Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up: Temperatures Soar & Blooms Galore!

Welcome to my Garden!

Welcome to A Guide to Northeastern Gardening and to my July Long Island garden! Remember the 1980's song "Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!"? Well, that is how it has been in our zone 7b garden. With humid days in the upper 80's and 90's with a record breaking day of 100 degrees, and frequent thunderstorms, the garden is thriving. Join me for a tour!

Feeling Hot, hot hot!!!

Let us start with the pool garden with Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' (Coneflower), a native to the northeast, in full bloom. Joining the blooms of Echinacea are the blooms of Sedum 'Angelina' (Stonecrop), a groundcover form of Sedum with spikes of yellow blooms in mid-summer.

Pool Border

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' is a hybrid produced from Echinacea which produces many different colors of blooms on the same plant. Along the pool border you can see yellow, pinkish-red and orange colored flowers all in the same clump of blooms. Echinacea is known for its long lasting blooms that attract bees, butterflies and songbirds.

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

Here are the golden-yellow blooms up close, which I think are my favorite!

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' & Blue Globe Spruce

Behind the clump of Echinacea (Coneflower) is a Blue Globe Spruce to add some extra color.

Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry'

Here is another variety of Echinacea along the patio border. This one is Echinacea Pow Wow' Wild Berry' (Echinacea purpurea) and is one of the original Echinacea (Coneflower) native to the northeast.

Salvia 'Blue By You' & Japanese Red Pine

Along the patio border is Salvia 'Blue By You' along with Japanese Red Pine 'Low Glow' I am finding that this form of Salvia is producing earlier and much long lasting blooms. It's a keeper! 

Salvia 'Blue By You'

Here are the blooms up close. The bumblebees love it, but are a little shy about getting their picture taken!

Double Red Knock Out Rose

Double Red Knock Out Roses continue to bloom along the northern border (with southern exposure!) and will continue to bloom through fall. I do deadhead the spent blooms and the plants keeps producing new foliage and buds throughout the entire season.

 Twombly's Red Sentinel Red Japanese Maple & Spirea 'Candy Corn'

Twombly's Red Sentinel is doing nicely by the patio along with Spirea 'Candy Corn' If you remember, these were new additions two seasons ago as I renovated that section of the garden. It is much lower maintenance now with lots of color. 

Daylily 'Samuel Russell'

Here is the 'Samuel Russell' Daylily that I did save from the previous planting. I enjoy its bright orangey-red blooms with yellow centers.

Jacob's Ladder 'Golden Feathers'

With all the heat and rain, the Jacob's Ladder in the shade garden continues to push out new blooms...

A Little Garden Love!

and dwarf Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' is producing its blooms.

Golden Hosta

Venturing along to the front island bed, this giant golden Hosta now spans over two feet wide with white blooms.

Hydrangea 'Nikko Blue'

While the Rhododendrons had a very good season this year, Hydrangeas are not enjoying the heat, but are enjoying the frequent nightly thunderstorms and having a pretty good bloom this year as well. This one is old fashioned 'Nikko Blue', a Mophead form that blooms on old wood from the previous season. I have had it for many years.

Front Northeastern Garden

Along the front northeastern garden Coral Bells (Heuchera 'Caramel') are producing their spikes of delicate blooms along with Golden Hinoki Cypress... 

Veronica (Speedwell)

while Veronica Magic Show variety is producing its blooms along the front walkway.

Weeping Eastern Redbud 'Lavender Twist'

Here is Weeping Eastern Redbud 'Lavender Twist' with its large heart-shaped foliage that adds a bit of texture to the landscape. It is accompanied by Variegated Golden Boxwood and Blue Globe Spruce.

Visit and Read a Book!

Venturing along to the back gardens, you can perhaps stay a while and read a book...

Back Island Bed

or wander over to the variegated foliage of Weigela 'My Monet' along with Hinoki Cypress 'Compacta' in the backdrop and blooms of Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime'. 

Pool Border

Here is Astilbe 'Sprite', a variety you do not see very often. I planted it years ago and it blooms after all the other Astilbe have finished and has a more delicate look about it with light pink flowers. Also is another view of groundcover Sedum 'Angelina'.

Back Island Bed Northern Side

As we approach the end of our tour, here is the shadier part of the garden beneath the Crape Myrtle tree in the backyard with 'Caramel' Coral Bells, Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow' and Dwarf Andromeda 'Cavatine'. Get ready to see the blooms of the Crape Myrtle 'Sioux' during your next garden visit!

Dwarf Butterfly Bush 'Pugster Blue'

And last, but not least are the blooms of Dwarf Butterfly Bush 'Pugster Blue', which bloomed just in time for our tour!

Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my July garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday, Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden. 

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Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2025. All rights reserved.