June 14, 2009

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - June 15

This pretty Lantana is called Bandana Rose, but since the yellow blossoms mature to a rose color I think a better name would be Banana Rose. This is my first time planting a Lantana with a mounding, upright growing habit and I'm liking it a lot, so far. It's in a container. The flowers are bigger and the leaves larger and a darker green than the trailing type I usually plant. I have some of the trailing, spreading type planted in the ground, yellow ones. They're not blooming enough for today's GBBD.

The Lupinus regalis 'Morello Cherry' (Lupine).....did I get that right this time? The tag describes the flower spike as being a dramatic cherry-red. I don't see that, but couldn't love it more and plan to plant others with it for next year. The foliage is lovely to look at long after the flowers are gone.

FINALLY, the Aquilegia 'Ruby Port' (Columbine) is blooming and the wait was worth it. She's so pretty and graceful for having only been in the garden for less than a year.

Every year at this time I get tricked into buying Fuchsia plants. I say tricked because they are so pretty at the garden center that I can't walk by without buying one or two. NEVER have I been able to keep them blooming. This year I've done more reading on how to care for them and found that they have a drinking problem, as in you can't water them too often. If you're interested you can visit Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas for more information. Here are the two pots of Fuchsias I'm trying to keep alive this summer.

Early last evening, Phillip walked around the yard with me to check things out and to see what was new. Even when he doesn't ask, I always tell him the names of the plants and he found the name of these Impatiens to be funny because I often remind him not to be impatient.

I enjoy sharing my blooms on this day, but what makes me happiest is visiting all the other great gardens out there. It's truly a pleasure to do that and I thank Carol at May Dreams Gardens for making it so easy to do.
This post is being put together on Sunday evening because tomorrow will be a busy day for me. But I'll make time to visit the gardens of my "regulars" and every GBBD I make a point of stopping by new gardening blogs to see what they have blooming.

24 comments:

  1. I put mine together yesterday, then added to it tonight, and now I'm up past my bedtime. I was able to link to Carol's already. She has Mr. Linky going.

    Lovely blooms! Phillip's comment on impatiens was cute.

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  2. Hee you, what are you doing up in the middle of the night putting comments on my blog? How sweet of you again were the words...Yes we've had a great day.

    I'll bett Philip will be a good gardner soon. Because by you talking about the plants even when he's not asking for things...they still sink in.
    And again I adore your plants. It must be a lot and lot of work talking to them....;-)

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  3. Sigh -- that Lupine is lovely. That Lantana is beautiful, I will have to look for that one.

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  4. PS I used to be a sucker for Fuschia too, but with our heat and humidity they're gone in about a week! Not only do they have a drinking problem, they're divas on top of all that.

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  5. Hi there Donna, What lovely plants you have! I am a fan of many of the Lantana, yours is one. I had one a few years back called Ann Marie...also pinks and yellows with a touch of red. Your Lupine is grand! I see many of your colors are in the pink family...I am mostly a purple gal, but do like a splash of pink here and there. I will be back again. Nice 'meeting' you.

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  6. I love the lantana and your fuchsias look great. The columbine is a really unusual one, I like all the petals. I'm always telling my kids the names of plants too. I think it's great for them and makes it a little more interesting.

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  7. Everything is beautiful, but I'm captivated by the columbine!

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  8. Donna, great flowers. How lovely it all looks!
    I am still kickin and digging too.

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  9. I can't decide if I like the lupine best or the columbine...both are wonderful! Everything in your garden looks very happy!

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  10. Hi...I think Banana Rose is a great name! Lantanas are the best and easiest plants to grow...they never let me down and the butterflies adore them, Donna, you always make me smile when you visit my blog and I want to thank you! I use to try to get my son interested in the garden, didn't work! He's a phd candidate working with invasives plants; so I know gardening Did influence him! gail

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  11. Your Fuchsia are gorgeous! Now....they are annuals in our area, right? I love how they look in hanging baskets as well...my mother in law gets at least one every summer. Phillip's thoughts about impatients is cute...kids see the world in such a neat way.

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  12. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment! My columbines bloomed in April, so we are ahead of you there. I would love to try lupines, but I've heard they are "difficult" in our Zone 7 area. I think it may get too hot and humid for them, although I think the long wet spring we've had this year might have been ideal. Lantana is an annual here, and yours is spectacular. I think I need to try it again. I enjoyed your flowers - thanks for sharing.

