petite Delight'. It is naturally small and tame, does not require any cutting back.

green_go, I almost ordered that very cultivar this year. I've never grown monarda but I always hear how PM destroys it so I decided against it. Your photo has me regretting that decision!

Rouge, here is Penstemmon 'Sweet Joanne' in late June; it started blooming some time before the middle of the month.
{{gwi:248207}}From June 26, 2014

Here she is last week, still blooming after a month, though currently not as fully as earlier. My memory is that she bloomed into September last year without pause.

I'm only a dabbler but sure like my Rozanne!

Nice thread...miss these gallery posts that are now lacking throughout the forums.

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I love that "SJoanne". I think I will try it again. Thanks nhbabs.

How large is that swath of "Rozanne"?! Impressive.

Is that more than one plant?

Here is a bloom or two of "Rozanne" with "Peppertwist Phlox"

This post was edited by rouge21 on Sat, Jul 26, 14 at 11:21

Kevin, I do like that Veronica "Sunny Border Blue".

How are your "Royal Candles" doing this season? I am close to pruning back mine as their first flush of flowers is almost spent.

I bought a new Veronica this season called "Blue Bomb".

Lots of lovely summer bloomers here. A favorite of mine is this summer star. Pennisetum Karley Rose.

With all the June rain and cooler weather I think they stretched out a bit further than usual. There are two there but one did die right in that small spot to the right. I put a dwarf pine there but that thing didn't perform so there is actually another Roazanne there...just a tiny one.

Here is another swath. They pretty much bloom like this until early October.

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Rouge...did your phlox come back like that? Mine seems to have "untwisted" and came back solid :(

Rozanne is one of my all time favorites....blooms nonstop all summer.

Some of my mid-summer stars:
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And donâÂÂt think IâÂÂm discriminating against yellows - see? here is yellow:
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'green go', those are some stunning pics. Thank you.

Those phlox shots are amazing.

'gazania' that is a wonderful picture of Pennisetum Karley Rose. I have always wanted to have enough space to have such a plant.

green_go, what is the silvery looking plant in several of the photos?

All curious what geranium that is.

lychnis coronaria alba and one of the sanguineums - maybe Vision Violet or such.

Kalimeris, Peppertwist Phlox, Millenium Allium, Coneflowers, Tuscan Sun Heliopsis

Rouge...did your phlox come back like that? Mine seems to have "untwisted" and came back solid

'lilsprout', I have 4 PTwist Phlox and it is only one of them that shows extensive revision.

whaas,
Silvery plant is some kind of llychnis - not sure which one since mine was grown from a stray seed.
At first, it blooms with pure white flowers, but as the summer progresses, it starts to bloom with pinkish flowers:
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Nice, that would be perfect with a spilled wine weigela or a dwarf blue spruce.

I looked it up as someone else suggested the name and I found it was short lived and they called it a biennial.

How has it done for you life wise?

Reminds me a little of dianthus but I can't keep this damn genus alive. I have very well drained soil too where pines thrive.

If not deadheaded, Lychnis coronaria self-seeds everywhere, including the lawn, but it is relatively easy to pull. It gets a bit messy looking as the flowering stems age and accumulate old blossom sites. It likes full sun and won't grow in the shade of other plants IME. It is a true biennial and I have seen it in screaming magenta (the normal form), white, and blush pink. Nice frosted rosette of leaves the first year.