“The original Greek meaning of the word anthology is a collection or gathering of flowers in bloom.” ~Jane Garmey
Every month, garden bloggers around the globe put together an anthology of their current blooms for what is called Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Carol@May Dreams Gardens hosts this meme where we gladly and proudly parade our blooms for all to see. This month is no exception as we are smack in the middle of summer here in Central New York.
And with all the rain and warm temps, my blooms are happily still blooming longer than usual. Even those that are fading make a beautiful statement in the garden or vase.
I have included a few collages so I could link in with Judith@Lavender Cottage. Judith is now hosting Mosaic Monday. And I am finally joining in with Brooke@Creative Country Mom for her Tuesday Garden Party where Brooke joins 5 other bloggers and shares the garden link love.
Echinaceas still continue to bloom. I will keep them up all winter as the birds love the seeds. Right now the pollinators, butterflies and hummers are partaking of these sweet native flowers. Of course I have a few cultivars. I especially love those in the Sky series and white cultivars.
The native rudbeckias are blooming everywhere. These beauties self seed and make gorgeous clumps for critters and gardeners to delight in.
I have many varieties growing in the meadow and gardens too.
Many roses are still blooming, but they did get a late start. I wonder if they will still be blooming in fall. I hope so.
My Phlox paniculata is not in big clumps this year but it has seeded around. I have some native pink and purple that are a delight.
This is the P. paniculata cultivar, “Junior Dance’ that grows to about two feet. The voles destroyed large clumps in the front garden, but I have some growing beautifully under my clethra bush.
And speaking of the Clethra alnifolia bush, it has finally bloomed. It is one of the highlights of the summer to see this bush covered in these incredibly sweet-smelling blooms. Also called Summersweet, this is cultivar ‘Ruby Spice’.
Only a small number of my native Liatris spicata bloomed this year. I hope the others come back, but I am happy to see those that did bloom.
And the sunflowers are just beginning to bloom. This is one of the volunteers in the mailbox garden.
I am also highlighting the wonderful foliage that is catching my eye now. I am linking in with Pam@Digging for her Foliage Follow Up on the 16th, and Christina@Creating my own garden of the Hesperides for her Garden Bloggers Foliage Day on the 22nd.
The basil is growing like mad. This Cinnamon basil.
Some of my common milkweed was pulled up prematurely, and it has grown back so I have new milkweed blooming. I love the sun lighting up the foliage.
These are the leaves of my new 4 ft American linden tree. I love the foliage and the seedheads after it flowers.
My native hardy hibiscus is just about to bloom, but the purple-red foliage of cultivar ‘Kopper King’ is the most stunning in the sun.
In A Vase On Monday
Cathy@Rambling in the Garden has a fun way to showcase your cut flowers called, In a Vase on Monday. I am participating as I use blooms from my garden. You can see a few of the blooms I used in the pictures above. I am also linking in with Today’s Flowers hosted by Denise@An English Girl Rambles.
You can see I had a few vases I wanted to fill, and I settled on two….the round and green vases. For the green vase, I wanted to feature this lovely gladiolus blooming, and knew it cried out for a vase with goldenrod, pink phlox, anise hyssop and purple Obedient plant.
And the blooming sunflowers needed to fill a vase too. I wanted to challenge myself with the round vase using only flowers and no added foliage. Everything rests on the goldenrod that is the base for this vase. Three ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers rise above the goldenrod with Queen Anne’s Lace, purple Obedient plant and purple Phlox paniculata ‘Laura‘ to add some subtle accents.
What lovely blooms are showing up in your garden now? What’s your favorite flower to display in a vase?
“To pick a flower is so much more satisfying than just observing it, or photographing it … So in later years, I have grown in my garden as many flowers as possible for children to pick.”
– Anne Scott-James
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Visit my new blog:
I want to thank all the wonderful people who have been visiting my new blog, Living From Happiness. It is a blog to celebrate life, lessons, change, challenges and creativity.
I post there every Thursday, and sometimes on Sunday with a creative post. In August I am participating in a photo challenge and posting some of my pics on Sundays.
I do hope you will join me there.
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Next up on the blog: Wednesday I will have another Garden Book Review post. I am delaying my midsummer veg garden report as it is sparse given the late start to my garden. And next Monday I’ll have another vase of flowers from my garden.
I am linking in with Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every Tuesday.
I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.
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