Petal profusion

I've decided that the third week in June is the absolute loveliest in my upstate New York garden.  The sheer variety of shapes and colors is nothing short of inspiring.  It's the time of year that every gardener strives for, and every corner of the yard is chock full of nature's magnificent bounty.

Of course planning your garden space for continuous blooming from early spring through late autumn is vital for optimal enjoyment, but so many plants burst into blossom in late June...you don't want to miss out on the profusion!

I've listed my five favorite late-June bloomers because they never fail to satisfy.  The following plants produce year after year, reliable as clockwork, and lovely as a debutant at her first ball.

Daylily (Hemerocallis):  Pictured above, this lovely beauty's name is derived from two Greek words: "beauty," and "day," since each bloom lasts only one day.  It's the height of tragedy that something so divine is so fleeting, but philosophers tell us this is a metaphor for life, right?  Enjoy the perfection of each bloom as it emerges because it will bask in sunshine and human attention for a mere twenty-four hours (twelve, really...how many of us sit amid our blooms in the middle of the night?).  Fortunately each stalk has numerous buds, so the daylilies actually bloom for a number of weeks, well into July.  New cultivars will flower again and again.  Look for these versions for maximum flowering potential.  Good ones: 'Stella de Oro,' 'Barbara Mitchell,' and 'Dragon's Eye.'   

What makes this plant perfect for any Northeast garden?  The reasons are a varied as the rainbow of colors the plant is available in:  drought-tolerant, needs only average soil, suffers few pest and disease ailments, and can bloom in even part-sun conditions (though not as profusely as in full sun).  Daylilies grow anywhere from a foot (check out 'Happy Endings') to the orange-blossomed, six-foot staples you see naturalized along highways.  Study cultivars before coming up with a planting plan.

Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica):  The sweetspire's fragrant white tassels are not only attractive to bees, butterflies and humans, but add flourish without competing with the many other blooms in an area.  Another plus: this is actually a flowering shrub, so long after the flowers fade, you've got a lovely plant with dark green foliage.  I like the 'Henry's Garnett' cultivar because it turns crimson in fall.  What makes it especially good is that it tolerates drier soils (though prefers moist areas), grows well in areas that have filtered shade or full sun, and is a U.S. native so will adapt to your garden with ease.  I have it growing right along my pond's edge (below, right).

Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii): Available in shades of purest white to deep purple, I was able to find one in stunning fuchsia.  Sadly, I can't remember where I got it, but I'm so very glad I did.  Its deep green foliage and magenta blooms provide such a contrast to the orange flowers of the nearby daylilies (also pictured above) that it makes me smile each time I see the pairing.  When I was a humble horticultural student, a professor asked the class to design a flower garden utilizing two hues that we didn't think meshed.  The colors I shoes were orange and pink.  What I discovered then--and marvel at now--is what a dynamic duo orange and pink can be.  A more significant lesson:  When it comes to flowering plants, there are no bad color combinations.

The butterfly bush is particularly good in any garden because it blooms from early summer to frost, drawing hordes of its namesake beauties to its nectar-rich flowers all season long.  It prefers a sunny spot, so put it in a place that gets at least six hours of sun a day.  Other than that, it's not too finicky, requiring only average soil and moderate maintenance.  I planted mine next to my little dock with a bright red bench on it to draw the butterflies pond-side.

I especially enjoy the way the bright green foliage and pink blooms are offset by the maroon foliage of the ninebark behind the butterfly bush (right).  Planting these together was not by design, but a happy accident. 

Trumpet vine (Campsis):  As is the case with the butterfly bush I just touted, some consider trumpet vine a weed.  Hey one man's trash is another man's treasure, right?  I'll gladly invite these "weeds" to reside in my yard for as long as they like.  In fact, I let my trumpet vine meander its way through my garden just to see where it goes.  Not that I don't have to keep an eye on it.  Left unchecked, this vine can choke out other plants.  Fortunately it never takes offense to a harsh pruning.  I've been known to cut mine back to mere inches from the ground.

Of course, it's more fun to watch it misbehave in places, like under my second-story guestroom window (pictured below).  Thinking I'd trained it to adhere to the pergola we'd set up, it set its sights upward--and blazed a new path right along the asphalt shingles above the arbor!

Once established, trumpet vine requires absolutely no attention, and garners plenty of praise from visitors.  It may, in fact, be the most-noticed of all the plants in my garden spaces.  If you like a challenge, and don't always have to be in control, give this free-spirited vine a whirl.

Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla):  To me, this plant is the fairest of them all.  It blooms pink or blue, depending on the acidity of the soil (blue in acidic conditions, pink in alkaline soil), and never fails to make my garden visitors smile.  Although it first blossoms in late June, the flowers remain all season long, and can be easily clipped for dried arrangements and wreathes.  It truly is a floral gift that keeps on giving.


Nestled among naturalized buttercups, native smilacina, and potted annuals in my back yard, I revel in the pristine blue hues and sheer abundance of buds.  Hydrangeas give part-shade gardens lasting pizazz with absolutely no effort on the gardener's part.  A word to the wise: wrap plants in burlap in winter to protect them from harsh temperatures.  Bitterly cold winters freeze the buds right off the stems.  As you can see from the photo, right, the extra effort paid off.  My hydrangea has more blooms this season than ever before!