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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – July 2022

After a very promising start to the growing season, the previously reliable rains have disappeared, making gardening a lot less enjoyable over the past month. Still, I know that many of you are enduring much worse drought, so I won’t whine about it further, I promise. Instead, let’s focus what is still looking ok despite the less-than-ideal growing conditions.

To mix things up a bit, I’m organizing the plants by color this time. I chose the photo above for the very first spot, because it didn’t fit well anywhere else due to the mix of colors. It was supposed to be Linaria ‘Plummy’, a blue-purple-flowered cross of L. purpurea and L. dalmatica from Plant World Seeds. The seeds produced a variety of colors, including pinks, purples, cream, and white, on plants that all look like L. purpurea. Though the results weren’t what I expected, I can’t say that I’m disappointed: the mix is very pretty, and the bumblebees certainly are enjoying the bountiful blooms.

Now, starting with the greens and creams…

Boehmeria tricuspis: its stems are red and its flowering spikes are pink, but the green leaves are perhaps its best feature
Love in a puff (Cardiospermum halicacabum)
Weld (Reseda luteola): a classic source of a natural yellow dye
Madder (Rubia tinctorum): another traditional dye plant, this one producing a rich red from the roots
A male false hemp (Datisca cannabina)
A female false hemp (Datisca cannabina)
Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis)
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria): one of my favorite fragrant flowers
Vine-leaved kitaibelia (Kitaibelia vitifolia): I thought I lost this perennial several years ago, but several clumps are flowering this year; go figure!
Wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)
Ragged fringed orchid (Platanthera lacera): I always feel lucky to find one of these in the meadow
Sanguisorba armena
Branched St Bernard’s Lily (Anthericum ramosum)
Wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens): an unnamed seedling
Variegated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Variegata’)
‘Cramers’ Plum’ love in a mist (Nigella damascena): the flowers are white, and the pods are a plummy purple
Woodland tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris)
Salt heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum)
Greater quaking grass (Briza maxima)
Prairie cinquefoil (Drymocallis arguta): isn’t that a charming flower?
Winged everlasting (Ammobium alatum)
Golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria): I expected the bright yellow blooms; the bright white ones were a nice bonus
Shaw’s albuca (Albuca shawii): Easy from seed, and easy to grow in a pot (overwinter indoors, letting the soil go dry)
Trailing snapdragon (Asarina procumbens): starting to bloom now from a spring sowing
‘Cramer’s Lemon Lime’ cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata): I don’t think I’d describe this one as either lemon or lime, but more like a lovely soft yellow
Giant scabious (Cephalaria gigantea): it’s indeed a giant!
Chinese climbing bleeding heart (Dactylicapnos torulosa): Just starting to flower now
European umbrella milkwort (Tolpis barbata)
Yellow fennel flower (Nigella orientalis)
Magic primrose (Oenothera glazioviana): summer evenings here would not be the same without this fascinating (and fragrant) flower
‘Keith’s Ailsa Gold’ tomato (Solanum lycopersicum): still holding its bright color despite the heat
Variegated Indian tobacco (Lobelia inflata ‘Variegata’)

‘Splash of Cream’ shoo-fly plant (Nicandra physalodes)
Pale-spiked lobelia (Lobelia spicata): ranges from pale blue to white
Downy skullcap (Scutellaria incana)
Japanese winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)
Blue tweedia (Oxypetalum caeruleum)
Fennel flower (Nigella sativa)
‘Miss Jekyll’ love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)
Blue thimble flower (Gilia capitata)
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
Spreading bellflower (Campanula patula): usually described as a biennial, but it is flowering the first year from a spring sowing
‘Double Purple’ devil’s trumpet (Datura metel)
Night-scented stock (Matthiola longipetala)
Clary sage (Salvia sclarea)
‘Purple Karma’ barley (Hordeum vulgare)
Korean burnet (Sanguisorba hakusanensis)
Field scabious (Knautia arvensis)
‘Hayefield Green’ flowering tobacco (Nicotiana mutabilis): instead of the usual white flowers that turn bright pink, this one starts yellow-green and turns a soft rosy pink
Musk mallow (Malva moschata)
White-leaf leather flower (Clematis glaucophylla)
Ruby chalice clarkia (Clarkia rubicunda)
This one has SO many names, I hardly know which one to pick. I started it from a very old pack of Thompson & Morgan seed labeled Viscaria oculata cardinalis and “ruby flax,” but I think it is currently known as Eudianthe coeli-rosa ‘Ruby Flax’. Whatever it is, it has been spectacular for weeks now.
‘Albe Red Variegated’ cotton (Gossypium herbaceum): it comes true from seed!!!!!! I still love the black-leaved ‘Nigrum’, but this one is quickly climbing my “new favorites” list.
Macedonian scabious (Knautia macedonica)
‘Purple Kisses’ Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota): several years of selecting for only the darkest flowers seems to be working
‘Blue Buddha’ castor bean (Ricinus communis): new for me this year; it’s supposed to have blue seedpods instead of the usual red. Can’t wait to see them!
Strawberry blite (Chenopodium capitatum)
‘Raspberry Wine’ beebalm (Monarda)
‘Hayefield Hot Pink’ globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa): a new strain I selected here
‘Cramer’s Burgundy’ cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata)
Red spider zinnia (Zinnia tenuifolia ‘Red Spider’)
Porcupine tomato (Solanum pyracanthos [or S. pyracanthon, or S. pyracanthum])
Horned poppy (Glaucum flavum var. aurantiacum)
‘Kees’ Orange’ African marigold (Tagetes erecta)
Rusty foxglove (Digitalis ferruginea)
‘Orange Flash’ pot marigold (Calendula officinalis)
‘Finest Mix’ painted tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata)

