What's Blooming Now 2013

[linrose]

Rose pink blooming now in the field, I always look forward to seeing it as it blooms in July when not much else is.

In the gardens the Summersweets are blooming, and they smell amazing. Joe-Pye-Weed is just starting.

[linrose]

Clethra 'ruby spice' next to oakleaf hydrangea in its pink stage. Pink by pink. I love it in all its color changes.

[havalotta]

Hello there Linrose
Are the latest photos taken with your new lens? I really like the first one in post #201

Just wondering if it is something on my end or if it is your new lens adding a lot more pixels or whatever it is.
They are taking quite some time to pull in to view. Give one a try....See what you come up with.

[havalotta]

I don't know....Maybe its when they are added as "Attached Thumbnails" instead of direct that's adding the delay as I'm spinning out on other member additions as well.

[linrose]

That first one was taken with the close-up lens. It doesn't matter if I use the close-up lens or the regular lens, the resulting photo is 4000 x 3000 pixels. I resize them to 1000 x 750 for the forum. I don't think it matters much if I put it in as a thumbnail or within the text. I'll try that.

[Equilibrium]

My clethra NEVER looks that good. I really like the way yours is "framing" the new firepit patio!!!

[linrose]

Thanks equil! I'm surprised it's doing as well as it is given the strong root competition and lack of sun. It's been a wet season so far and I think it likes that.

Summersweet really has a strong scent, like lilac only sweeter and stronger. When I walk out on the deck in the morning it hits me in the nostrils right away. The butterflies and bumblebees are all over it, plus it's pretty and disease and pest free. A win/win/win plant if I ever saw one!

[Rebek56]

Not technically blooming, but a delightful discovery. Finally tackling a weedy area in deep shade (well, except for maybe three hours of morning sun) at the back of the lot (an area that unfortunately adjoins a street). Last year I put in three arrowwood viburnum, which seem to be doing well, and pinned down black plastic to kill several hundred tree seedlings, poison ivy, scraggly fescue, and other undesirables. This afternoon I carted back a bucketfull of blue-eyed grass to plant along the street and what did I find forcing its way through and under the plastic but several healthy young deer tongue grass plants? I may have a groundcover for part of this shady area (where I also just transplanted sensitive fern and one that I haven't identified yet, but they were running rampant along the side of the house and making reading the gas meter impossible). Hmmm...mixed ferns, deer tongue grass, and blue-eyed grass under native viburnum on a shady slope. (The shade comes from two white oaks, a cherry, a hemlock, and a sugar maple, and we transplanted a young willow oak into the mix. Dogwood are also volunteering.) With a few mertensia (which I just acquired as plugs), this avert-your-eyes area could become a feature.

[havalotta]

Photos are coming in A-OK now. Probably something on my end here. I was unable to get back online and off the air ever since.
May be it was the torrential rain and storms we've had the a past couple of days knocking things out or they cut a line? while digging up the road in front of our place this week, who knows, but I'm back on and doing good at the moment.

You should add what you're calling a rose pink into the P.O.M. It's a beauty!
What's its technical name, do you know?

[linrose]

Rose pink is Sabatia angularis, an annual/biennial.