Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2014

I realize I am a few days early - Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is on Sunday - but I have a very busy weekend coming up so I thought I'd post early rather than late.

Well, it's a typical June after all in my garden. After months of snow and horrid cold, it got warmer and warmer and all of a sudden my garden is lush and green and loaded with colour. Yay!!

My peonies are blooming and look stunning.

The pale pink shrub rose is in full bloom

The dainty deep purple Siberian Iris has appeared in numerous places around the yard

I have several lovely yellow bearded iris that have fought off borer year after year

Ladies Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) is fresh with wide serrated leaves and bright chartreuse flowers

Yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata) popped up out of nowhere!

Gleaming screaming RED POPPIES!!

The weigela bush suffered quite a bit of die back so I pruned it back harder than usual - is that why I am being treated to such a mass of fuchsia flowers???

The Himalayan cinquefoil (Potentilla atrosnaguinea) has only two scarlet blooms but at least it hasn't died out. It's been around ever since I started this garden 27 years ago…...

I am so happy that my spring garden bounced back from a harsh winter and can provide me and my gardening friends with such a lush, wonderful show now in mid-June.

Please check my food blog for a delicious tart Chocolate Apricot Torte.

Top Perennials Part 3 (of many)

The next two flowers I'd like to present constitute good "fillers". Neither one is exceptional by itself but within a border, they both add an interesting element and blend well with the showy ones.

Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata) is a tall plant, growing 2-3 feet tall. Its flowers grow in elegant flowering spikes. It's great in a perennial border or beside a water feature.
It is in no way related to Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria, an invasive plant that everyone attempted to eradicate in the 90's.

I have 2 areas where Yellow Loosestrife has spread nicely. Above you see it with red Serviceberries but I also like it with the annual bright red Maltese Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica)

Yellow Loosestrife is best left in the border. I have tried cutting it for bouquets but is short lived, lasting only a day or two.

Ladies Mantle Alchemilla mollis is more chartreuse than yellow. Its flowers are quite insignificant but the plant grows into huge large mounds (2 - 2 1/2') with wonderful fuzzy cupped leaves that hold water droplets after a rain.

It blends will into foreground or background and makes plants beside it look fabulous.

If you have never tried either of these plants, please do. I hope you won't be disappointed. Both are very low maintenance and tolerated last summer's heat and drought very well.