I’m only part way through the photos from the Portland Fling, so not all of the gardens will be represented here. There were so many jaw-dropping blooms on the tour that I can’t resist featuring a few of them for this month’s Bloom Day. The Clematis pictured above was seen at Joy Creek on the first day out and about.

Wouldn’t you know that Danger Garden would greet the big event with something seldom seen but not soon forgotten.

Scott, of Rhone Street Gardens is our go-to guy for grasses, so a visit to his garden presented the challenge of capturing their elusive beauty: something only Scott is actually capable of doing.

Scott is also partial to lilies. This happens to be high season for lilies, so we were treated to many of them over the weekend.

Some were gigantic (note the roofline) and heavily scented, as these in the Old Germantown Gardens.

And these beauties in the Ernst Garden.

Day lilies were having their day, here again in Old Germantown Gardens.

At the Westwind Farm Studio, the first thing you see is a sprawling field of lavender

followed by large blocks of color created by mass plantings.

McMenamin’s Kennedy School is surrounded by deep borders packed with interesting plants. This Phygelius was catching the afternoon light.

As was a single, pristine Magnolia blossom.

In the Fuller Garden, a dainty Fuchsia’s quiet presence in the shade drew me in.

The garden of JJ DeSousa was all about drama and staging. She used a lot of these flaming red begonias to reinforce her color scheme.

Crocosmias are coming into their own about now. In the Chickadee Gardens, they add a bright note to the front border.

It was fun to take a break from my own garden to wallow in the beauty wrought by others’ efforts. Thanks for coming along. Many thanks to Carol, of May Dreams Gardens for hosting Boom Day each month.