July Bloom Day

 

It's the 15th of the month which means it's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. July is when all my daylilies start blooming. My daylilies are all pass-along plants so I have no clue what their names are.

 

 This post was thrown together rather quickly because I have been cleaning up debris from a bad storm that moved through Ohio last week. Some of my flowers were flattened, but not the daylilies!

 I just didn't have time to get pictures of all of them.

 

 This is one of my favorites and it's especially beautiful after the rain which has been plentiful this year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny Todd Asiatic Lily

 

Lollipop Lily

 

Peony Poppy

 

 

 

 

Hydrangeas are starting to bloom.

 

Annabelle Hydrangea before last weeks storm......

 

And after.......Sigh:(

 

 Garden Phlox, Liatris or Blazing Star, and the Rudbeckia is just starting to bloom in the background.

Liatris is unusual in that it blooms from the top down which makes it a great cut flower, because as the old flowers on top begin to look spent, you can snip them off and the stalk will continue to bloom further down the stem.

Astilbe

 

Mimosa

 Yes...I know they are messy and invasive but this is the first year it's blooming since I planted it five years ago.  It was free and I'll enjoy it for a few years, and if or when it gets too bad we will get rid of it. The blooms are pretty and it's unusual to see a tree in bloom in July.

 

To see more gardens in bloom visit the link below. 

 

Linking to May Dreams Gardens.

Ten of my favorite Hosta's

Hosta's are an all time favorite perennial in the shade garden and I'm pretty passionate about them.
 Currently, I have around 60-65 varieties growing in my garden. That's not that many compared to what a lot of serious collectors have, but that number increases every year. Knowing the names is very important to me and I have about 5 or 6 noids (no id), but they are some of the older types that have been around for years so I might never know for sure what they are.
Because they are always coming out with new hostas, my favorites vary year to year. Frost damage, slugs, and whether the deer have feasted on them is a big factor too.

Hosta 'June' 

'June' is a medium sized hosta that is a favorite to many and is still number one in my garden. 'June' can look very different depending on how much sun or shade it receives. Mine is getting some late afternoon sun due to the loss of a shade tree, so it's a little less blue than I would like. Whatever it's appearance, every shade garden needs a 'June'

Hosta of the Year 2001

 Hosta 'Liberty'

This hosta is an absolute must have for hosta lovers! Mine has is only a year old but you can not help but stop in your tracks when you see a mature clump of Liberty! And it's slug resistant which is always a plus.

Hosta of the Year 2012

 Hosta 'Sagae'

Sagae is another garden showpiece. This lovely hosta has sage green leaves and cream margins and a nice upright shape.

Hosta of the year 2000.

Now the hosta's listed above are my top three favorite, the rest are a little harder to choose so they are not in any particular order.

Hosta 'Pauls Glory'

Another classic that should be in every hosta lovers garden. This 1999 Hosta of the Year is one you have to see in person to really appreciate and is truly an exceptional hosta.

Hosta 'Olive Bailey Langdon'

This is a new Wade and Gatton purchase this year but I'm already love the coloring on it.

This is what it looked like when I bought it.

Olive Bailey Langdon is supposed to be similar to 'Frances Williams' but less prone to spring burn.

Hosta  'Zounds'

Zounds really brightens up a dark spot in the shade garden but it is one of the slowest growing hosta I have. I just love the chartreuse color so it stays in my top 10 but it will probably lose it's spot next year with some of my newer, faster growing hostas of similar color.

Hosta 'Captain Kirk'

 I'm loving Captain Kirk this year. No problem with slugs on this one.

Hosta 'Deja Blu'

This pretty hosta supposedly gets a creamy lightning bolt between the chartreuse margin and the blue-green center. It hasn't shown up yet but when it does it becomes a very striking hosta.

Hosta 'Frosted Mouse Ears'

I have to include a mini in my top 10. Frosted Mouse ears is a sport of the very popular hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'. Very cute!

 Hosta 'Rainforest Sunrise'

It was hard to pick the last one but decided to include this hosta because it was chosen Hosta of the Year 2013.

This is also a new one from Wade and Gatton.  The foliage is nicely cupped and puckered and it's thick leaves makes it resistant to slugs.

If you love hosta's, what are some of your favorites?