Fragrant Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’ and a few other plants are newly blooming in this Chapel Hill garden today.
Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’
Long before the garden’s picket fence was installed ‘Chuck Hayes’ was planted as a low privacy hedge in the western border. Both evergreen and deer resistant this gardenia variety is very cold hardy in this area. It prefers regular watering, but seldom is anything watered in this garden beyond a week or two after planting. The hedge is benefitting from the very significant amounts of rain the garden has received all winter and spring. It also responded well to the Epsom salts I applied a month ago when some of the leaves began to yellow. Many of the original ‘Chuck Hayes’ shrubs were lost to drought and the spots left bare are gradually being replaced with taller plants that can provide more privacy.
Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’
Nearby the first clusters of flowers have opened on the Butterfly bush (possibly Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’).
Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’? (Butterfly bush)
Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’? (Butterfly bush)
The bees are finding plenty of food, including this Veronica spicata ‘Pink Goblin’ (Speedwell), which actually has been blooming for a few weeks now, not just starting today. It seems much revived after last night’s elaborate thunder and lightning storm that brought heavy amounts of rain.
Veronica spicata ‘Pink Goblin’ (Speedwell)
Pale delicate flowers of Lavender are open today at last and bees are finding it irresistible. In the background are drifts of pink Achillea and the ‘Blue Point’ Juniper hedge planted last year.
Lavender and Pink Achillea
The first blossoms of Salvia ‘Blue Sky’ appeared today, revealing this flower’s characteristic azure blue brilliance atop a 5-foot flower stalk.
Salvia ‘Blue Sky’
Liatris spicata ‘Alba’ is not quite open, but a little of the white flower is visible. The soft grass-like foliage provides a nice texture in the northern border.
Liatris spicata ‘Alba’
One more newly opened flower today, a cheerful Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy). There are many large clumps of this herbaceous perennial all around the garden, so soon this single blossom should have plenty of company.
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
pbmGarden 
Your gardenia is amazing….something we only dream about here in the Northwest. I have a small gardenia in a pot and it struggles through every winter. I haven’t seen flowers for a while. Nice post!
Elaine
Thanks so much Elaine. Best of luck tending your gardenia. Hope it blooms for you this year so you can enjoy the wonderful fragrance. We are having a great spring for gardening here because of steady rains after so many dry years.
Lovely! (Especially your Gardenia!)
Thanks! It was a surprise today to find so many gardenia flowers open. Last year it bloomed a couple of weeks later, around June 4, and had only a few flowers, so this is a treat.
I love gardneias. It’s the combination of dark glossy leaves and the stunning creamy white flowers and the scent. I have a small one in a pot…….
I agree, they are wonderful plants!
I think some of those Shasta Daisy pics are actually Ox Eye Daisies. Ox Eye usually come out in June, followed by Shasta in July and then Montauk at the end of the summer.
Thanks for the info about ox eye daisies. I’m sure they were labelled shasta (‘Becky’ and ‘Alaska’) but I’ve certainly had mixups with purchases before.