In Bloom

Here are pictures of some of the plants that are in bloom at Roche Fleurie at this time of the year.  One of my favorite is Dianthus amurensis. While the vast majority of dianthus bloom in early summer, this large flower species wait till later in the season to put out a show. It has now been  in bloom for about three weeks.

Dianthus amurensis

Verbena bonariensis (a name that always makes me smile - Bonariensis refers to Buenos Aires, but if you leave off the last syllable, it sounds just like "bon à rien" which means "good for nothing" in French). It certainly is a very good plants which looks best towering above shorter ones. Here it is not perennial but self seeds.

Verbena bonariensis

Oenothera missouriensis is still putting out a few blooms.

Evening primrose

Many annuals are at their best. Although this pot suffered a bit while we were away.

Nasturtiums

White and blue "Love in a Mist"

A plant that is not supposed to be hardy in our climate, but which does survive quite well, an Agapanthus species.

This Clematis, "Queen of Holland" is, of all my plants, the one that blooms the longest. It truly stays covered with blooms all summer.

Clematis "Queen of Holland"

An other long bloomer is Coreopsis grandiflora. My cultivar is "Domino".

Coreopsis grandiflora

Hollyhock "Cassis"

This is an unidentified phlox cultivar we call "Mrs Riley". Mrs Riley was a friend of Lorne's mother, she gave her this phlox in the 1950s. It is a small-flower, old-fashioned variety.

Phlox "Mrs Riley"

Finally, some cyclamens. I have tried many species of cyclamens but the one that does best in this garden is Cyclamen purpurascens. First it likes our alkaline soil, and second it blooms in summer. I also have coum, and it does bloom, but you have to remove the snow to see it!