June's Blooms!

Rhododendron bud

This time of year is so beautiful because everything is coming into bloom so fast. Some of the early spring flowers are still around and the late spring flowers have arrived to share their beauty with us.

This post will feature flowers that are currently blooming in the area of Oswego and Jefferson Counties and other counties in Central and Northern New York.

A lot of our flowering perennials only flower for a short time, but they usually leave us with some nice greenery throughout the rest of the growing season. Some spring perennials will die back completely (as described in the bleeding hearts information in one of my earlier March blog posts), but others will stay green until the fall. If it's a hot, dry summer some of the perennials will start getting crisp edges (like astilbes and ferns) and die back earlier than usual, but will return the following season.

Rhododendron in bloom

Iceland Poppy

Iceland Poppy (Papaver nudicaule). This spring I purchased the Iceland Poppy. It's a good thing I'm writing this blog post or otherwise I probably never would have looked up the care of this plant. As per Wikipedia, "the Iceland Poppy are hardy, but short-lived perennials, but are often grown as biennials. All parts of the plant are likely to be poisonous." I probably would have cut the seed pod off and discarded it if I didn't know that this plant was a biennial. I hope to propagate it because the flowers are very stunning with the yellow centers. I hope that these flowers aren't as invasive as the other orange poppies. Poppies prefer light, well-drained soil and full sun. This variety that I purchased has a flower that opens bright orange and then as the flower ages the petals turn to a salmon and/or pink color. (Not sure of the name of this variety - it might be Champagne Bubbles.) It also lasts longer in the garden or when cut for a flower display.

Buds on Iceland Poppies

Cranesbill Geranium

Cranesbill Geranium (Geranium macrorrihizum). This is a wild geranium in Europe, but we grow it here as a perennial. These plants form large clumps and spread by underground rhizomes (or runners). It is very low maintenance, and although the plants form large clumps they are great for filling in areas. They grow about 8 -10 inches tall and they produce clusters of bright pink flowers in the spring. After they flower, the plant will stay green until fall. They do great in the sun, but also perform well in the shade. If the clumps get too large they are easy enough to split up.The leaves have a musky scent that I don't particularly care for, but you only notice the pungent smell when you divide it up or tear off a leaf. And I don't think the deer care for it either which is a good thing. They probably don't like the smell either.

Cransbill Geranium growing with hostas

(Common) Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum Multiflorum). The Solomon's Seal are perennials that have flowers similar to the Lily-of-the-Valley (they are a relative of them) only taller. It can grow to about 35 inches high. They prefer light, moist soil in shade or sun. They are categorized in the Asparagaceae family, and you can see the resemblance to the asparagus in the photo below of the new shoots emerging in the spring.

Variegated Solomon's Seal coming up in ivy. They look like something out of a sci-fi movie.

Solomon's Seal

I like using it as a backdrop in certain areas of the garden. It has tall arching branches that will stay green throughout the season. The flowers only last a few weeks though. I have this plant growing in ivy and on the side of our house that doesn't get any sun at all and it does fine.

Flowers on Solomon's Seal

Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum).   Here is a perennial for you if you have a dry, sunny area with poor soil. We planted these in a rock garden that is exposed to the sun all day long. Because it is a raised bed it also has very good drainage. Snow-in-summer form a clump of silvery, grey foliage with white pretty daisy-like flowers in late spring/early summer. It does spread rather easily, but it's also another plant to easily keep under control with transplanting and dividing. It is a low-growing ground cover (grows to about 8 inches), and looks nice edging a garden. The photo below demonstrates it at the edge of a stone wall. After your Snow-in-Summer flowers, trim it back to a few inches to keep it neat looking. Another deer resistant plant.

Snow-in-Summer  blooming with Intermediate Bearded Iris

Clematis. I planted a Asao Clematis near a Viburnum Shasta (pictured below). The Viburnum Shasta spread out and the Clematis grabbed onto it forming a nice display of the two flowering plants. This was a great surprise because when I purchased the clematis I had no idea when it was going to bloom. Lucky for us it blooms at the same time the Viburnum Shasta is flowering.

Asao Clematis blooming on Viburnum Shasta 

Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) butterfly (males have blue and orange spots near the tail) on wild phlox

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul."

~Luther Burbank

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