ONE — It’s strawberry season here! We’ve been picking handfuls from our two beds of June bearers and day-neutral varieties for a couple of weeks, but yesterday I picked almost a basket full. Jam time.
TWO — A full-shade area along the gravel stairs that features dicentra and hellebores earlier in the year is now boasting healthy hostas. I’m never disappointed by these and really should make a point to include the foliage in bouquets.
THREE — And now on to more colorful beauties… The Garden by the Garage (for lack of a better name) features a large raised bed that is currently overflowing with blooms. Included are the very last peonies and anemones, bunches of dianthus grown from seed, a couple of new penstemon ‘Blackbird’. The last photo shows another new plant I’ve had success with, Sea Holly or Eryngium. Can’t wait for its spiky, purple flowers!
FOUR — Down in the other perennial beds, Campanula glomerata has begun opening this week. It grows in neat and tidy bunches, unlike it’s relative nearby, Campanula persificola, so known for it’s unruly and abundant, albeit gorgeous, bells.
FIVE — This is the time of year when the bees are happily a-buzz all over our two Anomala petiolaris or Climbing Hydrangeas at the entrance to the veggie garden. I took the last two photos yesterday when the bushes reached full bloom.
SIX — I’ll end with this rather sorry patch of corn, another test of sorts. ‘Yukon Chief’ may or may not produce ears fit for human consumption. I’m beginning to wonder why I even try to grow corn since our heat doesn’t begin building until about now. It certainly wasn’t knee high by the 4th of July, yet time will tell!
The Propagator hosts Six on Saturday. Beautiful gardens from around the world are just a click away via the links in his post’s comments.
Gardens at Coppertop 
My corn is about the same size. Last year I harvested what looked exactly like baby corn. Edible, but embarrassing to talk about. Good luck!
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Thank you. If we don’t eat it, the chickens will be overjoyed. 🙂
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Beautiful climbing hydrangea – I planted one this year but it has yet to flower.
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They are reliably lovely with that peeling bark all winter. Enjoy.
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Are the dicentra and the hellebores still in there under the hostas or did you dig them up? I do love dicentra but they disappear don’t they. Lovely blog
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Still in there! Six or seven plants are well hidden by the generous hostas but have made a return each year that we’ve lived here (4+).
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Peonies are enviable to those of us who do not grow them. I should try them eventually. I know that they ‘can’ grow here, but they are so variable. I had neighbors try and fail, and others who did very well without much effort.
I do not grow strawberries because I do not like them much, and also because I am near Watsonville, the Strawberry Capital of the World. We get more strawberries than we can use.
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Peonies can bring much joy with their fragrance alone. I hope you try some, Tony.
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It will not be any time soon, but I do intend to try some. One of the advantages of a mountainous region is that there are a few cooler spots scattered about.
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This year I used a peony hoop to hold up the campanula, but that’s because my peonies are finished. It is working well. I love the bells, too, but the stems were falling into the garden path. The penstemon cultivar is new to me. It looks like a raspberry color? Very pretty!
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The ‘Blackbird’ adds nice contrast –almost a zingy wine color. Smart idea with the campanula support. My persicifolia pop up among other plants so have built in support for the most part. Glomerata are stiff and steady.
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I do like the path with hostas near the steps. The nice weather prevented the slugs and the leaves are ( or seem to be ) without holes. Nice H petiolaris too, it gives the most beautiful effect to this arch.
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Thank you, Fred! The slugs don’t bother with the hostas, maybe because of all the nearby gravel, and I’m thankful for that!
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So much loveliness! Gorgeous color of penstemon and sweet William is so dear to my heart as it was one of the first flowers I learned at my grandpa’s knee.
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Well, that’s a beautiful memory, Eliza. Thank you!
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Mmmm those strawberries look scrumptious! The hydrangeas are so lovely and lush.
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Thank you, Jane! I’m a fan of both as well. Have a great week.
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Lovely strawberries! I have a few plants, enough to pick about six fruits a day at the moment if I get there before the slugs! Nice to enjoy while I look around the garden.
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So yummy, Jude!
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The last six I was reading (A. JoAnn) I commented on how many garden worthy plants you seem to have growing wild compared to us in the UK and there in your six is one native to here and growing in your garden there, Campanula glomerata. I have a growing sense of having done something seriously right with my corn this year though I wish I knew what it was. It’ll have been shoulder high on the fourth of July.
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Oh wow, that corn sounds just about perfect, Jim. Yes, I’m thankful for our many natives. How great to have C. glomerata as a native there.
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I’ve never seen a climbing hydrangea over an arch. Really love that effect.
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Thanks, Lora! The arch makes entering the veggie garden a nice transition. Right now it’s covered with bees doing their work.
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