1. Seed dahlia
This seed dahlia, grown from Floret seed, is my first and only dahlia to bloom this year. Luckily it is a pretty one. After successfully leaving tubers in the ground for multiple years (a risk in zone 6!) last winter took out my Sweet Love dahlias. I still have Otto's Thrill, but they need to be move to an area with more sun and haven't bloomed yet.
2. Blue sage
Blue sage (salvia azurea) is new to my garden, but I really like it so far. I winter-sowed it this year and it's already blooming, definitely a plus.
3. Aster
I just love the pop of blue these asters bring to the garden and the pollinators love them too. I think this is sky blue aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense) and it's definitely on the list of plants I want to grow more of next year.
4. Mistflower
This is my second year growing native mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) and it's quickly becoming a favorite. It's a great accent to many flowers in bloom this time of year, the critters leave it alone and it grows well in a range of conditions in my garden. It also grows easily from seed and blooms the first year. Prairie Moon Nursery, where I purchased the seed, warns that it can be aggressive. It has seeded around a little bit, but so far that hasn't been an issue in my garden.
5. Zinnias
While I'm missing dahlias this year, the zinnias fill a little bit of that hole and produce so many blooms.
6. White snakeroot
Speaking of aggressive, native white snakeroot is definitely a thug in my garden. But I haven't pulled this ginormous plant that self-seeded because it's filling a gap in a pretty shady spot and the pollinators like it. I pull out seedlings everywhere else constantly though, so I don't recommend this one if you don't want the maintenance.
That's my six for the week. Visit Garden Ruminations to see what else is in bloom in gardens around the world and share your own.
Many of my favorites here, too. :) How wonderful that you can leave Dahlia tubers in the ground! I don't think there's even a small chance they'd survive here in zone 5b. But I love them! Mistflower has two extremes in my garden: Not caged, it disappears nearly completely because the rabbits eat it. Caged, it fills every nook and cranny. I'm OK with that because it forms a kind of tall ground cover that blooms in the fall. But, I pull and cut it with abandon for floral bouquets. Your other samples are gorgeous favorites, too. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth! I definitely need to expand my mistflowers so I have some for bouquets too. They're just so pretty. I have to cage a lot of things from deer, but rabbits are the one critter I rarely see.
DeleteI'm definitely missing dahlias this year but I've had rotten luck buying tubers at stores after the first year - way too much gall. Leaving the dahlias is a risk here, but I'm not good about checking tubers after I pack them up. The Otto's Thrill are in a sheltered spot by the garage and lived. I think it's not so much cold, but wet cold that did the others in.
I have been considering blue mistflower and marked a couple locations where I see it at work so I can go back when the seeds are ready. The dahlia is stunning!
ReplyDeleteThey're really great plants! And bonus, according to Prairie Moon Nursery, they're a host for several moths.
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