A stroll through the summer garden

This season we decided to mix and match perennial and annuals to fill gaps in bloom cycles. It worked out well. Next season we will refine the selection and intensify the color palette and bloom density. Not bad for the first season though.

A very tall pink Phlox with backdrop of White Moth hydrangea.

This bed of bubble gum Petunias were eaten by a ground hog but recovered nicely. The Peppermint Schnapps hibiscus is starting bloom heavily.

This is the first year for Sparkle White Gaura and it did quite well. It prefers more sun that it receives here but I'm happy with the display this season. Pollinators seem to love it. There is a large Hyssop with purple spikes just behind it.

This was a surprise Glamini Charlotte Gladiolus bloom. I moved a big chunk of soil and the bulb came with it. I thought they died after last winter's record cold but it made it. Its surrounded by fern, Goldmound Spirea and the ever present Cleome in the back.

A nice mix of hardy hibiscus. We moved Kopper King (on left), Luna White and Peppermint Schnapps (you can't see from this angle) to this bed in March and they have done well. Next season should be quite showy.

Luna White Hibiscus with a pink petunia at its foot.

A huge Black Eyed Susan Marmalade (Rudbeckia hirta) bloom. The pink plant on the left is Pink Hypoestes phyllostachya.

This is a large bed of Oriental Lilium Josephine in the morning light. They have great color and fragrance. The orange hue you see it actually pollen stains from the rain.

This is a large Bright Eyes Phlox with a Mardi Gras Rose (lower left) looking on. This Phlox produces enormous bloom heads that are so heavy it must be staked. It was attacked by a ground hog just after this picture was taken.

The vivid color of Grenandine Phlox really stands out againt the green fern. There are also a few Spinner Phlox blooms in the background. I don't know how to photograph this plant without it glowing like this.

A freshly opened stalk of highly fragrant 'Conca d' Or' Orienpet Hybrid Lily.

One of my favorite flowers is the fluffy bloom of Filipendula rubra. It has been a very touchy plant but this year it performed beautifully. Its in front of an Annabelle hydrangea. 

There seems to be some confusion about this plant. We bought it as Cimicifuga. It appears to have several names: Bugbane, Snakeroot, Actaea rubifolia, Cimicifuga cordifolia, Cimicifuga racemosa var. cordifolia and Cimicifuga rubifolia. What ever it is, its flowers are interesting.

A perfect yellow Calla Lilly.

A sculptural white Calla Lilly with spotted leaves.

This is a odd flower cluster from an Asclepias tuberosa or Butterfly weed.

Richly colored purple Hosta flower spikes against leaves of Solomon's Seal (left) and Acanthus (right).

The colorful leaves of Coleus Kong Salmon Pink (who comes up with these names?) are better than the nondescript flowers. Very bold. Um, ignore those weeds in the background.

Russian Sage flowers with Phlox in the background.

A giant Cleome bloom with Canna Pretoria leaves behind it.

Purple Phlox blowing in the wind (a little blurry).

This is a hummingbird moth sipping nectar from a Jacob Cline Bee Balm.