Six on Saturday - September 12

 

It's beginning to feel like fall and I just managed to take some photos in the garden before a downpour started. I know a lot of people have been starved of rain this year, but here it's been mostly the opposite. At least the ground has had a chance to dry out a bit for the last few weeks after some serious flooding in the area. I do enjoy not having to hand water though.

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.

Six on Saturday: July 11

We had a much-needed break from the 90s this week. Even temps in the mid- to high-80s with lower humidity felt comfortable compared to the high 90s with 80-90% humidity. But alas, all good things must end and the 90s are coming back next week, although thankfully it's not forecast to last as long.

We also received nearly a half-inch of rain yesterday and the garden really benefitted from getting a drink.

My gladioli started blooming this week. I love them, but so do the deer. Seeing other Six on Saturday participants sharing their gladioli last week prompted me to spray them with deterrent so I get to enjoy the blooms. It's also lucky I took this photo before yesterday's rain, because I didn't remember to stake them and they're looking a little worse for the wear today.

The first (and only so far) zinnia also bloomed this week. Zinnias are a must-have plant for me and I can't wait for more to start blooming.

The butterfly delphinium (Delphinum grandiflorum) are having a good year and I enjoy their brilliant blue color. They also look striking with this Firefly Fuchsia yarrow.

I'm not sure which mallow this is, but it cracked me up to see it for sale at the garden center for a pretty penny when it just pops up in my garden.

The wild petunia (ruellia humilis) also started blooming. I have to cage it to protect it from the deer, a common theme in this garden, no?

This balloon flower is one of the oldest plants in my garden. There used to be two, but only this one has survived. It was looking pretty desperate last year, but has enjoyed all the rain we've gotten this year.

That's my six for this week, visit Garden Ruminations to visit more gardens from around the globe.

Six on Saturday: July 4 edition

The pollinators love the coneflowers, including this red admiral butterfly

It's our sixth day in a row in the 90s, but today's high is a relatively cool 90 compared to the 97 with a heat index of 105 we've had for the past two days. I've done little in the garden besides run out to water pots and a few newly planted flowers. Luckily we've had plenty of rain so far and it rained on Sunday before the heat hit so for the most part the garden hasn't faired too badly. More seasonal temps in the 80s are forecast for the next week.

First up is my current favorite in the garden. The breadseed poppies have been blooming for a few weeks and I love seeing the variety that blooms from an heirloom seed mix I purchased a few years ago.

Here is just a sample of the variety of poppy colors and forms. I get a lot of joy from seeing what is new each day.

The beebalm and shasta daisies in the front bed are always buzzing with bees.

The firefly fuchsia yarrow started blooming this week and I love the pop of bright color it brings and how it fades to various shades of pinks as it ages.

I'm always pleased and amazed that this L.A. Dreamin' hydrangea survived another winter in the unheated garage and transformed from a sickly looking pile of sticks to being full of blooms.

For several years I avoided yellow flowers in the garden because they don't fit my standard color scheme, but then I grew some rudbeckia and how can you not love these sunny, happy blooms? Unfortunately the deer love them too, so I have to cage them.

And last but not least, the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) is in bloom. This native has so many positives: pollinators love it, deer don't and it has a lovely long bloom time.

That's my six for the week. Visit Garden Ruminations to see what else is in bloom in gardens around the world.

Six on Saturday: Early May

Spring is such a lovely time in the garden. Everything is lush and green, and unlike much of the U.S., we're getting plenty of rain as of late. There are new surprises nearly every day.

One such surprise was this native phlox pilosa. I grew it from seed, one of just two plants I managed to grow from a whole pack. This is the first year it bloomed and I had to look it up on the plant ID app to remind myself what it is.

My bearded iris are also in bloom. These were all gifts from a neighbor and are so gorgeous.

The alliums are in bloom everywhere in my garden. They've become so prolific that I think it's time to thin them, which is not a problem I often have.

I'm also pleased to see this Miss Kim Korean lilac starting to bloom. This is one of the first plants I ever purchased for my garden (for just $5 back in the day!) and it had grown too tall and leggy because I've not pruned it often. I rectified that situation last year with a severe haircut and I'm pleased to see it bouncing back nicely. This is a good self-reminder not to be afraid to prune!

These happy looking columbine are popping up and blooming around the garden. Tough to get a good photo of them though as the blooms face the ground!

That's my six for the week. Visit Garden Ruminations to see what else is in bloom in gardens around the world.

March Bloom Day: The Garden Awakens

The garden is finally beginning to wake up after a very cold, snowy winter. Not only did it snow quite a bit, but the snow stuck around for weeks, which is rare for central Ohio.

Then it warmed up, followed by a week of solid rain, then a windstorm last Friday that knocked out power for a few hundred thousand people statewide. Not all of them have power restored yet. I feel we've been quite lucky not to have suffered any damage in the storms and to have only lost power for about an hour.

Hopefully the garden fared as well. We had weeks of brutally cold temps, so I'm hoping all of the plants made it.

I also realized I've never done a Garden Blogger's Bloom Day post in March, so since there are a few blooms, this will be a first.

First to bloom were the snowdrops. Between the heavy snow pack, which was quickly followed by temps in the 60s and 70s, these didn't last real long. But they are a welcome sign of spring.

Next are the crocus. The vast majority of crocuses I have are this purple color, but there are a few gold ones around that I inherited from the previous owners.

And just this week the earliest daffodils started blooming, which are some of my favorite flowers. The fact that the deer don't bother them is a bonus. I fear they too won't last long since we're set to drop from 73F today to 19F early Tuesday morning. Such is spring in Ohio.

That's it for what's blooming in my zone 6b garden this month, visit May Dreams Gardens to see what's in bloom elsewhere.