White David Phlox and pink Rosalind Phlox, along with Purple Coneflowers and a few roses make for a pretty view in July from the screened-in back porch.
The Purple Coneflowers have spread through the years to form this very large patch. I’m ok with that because they look lovely in summer and the goldfinches eat the seeds later in the season.
I added this annual Colorblaze Kingswood Torch Coleus in front of the Coneflowers this year and I really like the combination.
Here is the same section of the garden, but a little different view and before the Phlox were in full bloom.
The white David Phlox is a proven reliable performer every year and rarely shows any signs of powdery mildew. The Rosalind Phlox really took off this year and was a nice contrast to the white. Butterflies seem to like the Phlox, especially the white David.
Again, that same section of the garden, but seen from the other side. Here you can see the white daisies that are behind the roses. Unfortunately, the roses often grow so tall now that they hide the daisies unless you take a walk to this side. You also see a yellow annual and a bright, lime green coleus.
The yellow annual is Million Gold Melampodium and the bright, lime green coleus is Colorblaze Lime Time. I have really enjoyed this combination all summer long. I plant Melampodiums every year, but this is the first time I have paired it with this coleus.
A closer view of the Shasta Daisies.
The other half of the flower garden is partially obscured from view when sitting on the back porch due to the dense climbing Hydrangea on the arbor, but you get a sneak peak of some white Hydrangeas and Black Eyed Susans.
The two white Hydrangeas have really grown the past couple of years.
The Black Eyed Susans have been plagued by something the past couple of years which makes the leaves look pretty bad, but they still flower beautifully.
I wish I knew what variety of Hydrangea this was. I inherited this from the previous owner. I really love it.
Here you see a bit of the Raspberry Wine Monarda and more white David Phlox.
A closer view of the white David Phlox in this part of the flower garden, along with the Purple Coneflowers, Raspberry Wine Monarda, and a blue-flowered ground cover called Plumbago (Ceratostigma Plumbaginoides).
The Raspberry Wine Monarda with the Purple Coneflowers in the background.
I took some photos from the back of the garden this year. It is a perspective that very few people see other than myself and my statue, Winnie.
I am starting to think that I might need a chair or bench back here because I find the view quite lovely.
The gravel path that leads to Winnie goes off to one side and changes to a mulched path with stepping stones that have bees on them. I finished this path just a year or two ago and the stepping stones were a happy find at a local nursery.
The flower garden as seen from the kitchen garden in the back of the yard. This is a favorite spot of mine and there is a garden bench near here that I often sit on while taking a break from weeding.
Another perspective as seen from the kitchen garden, but of the other side of the yard. This side was on overgrown mess just a few years ago.
The shade-loving plants that I planted under the tree have done well, but are mostly spring bloomers. The hostas had actually been buried under the overgrown mess and now are happy to be uncovered.
Back towards the other end of the flower garden, the Cascade Hops were taking over the shed. We ran several lines of string from garden staples in the ground to the top of the shed and they took off like crazy.
The area that I call the secret garden, which is by the greenhouse, has always been a difficult gardening area. There is a Hydrangea here that is finally blooming, after many, many years of waiting. My favorite thing about this section is the moss that grows on the ground. It gets very little sun here and moisture sits without drying out after rains, which makes for great moss conditions.
Speaking of moist conditions, just on the other side of the garden gate from the secret garden is a path where I had several mushrooms growing this July. It is the first time I have seen this many.
The flower garden is a bee haven in July, between the Raspberry Wine Monarda and the Purple Coneflowers. The Monarda is also a hummingbird magnet, but I can’t seem to get a photo of those fast little birds.
I tend to get quite a few Tiger Swallowtail butterflies every year and this year was no exception. Parsley is a host plant for these butterflies and I always plant parsley, so that could be part of the reason.
It has taken about 10 years to get the flower garden to where it is today. It took a lot of hard work, but it is still always a work in progress. My two cats, Molly and Izzy, seem to appreciate the garden just as much as I do. They love looking for birds, butterflies, and the neighbor’s cats.
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