Gladiolus and Liatris Spicata
Today it was announced North Carolina is completely drought-free for the first time in two years.
This could change, as surely many hot summer days are ahead, but this remarkable spring with its generous rains has been a welcoming one for flowers in this Chapel Hill garden.
Gladioli and Liatris spicata have grown strong and tall and Hemerocallis (Daylily) looks well nourished. Even native and drought-tolerant perennials such as Monarda and Echinacea are noticeably healthier, with richer foliage and color.
This evening temperature is 79°F, still quite sunny with blue sky.
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- Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)
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- Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)
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- Hemerocallis (Daylily)
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- Hemerocallis (Daylily)
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- Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue) and Thymus x citriodorus (Silver Edge Thyme)
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- Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) and Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
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- Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) and Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
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- Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
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- Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
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- Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
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- Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
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- Western Border
pbmGarden 
These are LOVELY….thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Everything looks lush and lovely!
Thanks, growing conditions have been great this spring. I’m enjoying it while it lasts.
Hi! 2 years of drought alarm sound… well… alarming! Your garden managed to get over drought brilliantly though. That deep red hemerocallis looks beautiful and the monarda as well, I only have some deep pink ones. Needless to say I love echinaceas! What’s your secrets (or tips) for growing liatris so tall? I am at my first experience and they are not taller than 40cm, some of them only produced leaves, maybe I just need to be patient… Other times I tried to grow them the corms simply rotted (and they smell horrible!).
Thanks for your comments! Wish I could pass along some tips about liatris spicata for you, but I am still learning about it. I bought mine as plants. Maybe there is a different variety that you can try or perhaps they need another year to become established. My newest one, purchased this year, is not very tall yet. Echinaceas are wonderful!
Everything is lovely! I wonder if I could do Pike’s Peak in zone 5?
Give it a try! Looks like you are within the range–USDA Zone: 5-9. This hybrid was developed in Colorado. It remained evergreen here last winter (but winter was abnormally warm of course). Happy gardening!
This may be a second answer. My window closed before I was done. Thanks for answering. I have tried a couple penstemons, and they did well, here. That will be my next one.