Since I keep looking out and wishing there was something blue & tall to look at I recently planted some Magic Fountain Delphinium nearby. I've had to stake them since the heavy rain just knocked them over. I also planted some of my reliable peachleaf bellflowers for more blue next year.
Here is the Dianthus 'King of Blacks'. I first saw these last year in the perennial bed at the garden centre. The just barely opened buds were jet black, as the flowers opened and matured they turned a dark red colour. My plant seems to have skipped the black stage. Maybe it's just the first bloom and the others will be darker. I really hope so!
At least Unique is cooperating, since her bed mates aren't! Looking lovelier every day. No hues of pink yet, but I keep checking...
Our single Dwarf Sunflower has opened. So happy & charming! I will collect the seeds and plant again next summer.
Here is the latest bed, with Little Lamb Hydrangeas, phlox, poppies, purple coneflowers, dwarf irises and a spot for the pink peony I'm going to move this fall. 
Have a look at this Obedient Plant. I generally have trouble growing them, but this monster is well over 4 ft tall (they are usually 18-24 inches). Notice the little pink arrow towards the bottom left? It is pointing at another obedient plant of the same variety, purchased at the same time 3 or 4 years ago. Both were relocated to this spot last summer to get a little more sun. Pretty odd, isn't it?
Oh, and I completely forgot about my 1 year blogaversary on August 5th, time really does fly! A big thank you to those who stop by to visit, I truly appreciate it and have had so much fun seeing your beautiful gardens.
Rebecca, Happy belated blogiversary! I feel your pain about the Meconopsis; let's hope it's just in a "sleeping" or "creeping" phase and will commence "leaping" next year or the year after. -Jean
ReplyDeleteSo many nice things happening in your garden, but I know it's hard to forget the missing in action - suspect Jean may be right and they'll have a rebirth next spring!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking great. It is very gratifying to see your hydrangeas looking so vibrant. My seemed to be really taking off just before we left for holidays so I am hoping I don't miss the best of them while I am gone. :)
(Just had to pop into some fav gardening blogs during a quiet time!)
Happy 1st blogaversary! I had mine some time ago, also forgot about it.
ReplyDeleteToo bad that your Meconopsis seeds didn't germinate. I find that most of perennials have difficulty with seed germination, so I always rather buy a plant. I hope it flowers soon!
Hi Jean, Thanks for your message! I do hope it LEAPS next year.
ReplyDeleteHi Cyndy, Welcome! I'm not usually a glass is half empty kind of gal, but these plants have me a little blue ;).
Hi Ms S, thanks for stopping by, even on holiday! I'm flattered! Can't wait to see your hydrangeas when you get back. :)
Hi vrtlarica, I hope so too!
I was told it takes a few years for a Himalayan Blue Poppy to produce flowers. I planted mine two years ago, but sadly it didn't make it through this last winter. I plan on picking up another and try trying again!
ReplyDeleteA belated happy blogoversary! The year does fly by doesn't it? I've never tried growing Meconopsis, so don't have any helpful tips I'm afraid. I do love your sunflower though, and am waiting for our dwarf sunflowers to bloom, but we've been somewhat lacking sun lately, so they're being a bit slow.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me started on blue poppies. The most casual of gardeners can grow them with ease in my state. Me? Not so much. My neighbor had a plant with about forty blossoms nearly five feet tall. Me? Mine are a squatty two feet. About 5 blooms in five years. I'm ready to rip them out!
ReplyDeleteHope you have better luck.
Christine in Alaska
I have never grown blue poppies, but understand that while most poppies are easy to grow, blue poppies are quite challenging. Hopefully yours will co-operate soon and favor you with flowers soon. At least there are lots of other pretty things in bloom in your garden make up for the lack of blue poppies. Congrats on the one year anniversary!
ReplyDeleteWow, Rebecca, I can't believe a year already. Happy belated Blogaversary.
ReplyDeleteHope that your meconopsis flower next year for you.
Hello Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry about your blue poppies. Sometimes it seems like some seeds will never germinate no matter what we do to coax them out while others sprout even when we don't want them to.
Happy Blogaversary. Here's to another a great year!
Love your obedient plant. It's really pretty! I have a pink one that I just planted this year. It is getting ready to bloom. Sorry about the blue poppies. That's disappointing. Your garden is looking nice, though, Rebecca.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Beth
Rebecca girl Happy Anniversary !!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry i haven't been by sooner .. things around here are stressful with my injury and missing out on my garden for 3 weeks now .. kind of makes me INSANE or , more than usual ? haha
Hey I have been there with the poppy thing .. I did get it to flower but never over winter here .. so I just had to let that whole thing GO !
Never mind girl .. there are so many other beautiful plants and your garden will smile at you : )
Joy
Hi Laura, Thanks for the information. I highly doubt it will return next year, but I'll be sure to look for it in the spring!
ReplyDeleteHi CVF, The year did go by incredibly fast! Thanks for your message. I hope you get some sun soon. :)
Hi Christine, thanks for your message. There are plants that really seem to thumb their noses at us! So much worse when they'll grow for non gardeners.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for stopping by and for the blogoversary wishes. I know the blue poppies can be quite finicky, I was just hoping they would be happy here.
Hi Deborah, thanks for the wishes, I hope to have pics of blue poppies for you one day.
Hi Noelle, it's true about plants/seeds. Sometimes, there's only so much we can do.
Hi Beth, thanks for stopping by! I've seen pics of the pink obedient plant and it's beautiful.
Hi Joy, I hear you about being behind in blogland! I'm not sure where the time is going but it's flying by these days. Once the kidlets are back in school things should return to 'norma;' or at least my version of it. I will pick a much easier plant for my next obsession, maybe something like a dandelion! LOL!
Hope your meconopsis are doing well this year, ours are blooming early with the balmy weather :)
ReplyDelete