Thanks for posting Beverly. I had never grown it so did not know exactly what it would look like. I got them from my neighbor who got them from her grandmother and my neighbor had never grown them either. All I knew was that they were purple and white. I did not know they were double. They are very pretty aren't they?
May blooms
I love them of course because they are purple. Even though it is said that they are a night bloomer, mine did open up at night, but remained open for 48 hours before the bloom faded. However, we did not have bright sunshine during that 48 hours. I have many more buds, so will know more of their habit when some others bloom out. I started 4 plants in the greenhouse this winter and gave two to my gardening friend. Sent her a picture of my bloom so she is very excited!!
I grew it when I lived in Austin. The blooms did indeed open up at night and stayed open for 48 hours or more. Very sweet fragrance as well.
The daylilies have started blooming. I don't know what this one's name is.
My mealy blue sage seems to be much bluer this year and so pretty! It's usually a bit more grayish-blue.
My mealy blue sage looks better this year than I ever remember it. Isn't it funny how things happen like that? I have no clue why this would be true. That's a really pretty daylily.
Love the contrast of the Mealy Blue Sage and the Coneflowers!!!
Marty, maybe it was the weird cold/warm spring, or it could be the recent rains we've had.
Beverly, thank you!
I'm not so good at plant names so i'll give this a try. I'm loading these from my ipad and no matter the orientation of the original photo, they seem to load upside down. I don't know why or how to fix.
1. Jewels of opar
2. Laura bush petunias ( a gift from the birds) and gallardi
3. A lily that pokes his head out from around a bush one time a year
4. 2. Bee balm
Ok, again I will post a not bloom, but delightful nonetheless. He is one of three that reside in my barn during the night. He is close to six feet long.
Wow yes that datura is gorgeous! And so is that daylily! Just got back home a few hours ago and and it is torrential rain now but I am DYING to walk around tomorrow and discover things, that's what my hub calls my wanderings :))
Hi Lynne, I had the same photo problem and I was advised to crop the photo just a hair. It works. Pretty flowers you have there also!
That snake is ridiculous, what is it??
Pretty flowers Lynn! did you get that compost yet? I had something every week end in May. If you have not done it yet, Im still up for that.
Lynne, I love your Jewels of Opar, I bought a variegated one last week and now I am so excited to see it bloom.
Love the datura and the daylilies. Daylilies are so different now from when I first had them. I have an old orange one that is a very happy but boring flower. It is a reminder of a vacation I treasure. Never have even thought of growing a datura, that one is gorgeous!
Becky, that is a Texas Rat Snake, nonpoisonous, beneficial, and normally very shy snake.
Well, I guess I should show my green backyard, some of the flowers are hidden behind the edge and some not blooming yet.
And here is Echinacea pallida, which I have been working on for two years to achieve.
The snake threw me and my hub, had no idea what kind he was. If he does critter control in the barn, I'd have to keep him around also! Seems like a pretty harmonious relationship to me :)
The daylilies in my beds haven't bloomed for me yet, I wonder what color they are.. I think I was told orange, but I hope that's wrong. Lol I don't particularly care for orange flowers, with a few exceptions here and there.
Josephine, your beds look how I'd expect them to.. jam packed with happy babies! Where do you put any new plants?? And what is the bamboo looking foliage around the water feature in your first pic? Nice texture :)
That is Smooth Sumac it turns gorgeous colors in the fall.
Becky, here is my orange day lily, not a bad flower, even if it is orange.
My variegated jewels of Opar. Thanks to your picture Lynne, I really looked at it and noticed it is starting to bloom.
Another of my NOID daylilies, this one is a deep fuscia. Looks good enough to eat. It has been raining all day with only brief stops, and I am going stir crazy.
That snake is huge! I have small rough earth snakes but nothing like that.
I bought some cheap day lilies last year. This is the first to bloom. A really tiny variety called Tiny Tim.
I've had some daylily seeds in my fridge for several years. Wonder if I should plant them?!? LOL
I've got a bunch of your snake's friends living here. Usually by this time of year I have found unoccupied skins lol around, but I haven't found any yet this year. Wonder if that is due to the strange weather also?
Josephine, is the smooth sumac the same as the wild sumac found frequently in N. TX? I do love the fall coloration, never thought about incorporating it into my (intentional) landscaping, but that may change now. The plant I was asking about is actually the shorter one growing on both sides of the water feature in the first pic. It looks almost like bamboo to me :)
Aw Joy, yes it is pretty! I shouldn't say I don't like orange flowers, I have a few myself, I just don't gravitate toward them the way I do to the reds and whites. In fact, my orange 'cheyenne spirit' coneflower is blooming right now and it is so pretty! Funny thing is, I bought it last year thinking it was a pow pow 'wild berry', only to find it wasn't! Lol see what I mean!
Josephine, all that ice and snow y'all had turned your yard into lush green paradise!
Thank you Marty and Becky, the plants on both sides of the fountain are Inland Sea Oats a very pretty grass. I can save you some seed for this fall.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CHLA5
Inland sea oats.. I never remember them, until I see and love them all over again. I for one would love some seeds!
O.K. I will save some for you, they are very easy to grow.
Josephine, how's the front yard looking?
Oh pretty neat, here are a few.
Wine cups are so pretty when they have room to roam. What is the plant in pic two? I have seen it growing and thought about planting it several times. I mean the one that has the spines. At least I think that's the plant I see.
Thank you Cheryl, I love the winecups.
The plant is Agarita, Mahonia trifoliolata it is evergreen and very resistant to cold heat and drought.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MATR3
Before the round up I decided to play with a copperhead (not) . I was raking and picked up a bunch of dead leaves and filled up a milk crate. I pushed them down making room for more. As I was standing there a 3ft copperhead coming up out of the milk crate. He didn't get away but no before pictures. Scared the stuff out of me
That's it. I like the shape and color of the leaf but am a bit afraid of adding a shrub that might hurt people, especially my grandson. I already have a lot of plants that are not user friendly. How big does it get in your yard?
Sandy, no joke, I had a copperhead surprise me the week before RU also. I was rearranging all the potted plants grouped together on my north wall, moved some wintersow jugs, and there he was, in between them. Scary thing is, I didn't even notice him until he slithered away, totally could have bit me if he wanted to. I cut him in half w a shovel but wasn't able to scoop him up before he (the upper part of him, anyway) got back between the jugs. Then I had to move each one while looking out for him between them, eek! Could you imagine getting bit by a snake that you already killed!??
I guess it is about 3 feet high, and it has been there for three years.
I need some variegated jewels of opar :)
LOL Sandy, that is just what I said when I saw them. I will look up how to propagate and try and get you some for fall. Put it on your list.
I will Thanks Joy :)
Agarita bushes are beautiful, but they are a bit on the prickly side. They grow all over the place in South Texas and I grew up seeing them everywhere.
Josephine, I love your garden sign! As always, your flowers are so beautiful. What is the white flower in the first pic? Is it a yarrow?
I have not seen any Winecups or Tall Poppy Mallow around here this year. They are my favorite but they aren't showing up I wonder if it has something to do with the crazy weather.
Thank you Stephanie. Yes it is Yarrow, I have it all around the curb.
The sign was given to me by a good friend, such a thoughtful touch.