Garden Blogger's Bloom Day June 2013

Welcome to another GBBD!  Join Hostess Carol of May Dreams Gardens and gardeners from around the world for What's Blooming Now.  Lots of flowers are blooming now, but the eye candy of my June garden would have to be the roses.  First to bloom for me nearly every year is the thornless climber, Zephirine Drouhin Bourbon rose-

We had a very dry April, which is not typical, then lots of rain in May, and ZD was unaffected, but another climber reacted by the unopened outer petals becoming glued onto the inner ones so they couldn't open.  So sorry, Reve d'Or Noisette or Tea rose-

Crepuscule, meaning sunset or twilight in French, didn't have that problem either and is gloriously in bloom.

Fading to pink, like lots of roses-

The deep red of Dublin Bay is even more impressive when I see how long the individual roses last on the plant.  The blackened edges result from rain damage.

Champney's Pink Cluster is very exuberant on a trellis, but does get blowzy rather fast.  My red honeysuckle has grown up through her to the top, I hope the hummingbirds are happy but I haven't seen any yet.

Ghislaine de Feligonde is a Hybrid Musk or Rambler, a very tough rose that is surviving on my bank, and slowly getting bigger.

The sensational large apricot blooms of Apricot Nectar never fail to impress, here a little washed out-

Better color photo-

Hybrid Musks can keep blooming most of the summer.  Felicia took a long time to get bigger, but now is blooming well-

Cornelia has fuller rich pink flowers, on the left, Felicia has faded on the right-

Many people will grow other once-blooming flowers but shy away from the once-blooming Old Garden Roses (OGRs) but they are truly spectacular when they are in bloom.   My one with the most presence is Madame Hardy, unfortunately people keep running our trailer into her supports and she fell down and can't get up, but is magnificent anyways-

Some OGR's have incredibly full flowers that open flat, such as the Gallicas.  Something I enjoy about them that could be a nuisance is that they don't just sit there, they sucker, so if you want a rose that can really fill in, these will.  The suckers are easy to dig and move around to other areas, too.

Here is a vase containing from bottom Right going clockwise, white blush Leda Damask rose; Belle de Crecy Gallica; Tuscany Superb Gallica; Baronne Prevost Hybrid Perpetual- perhaps the most highly fragrant rose I grow; Excellenz von Schubert early blooming Polyantha- small flowers in abundant clusters, they started much earlier so have peaked-

Rosa Mundi is a variegated sport of the Apothecary Rose, used medicinally in Medieval times.  I have made salve with the roses, comfrey, and Rosemary, which has a delightful rose scent and is quite healing.

To see more photos of my variegated roses, including some mini's, click here.

Finally, a few ground cover roses.  One that spreads well and blooms profusely is Sea Foam-

A full flat pink, The Faun-

A blazing red, Red Ribbons-

And Lavender Dream-

Clematis Candy Cane-

Clematis 'Venosa Violacea'-

And Clematis 'Niobe', earliest to bloom-

Spring is nearly over, I will be sad when the days start getting shorter again, but the fruits and vegetables will be getting ripe, at least.  Love those long days....

-Hannah