I try not to repeat myself from one year to the next with my bloom day photos, but the ‘Casa Blanca’ lilies refuse to be overlooked.

The bulbs I transplanted in the fall did not grow as tall as those left in place, but I like the way the structure of the leaves stands out against the dark background in the new location.

Roses are not really my thing, but ‘Just Joey’ stole my heart with his maroon early growth, easy going style and subtle perfume.

The new Dahlia, ‘Cheyenne’, picked up at Janet’s sale, is dazzling in the hot border.

The bloom on the Castor Bean plant is an unusual, fuzzy affair.

Most sedums are purely foliage plants in my book, but this one, which is usually the same color as the ninebark in back of the pot, suddenly lays a fluffy pink carpet at its feet and echoes the fading colors of the drumstick alliums off to the right (behind the ‘Gold Cone’ evergreen).

These paler pink sedums are still looking OK, but you can begin to see how they turn brown and must be cut back to reveal the variegated foliage.

Then there is ‘Angelique’, the sedum whose foliage is a golden glory…but the flowers? why? I say “Off with their heads! As quickly as possible!”

But I’m sorry. This is supposed to be a celebration of bloom, so here is a bloom worth celebrating. It hangs in my studio most of the time, and puts forth one blossom at a time, sporadically.

I moved it to the deck for its summer vacation, and looky here! A veritable bevy of buds are preparing to present us with a big ‘Thank you!” for our consideration.

Now, here’s the link to take you over to visit Carol and gain passage to a world full of blooms. Have fun!