In late June and early July, there is the first wave of flowering perennials, mostly a variety of tall geraniums, Campanula lactiflora, Dracocephalum sibiricum (the back bone of the garden) in different shade of blue. The salvias Amethyst and Midnight blue also begin to bloom. A few splashes of bright orange trollius compliment the over riding theme of the blues. In mid July, an explosion of Lauren grape poppies come into flower shifting the palette of the garden up a notch along with the warmer temperatures. Drumstick alliums quickly follow along with the almost black flower of the landenii Lilies. The orange accents are replaced by red accents of the shrub Calcanthus Aphrodite, Persicaria Fats Domino, and Crocosmia Lucifer. The geraniums set seed and require a lot of cutting back and eventually I just cut them to the ground.
At this time of year, I start taking lots of notes about plants to move in the fall or new plants ideas to add some height to the boarder. I‘ve decided to take out some of the tall geraniums because they are self seeding all over the garden crowding out many smaller plants. I am thinking of adding some little blue stem grasses at the front of the boarder and for height adding some different blue panicums, like Dallas blues and Panicum Shenandoah. Last winter, was hard on plants and I lost many well established perennials including Nepeta six hills giant, salvias, geranium dragon’s heart and some native monarda fistulosa. The garden is never static and I find it’s important to keep adjusting the planting to strike the right balance. Here’s a few photos showing the shifting palette of the garden from early July to late.
Late June, early July boarder. Mostly blue flowering perennials.
Kalemeris, trollius, goats beard and geraniums.
Lauren’s grape poppy comes into flower
Salvia amethyst and Lauren’s grape poppy
Knautia macedonia begin to flower
Landinii Lilies
Acanthus spinosus
Rooting for Ideas 
Your garden is a wonder, and the culmination of so much loving thought and attention and close observation and care over many years! Always exciting to see where you will go next, but it’s sure to be onward and upward!
Thank you Deirdre. It is obsessive but that’s just another word for passion.
You need not see what someone is doing
to know if it is his vocation,
you have only to watch his eyes:
a cook mixing a sauce, a surgeon
making a primary incision,
a clerk completing a bill of lading,
wear the same rapt expression,
forgetting themselves in a function.
How beautiful it is,
that eye-on-the-object look.
To ignore the appetitive goddesses,
to desert the formidable shrines
of Rhea, Aphrodite, Demeter, Diana,
to pray insted to St Phocas,
St Barbara, San Saturnino,
or whoever one’s patron is.
that one may be worthy of their mystery,
what a prodigious step to have taken.
There should be monuments, there should be odes,
to the nameless heroes who took it first,
to the first flaker of flints
who forgot his dinner,
the first collector of sea-shells
to remain celibate.
Where should we be but for them?
that one may be worthy of their mystery,
what a prodigious step to have taken.
There should be monuments, there should be odes,
to the nameless heroes who took it first,
to the first flaker of flints
who forgot his dinner,
the first collector of sea-shells
to remain celibate.
Where should we be but for them?
Feral still, un-housetrained, still
wandering through forests without
a consonant to our names,
slaves of Dame Kind, lacking
all notion of a city . . .
“Sext” W.H. Auden
Never get tired of looking at your beautiful garden!!
Thanks Carla. That means a lot to me.
Breathtaking! I’m in awe of your work, but not at all surprised by the talent! I can see the love and passion you have to create such a splendid garden. I have always admired your artistic touch! Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
Your cousin,
Robin
Thank you Robin, So nice to hear from you. Love, Don
Beautiful. Let me know if you ever want to present to the garden club again. Pam
Hi Pam, I will keep that in mind. Still lots of new things planned for the garden. Best, Don