When the skies are clear I head out into the perennial beds, the shrub borders, and the rockeries to enjoy the summer blooms, taking a few photos along the way.

We have four clematis vines that climb up the side of the house.    “Feet in the shade, heads in the sun” is the rule for clematis.

Cupid’s dart (catananche) has papery petals on long narrow stalks.   They are tolerant of hot and dry conditions.

We have three types of tall phlox in the yard, all blooming at different times.  This one flowers in mid-summer, fading by the fall.

We have two different kinds of balloon flower (platycodon).   The grandiflorus variety blooms later in the summer.

Goji vines flower in mid-summer with small flowers appearing along the stiff stems.

We have several different varieties of stonecrop (Sedum) in the rockeries.    The dragon’s blood dark red variety is our favorite.

Our rockeries have many varieties of succulents that extend over a long season.

Russian sage grows to 2 meters at the back of one of the perennial beds, a favorite of bees.

Dayliles are a favorite foundation planting in all of our perennial beds.

We try to get out to the various beds to enjoy the summer’s bounty of vegetables and flowers most days of the summer (but less so on smoky days).