June Blooms

A wave of flowers is beginning again after a bit of a lull following the peonies. Here's a sampling of what's blooming in mid-June this year:

Astilbe 'Visions in Red'

Astilbe - this one is 'Visions in Red'. It is the earliest of my three astilbes to bloom, and the most compact. I love the deep red color of the blooms!

Astrantia 'Roma'

 Also blooming in the shade are these astrantias (Masterwort), which are still quite small (planted bare root this spring). I love the delicate silvery-pink flowers, and the foliage is quite attractive as well. They are difficult to photograph - here's a close-up of the flowers:

Astrantia 'Roma'

Thalictrum ichangense 'Evening Star'

This diminutive thalictrum is delicate wonder in the shade. As you can see, it looks very unlike the more familiar tall thalictrums (which I also love) - this less common species from China is a tiny creature, with wonderful silver-veined leaves, red stems, and delicate starburst pink flowers. And, at least so far, the rabbits have not taken a single bite of it (something I can say about very few plants in my garden - my rabbits have very adventurous palates!). Behind it is Carex flaccosperma, which I think makes a good foliage companion.

Rose 'The Fairy'

My new little Fairy rose is blooming - the blooms are so cute! I picked this popular rose up on a whim at a garden center. It's a very ordinary plant, but no less valuable to gardeners who love easy, healthy, happy roses.

Tradescantia andersoniana 'Blue Stone'

The tradescantia (spiderwort) keeps pumping out blooms. The foliage is a bit "informal" (read: messy looking), but it blooms all summer and the overall effect is cheery. Sedum 'Angelina', spilling out over the rocks, is sending up its alien-wand flower spikes and will bloom soon.

Asiatic lily

This red Asiatic lily was a gift, so I unfortunately do not know its name. It has proved to be a trooper though, coming back strong this year despite repeated rabbit attacks. My LA hybrid lilies are just about to pop, and the Orientals have lots of buds. Hopefully it will be a good lily year!

Penstemon 'Riding Hood Blue'

These penstemons (Beardtongue) are another recent addition I made this June. I have totally failed to capture their wonderful airy blooms on camera properly - in real life they infuse this little corner with a silky blue-pink haze. I'm not sure how long-lived they will be (I don't normally go in for things with short life-spans...), but for now, they are proving satisfactory in this spot. As you can see, Geranium sanguineum var. striatum continues to bloom in the background. This will need shearing soon, after which it will grow new foliage and resume blooming from late summer into fall.

Visit Carol's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day to see what's blooming in gardens across the world on this day!