Garden Bloggers’ Blooms Day: the Unmentioned

July, particularly in a dry summer, can see the garden begin to look a little tired but it doesn’t seem to be like that this year and although the roses are undergoing a temporary lull the addition of a range of annuals has certainly made a difference. For this month’s Garden Bloggers Blooms Day, the meme hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens, I am going to focus on blooms that have barely been mentioned this year if it all – no reason for them to be overshadowed by a few starry blooms!

The contrast of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and Inula magnifica (above) is a real summer highlight, quite literally, whilst the latter’s shorter but equally vibrant cousin I hookeri is not yet in full bloom, seen below with buds of Lilium ‘Purple Eye’ which will be fully open by the end of the day. Nearby is Alstroemeria ‘Indian Chief’ which has been delighting me with its success for a quiet a few weeks already.

‘Ruby Eclipse’ is not the only sunflower doing well at the moment and there are a few plants of ‘Earth Walker’ which are taller and darker than those that occupied a vase on Monday:

The yellow and white ‘Twinny’ antirrhinums are not as pretty as the pink ones that were in the vase the week before:

Delighting me this year are the poppies that have suddenly been popping up and which have sometimes been allowed to stay. I nearly missed the purple one on the right as the plant had been yanked out of the special snowdrop border as it was clearly not going to be white – fortunately I snipped the buds off and popped them into a little pot otherwise I wouldn’t have known what I was missing!

Definitely in the right place as they are so happy are Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, perennial sweet pea and an unnamed white Aconitum, the latter which I am admiring from even further away after Chloris‘ reference to a recent death linked to this potentially deadly plant:

In the cutting beds clary sage ‘Oxford Blue’ is a definite ‘must’ for next year and despite a poor showing and insignificant flowers for Nigella ‘Delft Blue’ last year, the rest of the packet has brought bigger and far better blooms this year with amazing centres:

All the clematis have done well this year, but flowering nicely now are ‘Fond Memories’, ‘Prince George’ and floriferous ‘Etoile Violette’:

Also looking promising is Clematis heraclefolia ‘New Love’, an upright non-clinging variety, bought after seeing C heraclefolia ‘Wyevale’ at Powis Castle last year and encouraging me to buy further of this type. Also in this picture are some tall red antirrhinum, grown from seed last year but not flowering till this season, Centaurea ‘Black Ball’ and a glimpse of sunflower ‘Topolino’

And finally, very rarely shown even though they are the first thing I see when I come home and the last thing I see when I go out, are the hanging baskets at the front of the house which have been brilliant this year and have now been flowering for two months with 3 shades of petunia, some trailing lobelia (somewhere in there) and whatever the trailing foliage is (can never remember). Same every year, but not at all boring when they are as gorgeous as this – just need to keep on top of watering and deadheading!

So those are just some of the July bloomers – definitely worth a ramble or two each day to inspect and admire. Thanks to Carol for hosting the meme and providing a platform to show off our blooms every month.