Alien seed pod scaring the daylights out of the Blanketflower.
July Blooms
My neighbor's crepe myrtle tree.
Hey, Stephanie, we traded Katie's blue for Katie's pink last year. Is the blue one you pictured the one you got from me? If so, in about 3 years you should have a few dozen. LOL. The pink one you gave me is blooming right now. So pretty...
I think so. It almost died over the winter, but it revived itself. I know how those things multiply and honestly, I hope it does multiply like crazy because I'd love to have a little patch of them near that border. I wish the blooms lasted longer than one day, but it does bloom again and again and again!
Looks great! Love those aliens!haha
Aliens shot is a hoot. It almost looks like a preying mantis head.
It's the seed pod of a rain flower. I think that's the name of that flower.
I meant to ask what it actually was.
The Western Ironweed is making a nice showing this year.
Rain lily?? You know those things that open after it rains! LOL
Yes, they do multiply like crazy, but luckily, not quite as badly as the tall blue ones. I made the mistake of planting those ONE year, about 5 years ago, and still have them coming up everywhere. I still think they're so pretty, but those things have 15-foot roots and a seed shot-put of 50 yards!
I bought ONE Katie in 2005. It didn't really start multiplying for a year or so. Now--LOL--I have replaced the liriope along the entire length on both sides of my driveway. They are really pretty en masse, and I wish they were evergreen. But of course dozens of plants means dozens of newbies. I've gotten to where I just pull up the extras along with the weeds. If I know someone who wants one, they are tough to kill and don't seem to mind that at all. I just pot them up, and they always come back.
That Ironweed sure is pretty Sheila, I cut mine back on the slope because it gets too tall and falls over, and it set it back quite a lot, it hasn't opened yet.
Pretty posies all. It is always fun to see what tastes in gardening everyone has.
Blooms here seem to go in similar colors... the delicate Neomarica longifolia (walking iris)
Angelonia
Golden Thryallis
Texas star
Spilanthes
Crinum
But there is always one stand out in the crowd
Beautiful pictures and wonderful plants Podster.
More beautiful blooms!
The Cactus keep blooming, I hope the Desert Rose bloom next, I have seen it bloom in years. I just remembered i need to put that fish emulsion on it.
The Elephant ears that took over. :(
the Naked ladies have stripped!
The Golden Trumpet, I need to cut it before it does some damage to the air conditioning unit. I got to get that pot of cactus from back there. The neighbors did that I bet. They put their children play stuff back there, so they turn over my pot of Cactus!
Waiting is rewarded.... tuberose is blooming. This is from a trade with Jenepat in fall 2008
My balloon flower started bloomin in May and is still putting out blooms.
I have killed so many of those....what is your secret?
Well neglect I suppose, LOL! It gets full day sun but shade real late in the day. They were in the middle of a patch of iris and oregano that were fighting each other. I trimmed back the iris and took out the oregano...so it may die now!
I have a dwarf balloon flower that survives on neglect as well. This spring, it had a baby, so I divided and moved them both. Both are doing well, though I think the mother plant looks stressed from the neglect.
Anna, do you want some seeds?
stephanietx,is your balloon flower in lots of sun too? I generally don't do well with seeds(still can't get a poppy to grow!) but if you have a few extra, I will try. Maybe you have the winning variety.
Yes, full hot blazing sun all day long. I'll see if I can start some for you. :)
Thanks! I have the perfect place for it.
This is my new bed that started out bare this Spring. I am happy with the way it filled in although the Vitex is sort of spindly and didn't fill out very well. It has been struggling all summer and I don't know why.
Nice Bob. If those are driveways, I would rethink the vitex. They grow pretty fast and the weak limbs are always drooping down. I love them but am considering taking mine out because it requires too much pruning to do what I want it to. And due to that it bushes thick and cuts out all the sun to plants I have around it. One it is shading is a native Desert Willow that I love and will keep.
I had thoughts about that. I think I may move it in the fall. I do like the blooms on it though. The tree in that bed is a beautiful holly and I am hoping it will survive. It is looking pretty good so far. The new driveways were put in last summer.
If they were put in that short time ago, could be some of the problem. I had sewer problems one year and the soil was disturbed, and the company dumped the old concrete back into the hole! I didn't like it, but never figured it would be a problem for a Vitex. I planted a tree in that area the same time I planted the one in back. After two years and no growth or blooms I took it out. I think it was the poor soil after being disturbed.
Ok I went around my garden taking pictures of what was blooming to throw in on this last day of July! Things look pretty good as we have had lots of rain showers this summer. This is a double lavender Althea
Single lavender Althea
Rudbeckia
Black adder Agastache with friend
