Summer continues (!), July 12, 2011.

[mechtild]

It's been another week of lovely warm weather, interspersed with drenching but not prolonged rain. Ah, heaven! The lilacs are completely done, but the roses are just coming out. Even the latest-blooming ones are now showing blooms. Woo hoo! They are small bushes, so much dies back every year in spite of being hardy to this growing zone (4), but they are very pretty, I think.

No big changes other than that. The Dutch and Siberian iris have finished. The yellow day lilies have peaked, but the tall yellow yarrow is opening, as well as the yellow evening primrose. In the sunniest white shasta daisies are just starting to blossom, but otherwise there is no new colour. When something red or orange or purple opens I'll photograph more. Right now, other than the scattered rose plants and pots of annuals, the only new flowers open are yellow.



As you can see, the lilac blossoms that covered the bushes beyond the wooden table and benches are all gone:





View of the patio border of roses, just coming into bloom:





The roses from the other direction:





In the foreground are two varietals of shrub roses hardy to this zone, "Rad-white" and deep red "Hope for Humanity". I have never tried this red rose before. I planted it at the end of May. I am really pleased with it!



Mechtild

Comments

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Oh how I wish I were from New Zealand! I spent two weeks there in April, on Red Carpet Tours LOTR tour, and even before I got home I wanted to go back again. If you are interested, all my posts with many many pics are tagged: http://belleferret.livejournal.com/tag/new%20zealand

I lived in Duluth for 4 years in the early 80s and well remember the weather there! *shivers at memories* I'm near Cleveland now.

[mechtild.livejournal.com]

"Shivers at the memories" indeed! Yes, it's horribly cold here in the winter, and the winter lasts and lasts and lasts. But summer, however brief, is very lovely. :)

You spent two weeks in New Zealand? Ooooh, lucky! I've never heard from anyone that didn't love it there, even want to move there. Thank you for the link!