Thanks rouge. It really makes a statement.

Today's pictures - critters and other stuff.

Newly finished mulch path

Achillea ‘Terra Cotta’, Helenium 'Mardi Gras' The Helenium is much taller but it fell over in the heavy rains.

Dragonfly hanging out on phlox

This guy looks like he's made of stone.

butterfly party

Here are some lilies

@L Clark (zone 4 WY) You are so lucky to be able to grow lilies. The lily beetle is a real problem here.

Yes indeed! I used to grow lilies to sell at market and I had to stop because of that darn red lily leaf beetle! I have a handful of lilies left but they are always devastated by the beetles. I keep them because I'm hoping each season that the parasitic wasp they released (in MA??) a few years back will make it down here but so far no luck. My Orania lilies used to be as tall as me and have full gorgeous blooms. Now they are 1.5-3 feet tall and the blooms are small and full of holes.

My garden is STILL mostly daylilies at this point lol. Some phlox. Annuals starting to fill in, some hydrangeas are passing, others just getting going.

Was very disappointed that my Green Twister echinacea are plain pink, but the bees don't seem to mind!

Another apricot daylily, complete with one of those $%&# oriental beetles hanging off it!

Does anyone happen to know what the mottled-leaf vining weed is above the daylily bloom? It has vicious little thorns. I hate this thing and it is all over my garden!

rouge, love the combination of Arabella and allium!

lat62 those blue poppies are beautiful! Such a true blue!

peren.all I'm jealous of your helenium. It looks wonderful. I don't have great luck with this plant. Could be I keep repeatedly putting it in conditions it doesn't like but yours is lovely.

Sandy those ghost pipes are so unique! Have never seen them before.

Really, everyone, you all have such nice gardens and photos. I love to see them all!

:)

Dee

Agapanthus "Galaxy Blue' with "Sun King" aralia.

Dee, obviously I feel your lily pain. That first daylily is stunning. I take it you don't have a deer problem?

@rusty_blackhaw what an eye catching combo. I love it.

I do have deer but they're not an all-consuming problem. They did go through and nip all the buds off several daylilies. Grr, I hate that. Why can't they eat the foliage? Or even buds off plants that make more buds? But I try to spray my hostas and my daylily buds on a fairly regular basis. Usually AFTER the deer make the rounds and remind me lol, but once that happens I remember to do it!

Actually I think the deer's feet do more damage than their mouths lol. My yard seems to be their pathway, and in the spring when the ground is wet they do a real number as they tromp through my beds! They do browse as they go but I guess they eat on the run because (knock on wood) the damage isn't as bad as some people have.

That first daylily might be Primal Scream. I can't get in there to see if there's a tag in teh ground.

rusty_blackhaw, what a beautiful combo!

:)

Dee

Yes @rusty_blackhaw that is so nice those two together. (I take it that your ASK experiences lots of sun?)

Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’, Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'

I was a bit concerned about siting Aralia "Sun King" in nearly full sun, but it has flourished and shown excellent foliage color.

Right rusty. It has been my experience that it can take more sun that I had thought way back.

My Heuchera bed

These were all planted a little over a month ago and have doubled or more in size. Close-ups, clockwise from the top left.

Heuchera 'Lemon Love'

Heucherella 'Solar Eclipse'

Heuchera 'Caramel'

Heuchera Northern Exposure™ ‘Amber’

Heuchera 'Blondie' This has been blooming non-stop since it was planted.

Heuchera 'Red Lightning'

Thank you diggerdee zone 6 CT We all have a plant that does not seem to like our garden. Heleniums like moist soil but Moerheim Beauty less so. My nemesis used to be Joe Pye but then after trying a third time with the genus I had success with Gateway then Baby Joe and I will be adding Little Joe....go figure.

I can so relate to your deer issue! I spray every 2 weeks. The second last time I sprayed it was supposed to rain for the next five days (never did) and I was desperate to get the spraying done. My nozzle was acting up so instead of a mist coverage I was wiggling a stream back and forth and missed a bunch of Daylily and Hosta flowers. The deer ate most of the buds. I was so mad at myself. I despise deer!

Double River Wye

Marmalade

Voodoo Dancer

Delphinium 'Double Innocence' on its first full year.

@peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada Voodoo dancer is gorgeous.

I find that during daylily season, because the buds are expanding so fast that if I don't spray everyday, my plants are toast. That's what happened when I went down to the High Line. I didn't get home until 10 PM (I had dinner with my youngest) so I was tired. I figured I can skip one day, I sprayed yesterday. Huge mistake.

Truthfully, I am more worried about hitting one. The county park is two blocks away so deer are everywhere in my town.

Wow peren.all your daylilies are gorgeous! I love the double ones but strangely don't have any - not sure why I never got any but they always seem to be on my list!

I have a few more daylily pics to post - just deleted a beauty by mistake so I'll have to see if there are any blooms left on it. Although it's probably yet another name-forgotten pink or apricot lol. I seem to have a problem with pink and apricot, especially when it comes to roses and daylilies. They're like variegated hostas - I just can't have enough!

So, let's start with... an unknown pink haha!

