Wow, Cheryl, that is gorgeous. That's the wooly one right?
August Blooms
Turks cap just keeps growing no matter how many times I cut it back
Yes it is. Looks like silver in the sun. I think there is a green wooly ironweed too.
Panoramic view on my phone cam.
Very nice Cheryl, my woolly ironweed is silver bur I had to pot it up to be able to give it a good place in the sun.
I have a small seedling that looks greener, but who knows? I love them all.
Beautiful! You guys always inspire me.
Not the right place but I didnt want to start a new thread...I wish all the wasps ended up here.
Me, too!! We've had thirsty wasps out and about lately.
Oh, I'm just getting caught up with you all after a brief vacation. Everyone has lovely gardens! I came back to weeds...Once I get rid of them I might find the flowers!
PS. steadycam, love the cat!
It is great to see all the flowers this August compared to the last couple years, I know that almost everything I have is managing better this year. Although I may lose my American wisteria at my front gate. It grew so much this year thanks to all the spring rains that it is now half withered with our drought conditions.
First picture isn't exactly blooms but I love my Beauty Berry. It is still small but really is starting a big flush of those gorgeous purple berries.
My personal success is the Pride of Barbados blooming for the first time. It was doing well until both my DH and son mowed it to the ground thinking it was a seedy bean tree. (Don't know the real name). Thought it was gone until this spring when it struggled back out of the ground. Both men have been threatened with their lives if they go near it.
My salvias are blooming, the pink one is supposed to be Hot Lips, it was last year, but I really like this solid pink version and hope it says that way.
And I have a gorgeous snap dragon volunteering in my oregano. Hope to see it hold its own as the cool weather encourages both to grow.
If I could just get some rain all would be well.
Joy
Ok, this isn't about the blooms but the bee. What kind is this? I have tons of 'regular' bumble bees, but this one is twice their size and shaped a bit differently.
This Crinum lily is about 5 years old and has NEVER bloomed before. This morning, I found a bloom stalk!! Now I'm on bloom patrol.
Cowpen Daisy is really starting to take off.
This NOID vine came with our house. It makes these little yellow flowers, no bigger than a nickel. Then it produces these reddish pods.
Katie's Pink Ruellia puts on a real show when it gets hot. These get mostly morning sun and lots of afternoon shade. They still do well.
This also bloomed in my fennel today. It's not very old as it's drying its wings and feasting on the fennel blooms. Please ignore the aphid infestation. I haven't been able to treat it because of the chrysalids and the baby caterpillars on it.
Back and underside pics.
I have to get a new camera! Many things to show but camera disappeared =(
All you photos a soooo gorgeous. It is so nice to be locked up here in the office and be able to sneak peaks at your gardens. Thank you for the lovely posted picks.
Stephanie, how cool about your crinium! I got one at our spring RU, I think it was from Kittriana and it has put up a bloom stalk too. It is my first crinium bloom and I am so excited. I now have a small pink Ruellia that is blooming too. Again thanks to Kittriana. Maybe next year I can get some of the pink mixed in with the blue. I saw a huge pot of both at an antique store and it was gorgeous
I have had very few butterflies this year compared to last year and I don't know why, I have twice the plants for them. Lots of bumble bees but no honey bees. Love your picture of the swallowtail.
I have the blue ruellia and can pot one up for you if you're coming to the RU in the fall.
Thanks Stephanie but I have several blue planted plus a zillion coming up in pots. Tis is the first pink one I have had. I am such a sucker for pink and purple together. Reminds me of my mom's old time petunias, at least that is what I think they were. Very airy tall plants with pale pink and pale purple flowers waving in the breeze. They weren't ruellias but they stick in my memory.
Gotcha! I have tons of pink ones, too. If you'd like one (or 2 or 5), just say the word!
My TCU flowers are doing great! I will have to thin them out in the fall. (Tall Mexican Petunias)
Obedient Plants, not so disobedient this year, but they have been water hogs.
The frostweed is blooming! The frostweed is blooming! Learned today that I should trim them back in June to promote more growth and blooms. Will have to remember to do that next year.
Cheerful esperanza blooms.
I had an unknown weed pop up and I let it grow until last week. It was producing smallish flowers at the top and initially I thought it might be some variant of cone flower but the leaves were toothier. I got tired of waiting for it to bloom and it was in the wrong place so I pulled it up. It was getting pretty tall. After looking at that picture of yours, I think it might have been frostweed. Guess I should have posted a pic before killing it!
Oops!!
Never fear Cheryl, plenty of it here for everyone.
I never really planted it anywhere. But I did read that it is a great butterfly plant so it would be worth having. Live and learn.
Guess what day this is? The day I got my first crinium bloom and what a gorgeous color. Tanks Kittriana!
Just realized how full my desert willows are, and thought with the wind we are having I should capture the blooms before they blow off.
Thanks for posting the desert willow. Ive never seen any photo except a close up of the bloom. That crinum is gorgeous!
The first two photos are of my strip of Mexican Petunias and the second two are of my neighbor's curb strip. She also has them growing by her gate. It looks in the photo like they are continuous but they are not. It's cloudy today, good for taking photos.
I love Desert Willows! If I had a bigger yard, I'd plant one.
Me, too, Stephanie. I wish I had room. Im going to keep thinking about it, maybe an idea will hit me about where I could put it. Im leaning more toward trees with edible fruit though. Joy has a huge farm so she has room for just about anything. Im not envious though because I could not take care of all that she takes care of. Maybe if I were younger........
Beautiful pictures Everyone !!!
That's why you have all the animals when you have a farm, they take care of the farm landscaping. Marty surely you have seen both my Desert Willows, they are not a big tree, and are not very noteworthy unless they are blooming. I think they get about 15' tall but they are very airy and tend to be multi trunked unless you prune. I am thinking of removing one or two of those trunks this winter to get more of a tree look..
Here is the whole tree.
From what I've seen, the Desert Willow doesn't get too large. They take several years to get established and get to a good size.
Is it possible that the Mexican Petunias could be a wild flower? I think I have some growing in my pasture.
Stephanie, has your crinium bloomed yet?
Yes!! Today it had 5 or 6 blooms on it and is just lovely. I am in love with the soft pink blooms.
Yes, terri, they are a wild flower. I think they are on the invasive list for Texas but like most plants, if you choose your spot carefully, they are no menace. They are perfect here in the city for those street medians and curb strips that usually dont have water unless it rains.
This message was edited Aug 26, 2013 4:17 PM
Stephane, those are lovely
Really pretty, Stephanie. My boyfriend and I used to look for crinum fossils which looked like little limestone do-nuts. So, I guess these pretty things have been around a looooong time.
Here is a photo of the canna Sybram gave me at the spring RU. It's deep peachy orange. Yellow bells in the background with all the blooms knocked off by the wind.
I like those Yellow Bells. Is that variety? I don't know that one yet.
Tecoma stans is the official name of Yellow Bells or Esperanza.
http://www.texassuperstar.com/plants/esperanza/index.html
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/150137/
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TEST