June is an rewarding month for garden lovers. The days get sunny and hot, plants show off new growth and early summer perennials are blooming.
In this third guide to seasonal blooms, I’m sharing plants in my garden, the majority of which were planted just one year ago when the pandemic delayed our return to work. Organized by color (yes, that includes lots of white), I hope you enjoy seeing my garden…and perhaps finding inspiration for your own. If you have any questions about these plants - or others - drop me a note at colleen@thesheshed.com.
Allium ‘Mont Blanc’. I love allium and these stunning blooms tower over a small sculptural boxwood garden for repeated color and shape. This garden bed was planted in 2020 against a backdrop of mature holly and juniper.
Azalea x ‘Girard’s Pleasant White’. These shrubs were planted in May, 2020. They bloomed brightly last spring - I was amazed by how abundantly they blossom. This is there second year and they didn’t bloom as much but they have put on lots of new growth. We love this shrub for its glossy evergreen fine texture and white blooms that brighten shadier gardens.
Irish Moss ‘Sagina subulata’ is a vibrant green, low maintenance ground cover. Scotch Moss ‘Arenaria verna’ is a lime green variety. Planted here in a patchwork, they line a path into my garden. Much loved by Caper as a place to rest, they are regrettably not tolerant of foot or paw traffic and generally seem to perform better in sun. In the right spot, they are fabulous with masses of tiny blooms.
Cotoneaster. A thick planting of mature cotoneaster stablizes a bank at the back of my property before cascading over a large old stone wall. I don’t know the variety…but suspect it is ‘Dammeri’. Masses of tiny white blooms in spring and bright red berries in fall that last into winter.
Mock Orange ‘Snowbelle’. We plant a number of mock orange varieties although this is my personal favorite. Fragrant with stunning clusters of white blooms, it has a sunny spot in my garden.
Dappled Willow ‘Salix Hakuro Nishiki’. On June 10, these dappled willow catkins were a soft white…four days later they turned blush bridal pink. A gift from my parents about 8 years ago, its mature 10’x10’ size is large for my garden. It brings me wonderful memories of my parents and their beloved farm…so I happily pollard and prune it each year.
Dappled Willow ‘Salix Hakuro Nishiki’. On June 14, the dappled willow catkins turned blush bridal pink. Love this color…and the variegated foliage of this lovely shrub.
Cytisus x praecox ‘Hollandia’. A nod to my Scottish heritage, this lovely, zone 6b Scotch broom has a fine texture and graceful arching habit. My sheltered Bedford garden is a location where we like to test less commonly seen varieties such as this. It was planted about 4 years ago, began to bloom in 2020 and was impressive this year. Drought tolerant, it needs full sun and a 4’x4’ space to fill.
Weigela florida ‘Variegata’. While we don’t often plant weigela, I love this variety not just for it’s soft rose colored blooms but equally for its creamy-white variegated foliage. Variegated foliage - while not a bloom - is useful in designing gardens with contrast and color.
Armeria maritima ‘Bloodstone’. Commonly known as Sea Thrift, this hardy little plant is semi-evergreen. Bloodstone is the most vibrant of options, but it is also available in pink and white varieties. Planted in 2020, these plants will fill in at 12” to frame the edge of my garden path.
Trollius chinesis ‘Golden Queen’. Resembling double buttercups (it is of the buttercup family), this award winning perennial attracts butterflies and hummingbirds in June. If you aren’t a fan orrange in the garden, Trollius europaeus is a vibrant, sunny yellow variety. Both are showy plants, soaring to about 3 feet in the garden.
Iris sibirica ‘Caesar’s Brother’. Planted in 2020, these Siberian iris are simply stunning in my garden. Siberian iris has tall foliage that moves in the wind and the gorgeous saturated shade of purple and sculpted bloom makes them a favorite garden plant. Siberian iris bloom in June, after tall bearded iris but before Japanese varieties.