Midsummer Flowers and Pale, Sad, Cricket

The crepe myrtle "Dynamite" continues to bloom well and the crimson red color seems to become more brilliant as it ages.




We made another trip to the new wholesale nursery and I discovered they had an extensive collection of geraniums. This one I couldn't resist. The name was too intriguing - "Little Monster".




The giant pagoda dogwood Cornus controversa variegata I bought from Heronswood grows strangely in a sprawling manner. I guess that's how it achieves it's layered look that I like but it looks as if it will be a spreader which we don't have room for. Mental note: get the pruners sharpened.





I understand the quick part of this Hydrangea paniculata "Quickfire" - it blooms about 2-3 weeks earlier than our regular H. paniculata but the fire part escapes me. The panicles were a bright red in the picture on the tag but our plant only becomes a dusky pink. Quite a disappointment. Another mislabeled plant?





Strange looking but highly colored daylily.









I believe I wrote about my appreciation of common zinnias in a past post. We planted some wildflower seeds and these zinnias were included. In the past I didn't like zinnias because most of the ones available were the orange pompom ones and that image stuck in my mind. I do like the single petaled ones more than the elaborate ones but I still don't like the orange ones. Even the past bloom flowers - actually way past bloom - are interesting as they reveal their structure.





A wild cucumber or melon flower. It doesn't seem to produce any fruit so I can't tell what it is but the flower is quite pretty.





Lots of the Hostas are blooming now. This is a giant leafed one with rounded leaves more than a foot in diameter.





I wouldn't normally post a picture of a Marigold but this one especially caught my eye. The fiery Rococco quality was hard to miss.





It is difficult to believe that this is a California poppy. Eschscholzia californica Mission Bells.





The first of the early blooming anemones, ANEMONE tomentosa robustissima is starting to flower. The hairy dark stems and green leaves make a nice contrast to the pink flowers.






I saw this cricket on the covering of the water barrel. The ones I usually see are black colored so this was an unusual find. The drooping eyes seem quite sad but as soon as its long antennae (at least 5 times it's body length) dectected the camera the eye shape seemed to change or it could be that a different tilt to the head made the eyes a more normal round shape.





The Magnolia Sieboldii is starting its second flush of flowers. There seems to be as many flower buds as in the spring. I only wish the flowers were upfacing so you could easily see the dark pink inner parts of the flower.





Rose "Honey Perfume".






One of the new hybrid Delphiniums.