I am a fan of pastel colors in the garden. But there is something incredibly vibrant, exciting, and joyful about blooms of every color, especially when they are jewel tones.

Here in the driftless area of Southeast Minnesota, it kind of feels that we are in the middle of spring rather than summer. The end of spring and the beginning of summer presented drought-like conditions, and a lot of the plants I planted suffered because of it. But the end of July and the beginning of August are turning out beautiful, and everything it’s blooming. For Six on Saturday I am sharing my favorites in the garden right now:

No. 1 Hollyhock ~ The hollyhock at the family farm are gorgeous this year and seem extra vibrant.

No. 2 ‘Bordeaux’ Rose ~ This one is from a project I am working on, but had to share it because I finally get the appeal of red roses.

No. 3 ‘Double Dutch Rose’ and ‘Psyche’ Cosmos ~ I started growing cosmos two years ago, and have not looked back. This will always be a constant in my garden.

No. 4 ‘Seashell’ Cosmos ~ A new addition to the garden this year, and I love the peculiar shape. Will definitely bring back next year.

No. 5 ‘Kogana Fubuki’ Dahlia ~ When I decided to become a “serious” gardener, this dahlia was one of my first ones. And after three years of incredibly bad luck with dahlias, the dahlia green thumb seems to have returned. And it blessed me with my first bloom.

No. 6 ‘President’ Clematis ~ This deep purple clematis has been in the home farm since my husband can remember, and it is huge. I love it when it is in full bloom. Pretty majestic with its deep color.

Hope you enjoyed these. Now go check out, #sixonsaturday at The Propagator for more beauty in the garden!