The Dawn of Summer, Part I

I'm back in College Town, USA, all moved into my apartment. All my plants made it more or less safely, and I'm really happy with all the space I have. But before I show all that, I'd like to begin an ongoing (for a while) series of posts about the plants I saw thriving at home while I was visiting. I took a long walk around the neighborhood(s) to photograph irises, but I found an even greater aesthetic bounty than I anticipated. So that's what all these "The Dawn of Summer" posts are about. Without further ado, let's get started!

The first thing that stuck out to me when I arrived in town was that honeysuckles were in bloom. I could waste hours sucking on honeysuckles, but in this case I merely snapped a shot of an aggressive honeysuckle bush.

This journey of mine really begins, though, in my backyard, which is where it will end. These hulking bushes are pyracantha (also known as firethorn). When pyracantha aren't fiery, they are sweet as can be, pictured here.

I can see the appeal of these plants. They are the best of both worlds: a dramatic accent in the fall and a subtle delight in the spring and early summer.

Next we have a planter full of Vinca major (better known as periwinkle). I like this bush because it only produces occasional flowers. There is room in this world for knockout roses that are taken over by blooms, but it is nice to see a plant that merely nestles a few in between its leaves. I'm also a fan of the variegated leaves on our periwinkle.

While horticulturally insignificant and often overlooked, clover flowers are as good an announcement of summer's approach as any other.

Down the street a ways are some clematis. Talk about an accent plant. Clematis' blooms are bold and big, and eventually this plant will reach the top of that trellis and then it will steal all the attention.

Next to the clematis is the first blooming hydrangea I've seen this year. Whatever variety this is, it would be perfect in a moonlight garden. Peonies are out too, and they would be perfect as well. You couldn't combine them though. You'd have to choose between them, I guess based on how much you value smell and how tall of a bush you wanted. I have no idea what I'd pick in that instance, as both plants hold a lot of nostalgia for me, and both are valuable plants.

Have you seen any hydrangea blooms yet? What's been stealing the show in your neighborhood?

Next post: my plants' new home.