73 degrees! A short cool spell before July 4th heats up.

The Cityline Hydrangea series (Hydrangea macrophylla Paris Rapa) is a nice dwarf variety.  The color of Paris is so rich. Don't let them get dry. They need to be watered even in the shade.

Another shot of the giant Bright Eyes Phlox (Phlox paniculata). This phlox also has a couple of red Crocosmia in the mix. They make a good pairing.

White Chiffon Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a showy bloomer. The downside? Japanese beetles find them irresistible. This is one of the few that wasn't blemished with holes or beetle poop.

The Salmon Stargazer Lilies are starting to pop.  They are very fragrant and mature to a nice orange accent. The heat wave hurt them this season.

This is the first year we planted Orange Tiger Lilies. Not bad for a 1st try. They grew to about 4 feet and produced a few nice blooms.

The Castor Bean is a curios plant. The oil is known to everyone but did you know they make Ricin poison gas from this plant?  The leaves are large and striking and the seed pods can be quite large and colorful.  This is a small early bloomer.  In a month or so I'll post images of bight red pods at least a foot tall. Squirrels bury the seeds and they now sprout all over every spring.  You would think the winter would kill them but they survive.

An early Cleome. The heat has forced them to bloom earlier than normal.  They are also not as tall this season.