Red Astilbe
Posted on by Yael Ben-Ari

Summer Has Arrived At Last

Summer has arrived at last.  While half of the country has been sweltering and my own sister suffered through the freak Washington DC derecho storm that knocked out her power for two days in the midst, we have had rain and lower than average

Summer weather usually starts here after July 4th and here it is, on schedule, with mid 80s temperatures and sun, sun, sun.  My garden has oddly given me some flowers blooming later than usual and some blooming earlier than usual.  In my post July 4th summer garden, here are some of the things I have blooming and growing.  I think I will show you mostly my reds, since it is heating up here (at least for us)

First Fruit Set On Tomatoes
First Fruit Set On Tomatoes
OK, so the first one is not red.  I am very happy that my tomatoes are beginning to set fruit.  This is quite a bit earlier than last year.  It’s also a mosaic for the Mosaic Monday blog party.
Red Astilbe
Red Astilbe
My Red Astilbe has just started blooming.  My other astilbe are thinking about blooming snd I hope soon.  The others I have are mauve, white and purplish.
Red Campanula
Red Campanula
I.love my Red Campanula.  They start blooming quite awhile after my blue and pink ones.  This last week they began.
Red Fuschia With Yellow Foliage
Red Fuschia With Yellow Foliage
The Red Hardy Fuschia with Yellow Foliage is a knockout in the garden.  I love the contrast of the red flowers against the bright yellow foliage.  The previous owner planted these in a spot that gets beating sun in the afternoon.  They do quite well despite this.  I had had one hardy fuschia in my previous home that seemed to do well in the sun as well.
Red Cape Fuschia
Red Cape Fuschia
I have ever expanding Red Cape Fuschia.  I love the plant and color of the flowers, but it can meander quite a bit.  I will need to start controlling it this fall.
Husker Red Penstemon
Husker Red Penstemon
Husker Red Penstemon does not have red flowers, but it Does have beautiful purplish red foliage.  This is one of my favorites.
Drip Irrigation For Pots
Drip Irrigation For Pots
To keep up with the heat, I decided to set my pots up with drip irrigation.  I now have my tomatoes and a bunch of stray pots in my back yard and some of my pots in the front yard with drip.  This will make it much easier to water my pots on those hot day.  I can now just attach my hose and turn on the water for a few minutes and I am done with this task.  Plus I make sure none get missed, which has happened before.
New Fabric Soaker Hose
New Fabric Soaker Hose
I also got a fabric soaker hose for my volcano strip, which I like very much.  I like it a lot better than the rubber ones which fall apart.  However, I see that this one could come apart at the seams.  So I guess nothing is foolproof.
But getting back to my Reds:
Purple Daylily
Purple Daylily
Several of my Daylilies are either red or maroon.  This is one.
Pink Dahlia With Center Puff
Pink Dahlia With Center Puff
I.love my pastel Red Dahlia (otherwise known as pink) with this gorgeous reddish center puff.
Pink Dahlia
Pink Dahlia
And here is the other pink Dahlia that I have blooming.  More and more of my dahlias are blooming now.  Another one that I think is red and yellow is getting very fat buds.
Pink Phlox
Pink Phlox
The Pink Phlox is blooming.  My three other varieties are not yet ready, but they put on a show and are wonderfully fragrant.
Crocosmia Lucifer Ready To Bloom
Crocosmia Lucifer Ready To Bloom
And the icing on the cake is my Red Crocosmia Lucifer, which is showing very fat buds here.  This morning three of the blooms opened up.  Soon the hummingbirds will start fighting over the flowers.  Part of my annual Hummingbird Wars.
Hope you have enjoyed my little tour of the Reds in my garden.  And hope that you are all managing to stay as cool as you can in the hot Midwest and East Coast.   Right now I’m hiding from the heat.  I overdid it a little yesterday.

49 Replies to “Summer Has Arrived At Last”

  1. What a gorgeous variety of blooms you have. Glad you are finally getting some nice weather. We have family on Vancouver Island and they are enjoying some warmth as well.

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    1. Thanks. We are certainly glad for the warmer weather, and for being able to go barefoot. Vancouver island should be nice, we share some of the same weather systems, being here in the Pacific Northwest.

      Yael

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    1. Diane,

      Thanks. I love both my phlox (so fragrant) and the dahlias too. These should keep on blooming through most of the summer.

      Yael

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    1. Beth,

      Thanks. And thanks for coming by. Dahlias are some of my favorite flowers, so many lovely colors.

      Yael

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  4. So many beautiful reds ! Phlox is my favorite…I only had one come up this year / reminds me that I have to get more! 🙂

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    1. Debra,

      Thanks. Phlox is a favorite of mine too. Sooo fragrant. I have been eying a phlox that is sort of a rust color. The color won’t go so well with what I have, so I will have to find another spot for it.

