GBBD: Better Late Than Never

It’s been pretty hot here lately in north central Utah and working out in the garden has been limited to before 9 AM and after 8 PM so I haven’t gotten much done. However, weeds are apparently loving this heat.

Sunday was blessedly overcast so I did manage to get a few photos.

The Hosta Piedmont Gold is blooming. I was totally surprised by this. They have been rumored to bloom but flowers are not a major selling point for Hosta in general. This one (left) was started in May 2007 as a transplant and has steadily increased in size, as a good little plant should.
By September it was looking pretty healthy. However, this spring I thought for certain I had lost it to the ravages of winter. But by May it was showing it was not giving up. And finally today, just two short months later, TA DA! Blooms!

Another Hosta, Golden Tiara, was planted at the same time in May 2007 and by July it had flowers too.





Campanula Glomerata. I started six of these in October 2007 and only five made it over winter.







Veronica Red Fox. Also started in October 2007, two out of three survived.






Clematis Jackmanii is one of my favorite flowers. By June it was full of dark blue flowers and it looked like it would go on forever, but now all the blooms are gone.




Raspberry Heritage is full and lush but with very few berries. Last year by this time we had picked a couple pints full.





Cosmos Sonata Mix are really blooming well. They seem to like this heat, and as long as I keep them deadheaded they just keep on giving.




Chrysanthemum Shasta Daisy Alaska is a surprise to me. I thought this plant would bloom later in the year, but I have already deadheaded it once and it is still going strong.




All of my Dianthus: Agatha (below), Desmond, Maiden Pink and Zing Rose (left) are looking a bit haggard. They were blooming like crazy one month ago and they will again once the weather cools off a bit.












Nepeta Walkers Low (left) and Salvia East Friesland (below) definitely need to be cut back. But the butterflies love them both so much I hate to do it.














Echinacea are very easy to please. Magnus, pictured here and Bravado (below) are living up to their reputation as a low-maintenance plant. I’m going to have to try some the newer more exotic varieties.












Geranium Clorinda has a nice shade of pink and an unexpected scent of cedar, of all things. This one loves the heat too.






Achillea (Yarrow) Coronation Gold. What can I say, this plant is very easy to grow and the butterflies love it.






Rudbeckia Goldstrum is about to open up.








Nasturtium Jewel Mix growing around my pumpkins and tomatoes.







Pumpkin Orange Smoothie. I love these big, beautiful blossoms. And here’s what becomes of those flowers after they fall away (below).

















Hollyhock Brilliant Miniature. This is my feeble attempt to grow something to cover up a 35 foot section of ugly-ass chain link fence. Am I asking too much of this little guy? I think so too. I envision lots of Clematis helping out here, if I can only get a handle on growing it.

Here is a better view of the offending fence. I think I'll also add some bulbs and more Hollyhocks. In about a month I’m going to start some peas to help fix some nitrogen here. For now though I have started Sunflower Teddy Bear just to till up the soil for me. Nothing but weeds has ever grown here previously.





Phlox Blue Paradise and Lavender Devon Camp.








Monarda Blue Stocking aka Bee Balm has bloomed into a wonderful flower. I haven’t seen the rush of bees this plant is supposed to attract but it looks good anyway.




Here’s a couple of plants that I don’t expect to see any flowers on but they look good just the same: Mugo Pine Slowmound (left) and Sedum (Stonecrop) Red Carpet (below).















Spirea Neon Flash









Primrose Fireworks









Lobelia Cascade of Color lives up to its name.









Verbena Quartz Mix









I have started almost all of my plants from very small transplants. Cheaper, yes, but I’m beginning to think this may not be the way to go. They are pretty small and I have lost quite a few of them because their root system did not develop well enough to survive winter. I bought most of them from mail order nurseries but I think that I am going to begin buying them from local garden centers. For three reasons.

One-I feel I should spend my money where I live, in order to help the local economy. Garden Centers don’t usually make much profit and I would like to do my part to help keep them around. It may sound selfish by there it is. Plus, I would like to do my part in discouraging long distance delivery of what can usually be purchased locally anyway.
Two-these plants are already acclimated to my climate and I see proof that they will grow here.
Three-I hate paying exorbitant postage rates. Occasionally, I can find deals with free postage but not always when I am ready to purchase.

I missed Garden Blogger Bloom Day on the 15th but maybe I will be forgiven.