Not a bad showing for midsummer. Time will tell how things look here by next month: It may be equally colorful or mostly bleached green, crispy brown, and withered black. Here’s hoping for the former. May all of you who need rain get a good soaking (but not TOO much), and may those of you who are in need of sun have your world brightened soon. Thanks so much for visiting today!

Posted on by — 13 Comments

13 thoughts on “Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – July 2022”

  1. Sandy LeRoy

    Nan, organizing by color was a great idea!
    Thanks, Sandy. Something different, anyway. Hope you enjoy a beautiful day!
    -Nan

  2. Gabriella

    Oh this is lovely. The strains you’ve selected for the gomphrena and nicotiana are just beautiful. I need to get some of those Hayefield Green flowering tobacco for next year. Absolutely charming!

    Thanks, Gabriella. I’m really pleased with both finds, but the nicotiana really is lovely, with the sturdy plants and long, willowy stems of the species but the softer colors.
    -Nan

  3. Robert F Hughes Jr

    I love that Tomato Keith’s Ailisa Gold. Where can I get seeds?

    I will have them available by late August or early September.
    -Nan

  4. Steve St. Martin

    Great pictures! A pleasure to view them.

    Kind of you to say that, Steve. Thanks for visiting today!
    -Nan

  5. Rhonda

    Wow! Everything looks beautiful despite the lack of rain. I hope you post a photo because I’m also looking forward to seeing the blue seed pods on that castor bean.

    Oh, I sure will post a picture of them! This strain is behaving differently than other castor beans I have grown: much smaller seeds, and a much longer germination period, and the flowers are different too. I can’t wait to see the pods and hope they make lots of seeds. The plants are on the top of my must-water list.
    -Nan

  6. Lorraine Wallace

    Love the way you organized by color, Nan! Great post!

    Thanks, Lorraine! It was fun putting the post together that way.
    -Nan

  7. Esme Hedrick-Wong

    Always look forward to your Bloggers Bloom Day and continually amazed at your huge variety of plants! Truly inspiring. Wishing us all more rain! :)

    Hi Esme! I appreciate that. May you get rain too, very soon!
    -Nan

  8. Donna G

    In this hot season, the hot pinks are catching my eye! That Ruby strain of flax, your own gomphrena…so many to love! Thanks for bringing to our eyes some of the tiny beauties we don’t often see. Needing rain here too!

    There was a time that hot pinks would make me cringe, but I’m with you, Donna–they are really making me happy this year. Wishing some rain for you too!
    -Nan

  9. Joy S

    Love your wonderful pictures! You have an amazing garden and meadow and green thumb!

    Thanks so much, Joy. I hope you enjoyed a beautiful Bloom Day in your own garden!
    -Nan

  10. Marian Moody

    Nancy, I forward eagerly to your bloom day each month, and even take notes!

    Thank you, Marian–it’s neat to hear that!
    -Nan

  11. Kem Mirsky

    Beautiful — and phenomenal — as always!

    Thanks so much, Kem!
    -Nan

  12. Carol

    Every month you have some of the most unusual flowers I’ve ever seen.

    Thanks, Carol! You know I have lots of the old favorites, too, but I like to keep things interesting here with the oddities.
    -Nan

  13. Deborah Banks

    Gorgeous plants as always. Your Daucus carota ‘Purple Kisses’ is at the top of my seed wish list. I’ll try to watch for when it hits your seed list. Also loving the Calendula ‘Orange Flash’. (And so much more)

    ‘Purple Kisses’ is really getting my attention too! I can’t promise that all of the seedlings will produce that deep red color, but nearly all of mine did this year, and once again, I removed any that were white or pink as soon as their color showed. There are lots of seeds forming on the plants that are left. If you want, you could sign up for a back-in-stock notification on the seed’s listing page; that way, the site will automatically email you when I list the new harvest.
    -Nan

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