What's Blooming Now - June 8, 2012

Shrubs and Perennial Combos Are Catching Eyes

Hydrangea blushing bride Feast your eyes on the shrubs that are blooming now in White River Gardens! Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), a moisture-loving native, is displaying its tiny flowers in golf ball-sized spheres along the stream in the Virginia Fairbanks Sun Garden. Another moisture-lover that appreciates more shade is the hydrangea. There are several mophead types like ‘Blushing Bride,’ Endless Summer,’ and ‘All Summer Beauty’ at spots in the Ruth Lilly Shade Garden and Oasis Gardens.

Also looking gorgeous in the Shade Garden are Hydrangea quercifolia, or Oakleaf Hydrangea, and ‘Annabelle,’ a smooth type hydrangea covered with white “snowballs”.

Parkers Gold and coneflowers Another feast for the eyes are the perennial combinations that are also making their summer appearance in the Gardens. The Sun Garden has the always-vibrant orange Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) paired with blue Larkspur, and Coneflowers (Echinacea) intermingled with ‘Parker’s Gold’ Yarrow (Achillea filipendula).

Hot Papaya coneflower In the Polly Horton Hix Design Gardens, the Form and Texture Garden has some spectacular combinations, especially ‘Hot Papaya’ Coneflower, ‘Banana Cream’ Shasta Daisy (Leucojum), and Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia uvaria). More subtle, but elegantly beautiful, are violet Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata ‘Superba’) blooms with the yellow spotted leaves of leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum 'Aureomaculata'), found in the Color Theme Garden. What a sight for sore eyes!

Bell orchids You’re also in for some eye candy in the Hilbert Conservatory. Our Bell Orchid (Grammatophyllum scriptum) is blooming for the very first time! The huge stalks of this Asian orchid can be covered with as many as 150 brown and green spotted flowers. Pitcher plant

And our tropical hanging Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes, also called “monkey cups” because monkeys have been seen drinking form them in the wild) are super cool. Both of these spectacular tropical flowers are enough to make your eyes pop out of your head, and very much worth your visit to White River Gardens!