Happy Fourth of July weekend!  It’s that time of the summer when we finally begin to take a step back from our full-speed-ahead mode of May and June.  Just when Gail, Sean (our intern this summer) and I are completely exhausted from all the moving, planting, digging, planning and weeding, the gardens come into full glorious color.  All that hard work is paying off in the form of  the tangerine-hued avens (Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’) flowers  floating above the intense blue of lobelia (Lobelia erinus ‘Regatta Marine Blue’) in the North Garden.  Echinacea purpurea ‘Supreme Cantaloupe’ in the North Garden and Echinacea purpurea ‘Supreme Flamingo’ in the Rose Garden are both showing off big time this week.  I take heart knowing that those sturdy Echinaceas will be blooming for weeks even as the heat of summer intensifies.  Not only that, but the Rose Garden is stunning right now.  All of the lavender-flowered plants are coming into their own, providing a foil for the roses (and soon dahlias) that always seem to shout for our attention. The supporting cast is made up of floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum ‘Red Sea’), purple cedros island verbena (Verbena lilacina ‘De la Mina’) , and trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis ‘Trailing Lavender’).

There’s much more to say as the gardens are really starting to burst out in color.  So many of my favorite flowers are competing with one another to be the most beautiful.  Since I could go on and on, I’ll save you from reading my love letter to the gardens and allow you to see some of it for yourself.  Please enjoy!  And be sure to come by in person to see and smell the flowers.  It is our pleasure to grow these plants and we are so happy we can share them with you.

Echinacea ‘Supreme Cantaloupe’

Lobelia erinus ‘Regatta Marine Blue’

Clematis integrifolia ‘Rooguchi’

Ageratum houstonianum ‘Red Sea’

Echinacea ‘Supreme Flamingo’

What are your favorite flowers to grow? Are you trying any new varieties this year? As always, happy planting and have a Happy Fourth!