Tuesday, July 24, 2012

White Trumpets

IMG_5148 IMG_5139 This datura is planted in a 5 gallon pot and hasn't been fertilized lately, but there were 20 blooms on it Sunday night. It must be in exactly the right spot! IMG_5134 Hunter in the trumpet IMG_5146

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: July 2012

Got another good rain last night, so everything was a little weighed down by waterdrops this morning. But oh so happy! Here is the Natchez crape myrtle with firebush and Gregg's mist blooming in the background.
IMG_5129 IMG_5125 IMG_5127
Gaura
IMG_5123
Thryallis
IMG_5119
Firecracker fern (love how some of the pale yellow blooms have a streak of red) IMG_5121 IMG_5114
Long view of the crape myrtle and the top of the vegetable garden. The paler of the pink zinnias is now 4' tall.
IMG_5109
Cigar plant with Black Knight butterfly bush in the background. IMG_5106
Mexican petunias don't need much, but they are loving this rain. IMG_5105
And pre-rain, the Aztec Sun tithonia (Mexican sunflowers) started blooming. It's pretty, but I wish I had planted the deep orange ones.
IMG_5086
Cosmos are made for summer. The tithonia (right) has crowded out the colorful little zinnias with its big, soft foliage.
IMG_5092
And this morning after the rain (I've been propping them back up with a chair, and they recover nicely) IMG_5101
This week has been the week of datura blooms. P1020965
The datura is potted but here is masquerading as a landscape plant. All ten of these bloomed on one night and the scent from my back steps was amazing. IMG_5078
These little yellow rain lilies have been popping up all week. IMG_5096
Moving on to fruits and veggies, my nephew was excited about the watermelon harvested last Sunday. And I was, too! This one had a really lovely, complex flavor and sweetness. IMG_5066
I've run through all my small tomato ideas...
IMG_5083
For more gardens, visit May Dreams Gardens. Happy Bloom Day!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Jewel Colors in the Garden

Sunflowers from the Drop Dead Red seed collection
IMG_5056 IMG_5022
Burgundy hibiscus foliage
IMG_5042
Coleus
IMG_5030
Zinnia
IMG_5025
Black Knight butterfly bush
IMG_5034
Garden harvest
IMG_5050
Native sunflower
IMG_5045
The thryallis in front started blooming a few days after the drip line went in this bed. A good watering makes all the difference!
IMG_5039

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Crinum and other summer bloomers

IMG_4996
A crinum bloom! The first sign of anything pretty from this large stand of foliage against the side of the house. I'd love to move these to give them more space in the fall, but I've read that they're really difficult to dig up.
IMG_4997
Some sunflowers with rust tones
IMG_4987 IMG_4988
My sister's zinnia patch
IMG_4989 IMG_4990
Various purples at the park
IMG_1654 IMG_1657 IMG_1661

Monday, July 2, 2012

Front Garden: Month Three

Hard to remember that my wild and woolly front landscape was a blank slate three months ago. It's fun to do the monthly photo and compare to week one (that may lose its appeal as we head into full summer). See below how everything has the appropriate growing and breathing room back in the first week of April:
IMG_4268
Now: Oops! Burgundy hibiscus just keeps growing, crowding over the gulf muhly grasses. I suppose this is what can happen when you buy a plant with unknown size requirements. Thank goodness the foliage is gorgeous and it's an annual. IMG_5005
Behind the hibiscus, the fig's much more slow growing, but it's looking fuller. And the fireworks ferns are doing fine.
IMG_5007
Here's the front garden on the other side of the path, back in early April (clockwise from top left: gaura, firebush, blackie sweet potato, gregg's mist, artemesia, rosemary, Mexican feathergrass)
IMG_4270
Far corner of that area, also early April (note that the sweet potato vine is behind the gregg's mist): IMG_4271
Today: everything's filled out to the point that some plants probably need to be cut back. The sweet potato vine made its way through the gregg's mist on its way to the sidewalk.
IMG_5006
Back view of that same area: watermelon vine has run amok!
IMG_5009 IMG_5001
The veggie garden is still productive (tomatoes, eggplants, watermelon, zinnias, occasional green bean), but not very pretty!
IMG_5010
Next time, I will have a strategy for tomato sprawl...
IMG_4999 IMG_5000
And to end on a more lovely landscape note, yesterday's rain brought the butterflies out this morning. Here's one on the gaura (also called, I believe, "whirling butterflies"). IMG_5003