June has much to recommend it but in my garden, June means one thing - lilies. Lots of lilies. Whether it's the wide ranging Asiatic types, the fragrant Oriental types, the new and fabulous cross Orienpet lilies or the great variety of Trumpet or Tiger lilies, there's seemingly a lily flower for everyone's tastes. So, here are some of the first ones in my garden, those photos interspersed with photos of other garden denizens. Enjoy!
Philadelphus lewisii 'Goose Creek'. I was delighted to find that this variety exudes that lovely mock orange fragrance. The P. lewisii and its hybrids are usually lacking fragrance.
Crinum 'Rosea'. This relative of the pink flowering Naked Ladies also puts out fabulously large and showy flowers in early summer.
Remember those 'Got milk?' commercials. The blue hydrangea of that is this H. Nikko Blue. Holding onto its true sky blue color year after year, it's an unparallaled beauty.
Lily 'Royal Sunset'. I just love this reddish-orange color.
Vitis coignetiae. I love the ginger colors on this ornamental grape.
Staghorn fern + Aechmea fulgens. I stuck both of these epiphytes in the V of a tree and they are thriving there.
Anisodontea 'Strybing Beauty'. This nearly year-long blooming member of the Mallow family is a real delight and requires only pruning to keep it getting everywhere.
Lily 'Eyeliner'. This lovely lily is supposed to have a black rim to the petals but even without that, they are still lovely.
One of my new lilies, this colorful L. 'Brasilia' is proving to be a vigorous bloomer.
My favorite lily in the early going, the flowers on this Lily 'Zeba' are huge and generously splashed with a rosy-red. Fabulous.
There are many species and subspecies of Coyote Mint (Monardella). This one is a hard to find M. linoides. As their common name implies, the leaves have an agreeable minty smell and the flowers are a magnet for bees and butterflies.
One of many ornamental onions, this Allium atropurpureum sends up spherical heads filled with tiny wine-colored flowers.
Bronze fennel. I planted this vigorous herb because it's one of the host plants for the Anise Swallowtail butterfly. Sure enough, I got a handful of colorful caterpillars this spring. Plus, with its dense bushy form, the fennel is attractive on its own terms.
Part of the newly added All Summer Asiatic mix, the first batch of lily flowers came up pure white. Later, I had lighter and darker pink flowers.
This enchanting Lily 'Corsage' is proof that good things do indeed come in small packages. The flowers are petite but they appear in large numbers. I love the speckled petals.
Brodiaea species. This California native bulb faithfully returns each year, putting out sprays of striking purple flowers.
One of the darkest Ninebarks out there, this Physocarpus 'Monlo' provides instant contrast with the green plants on either side. Quick to leaf out in spring and also quick to bloom, the flowers are a magnet for bees.
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