Got a few to post from earlier today. Same tall sunflowers as Steadycam, but caught a Queen nectaring. Not a good picture flew when I tried to get closer.
Hot July Blooms
Blurry...didn't take multiple shots just too hot. 'Argentina Skies' salvia.
Chinese Fringe Flower shrubs putting out some blooms.
Tall White Mexican Petunia. These don't put out the seeds as bad as the pink and purple, so they get to stay.
The native wild petunia.
Lantana
Rudbeckia 'herbstonne' beginning to bloom.
Azure salvia
Black & Blue Salvia that I thought I took out. Love it so do the hummers.
And......drum roll please!!! My tiny pink skullcap is blooming!! I guess I finally found a place it likes, this start will live!!!
Bee-youtiful, Sheila!! I really like that fringe flower color.
Hooray on the pink skullcap blooms!!
Tigers jaws
turks cap
snap dragon vine
drummonds phlox
I am so jealous of your Drummond Phlox. I've never been able to grow it successfully.
The ones that were directly sown into the bed this spring did much better than the winter sown ones. I did refrigerate the seeds all winter and then just threw them into the bed in early spring.
C
Your snapdragon vine looks great! Is that from the plant swap seeds?
Yes it is and thank you! Do they over winter?
C
Cheryl, all looking great! Love that snapdragon vine too.
Thanks for the skullcap Stephanie! It is happy and I am happy!
Glad to hear it! Mine has come back for the past two years, but I do pile leaves on them for the winter. But they do produce an amazing amount of seed, so you can always save some for next year. I really like that vine - well behaved, flowers for a long period, and native.
They were easy from seed too! A good plant for sure.
C
Hey Dennis! Nice to see you posting!
My Katie's Blue Ruellia has started blooming.
Four O'Clock from Josephine.
Great photos, everyone. I've learned so many hard lessons over the years, and now grow only things that will take our extended heat/drought/wind/humidity otherwise known as Texas Summer. I am deep-watering everything twice a week and all my plants are still alive (thank goodness). Biggest bloomers right now: Flame Acanthus, Rose of Sharon, Lantana, Salvia greggiis, Salvia garanitica, Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera), Bat Faced Cuphea, Zinnias, Cosmos, and Salvia darcyi. Everything else is in survival mode and probably won't bloom, or bloom profusely, until the heat breaks.
Keep those pictures coming. It gives me something to take my mind off this heat!
Carla
My DH runs the sprinkler system 10 min a night, to me that is a waste when it evaps so quickly. I think the twice a week deep is what is more beneficial to the plants.
I won't even admit to how often I am watering.
I deep water weekly and hand water about every 2 days.
I water each bed about 1/2 an hour almost every other day. OK I admit it, I have a watering problem. Is there a 12 step program? Overwaterers anonymous? Actually, my plants still sometimes look dry.
I have 12 sections on my sprinkler system.
Twice a week I do 6 times by 3 minutes each section. It will take 36 minutes to do one round. So it is like 18 minutes twice a week.
I have found out that clay soil will absorbe the water only up to 3 minutes, after that the water will run away.
Watering in this way I am sure that the plants have a deep root system.
Now the plants are doing great ... but the SOIL is cracking in some areas around the house ... I has just been so hot here ... I may consider to add one more day .. but just to water the soil ... I don't want to have foundation problem .. ouch
Be sure the water is getting up next to the foundation so that ground is being watered.
We run the sprinkler on the yard daily for 15-20 mins in each area. Of course, the system doesn't get to my flower beds.
Great to see something positive when the heat and drought are such a downer! I forgot about elderberry and Lady in Red Salvia. I also have one bloom on my Snow on the Mountain. Sounds strange doesn't it? Snow...in this heat.
I'll take it!!
Zinnia and Morning Glory buddied up:
My plummeria. I grew it from seed and I know it is ordinary, but not to me. :o)
Four O'Clock
More zinnias:
Datura and variegated tapioca.
