July in the Northern Hemisphere 2020

[Andre Schuiteman]

1. Daboecia cantabrica 'Pinky Perky'. A cultivar with upright instead of hanging bells.

2. Hydrangea caerulea. This strange herbaceous woodlander is better known as Deinanthe caerulea.

3. Centaurea orientalis. An easy plant for a sunny border.

4. Hypericum reptans. A good ground cover for a not too dry, fairly sunny spot. Although it spreads fast and wide, the stems rarely strike root, so that it is easily kept in check. Unfortunately, the relatively large flowers tend to hide among the foliage and individually they don't last more than a day or two.

[Leena]

Deinanthe caerulea is one of my favourites, it flowers here usually in August.

June was hot and dry and now in July the weather is different. Rain almost every day and temperatures much cooler (and nicer to me and plants).  Geranium sanguineum in the first picture, and Geranium pratense in the second, both are grown from seeds, and they didn't mind the dry weather.
In the third picture there are Astrantia (major possibly), which is now seeding all over the place. Twenty years ago I tried to grow it several times from bought seeds with no success at all. Then I bought some plants and now I should remember to cut the flower heads in time to prevent more seedlings. It germinates so well from fresh seeds.

[Roma]

It's surprising what appears when you scatter used seed and potting compost in the garden.  I thought it could be Lychnis coronaria alba which I do have in the garden but it looked rather small so left it to see if it was a dwarf form but it turned out to be something quite unexpected.

Silene hookeri ssp. bolanderi

[Rick R.]

Silene hookeri ssp. bolanderi - what a nice surprise!

Deinanthe caerulea is blooming about a week early this season, and one if its better years for me.
 





The hybrid, 'Blue Wonder' will bloom in another week or so (and it is even less blue!).

[cohan]

Nice things, everyone!
Leena-- some Geraniums going here too.. what is behind the pratensis?
Roma-- nice surprise! I recently showed a mystery Silene that showed up here, but I haven't hunted for  a name yet..

[Leena]

Deinanthe caerulea is blooming about a week early this season, and one if its better years for me.
The hybrid, 'Blue Wonder' will bloom in another week or so (and it is even less blue!).

That is a very blue Deinanthe, so pretty. Mine is 'Blue Wonder' I think, and it is not as blue.
Here it is in the background on the right.
This is my only Dactylorhiza. I bought it five years ago and it flowers well, but hasn't increased, and I have tried to sow it's seeds but have not gotten seedlings at all. I so wish to have more of these, but I don't know how to sow it to get seedlings. One year I took soil from under the mother plant to a pot, and sowed the seeds there - no luck. Any advise how to get seedlings?

[Leena]

Leena-- some Geraniums going here too.. what is behind the pratensis?

Thanks cohan. The dark pink Geranium in the back is 'Patricia', a hybrid of G.psilostemon. I like it very much, it flowers always so well and for quite a long time. It is a very big plant, about size of a peony!

Here is another Geranium I like, it is G.gracile. It loves to grow in moist soil and though it's flowers are small, there are a lot of them and also for quite a long time. It grows in shade among ferns, Paeonia obovata, Rodgersias and Aruncus dioicus.

[Gabriela]

Deinanthe caerulea is blooming about a week early this season, and one if its better years for me.

The hybrid, 'Blue Wonder' will bloom in another week or so (and it is even less blue!).

Stunning pictures with Deinanthe Rick!
It is just about to flower here, at his proper time. Other species flowered earlier this summer but Deinanthe kept its pace.
I always wondered about the 'Blue Wonder' I saw it once in flower and the choice of name it's a mystery to me, unless to stimulate people to buy it.

[Gabriela]

The dark colored Astrantia is very attractive Leena; I like the pink one as well. It is a species missing in my garden somehow, although it combines beautifully with many species.

We got a much needed, unexpected rain so I'm free of the watering duties this evening. The weather in ON it is unbelievable hot this year; it started to warm up fast in May and hasn't stopped since.
Deschampsia cespitosa means July, and vice-versa


From the category: tall and handsome - Delphinium fissum

And the similar Delphinium albiflorum (syn. D. fissum ssp. albiflorum)

From the shady side Spigelia marilandica

[Carolyn]

Very nice delphiniums, Gabriela. I must look out for D. fissum, I have never grown it before. Do the slugs like it?

[ashley]

I like that delphinium too Gabriela, and have never come across Spigelia marilandica before

... Do the slugs like it?

Do such plants exist Carolyn    
Unfortunately 'my' slugs don't observe any obvious dietary restrictions.

[Andre Schuiteman]

Unfortunately 'my' slugs don't observe any obvious dietary restrictions.

Mine definitely have a preference for the rarest things. I must have gourmet slugs.

Joking apart, it probably makes some sense, in that rare plants are on average less easy to please in cultivation. I have often noticed that plants that are struggling to survive tend to be attacked more by pests, from aphids to slugs.

[ashley]

... I have often noticed that plants that are struggling to survive tend to be attacked more by pests, from aphids to slugs.

True.  Sometimes I plant among young 'weeds' to act as decoys or cover until my plants manage to establish themselves.

[Leena]

From the shady side Spigelia marilandica

That is a plant I have never seen before, it looks very nice.  Also Delphinium fissum is a new one for me.

[Andre Schuiteman]

This is my only Dactylorhiza. I bought it five years ago and it flowers well, but hasn't increased, and I have tried to sow it's seeds but have not gotten seedlings at all. I so wish to have more of these, but I don't know how to sow it to get seedlings. One year I took soil from under the mother plant to a pot, and sowed the seeds there - no luck. Any advise how to get seedlings?

I have seen Dactylorhiza seedlings popping up in unexpected places: in pots with lilies, in mossy sand used for cuttings, in the middle of a Saxifraga cinerea in a through, etc. The best advice I can give is to sprinkle the seed in various places that are not too shady, never dry out completely, and are not disturbed once you have sown the seeds. Seedlings are easily moved once they have a decent-sized leaf, which is usually after two years.