Summer Flowers Photos from My North Carolina Garden
Summer Flowers Photos - Roses and Hydrangeas
Summer Flowers Along My Garden Walls
Eastern North Carolina, with its mild winters, high humidity and hot summers has good growing conditions for a number of beautiful summer flowers and plants. In my previous article, Spring Flower Pictures from a North Carolina Garden, I featured photographs of early spring flowers. As my garden progresses into its summer bloom, vibrant canna lilies, spectacular blue hydrangea and an abundance of day lilies grace my garden walls.
Converting a Failed Construction Into a Cozy Patio
Our small lot in North Carolina was nearly devoid of flowers and trees when we purchased the house five years ago. There were several walls that were intended to be foundations for an added room and an attached garage, but construction was abandoned by the previous owners. With no plans to continue the building projects, I decided to recycle the foundations into a patio enclosure and a backdrop for new flower beds. Now, four years later, my perennial gardens are well established and provide much enjoyment. Summer flowers bloom on both sides of the patio enclosure as well as along the other brick faced walls providing splashes of color around the house.
Now, I'd like to take you on a tour of the summer flowers along my garden walls.
Pictures of Plantings Along Patio Walls
Canna Lilies Peek Over the Wall
Canna lilies are perfect wall plantings. Their big showy leaves look wonderful from both sides of the wall, and the tall flower stems make the flowers visible from inside the house. While canna lilies can be found in many shades of orange, yellow and red, ours orange cannas have spread most quickly. Each fall I cut back the foliage to ground level when the plant is finished for the season to keep those pesky leaf rollers under control.
Canna Lilies
Lilies in Yellow and Shades of Orange
Lilies seem to like my garden walls, and do very well despite the heat of summer. These seem to be fairly disease and pest resistant. They produce a profusion of tall flowers that keep on blooming and are visible on both sides of the wall.
Lilies
Blue Hydrangeas Make a Statement
These deep blue hydrangeas are among the most spectacular of my early summer flowers. I planted a small potted hydrangea only four years ago, the bush is now over five feet tall and is covered with extra large flower balls. They make a beautiful backdrop for the pink roses planted nearby and for our favorite rock and seashells.
Blue Hydrangea and Red Chrysanthemums
Pink Begonias
I can never resist the boxes of annuals blooming in the garden center. A six pack of begonias is a bright ground cover near the base of a camellia bush by our side door. Begonias do very well in the shade, and each little plant spreads out and blooms continuously throughout the summer.
Pink Begonias
Chrysanthemums
I often purchase pots of chrysanthemums in the fall to decorate my house or front porch. Later, these are planted in my flower beds and become part of my perennial garden. Although I expected them to bloom in late summer or fall, they sprouted early and were in bloom by June. When the flowers are finished, I will cut the plants back to encourage another bloom.
Chrysthemums
Hostas are Easy to Grow and Propagate
The hostas that now line the foundation along our wrap around porch were once only two large plants. Hostas are easily propagated by division of the roots, and there is now a beautiful border of hostas along our porch. These variegated leaf hostas produce a tall flower stem with delicate lavender flowers. They add a delicate airy touch to the border.
Hostas in Bloom
A Box Turtle Visits My Garden
Living near a small wooded area and close to water, we often encounter different kinds of turtles. One day this little box turtle visited my garden. While box turtles are usually shy, this one looked at us curiously while I photographed him. I loved the way his yellow markings showed up in the sun, and enjoyed getting a close-up of his scaly looking skin. Animal lovers, never fear! When our short photo session was over, we carried the turtle to the edge of the woods where he would be safe.
A Box Turtle Visits My Garden
Enjoy Your Fleeting Summer Flowers
It's a pleasure to capture these summer flowers in photographs when they are at their best, at the peak of their blooming season. Often our peak blooming season is short-lived because extreme summer heat, heavy rain or wind will adversely affect the garden. I do hope you've enjoyed these moments in my summer garden, and that you will be inspired to go out and enjoy your own garden; perhaps you too will preserve some of summer's beauty with your camera or sketchpad.
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This article and all photographs are copyright by Stephanie Henkel ©2012. Please do not copy or use without permission.
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