Summer Starters

This is the official start of summer, when I have finished work and open up a Dr. Pepper. You must know that I only drink soda during the summer months, starting with my Dr. Pepper on the first official day of summer vacation.

The meteorologists report that June is the start of meteorological summer, which is based on annual temperature cycles. and I’ll take it. June 21st is the astronomical start of summer, which is based on the sun. I needed my Dr. Pepper, so the meteorological start of summer is my summer starter. The Stellas have been blooming.

Around here they have replaced the red geraniums around gas stations.

My first official daylily to bloom was Art Gallery Fringe. It always opens early and is often in a race with Lava Flow to open first.

Lava Flow

I had three daylilies open the other day. Funny how that is so exciting, especially considering that I now have 536 different daylilies in my garden. That is not a brag, 536 is a mere drop in a bucket or should I say a drop in the ocean. The number of registered daylilies is likely surpassed 100,000. I haven’t checked that out lately. Most of mine are registered and labeled. I do have a just a few NOIDs, (No Identification) Fawn was also open. It is a nice little daylily that blooms early and will rebloom later.

We finally received much needed rain. Which did knock the peonies down. The peonies lasted a very long time this year which was one positive thing about no rain. I did have to pump water from the lake several times.

I am also starting summer, with a new dig. Always trying to find space for new daylilies. Perhaps this is the last piece of grass that I will be able to dig up. I finished digging it and then we finally received that much needed rain. Now I will dig through it removing stones, etc. and then I will amend the soil. In my mind I have already filled this area. It was like digging up cement due to the ground being so dry.

This is that same area just a few weeks later. I moved daylilies and one hosta forward away from the house foundation as they were being swallowed up by a larger hosta. I also moved a few daylilies that I already had into this new area. And yes,! that is a ‘ditch’ lily blooming by the bird house, and I do plan on moving it out and replanting it on the lake bank.

You can generally tell the day before a daylily is promising to open and provide a summer starter.

Pumpkin Moonshine, which is a new daylily for me, gifted to me from my sister in law. I love it. Pumpkin Moonshine just glows and blooms early.

Above is Terry Lyninger, one of the daylilies that I grow in large pots. The potted daylilies spend the winter months in a cool garden room that I have, and they tend to bloom early after I set them out.

Marseilles Watercolor, such a good summer starter. It blooms early and I just love the patterned center. I had a spell when I would search for those daylilies that had the more complex eye centers.

Below is Discover Columbus, my gift from the National Daylily Conference, 2012, when it was held nearby in Columbus, Ohio. That was a great trip. I wrote about it here on my blog, check it out.

I do like to add those little surprises to the garden setting. This is such a simple idea, yet it makes me smile every time I walk by it. Good way to start the summer.

This planter is doing quite well. I took an old fiberglass birdbath, and drilled holes in the bottom and then I placed a wire planter on top of it, filling it with impatiens.

I also start the summer by checking out what my local big box store is unloading. I always try to shop more at the smaller garden centers for my summer starters. This Monarch Butterfly was staying with the sunflower even when they were moving the flower. I guess it was an added feature to the sunflower. Great start to the summer.

So now for a peaceful boat trip across the lake to start summer.