My first balloon flower popped open today! What a wonderful sight since I first thought it had died and then I transplanted it into my flower bed kinda late in the planting season. It's settled in nicely. :)
Spring Blooms Part 5 - What do you see?
Stephanie, even more good news. I have had these for starting 4 years. They come back year after year. Mine are presently about 36"s tall. Lots of buds but no blooms as yet. One of my most favorite. Planted my first from purchased seed.
Christi
Thanks for the info Sweezel! I was wondering why the foliage looked so different from Mexican Hat. The blooms are a bit bigger, too. I really like them!
Christi, where did you get the balloon flowers? My dog stayed at my mom's house while we were out of town and he dug her's up. I need to find a replacement.
Tj, haven't checked lately but sometimes the Ace Hardware in DeSoto has the potted plants. Or HD. Just depends on who is growing and selling to someone.
They are just now coming in bloom so they should be available several different places. Labs are like that, ya know. I have seen them labeled as Texas Bluebells.
Christi
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/81754
Mine are the kind that get tall and flop over. Sometimes I stake, sometimes don't.
If they fall over, they put out more stems and more blooms. Not a downer for me.
Christi-It'll be interesting to see this one grow. I got it on sale at Lowe's last year and it lived all summer, fall, and winter in its little container. I was so excited when I saw growth on it this spring. I had saved seeds from it last summer so I had those to sow if it didn't come back.
Mine are in-ground. Direct seed them.
Christi
Mine's in the ground now and I'm planning on letting some of the flowers go to seed. Will collect the rest. Here it is this morning!
Asclepis tuberosa. I'm enjoying it before the caterpillars get to it.
Carla
roses
yellow daylily
another daylily
daylily with variegated pineapple mint
senna
glossy abelia
last daylily
noid yellow flowers
red oleander
canna orange punch
placenciarita, How long have you had your Senna? Does it die down to the ground or keep it's woody stems every year? Thanks.
Your NOID yellow flowers are Rudbeckia Hirta, Black Eyed Susans. Mine are getting ready to bloom and I can't wait!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/25/
That Orange Punch Canna is very striking! You must have a beautiful yard. You should post some pics of the wider view of things so we can ooh and ahh over it!
This just started blooming this week--this is a huge vine but close-ups of hanging blooms photograph better. I call this my aggie vine; Milletia reticulata, needs a strong support.
some kind of different things here--its starting to get real hot down here, and has been for a couple of weeks now so different things will start blooming; daylilies are still in the height of their season but I figure you've seen enough of those
The red flower here is a native US plant--Silene regia 'Prairie Sun', starts blooming when it starts getting really hot
vitex is doing really well--I was going to dig this out, and will next winter--I just left it this year so I would not have to start another shrub while they are re-fencing the back.
what an unusual bloom on your vine; truly lovely; I've never seen or heard of it
A Rangoon Creeper I keep unmercifully hacking back every other day to keep under control until the new fence back there is erected, is determined to start blooming anyway--it also needs a very strong support system. It was primarily responsible for bringing down the old fence, it needs a good 40' run but the scent is unbelievable and will fill the entire back yard from July through October. This back area is as close to xeric as you can get in Houston, these plants (including the rangoon creeper) require no supplemental water or fertilizers, ever. Just good mulching.
Here's another native that's actually native to Texas, Manfreda maculosa. The blooms on it are kind of interesting because the lower ones fade to pink, while the upper blooms are still pale yellow--also very prominent filaments and anthers as compared to the size of the blooms.
The ones that are blooming right now are on the east side of the house--these are year old seedlings under the rangoon creeper showing the very prominently grooved arms
which distinguish it from this Manfreda species:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/114453/
or this Manfreda species which is also native to USA:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/83542/
dmj - what a stunning garden you have - I always love to look to look at your pics.
They blend in nicely with species lilies, daylilies, phlox 'John Fannick', Cape species Glads, Hippeastrums, and the native Stachys coccinea. None of these plants reguire any supplimental watering or fertilizers, ever.
Manfreda maculosa is a low growing native of South Texas with rosettes of succulent blue-green toothed leaves sporting an abundance of maroon colored spots. The plants reach a maximum height and width of one foot, which makes them the perfect size for most garden and container settings; they also make excellent ground covers. The tubular two-foot-tall blooms open a greenish-yellow and fade reddish-pink as they age. Manfreda maculosa grows from underground rhizomes and needs a very well drained soil with full sun to partial shade. It becomes deciduous to survive droughts and can survive serious freezes without damage once established in the garden. Chopped rhizomes of Manfreda maculosa were once used as a source of soap and shampoo in the republic of Texas. Caterpillars of the rare Manfreda Giant Skipper (Stallingsia maculosa) depend on this plant as a food source.
thank you Mitch--here's another odd combo for you
Daylilly 'San Antonio Firecracker', petunias (which should be long dead by now), and Crinum 'Peach Blow'--these are definitely not in the xeric area
Wow Debbie! Everything looks great!
Blooming today, my Ruellia "Katie Pink" and balloon flower.
Wonderful stuff everyone! I'm just amazed by all the fabulous daylilies.
Broncbuster, thanks for the pic of the prickly pear. I'd seen it blooming from my car, but hadn't been able to stop and appreciate it.
I was very envious of all y'alls sages and salvias. Finally, I have one. I planted this a long time ago. It comes back every year, but gets riddled with bugs. I planted several in that spot one of which was Black and Blue. Not sure if that's what this one is, but it's a possibility.
Here's one of the glads along my driveway
mimosa tree
and I'll stop with my 16 candles rose bush
Today, the buds on my Esperanza bush opened! I just love this shrub!
My NOID coreopsis is still blooming away. This was planted by a bird or something because I've never planted this in my yard. I think it's a Bigflower Coreopsis "Mayfield Giant".
sweezel, I have had the senna plants for more than 10 yrs. now. They do not die down to the ground in the winter and they do keep their woody stems.