Frans Hal

Unknown red - I thought Chicago Apache was in this spot but these are not Chicago Apache. Unfortunately I think I lost them. My phone camera is really lousy and just doesn't capture true colors. This is actually a lovely red (spoken by someone who really isn't a red fan!) but it looks neon here.

Scene Stealer - I divided and moved these in spring and there is not a lot of bloom this year. And the blooms are a bit odd-shaped for some reason. But I love the coral/apricot color of this one.

My helenium, such as it is. I think this is Mardi Gras. I've tried so many that I've lost but I think this is Mardi Gras. Paired with Frans Hal daylily which insists on looking the other way lol.

My first monarch sighing of the season. On an unknown hydrangea I got at a swap

a2zmom I love your heucheras. I've been toying with the idea of buying some for my daughter's new shade bed, but there are soooo many I'm a bit overwhelmed with the choices lol!

:)

Dee

@diggerdee zone 6 CT I bought ny Heucheras at Well Sweep. Since it was going at the end of my yellow and orange bed, I just bought any one they had that was amber or yellow.

I had tried coral bells in this area many time before but they never took. It's at the outer edge of my Japanese Red Maple and digging in among the tree roots was impossible. So this year, since it's a fairly small area (2' x 3') I dumped 6 inches of compost and planted straight in that. The results have been fantastic.

Your post @a2zmom_Z6_NJ showing your many wonderful heuchera got me thinking how few we have....I think only one but we like it lots as the foliage shows many different shades through the growing season (we have had it for many years).

RIO

This is some variety of anemone. For awhile I thought it was "September Charm" but it blooms to soon and the flowers arent pink enought.

@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) What a pretty heuchera! I really love how they brighten up a shady spot.

I keep meaning to try anemone. Is it a spreader?

Echinacea ‘Magnus’…pretty even with the bird poop.

‘Pretty Parasols’

Tea Roses

White culvers root…blooms much later than my purple one

Hostas

All the hydrangeas are starting to bloom. Love this time of the season!

@GardenHo_MI_Z5 Your rose is exactly what I think of when I hear the word rose. Perfect form.

a2z they really do have great form from bud to bloom. I found these at the grocery store never intending to plant them, then decided what the heck what gave I got to lose but maybe a few dollars? Surprisingly they survived the winter so I bought more the following year. I have since divided them and lined a new path with them. Now just waiting for them to fill out. They are tiny…but just so cute : )

@GardenHo_MI_Z5 that's a great story. I guess you never know where a gem will be found.

I have one rose which I moved a month ago. It was being shadowed by my ninebark so it had gotten very small. However, the roots were huge and it took me two hours to dig it out. It's very happy now and has already tripled in size although I doubt I'll get blooms this year.

classic combo - Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’, Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'

I am dutifully taking photos in the hope of being able to post any. The problem, it seems, is having an ancient chrome-book which no longer receives updates or security support. All pics are stored somewhere (in the freaking cloud whatever that is). So annoying - I managed to germinate a single stylophorum (lasiocarpum)...which looked a bit measly so I shoved it in an empty space and forgot about it. Moving pots around, I was astonished by a handsome clump of foliage and unexpected yellow poppies. By mid-July, my garden is often in the doldrums but I had a good seeding year and even splashed a bit of cash around so the garden (and allotment) are uncharacteristically lovely.

I am even more helpless with my phone - and can't seem to escape WiFi. I have moved files here, there and everywhere, only to get a curt 'Chrome is closed' message. Enraging.!

D-i-L comes for our weekly Friday night dinner...and is my only hope.

D-i-L comes for our weekly Friday night dinner...and is my only hope.

So hopefully just two more sleeps till we are able to view your pics @rosaprimula.

a2zmom_Z6_NJ thank you, it is a beauty isn't it! What are you spraying with that you need to spray every day? That is a real pain. I use Bobbex and only need to spray the Daylily buds as the stalks emerge. I spray most other plants every 2 weeks. Yes my DD has hit two deer. She was shaken but unhurt unlike the vehicles. The first time a friend was able to pull and bang out the damage but the second time the vehicle was a write off. So scary. A neighbour has hit 6! They are a huge issue here and I hope you never have to have the experience.

Thank you diggerdee zone 6 CT. I am sure you will get a double or two in the near future lol! Your Daylilies are lovely and I especially like apricot shades. I hope you can find the one you deleted.

A few more Daylilies

Destined to See

Blue Sheen

Highland Lord

El Desperado

Black Arrowhead

A few others.

Asclepias tuberosa

Asclepias incarnata 'Soulmate'

Platycodon 'Hakone Blue'

Astilbe 'Color Flash Lime'

Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

Lilium lancifolium

Ligularia 'The Rocket'. I am in the process of weeding and mulching.

Great pics @peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada. (I especially like Lucifer and Colour Flash Lime). (I assume you have been getting all the rain that we have gotten this month; if so you will be weeding all day eh?)

@peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada Normally I don't have to spray everyday (I use Deer Stopper - makes the plants smell like cinnamon) but the deer have been insane this year. They ate the tops of all my monarda leaving me with exactly one bloom. They are some of my salvia! Yesterday, they munched a small echinacea start, meanwhile the large echinacea in full bloom right next to it was left alone.

