Garden Blogger's Bloom Day December 2014

So many blooms to share this beautifully mild December.  If we hadn't had a freeze in November there would be even more blooms.  I'm joining Carol at May Dreams Gardens and many more garden bloggers in posting what's blooming for December.

Devil's Tongue Cactus bloomed late last week.  Usually an October bloomer, this one was a surprise.

Lasts just one day,  I spotted it on the way to get the mail.  Sometimes called "candy cactus" because the core can be made into candy.

Salvia Chiquita hides in the summer and then produces tiny blue blooms in cooler weather.

Salvia Indigo Spires blooms most of the year unless it freezes back

Gregg's Mistflower is a butterfly flower and the butterflies have remained around

Salvia 'Amistad' continues to produce those gorgeous purple blooms





Most lavenders bloom once in the spring, not so with Fernleaf Lavender which blooms from spring to fall or longer.  The tradeoff is it smells slightly like a skunk instead of the usual lavender fragrance.  It is an annual that will die off in a hard freeze but it reseeds freely to return in the spring.



Pink Trumpet Vine was a late bloomer with these being its first blooms this year.

Helenium araum adds bright yellow accents to the garden for months.

Salvia farinacea 'Henry Duelberg' looks good with a background of Helenium.

Gomphrena 'Fireworks' and the fainter blooms of Dalea greggii in the background.

Gomphrena 'Carmine'

Texas Sage

Woolly Bee Brush

In the oddment category a large amaranth seedhead fell during a big rain and sprouted back in late October.  I expected them to freeze but they bloomed at about 6 inches instead of the typically three to four feet.  Nice fall groundcover.












Salvia greggii

Tropical Sage, Salvia coccinea

It looks like roses from the garden will be on the table at Christmas since our mild weather is due to stick around for at least ten days. 

Red Knockout rose.

Double Pink Knockout rose

My favorite Mr. Moy rose, beautiful red rose developed for our climate.  Those are Bluebonnet seedlings in the background.

Are seed pods flowers?  I'm calling it that way to show you all the seed pods on this triple purple Datura.  Two more flowers are budding as well.  I love the pods too.

Salvia madrensis typically blooms in the fall and this year it has been cheerily blooming away for several months.

Check out May Dreams Gardens to see all the blooms other garden bloggers are sharing this December.