It has been ages since I have participated in Garden Blogger's Bloom Day and this is my first time to do it after moving to Washington. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers across the country take photos of what is blooming in their garden.
We just endured yet another heat wave and dry spell (boo! hiss!) but today there is a long, slow rain (or drizzle rather) and the temperatures are much cooler. Thank goodness. I have planted a ton of stuff, including some large trees, and I was beginning to get worried. Since our yard (I won't call it a garden yet) is virtually shade-free, the sun is pretty harsh out here. It rises in the sky at an odd angle and it always seems to be in your face no matter what time of day it is. A few days ago, I spent the entire day planting and ended up with a sunburn. I was wearing a tank top so I have, what Michael calls, a "redneck tan". But I digress...
Most of the blooms in the garden are from newly purchased plants that already had blooms or were very close to blooming. We are having fun watching how fast the plants grow here! A small clematis that I planted a few weeks ago seems to grow at least 6 inches per day. It is wonderful and amazing.
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| An Abutilon megapotamicum 'Variegatum' (Flowering Maple) that I bought at a local greenhouse. |
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| Another abutilon that we bought at the Vancouver Farmer's Market. It is called "Red Dragon". |
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| Kousa dogwood 'Wolf's Eyes' |
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| Delphinium |
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| Heliotrope |
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| Honeysuckle (Lonicera americana) |
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| Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruticosa) |
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| Orchid Primrose (Primula vialii) |
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| A wisteria that was already planted on the fence leading to the back garden. |
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| Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus), one of the first trees I planted. |
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| Smoke Tree 'Royal Purple' (Cotinus) |
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| The first rose I planted, 'Lady of Shallot', just beginning to open. |
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| Rose 'Ketchup and Mustard' |
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| Rose 'Gold Medal' |
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| This beautiful rhododendron was already here on the west side of our house. There are no windows on that side so our neighbor gets the most benefit from it. |
Check out other blogger's bloom day posts at
May Dreams Gardens.
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