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  13. Sue - I didn't think gardeners had a bedtime, especially in the summer.

    Barefoot from Heaven - I've been talking nonstop to that child since the day he was born and find it amazing how much of it sticks with him.

    sweet bay - Because of our short growing season here in zone 4, it's all lovely in the month of June. Drinking and a diva personality is not a good combination:)

    Janet - Purple is one of my favorite colors in a garden but I don't seem to have much of it. Truth be known, I don't put much thought into color, but I probably should.

    gardenerprogress/Catherine - It's fun having the kids in the garden with you, isn't it? Well, at least most of the time.

    ArtCricket2 - Miss Columbine has been a welcome addition to all my plantings.

    Mindy - Good to hear from you. Keep on kickin' and diggin'.

    Leslie - I like my garden being described as happy looking. Thank you very much.

    Gail - Oh, my gosh...you must be so proud of your son and what interesting conversations the two of you must enjoy when you're together.

    Marissa's Flower Patch - The Fuchsia is an annual here in Zone 4. You gotta be made of strong stuff to survive the winter here, right?

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  14. Kim of Instrument of Grace - This is my first year to have a lupine and I only planted it this spring. I'm expecting it will get through the winter without a problem. Famous last words!

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  15. I saw a lot of pretty lantana while working at the nursery this year but the prettiest to me always had the word 'rose' in the name. I think lantanas have come a long way! Your lupine is outstanding. I don't think I can grow those here (except for the Lupinus texensis, aka Texas bluebonnets). :-)

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  16. Love that lupine. Why is it that I always go for the plants that won't grow in my area? The fuchsias are pretty, too. Around here, many people grow them in the winter and let them go dormant in the summer. Our heat seems to be too much for them, but the cooler temps of fall and winter are fine for them.

    Jan
    Always Growing

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  17. Hi Donna. Time is running away with me just now, so I'm not getting much time on the computer. But what a treat to snatch 5 minutes to read your blog and find all the treats that I have to catch up on.
    Your lupin looks so perfect - are you not bothered by aphids on them? They're a real scourge here for lupins (we spell it differently in the UK). And I laughed when I read about your fuchsia habit! I'm the same. In fact I have two flats of reduced price fuchsias sitting waiting to be planted just now - I just couldn't walk past them at the garden centre, and, well, they were reduced, and everyone knows how that appeals to a Scot.

    That is such a charming photo of Phillip - and you can tell how he feels about the photographer - there's so much in that smile!
    Got to go now, but I'm looking forward to getting back and catching up with your other posts.

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  18. Oh dear, I'm afraid I have the same fuchsia problem that you do! They're always so pretty, and I'm always sure that this time I'll be able to keep them alive...alas...

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  19. love your lantana. I have the same prob w/ fuchsias. I'll try watering them more, next time. thanks for your visits to my blog,a nd your kind comments!

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  20. Jean - One of the reasons I enjoy gardening blogs is to see photos and read about plants that don't grow here in Zone 4.

    Ana-Maria - All the way from Romania, how nice!

    Jan - I've learned a lot from reading your blog even though I can't grow most of your pretty plants here in the north.

    Dreamybee - Nice to know that I'm not alone with the Fuchsia problem.

    Muum - It's always a pleasure visiting your blog and you've sparked my interest in irises.

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  21. I love the "Ruby Port" one. Almost whimsical.

    Adorable picture of Phillip and he doesn't look impatient in the least.

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  22. Muy bellas.
    Te invito a mi blog.

    http://cruz-pedro.blogspot.com

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  23. Linda - What a lovely long comment from my favorite Scot. Okay...the only Scot I know, but still my favorite!

    Lindalou - Ruby Port turned out to be pretty nice even though I'm not always a fan of dark colored flowers.

    pedro a. cruz cruz - Yes, I'll be sure to visit your blog. Thank you for the invitation.

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  24. Hi Donna, I didn't do a GBBD for June, so of course, I didn't get around to others' blogs, either...but your June blooms are lovely! I don't know much about lantana other than I love it, and I don't think I've seen your variety. It's something I want to keep my eyes open for! Love your fuschia, too;-)

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