Garden Blogger's Bloom Day: July 2013

It's mid July and the garden has begun to slip into summer dormancy.  With temperatures reaching 102F/38C over the weekend it's no wonder the garden is slowing down just like the rest of us.

This is also Garden Blogger's Bloom Day and time to see what's still blooming before the flowers fade away for a few weeks.  Each 15th of the month garden bloggers join Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming.

Many of the currently blooming flowers are hot and bright just like the weather.

Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caeselpinia pulcherrima) with Gomphrena 'Fireworks'.

I've shown these two before but this time it's reversed with the Mexican Bird of Paradise in the foreground.

 

This Queen Butterfly in flight adds a nice bow on the topknot of this bloom.

Gomphrena 'Strawberry Fields'

Gomphrena has a reputation for not easily reseeding.  I've found that if you try to plant the seeds they will not grow but if you leave the plants in place they will reseed all around the garden.  This 'Strawberry Fields' plant (R) seeded itself in the gravel path a good three yards or so from where the original plant was placed last summer.  Gomphrena seedlings from my three different varieties are popping up all over the garden and I will need to wait for blooms to see which is which.

 

Narrowleaf zinnia is usually a perennial in my garden.

Esperanza (Tecoma stans) keeps on blooming in the heat

Some plants stay small and delicate to survive the sun.  Dahlberg Daisy is a tiny plant which packs a big punch in the hot cactus garden.

Sticking with the cactus garden, the native barrels continue to bloom.

Tiny yellow flowers of Butterfly vine (Mascagenia macroptera) turn to incredible butterfly shaped seed pods.  The tan ones are maturing and the greenish one is younger.  The mature seeds are brown.

Leonitis mentholatum looks like an orange tarantula.  The stem continues to grow right through the bloom which eventually turns into a prickly seed pod (R).

 

It wouldn't be summer in Texas without shrimp.  This is red shrimp plant.

  

The ruffles on the Datura are called skirts and this one makes a pretty summer dress.   I don't know the name as it was shared with me by a gardening friend.

 

This aloe has bloomed three times this year and it's beginning to send out pups so I should have more plants next year.

Salvia 'Coral Nymph' is pretty and stays cool by producing very light flowers.

Ruellia produces blooms in the cool of the morning which drop off in the heat of the day.

Nepeta keeps a low profile to keep on blooming

Rains in the last few weeks have pushed the row of Silverado sage into bloom.

Plumbago thrives in our weather and the white variety has become a favorite in my garden.

That's the bloom tour of my garden for July 2013.  To see more blooms from around the world, including those who are celebrating winter blooms, check out the links at May Dreams Gardens.