July Posies

Despite the sweltering heat, July is sure a pretty time for flowers.

These pretty snapdragons volunteered here, I assume from last year's pot. I said make yourself welcome!

The daylilies are blooming now. 

The grasses are getting pretty, and my hanging basket is filled out.

The zinnias have been my best bloomers! I am pleasantly surprised to say I love them.

I only have one coleus, but I sure love it.

The pin wheel verbena is gorgeous.

I was so worried about caterpillars eating my petunias to death again that I did verbena instead, but look what came up on their own?

 I'm not complaining! And even if the caterpillars to come back, I didn't pay for them.

The hostas are in bloom too. They are more subtle but so graceful.

Bloom Time

Everything is beginning to bloom!

The strawberries are starting to produce. If I remember right, I am not supposed the let them until they grow more vegetation, but I forget and then we find ruby red gems.

The green beans are flowering, which means we'll be eating them soon!

I had never really thought about it, but broccoli is the flower of the plant.

The cantaloupe is flowering, and I can't wait for some melons!

Outside the garden the colors are picking up too. The phlox is in full bloom. 

I have never seen my sedum bloom, which means it is happy where it is now!

The daylilies are in full flower production. The name is very literal... each lily is only good for one day.

My hosta sent up buds and will bloom this week.

And my lime green hydrangea is just about to burst. So exciting!

Planted Some Plants

We broke down and bought a few perennials and shrubs for our flowers beds! It became a family affair to plant them over the weekend. 

We bought everything pretty small (cheaper) and tried to give them room to fill in over time. One of my pet peeves it when people plant things way too close together--it may look good at first, but in a few years things get overgrown!

In the shade we added three laurels and three purple heuchera, and in the sun we planted grasses, salvia, daylilies, a mini Colorado blue spruce, phlox, rudebeckia, and a purple sand cherry.

We love these grasses! We want to go buy a bunch more and spread them throughout the landscape.

Oh, and I also got this lime green hydrangea! I absolutely love it and hope it adapts well to our soil... they prefer acidity, which we do not have in Utah!

It kind of looks like we're getting somewhere. I'll refrain from listing everything we still need to do to finish the yard...

Starts from Mom's Garden

We visited my mom over Memorial Day, and 'tis the season for iris! I love this time of year when the air is sweetly scented with Russian Olive blossoms and the iris and peonies are in their full glory. 

My mom has iris from my grandmothers on both sides. Now that I have a yard of my own hopefully I can keep this inheritance of beauty alive!

This variegated one is my favorite. It smells like grapes.

I took some of each color: white, periwinkle, dark purple, purple and yellow, purple and white, and two different shades of yellow.

I had a flash of genius and raided my mom's extensive collection of ribbon to tie around the rhizomes so I could remember what color they are when the blooms are done and gone.
  

For some tips on how to plant iris, check back here. 

I also took starts of some perennials and groundcovers. I love sweet woodruff (above) and have plenty of flower beds to let it spread in.

Another good spreader is dead nettle. I got some in yellow and pink. 

A little start of Mom's chives will be perfect in my herb garden. 

She also gave me a summer phlox (pink I think), sedum (far left), and a forget-me-not. Now I just need to find them a new home! 

Shade Garden Inspiration

You may remember that our new house faces north. I know I will love having a south facing back yard, but it poses some challenges for gardening in the front. The beds right up against the house get very little sunlight so I have been researching plants that grow in shade. I want lush foliage and color, not just puny plants that are hanging on for dear life, reaching for the rays. I need something that will really grow and flourish there.

I think most people have a shady spot in the garden, whether it's under the canopy of shade trees or in the shadow of the house or other structures. I hope I can give you some ideas to make those areas spectacular! Each of the selections listed does well in shade or part sun and prefers moist soil, and they are perennials unless I specify otherwise. I know I am going to be on the lookout for these beauties every chance I get!

Many of the following pictures are from the Better Homes and Gardens Plant Encyclopedia. It is a great online resource and might just save you from buying some garden books. The other pictures are from my archives at the Noni gardens.

No shade garden is complete without the queen of shade herself... hostas! I already planted one hosta in my shade bed, but I am on the lookout for more varieties like this variegated one above. In the summer many hostas send up tall, graceful shoots with purple flowers.

I also planted a few of these beautiful Bleeding Hearts. They are a must-have for me because they remind me of home. These only bloom for about a month in the spring, but the show is worth it! The foliage wilts in the heat and can be cut back to the ground.

Astilbe or False Spirea are show stoppers! Check out those vibrant plumes! I can't wait to get my hands on some of these.

Brunnera or False-Forget-Me-Not are so lacy and delicate. I love the periwinkle blue color. These are definitely one of my favorite.

Corydalis is an impressive hue for a shade perennial. I am not very familiar with this one but love the burst of yellow.

Hellebore is also known as the Christmas Rose. The flowers last all summer and are very hardy and supposedly easy to grow.

In the Noni shade gardens I was always enthralled by the color spectrum of Japanese Painted Fern, from their deep purple spines to green and silvery leaves. They also offer such interesting texture for a shade garden.

Monkshood spires are reminiscent of foxglove or delphinium. The purple flowers bloom in the late summer, making these perfect for a last splash of color.

Pulmonaria or Bethlehem Sage is a beautiful low-growing ground cover. I love the bi-color leaves and the flowers ranging from magenta to deep purple.

Lamium or dead nettle is also a ground-cover, with small spires of flowers that come in white or pink.

I have never seen this one personally but I love the showy flowers of Japanese Toad Lilies. They almost look like orchids they are so delicate and perfect.


If you still need a seasonal pop of color for your shade beds, here are some annual ideas.

Begonias are actually perennial tubers in warmer climates, but here in Utah they have to be planted annually. They come in many colors and single and double blooms.

One of my favorite summer annuals is Coleus. They have inconspicuous blooms but their foliage is gorgeous! They come in an impressive array of colors and varieties.



Last but not least, every shade garden should have impatiens. These are a great staple and also come in many colors ranging from red to pink to white.

Well folks, that's all for now... I'm off for a weekend of work outside!