      Yael

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  5. Your tomatoes show much promise! Pretty mosaic all in green. And what a beautiful stroll through your delightful flowers!

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    1. Podso,

      Thanks for coming by and for your kind comment. You are welcome to stroll through my garden any time. I am awaiting the tomatoes.

      Yael

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    1. Snap,

      Thanks. I really am looking forward to the tomatoes. The vines are very nice and healthy and I have lots of flowers now. I can’t wait for more fruit to set and to ripen.

      Yael

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    1. Thanks. And thanks for coming by. The hard work is certainly worth the results whether flowers or veggies. Can’t wait for my tomatoes to get big and ripen.

      Yael

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    1. Daisy,

      Thanks for coming by. Yes, indeed, the drip irrigation does make life much easier. I have one more drip line to put in and repair another and I should be set for the summer. Hope you stay cool as well.

      Yael

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    1. Thanks Diann, and thanks for coming by. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation are a godsend in summer. Gives me water where I want it and not where I don’t. Hoping you have a wonderful week.

      Yael

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    1. Debbie,

      Thanks. And thanks for reciprocating the visit. It is fun to see what everyone has in their gardens.

      Yael

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  11. I am overrun with tomatoes right now but we are a warm climate here. I need to stagger the planting next year to see if it will spread out the harvest. I sure wish we had some summer rains but that is very rare here. Hot temps this week so our summer has for sure arrived as well. Enjoy your very lovely garden and have a wonderful week.

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    1. Elaine,

      Thanks and thanks for your warm wishes. Lucky you to be overrun with tomatoes. I did notice today that my cherry tomatoes are setting a bunch of fruit…Yay! You also have a good week.

      Yael

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  12. Hi Yael: You have so many wonderful summer flowers! I love the red campanula–I grow it in blue and white, but I’ve never seen it in red before, so now I will have to be on the lookout for it. Take care, and have a wonderful week!

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    1. Hi,

      Thanks for coming. I love my red campanula. It is larger than either the blue or white ones. I hope that you are able to find it. Glad to be pass along some plant lust.

      Have a good week.

      Yael

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  14. Your tomatoes look wonderful. Ours are in a similar stage here in Albuquerque. We planted around Mother’s Day in May to avoid the intense spring wind, which kills off our little plants.

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    1. Thank you for coming by. Funny! I would have thought that Albuquerque would be ahead of us here in the Northwest. I bet you get winds. Years ago I went by bus through Albuquerque and I can remember the flat red plane, cliffs to the north and thin snow. A beautiful sight.

      Yael

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  15. Not only do you have beautiful flowers, but some of them are very different ones from what I normally see. Very pretty!

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    1. Lisa,

      Thanks and thank you for coming by. I don’t think I would like ir in he 100’s like so many have had, but the 80’s and even 90 are nice.

      Yael

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  18. Beautiful summer reds (and pinks) in your garden! I bought a red phlox plant this spring, but it’s not doing so well where I planted it. I need to amend soil like crazy, I can tell. I don’t do dahlias because they have to be pulled up on the fall—I’m not that kind of gardener. 😉

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    1. Evelyn,

      Thanks for coming by. I really do like phlox for both color and fragrance. I am sorry yours is not doing well. Hope it gets better. Dahlias can be a hassle. If you are in Western Oregon, you might be able to get away with leaving them in the ground and covering the spot with a tarp or black plastic so they don’t get water logged. I don’t do it often, since I don’t like taking the chance of it being a really cold winter. We also leave some in large pots and just move those into the garage in winter. This works fairly well, but you still have to divide them after a couple years.

      Yael

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    1. Larry,

      Thanks. I have about three daylilies in this color range. Two of them are small flowered. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked such small flowers, until this year when I realized what an impact many small blooms has.

      Yael

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  22. I cannot leave my comment earlier. It looks like you have a lot of reds, except the black (hose), haha! But i really love the pattern of that last photos, wonderful.

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    1. Andrea,

      Thanks. Sorry that you had a problem leaving a comment. I think you are referring to the pattern of the crocosmia? The buds do form an interesting pattern, don’t they. (Now almost all in bloom)

      Yael

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    1. Beth,

      Thank you. And thanks for coming by. I am so glad for summer and summer flowers.

      Yael

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  26. Beautiful summer reds! It is so pleasant to stroll through your beautiful garden with so many variety of gorgeous blooms. Loved your idea of drip irrigation for the pots,saves so much time…have to try that. Your tomatoes are coming along nicely, mine are still green on the vine as well. Loved the gorgeous pink Dahlia and phlox, one of my favorite flower:)Thanks for letting us take a peek at your lovely garden. Hugs,Poppy

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    1. Poppy,

      Thanks and thanks for coming by. I found that the drip in pots needs a small spray rather than a button. That way the water spreads out a little more evenly and doesnt just sink and run out the bottom. It is a real time saver and only needs 5-10 minutes. Happy Thursday.

      Yael

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