What a pretty, cheerful sight! Blue skies and lots blooming!

I like that grass you have in with the roses. Variegated Miscanthus? Is all that pink, Phlox maculata? Is it a native version of it? I have 'David' and it looks different. That's it in the last photo, right? Very interesting how the individual flowers are shaped. I like it a lot.

The plant that you are referring to as adenophora, I have something similar in my garden, but it's a campanula, an adenophora 'look alike' that is a weedy pest that I would love to get rid of. I understand that the adenophora is well behaved.

I'm glad your Dorothy Perkins survived. I LOVED that rose arch you had! I guess you're concerned to put it on an arch again?

Very pretty!!

I have a few things blooming. I saw the first bloom open on a Butterfly Bush this week. I think that's quite early. Echinaceas are in full bloom.....

Hydrangeas are coloring up. Penstemon 'Iron Maiden' is about done but 'Pike's Peak Purple' is still going strong. Dianthus, Asclepias tuberosa, Callirhoe, Liatris are blooming. Perovskia is blooming and that seems early too. Nepeta 'Walker's Low' is about ready to be cut back for a rebloom and the same for some of the salvias. Some of the Cimicifuga and Astilbe are blooming in the shade.

An ornamental oregano just started blooming a few days ago.....

And one of my favorites, golden thyme was full of honey bees today....

PM2 - I envy you your echinaceas - mine never did very well here, not enough sun and they were swallowed up by roses and asters. The Phlox maculata is also called Wild Sweet William. I deadhead most that I can reach and get a second and sometimes third flush. I'll pull out a lot of it after the first bloom (enough is enough). My phlox David blooms much later here.

I forgot to mention that my pokeweed has started blooming, Alchemilla has been blooming for a while, and my new little wintergreens (Gaultheria procumbens) have tiny white bells.

Claire

Here in western Mass, echinaceas aren't even close, but the astilbe are in their glory.

Beautiful photos, PM2 and Claire. I'm having some trouble enjoying all these earlier than normal blooms, wondering what the heck August will be like. If I get some pics I'll post them soon, but the only things not in bloom now are the early spring things that have gone by and a very few super-late plants like asters and montauk daisies.

Claire, this is the first year they've looked good. It took me 3 years to get them established the way I wanted them. I'm happy with them this year, especially since the earwigs seem to be leaving them alone for some strange reason. So that's wild sweet william.....they're so pretty! I love rebloomers. I have buds on the Phlox 'David'. I like gaultheria but haven't tried it yet. I thought they were fussy about PH so I declined. I went with Arctostaphylos instead. I'd like to hear how they do for you.

I didn't realize there was that much difference from zone 5 to zone 6, lynnski. Are you finding blooming ahead of time too?

DtD, I have had a fleeting thought here and there about August, but I have Butterfly Bush and the Echinacea that usually keep blooming until the frost if I deadhead and Hardy Hibiscus has buds on it already, not sure if that reblooms with deadheading. I'm keeping my asters and chrysanthemums cut back so they will hopefully bloom on time. Would love to see photos of everything in bloom at your house.

I'm just north of Concord NH. My new perennial bed looked great in spring when the bulbs were blooming but then when thru a dull spell. Now it's showing promise. I had hoped it would be showy for 4th of July company but, oh well. Full sun: several different yarrows beginning including the new all red one, echinacae (one bud blooming, the rest getting ready), clary sage (won't grow again, I remember this biennial as taller and fragrant, this is a dud), shastas, day lilies and one newly planted lupine is putting up a flower stalk.

Semi-shaded garden: feverfew, day lilies, primroses (afternoon sun) and spirea just finishing, fringed bleeding heart continuing, hostas putting out flower stalks, monarda just beginning. Palace purple heurchera putting out flower stalk. Perennial yellow foxglove.

In addition to late planted annuals, self-sown dark red poppy and calendula (some Flashback) blooming here and there.

Old herb bed: nepeta mussini (catmint), lamb's ears.

It looks like the astilbe transplanted in 2007 when we moved is being choked out. There are in what was supposed to be a temporary holding bed. I'm behind!

I am too hopeless at posting pictures so here is my Flickr link of my garden pictures of July 2:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51677763@N04/

Barb

That 'Carding Mill' Rose is very pretty. I like your Breezeway garden bed. What's growing in there?

Here's a link to your photos. If you don't want to post photos to the thread, all you have to do is paste your photostream address in the box labeled 'Optional Link URL' that is under the box you type your message in and then type a name in the box under that.

Here is a link that might be useful: nhmom's photostream

defrost, when things start blooming again, hope you will post some photos. :-)

oooh lovely pics Claire! I like the early phlox (maculatum) too although I've tried it in several spots here...it never seems to bloom for me. It spreads nicely but no blooms...what kind of soil is yours growing in?

ellen_s: My soil varies from sandy loam heavily amended with compost, to mostly sand. The phlox grows almost everywhere there's sun.

Another plant that recently started to bloom is my Bronze Fennel. This one is sheltered against a sunny south-facing foundation and it tries to reseed everywhere. Most seedlings don't make it in more exposed spots.

I like the delicate foliage topped with the flat yellow flowerheads, and so do a lot of tiny pollinators.

Claire

Hi prairiemoon,

I would like to post in the thread but even though I have read the instructions several times, I can't seem to make it work. Thanks for the tips on posting the URL.

My breezeway bed has a lot of daisies of varying heights; lots of lavender; asters for later; a common bergamot that's about to bloom; and the edging is Coral Meilland roses, which are also sold by Star Roses as "coral Drift." They are fantastic bloomers all summer and through Thanksgiving.

Barb

Barb, sometimes, GW just doesn't work right. I've had trouble sometimes. :-) Really pretty bed! That coral rose is pretty too. Nice to have something in bloom until Thanksgiving too.

Claire, I love Bronze Fennel too. I had so much of it I pulled it all out but I miss it. I might add it again one of these days when I can figure a good place for it.