First Day of Summer

. . .finally.

I don't have to be into work until a bit later but my sleep clock doesn't know that. I awoke to a beautiful first day of summer with the sun arising (covered with clouds until today) and the birds singing. I had time to savor my coffee amongst my flowers and peas.

Foreground: Iris, remnants of Forget-me-nots.
Middle: Cantebury Bells and Valerian (Jupiter's Beard).
Background: Towering Foxgloves.

 Before the sun hits the Rose Campion

 Another gorgeous Iris at dawn.

Love In A Mist- I remembered the common name of Nigella!
With the dew of summer.

Don't get sucked into this white Iris. I didn't want to take a photo of this nasty little rhizomes-down -to-china Iris but if I ever sucker you into taking this little beauty home, just know that the rhizomes are like a skyscraper underground. It eventually gets so incredibly rootbound, it won't bloom. Any part of a rhizome left in the ground will send up a shoot.

 These Cantebury Bells did not make the ruthless cut this Spring. The person who maintains this acre now has a new and more doable ruthlessness. Wait until the pretties bloom and then whack 'em.
So- these are a biennial flower. Growing the first season, blooming and setting seed the next.
Sometimes, they become Cup & Saucer's. The above photo shows the saucer. Below is just the bell.

I do, however, have three colors of Cantebury Bells in my yard. I have only found one plant with saucers so far this year.  I might have to keep her in the hopes that she will reseed true. . .(slap my hand now - there really isn't a good place in the new garden for these flowers. But if I only kept one. . . ) There is also a white which either hasn't bloomed this year or is about to.