The first week of July brings to my rock garden a color combination that is hard to beat.
Even the riot of spring bulbs, primroses, violas, daphne, pulmonaria, and other early flowers does not surpass the display of four easily grown July-blooming perennials.
Erigeron Speciosus And Geranium Sanguineum
One of these four perennials is the Erigeron speciosus. Its flat daisy-like flowers of soft lavender, with dull yellow centers, combine beautifully with another July dependable, Geranium sanguineum. The inch-wide saucers of the geranium resemble nothing so much as miniature editions of wild roses.
Nearby are several plants of Campanula glomerata acaulis. Erigeron and geranium are about the same height, not over a foot, while the campanula varies from 3” inches to even 18” inches, rarely.
As a rule, it keeps to 6” and 8” inches and is rich purple-blue. Spikey, the flowers stay in bloom for a couple of weeks or more.
Penstemon Barbatus Torreyi
Then fur accent, both as to color and general shape, there is Penstemon barbatus torreyi. Don’t let the name frighten you; this is a lovely coral-red perennial.
It forms a glossy-leaved rosette close to the ground from which a spike of tubular fuzzy-mouthed flowers rises.
Several of these are placed near those above three, making a quartet that will satisfy the “eye for color” of the most demanding.
You may be sure that if you plant these in your rock garden, you will look forward to the first weeks of July and have no reason to bewail the lack of color at that time.
44659 by Vena Dowbridge