Six on Saturday. Summer Sunshine

Although we’re only a few weeks into ‘official’ summer, it’s been so hot and humid it feels like August. Until yesterday, that is, following a cold front that swept in overnight and pushed the humidity away, leaving cool breezes and perfect gardening weather. To see Sixes from around the world head on over to The Propagator‘s site.

Daylilies are starting to open in earnest – the orange ‘ditch’ daylilies I wrote about a few months ago, here, are cheerfully greeting tourists and residents while their more genteel cousins are starting to do their thing in the garden. Number one in this week’s Six has to be this red, unknown, cultivar:

# 1 – Hemerocallis

Numbers 1a and 1b are this diseased daylily – I think it’s a type of fungal disease called ‘leaf streak’ – I need to cut back the streaky leaves and likely the flower stalks as well and throw them in the garbage (not compost). The roots should survive and send out healthy leaves…Does that sound right, daylily experts?

Thing Two this week is also a bit of a disappointment. It’s a new marigold (Tagetes) cultivar I was really excited about. In the garden centre and literature I had read, the flowers were large, multi-petaled and extremely dark orange/red. That unique colour only lasted a few weeks. All the new flowers are a more traditional marigild orange. Heavy sigh… at least the flowers are indeed quite large and the short plant is completely covered in them.

#2 – often maligned, often said to have mysterious bug and rodent detering properties…I just enjoy the colour and form of marigolds.

Getting away from the hot colours, I’ll move to a trio of pinkish posies. Number 3 is the first of my Zinnias to bloom. I never know what colour or form will appear but I’m quite happy with this lovely single pinkish orange one. Others will follow shortly in red, orange and yellow hues so butterflies, you’re welcome any time! Number 4 is the second of my four new Kordes roses to bloom- this one is called Cinderella and it’s easy to see why.

#3 – A lovely pastel hued Zinnia – the first to bloom after starting a bunch from seed.

#4 – Cinderella floribunda rose. Since planting I’ve read a few reports that claim this rose will grow to six or eight feet high. Yikes!

I love snapdragons. I plant them in the kitchen garden, thinking they will be used as cut flowers. They fit in perfectly with the glads and Zinnia I also plant amongst the tomatoes, chard, beans and corn, Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, I tend not to cut them but rather leave them in the garden, where we (and visitors) can enjoy them as we mosey up to the back door.

#5 – Delightfully pink snapdragons in the kitchen garden.

And the final photo. I purchases five small Yucca plants at auction last October and didn’t hold out much hope for them, they were so bedraggled looking. Happily, they survived the winter, are putting out new leaves and two have sent up flower stalks. Here’s the first to bloom – a lovely white flower spike.

#6 – A wonderful surprise – this flower stalk from a small Yucca planted last fall.