Despite the many negatives of the “isolation period” the positive is that for the first time ever, I am here to see each and every “first bloom” of the season! Usually I’m traveling, attending conferences, speaking at symposiums, going on Garden Writers’ trips and events, Herb Society of America conferences or just visiting our far-flung families. So I was here to see the very first sunflower of the season open today. It was a busy day, because the first sweet peas opened as well.
Often, I return to find blooms fading but this year I witnessed the first of the blue alliums to open.
This wasn’t the first daylily of the season to open, but it’s the first “Picket Fences” bloom, over 10″ across and one of my favorites, even though it does lean toward pinkish maroon.
Just as the “May Queen” shastas are finishing, the “Snow Lady” comes to take their place.
There are such wide variations with Rudbeckia “Chim Chimnee” but I love them all. This is the first one to bloom this year (it’s second year) with its very narrow petals in a rusty, coppery color. The yellows and all the combinations will be opening very soon.
So, that’s the six flowers that opened today. It’s mid-June, and the roster grows by leaps and bounds daily, and I’m actually here to witness it!!! If you’d like to see more Six on Saturdays, visit The Propagator, the host of this meme.
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Holy Moly! First sunflowers and first sweet peas on the same day. I might faint. Still awaiting both here, but enjoying yours, Carolee.
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A first for me…never had both this early (although I keep forgetting it IS past the middle of June already!) but I loved the look the sunflowers gave the potager last year, so I’m trying to extend the season by multiple plantings this year. We’ll see how it all works out.
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Green is the predominant color of my woodland gardens, but yellow is right around the corner.
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I’ve been recording several firsts. Yesterday was the first daylily bud to open — well, it cracked open, not fully opened yet. Still waiting for those newly planted dahlias to crack through the top soil; they do take several weeks, so I should just settle down until mid-July, eh? Vegetables are beginning to bloom, however. Hot weather next week should really boost them along.
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I love sweet peas but have never managed to grow them here. I haven’t time or energy to coax reluctant plants so I do without them. I do have other scented plants to enjoy so all is not lost.
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I’ve never done well with sweet peas before, except those little bowl-type called “Cupid” which have little scent. But a friend grows them beautifully, and I am determined to learn to do it! I think the key is far more watering than I’ve done in past, and I started them early in toilet paper rolls so they had good deep roots. Already thinking that next year I may grow purple and white…these are definitely too pink for me.
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Maybe I should persevere too!
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Oh Rudbeckia is one of my favorites, how lovely that you got to see all of your blooms!
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Those sweetpeas are gorgeous!
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Yes, finally some with stems long enough for picking!
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That blue allium is a beauty. I never have much luck growing sunflowers – they usually end up getting eaten!
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Lovely day lillies. My Martagon lilies have made it to flower this year. Ravaged by beetles last year.
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I love daylilies, too. So very reliable. Our Freak Freeze killed the tops of nearly all my Asiatic lilies, so few blooms there, but I think they will come back next year. The Oriental lilies look ok and are packed with buds, but the daylilies are just beginning to explode in color! Hope you don’t have a beetle problem this year. We had such a mild winter, all the bugs thrived and multiplied…..
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