July Bloom Day Blooms - Country Mouse

I'm surprised how much is still blooming here on my ridge top property on the Central Coast of California. Some flowers are starting to go to seed, but that's really quite alright with me. I'm looking forward to a bonanza of our local wild Clarkia seeds this year - I'll be sharing them with the neighborhood, I hope.

Local native - Clarkia rubicunda - first seed pods!

And wonderful flowers
 Where I irrigate - like near the wetland area - the foliage is sparse but green. Elsewhere it's practically nonexistent or tawny. But still covered in blooms. An adaptable plant for the garden. Better in sun but also looks good in partial shade, too.

A sage of some sort. Sorry, I forget - a non-native garden pretty.

Monardella villosa, much beloved by butterflies and bees.
Anyone know what this butterfly is?

Spice bush, Calycanthus occidentalis, is covered in blooms. California native, garden plant I enjoy. I like its large leaves.
Another non-native I don't know the name of. Little succulent sweetie.

Salvia clevelandii "Winifred Gillman" Garden California native - I love this shrub's scent Needs sun and good drainage.

Dudleya caespitosa, passing its prime. Garden native, also locally native around here. These have been flowering like mad, but the stalks are so long they have been dragging. Maybe I watered too much?

Ha! and the one lone remnant of - arch. What are heck these called?  Remind me of a posy of bluebells.

Heart-leaf penstemon, Penstemon keckiella. Garden native. Great color and arching form - good for drama in the back of a big bed. These have been hosting some kinda caterpillars - Hundreds of tiny ones, in black cobwebby stuff. Not pretty. They kind of twitch. I think they're estivating checkerspot caterpillars? Hope they're something worthwhile tolerating!  
Toyon blooms, in abundance, just lovely! Hereromeles arbutifolia. Local wild native.

Pretty white mock orange, Philadelphus lewisii. Garden native, survivor of much deer nibbling in the past.

Still the soap plant blooms and blooms. Local wild native. Chlorogalum pomeridianum. 

Maybe last of our seaside daisies, Erigeron glaucus, native along our coast.

The local buckwheat is really starting to pop - Erigionum nudum, naked buckwheat. Local wild native, grown from seed.

Eriogonum giganteum - southern native. Sprouted 100 feet from parent -Not a good sign in a garden plant. I won't let these go to seed I guess.

Local wild monkey flower, Mimulus aurantiacus - going to seed!

Matilija poppy,  Romneya coulteri, anogher southern California native, spectacular in the garden, very tall. Going to seed but does not reseed. Here it is closing for the night.

So that's some of what's blooming here on the ridge. Please check out my co-blogger's super-lovely native blooms and other garden blogger's bloom day delights, and pop over to May Dream Gardens to check out oodles of other gardens all over the world. Thank you Carol!

Comments

Andrea said…
I am smiling as an earlier link is a Country Mouse, and yours is a Town Mouse! The gardens are inhabited by mice, i suppose! haha. That unknown red is salvia and the blue umbel is Agapanthus.
Queer by Choice said…
In the middle of summer, your garden still looks like spring! How in the world do you keep all those spring flowers going for so long?
ryan said…
That's a lot to have in bloom. I didn't know you had a Philadelphus where the deer could get at it. I would love to plant those in deer country. The Toyon blooms are looking nice too. I think about the berries so much, I forget that their flowers are nice too.
Desert Dweller said…
Amazing, but aren't you having a cooler summer, so far? You have until October out there! But stunning, all of it. I envy your cool nights!
Country Mouse said…
Yes, we are two friends, one in the country and one in the town. We share this blog. Yes, agapanthus! That name somehow always eludes me. I forget what kind of salvia- I could look it up.... But I guess I won't right now.
The salvias bloom quite a long time, and the Clarkia is a June bloomer I guess - this has been a strange year. Cooler summer, late rains in spring - I no longer know what is typical!
The toyon here rarely gets to the red berry stage so I really appreciate the flowers. Sooty mold takes hold and it's all over - black berries are not so attractive. I might try and break the cycle on one set of shrubs - maybe I can wash off the aphids that exude the honeydew that feeds the mold... And the ants that farm them. Then again - this is a strange year. Maybe I'll get berries! Thanks for your comments!
Is you blue remnant an agapantus by and chance?
Country Mouse said…
Yes, it is inded agapanthus - a name that refuses to stick in my head. It has survived against all odds, but has not spread. For a non native plant it is worthy its space. Because overused, it is under appreciated perhaps! I haven't noticed anybody sipping at its nectar, though - maybe just not catching it at the right time.
Unknown said…
Love spice bush--but sadly, our blooms are done. In fact, many of our blooms are less than lovely right now. Your garden is full of gorgeous blooms--lucky you! Happy GBBD!
James said…
I like that clarkia you show. I guess I'm going on 3-4 years of growing it. The first year I pampered the heck out of it and the plants were huge and prolific. It's reseeded ever since then but has never looked quite to amazing. Still, a tough, reliable plant. The rest of the selection looks great for a time of year when things really slow down. Enjoy the show!
scottweberpdx said…
Oh dear...I'm SO jealous of your Salvia clevelandii...sun and good drainage are two things I'm not quite able to provide...but oh...that heavenly scent is SO tempting!
Country Mouse said…
Yes, Scott - that Winifred Gilman scent is totally transporting!