When my oldest first started driving, he hit a deer about a week after he got his license. Fortunately, he saw some deer on thje side of the road, so he immediately slowed down just in case, so he was going pretty slow but it was still terrifying. For the next month, when he drove in the neighborhood, he only drove at 10 miles an hour,. I'm sure the cars behind him were not happy.

Your Destined To See would look great in my blue-violet foundation planting. Sadly no more room there.

While a medium shot is great for getting a sense of the whole plant and a long shot gives you a sense of the whole garden, a close up is like a modern painting as it forces the eye to look at color and form in unexpected ways.

Salvia sylvestris 'May Night' (Meadow Sage), pink Salvia cross

Dahlia ‘Mystic Enchantment’, Platycodon grandiflorus ‘Sentimental Blue’ (Balloon Flower)

Weigela florida 'Sonic Bloom® Red', Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'

Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Blue Balloon' (Bluebeard shrub), Geranium 'Rozanne'

Thanks rouge. Yes thankfully we have been getting rain and at the right times! Perfect timing before and then after mulching. It is raining right now and I will be weeding. So nice after the dreadful drought we were experiencing. I hope you will try A. Color Flash Lime now that you have Lucifer.

Wow a2zmom it must be a fawn(s) eating the Monarda & Salvia. They are such little pigs and want to try everything. I have 2 fawns that I know about so we are in the same boat sorry to say. Your poor boy! That is not a good way to start off driving. It is terrifying for our kids and us as parents. You are so right about the closeups versus the long shots. It is difficult for me to get the longshots since the deer got most of the Daylily, Phlox and Hosta flowers grrr.

Pictures from yesterday.

Color echo - Geranium 'Patricia', Phlox paniculata 'Robert Poore'

Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) The photo doesn't do it justice. It really is the same color as a cardinal.

Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens)

Damn - Friday night dinner cancelled cos D-i-L not well. photo woes set to carry on for another week. Still taking them though (in hope).

Used to be so easy with my little Canon and a proper PC (instead of this Chromebook rubbish and 'clouds').

Now that is disappointing @rosaprimula :(.

Two Bobos

And one Splendide:

Blackberry lily/Iris domestica

’summer crush’ hydrangea

More Culvers root

@GardenHo_MI_Z5 love that lily.iris combo.

@rosaprimula if your email is gmail, google photos are awesome. I can easily create photo albums, my photos automatically upload from my phone to my chromebook amd it's easy to share with others.

Thanks a2z, I actually forgot about these. They are in a out of site/very neglected bed : / The Datura in the background persists in returning no matter how many times I’ve ripped it out….

This is an amazing thread, thanks all!

atozmom, yes, our peonies run late due to cooler summers and this year especially so! We have a number of peony farms where they are sold via mail for weddings.

A bartzella opened, a few more on the way

Overall I think I've got 2 dozen peonies, they are my 'shrubs' because moose eat the real shrubs like roses and lilacs .

My garden has sooo many self seeders and weeds, it's been hard to keep up with, so I have been feeling discouraged.. but after a few sunny days, things are seeming possible again.

@lat62 I will never get over the moose thing. But your peonies are gorgeous. And I have a list of weeds from a to z. (I could be a2zweed instead of mom honestly. Although nowadays, people would think it was a drug reference).

Lat62, now that's one gorgeous setting! :)

My peonies were nice, though especially so some of the seedlings having sprinkled themselves around, one in particular rather astounding that I liked it more than many named varieties I grow.

Pictures from yesterday

First Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sighting. This is a huge butterfly.

Hemerocallis 'Fire King' (Daylily) early in the day. accurate as to color. first bloom of the season

Brunnera macrophylla 'Alexander's Great' (Siberian Bugloss) Why it's blooming this time of year is a mystery

A2z that butterfly pic is beautiful! Frame worthy for sure.

Thanks @GardenHo_MI_Z5! My photo taking skills have definitely improved over the years It helps that my youngest took photography in school and has given me advice. I stand as close as possible (some insects are shyer than others), and then take photos with the zoom feature and then I take a lot of photos. I mean 20-30 even 40 if I think I haven't gotten what I want. And I'll stand there for a long time.

Last photos of July! A view of part of the garden that runs along the street, looking from the back.

Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium maculosum)

The middle right of the yellow and orange bed. The columbine was planted late this year so it didn't flower but the plants are humongous.

I was hoping my hibiscus would have opened in time for a July photo but alas, not quite ready.

So true a2z...it can take many pics to get one good one!

Here’s my last one for July after a good rain.

Looking out my back door…

@GardenHo_MI_Z5 What a delight retreat!

Love these biennials

Happy Days helianthus

Little Goldstar

Bobo Hydrangea

"Double Stuff" Polygonatum

Last photo for July! A long shot of the garden that borders my street.

The little balcony garden is still looking reasonably presentable, just a few casualties so far to root rot (Dahlia) and fungal wilts (petunias). My Lucifer is yet to bloom, possibly no show but there were some orange ones that have been blooming for a couple of weeks. Venosa violacea is doing it's thing.