May blooms

I am always amazed at the variety flowers come in.

Speaking of blooms this was my lace cactus yesterday. Funny shape but incredible flowers.

Wow on the flowers. The cactus flowers are absolutely gorgeous .

Carrie, my MIL is from Maryland, and she always tells me about the QAL. I tell her it's not so invasive here. I guess the novelty hasn't worn off yet with me, the Hawaiian :))

So pretty Josephine, why haven't mine bloomed this year? Maybe not enough sun? And I am bringing one of those for you tomorrow Sandy, the lace cactus (e. Reichenbachii). And I should have a few extras for the taking too :)

That sounds great :)

No camera, but my 2 abelias are starting to bloom for the 1st time. And much to my surprise, the Agarita that I got at a plant sale about a month ago has some red berries on it. Mexican Milkweed is blooming as are some of my salvias. Wish the black & blue salvia would bloom. It's gotten very bushy, just no flowers. Lantana's coming back nicely but not ready to flower yet.

cactus blooms today

Gorgeous blooms Cheryl.

When I got home yesterday I saw where I'm about to get 2 blooms on my agapanthus. Woo-hoo!

Rose Campion are happy right now.

Carla

Wow Carla! those are beautiful.

very pretty. Sorry you could not make it yesterday.

Non Cacti-

How pretty, Carla! Missed you yesterday. Hope to see you in the fall.

Cheryl, I pretty much love everything in your garden!

I completely forgot about yesterday! What a loser I am.

I recognize the Zinnia grandiflora the Mexican hat but I don't recognize the last one, what is it?

Is it Cuphea hyssopfolia? sp.

No, its purple loosestrife. I brought it from my mom's yard in MI. I know its reputation but its a sterile variety that never makes seeds and it has a special history to me.
C

Well, it is very pretty Cheryl and since it doesn't make seed it is not a problem.

Newtonsthirdlaw, I am living for your garden.. I love all the cactus! Mine are all in pots save a few I have multiples of, but I want to put in a rock bed and I may have to bug you for a panned-out shot for um, "inspiration". That's my polite way of saying I want to copy you! LOL

What was your name again, I met so many people, it's hard for me to remember who was who!

Wow! I was worried about my cottage garden while I was gone and obviously didn't need to.
I am so surprised to find my larkspur still growing strong. I started clipping seed pods today, then stopped because I need to label colors for anyone who might want some this fall.
I have verbena in two places apparently, this is a creeping one.
And where did this gorgeous daylily come from? I have no tag and no memory of planting it. But it is huge, gorgeous, and prolific.
There were a couple people wanting white clover, this is not my momma's white clover but it is awesome nonetheless.
And the heirloom iris is blooming again, along with some more volunteer snap dragons.

Now if I could just keep cactus happy like Cheryl, I would be in heaven.

Beautiful, Joy!

Cheryl and I will certainly try to show you the whole thing. It's not that large and wasn't hard to put in.

This one came from a small start from Dennis last year. I would say it seems happy.

Not really a bloom, but I am ecstatic to see my first caterpillar on my bronze fennel, ever. This is my third year to plant dill and fennel so I guess they finally found them!
My petunias are just rocking along, now if I could just get the heirlooms to germinate.
Gaura from the clearance rack last fall and brown eyed Susans are just a few this morning.

Everyone is loving the cool weather.
Clematis texensis, yellow milkweed from last years RU, fame flowers, coneflower

part two
mex. hat and coreopsis basilis, phlox penstemon, Easter lily (rescued from work), wine cup with scabiosa

Everything looks great, Joy! Congrats on your baby cat!! What's the blue or purple flowers with the gaura?

The Four Nerve Daisies are happy and blooming.
The echinacea are blooming like crazy.
My little Tennessee Coneflower has started blooming.
This balloon flower is the longest resident in my garden. It's come back faithfully for the past several years and blooms and blooms and blooms.

Stephanie, it is one of my larkspurs, they are not interested in stopping this year which is wonderful except I am running out of room as my summer flowers are trying to come in.
I just saw another cat, very tiny. Usually the only ones I get are on my tomatoes, ugh.
Wish I could grow echinacea. I have two this year that are still doing well but somewhere along the line they seem to give it up. I have my fingers crossed this year.

I can't keep larkspurs alive no matter where I plant them or how much I water but they are so pretty.

Rouxcrew, is there a difference between brown eyed susan and the more common Black-eyed Susan? Mine have the red streak on the petals also, so I'm wondering if that's a trait of the brown eyed susan?

Newtonsthird, that clematis is gorgeous! I have some seeds I need to start, but I think they are more of a bluish purple, same unopened blooms though, remind me of the plant from little shop of horrors :)

Becky, I didn't get the caption right, those aren't Brown Eyed Susan's, Rudbeckia triloba. And it is too dark now to get a new pic so here is one from last year.
It is so difficult to tell sometimes because many sites have several different pictures depicting different flowers all claiming to be the same.
A Black Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida, has slightly longer petals and a darker center but is still yellow.
I will have to look a little deeper for our flowers that have that red in the petals, the shape is wrong as well as the color.

Joy, what is the pink flower in the photo?

That is a musk thistle. An obnoxious plant that has a huge base but has a really pretty flower. I get them dug out every time I find one to keep them in check.

Ive never seen one before. The flower is very pretty.

Becky, here are brown eyd in the foreground with black eyed in the back. My black eyed get rather tall where the browns are fairly short.
Close up of black eyed and then brown eyed.

Thanks for the follow up pics, I can't wait to check mine for differences now, I know I have both also :)

Those thistles are blooming everywhere right now! Driving down the highway the seeds are blowing all over the road.

Purple Datura started from seed received from Marty at the fall RU. THANK YOU MARTY!!!

Wow! That's gorgeous!

Thanks Stephanie. Hopefully, I will have many seeds this fall if anyone wants some. You can D-Mail me in the fall or winter.