So far we have not reached the 100F mark this year. Not bad and I will take it. Amazing since recent summers have seen record heat. A cold front from the north might bring even cooler temperatures and a welcomed bit of summer rain to the garden this week.
A walk around the garden causes the hundreds of Queen butterflies to flit about. They quickly resettle on the Gregg's Mistflower which has to be the best butterfly plant ever.
Yellow Cestrum takes it all in stride and blooms continuously throughout the summer.
Henry Duelberg Salvia keeps on blooming through the heat.
This wildflower showed up in the garden last year and I have identified it as a Palafoxia and tentatively as P. arida but more study is needed.
Nolina Lindheimeri has been blooming for a month in the crevice garden.
A few views of all the color in the circle garden. The red flowers are Gomphrena 'Strawberry Fields'.
Last fall I scored some Cosmos seeds from the now-closed gardens at The Antique Rose Emporium and they are blooming away in the sun. I look forward to having these reseed to keep them going for the future as a memory of those wonderful gardens.
Russian Sage blooms quite well in the heat though it looks a bit faded in the sun.
When the butterflies are not on the Gregg's Mistflower they are enjoying Gomphrena 'Fireworks'.
Henry Duelberg Salvia keeps on blooming through the heat.
This wildflower showed up in the garden last year and I have identified it as a Palafoxia and tentatively as P. arida but more study is needed.
Nolina Lindheimeri has been blooming for a month in the crevice garden.
A few views of all the color in the circle garden. The red flowers are Gomphrena 'Strawberry Fields'.
Last fall I scored some Cosmos seeds from the now-closed gardens at The Antique Rose Emporium and they are blooming away in the sun. I look forward to having these reseed to keep them going for the future as a memory of those wonderful gardens.
Russian Sage blooms quite well in the heat though it looks a bit faded in the sun.
The Butterfly vine drapes over the front fence with its bright yellow flowers and aptly named seeds.
A White Spiderlily has bloomed in the side courtyard garden. I am enjoying a procession of blooms from these plants which were shared by gardening friends.
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This time of year the bright red and gold Pride of Barbados flowers are screaming for attention all over town.
Four-nerve daisy blooms through both heat and cold and picks up the colors of the Yucca Color Guard out by the street.
The newly planted Damianita brave the heat with a few blooms. Eventually they will grow into large mounds of gold flowers. Ending this post as I often do with a gratuitous shot of the Agave ovatifolia which is not a bloom but it sure looks like one to me.
You can join Carol and many other bloggers from all over the world at May Dreams Gardens to share or enjoy what's blooming in our gardens for July 2014.
Four-nerve daisy blooms through both heat and cold and picks up the colors of the Yucca Color Guard out by the street.
The newly planted Damianita brave the heat with a few blooms. Eventually they will grow into large mounds of gold flowers. Ending this post as I often do with a gratuitous shot of the Agave ovatifolia which is not a bloom but it sure looks like one to me.
You can join Carol and many other bloggers from all over the world at May Dreams Gardens to share or enjoy what's blooming in our gardens for July 2014.
If I had a plant like that Agave, I would end every post with a shot of it. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteIt is one of my favorite plants and has a prominent spot to greet visitors. While it is hardy, it's not quite hardy enough as far north as you are.
DeleteLinda, I tried to comment on your beautiful traffic island garden post but it didn't seem to go through.
DeleteWow--you have a lot going on. Those queens on the mistflower--I haven't had a single bloom on any of my mistflowers this year. I'm also impressed that you N. lindheimeri has bloomed for so long--mine finished ages ago. And the spider lilies, so beautiful Happy Bloom Day to you!
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be the year that things are coming together in the garden which has been awesome. N. lindheimeri put up a third bloom just a few days ago and this is after it was transplanted to that spot in early June. It had not bloomed once in three years before that!
DeleteA Bluebonnet in July? Wow!
ReplyDeleteLove all the other things blooming there, too. Many more than here.
Happy Bloom Day.
Happy Bloom Day to you as well Linda.
DeleteI love the photos of the butterflies - you garden attracts such a profusion of them, Shirley! I'm glad you've gotten a break of sorts from your usually intense summer heat. After the heat we had in May, I was fearful of what the summer would bring here too but, so far at least, our summer has also been relatively mild. We even got a smattering of rain last night (for 3 minutes anyway).
ReplyDeleteThis summer has been excellent weather-wise so far. I remember the early heatwave was very hard on your plants. Rain in SoCal in the summer? That is unusual.
DeleteSo bright and cheerful...and with butterflies, no less! Adore the spider lily.
ReplyDeleteThe butterflies are an amazing result of planting Texas native plants. I can't wait until that spider lily multiplies.
DeleteYou have a fascinating collection of plants, Shirley. Love the White Spider Lily! And all those butterflies on the Mistflower! Wow!
ReplyDeleteWe can grow some amazing plants, the variety is due to the contribution of many local gardening friends over the last few years.
DeleteLovely, as always. What are your thoughts on the Gomphrena? I'm interested in planting them, since they seem to do so well in our Texas conditions, attract the butterflies, and are a great addition to cut flower arrangements. However, I've heard they can quickly take over a garden since they so easily re-seed.
ReplyDeleteYour comment made me smile. Whenever I think of a plant taking over, I remember when just two or three years ago I wished a plant, any plant, would reseed or spread. They do re-seed and that's something I welcome because it's what plants do which makes less work for me.
DeleteYour garden is beautiful and I love all your plant choices since they want to bloom on a July day in Texas! Wow!
ReplyDeleteI forgot about mistflower until now. Geez....I wish I could find some for sale around here. It is the Number ONE plant that butterflies seem to like. Your butterflies must be in butterfly heaven to have all those blooms in one place. Happy GBBD!
David/:0)
It should grow well for you in Houston and I found mine at The Antique Rose Emporium so that's another good reason to take a trip out there soon.
DeleteThis post has me taking a closer look at the few remaining open full sun spots I have and rethinking plant choices there. I'd concentrated native plants out front but have so little sun there and things don't bloom as well. It is clearly time to a new look at the back beds now and bring a wider variety of pollinator friendly plants there as well, and this post all but made a list for me to try. Thanks Shirley!
ReplyDeleteI'm particularly taken with your red flowers, the Gomphrena Strawberry Fields and Pride of Barbados. They make great accents. I'm wistful looking at your Gregg's mistflower with all the butterflies, what a gorgeous sight! I grew Blue mistflower last year and was excited when it bloomed from seed the first year, but it failed to return this year. However I grew the annual Ageratum from seed which is blooming now with the same kind of flowers, so it may be the plant that makes up for them, if I can get them to return or just grow them every year. Your garden looks wonderful, it's great that you found so many natives.
ReplyDeleteWell hello to another passionate gardener,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful bevy of blossoms you're sharing via May Dreams Garden. Here in Kansas we haven't hit 100 either but we did hit an all time low in the 50s last week but it's 98 today.
Must ask the bot name of Gregg's Mistflower as your images rare breathtaking. And don't believe I've ever seen the white spiderlily. What a lovely, unique specimen.
I'd be honored if you visited my blog to see my first GBBD post, only five years in the making, with a truly unique backstory,
Best,
Patrick