Thursday, May 15, 2008

May Bloom Day

Well, the glorious month of roses is over and most of the bushes have been pruned back. There are still a few wilting, bug-eaten flowers left on both the Rainbow and Pink Knockouts. The Double Knockout is looking pretty ragged as well. Now taking the stage are all of the early summer flowers bursting into bloom: guara, verbena, lantana, coneflowers, dwarf ruella, blackfoot daisy, blue mistflower, and pink skullcap.

And here's the rest of the list in pictures...

Verbena bonariensis:


















What I thought was the usual violet moss verbena has bloomed in an intense shade of magenta:


















Close-up, white potato vine:














Daylily, bought before I started keeping records. It picks up the cool yellow of the bicolored lantana next to it:



















The first blooms on the heartleaf skullcap:


















The second plant I bought for my back garden, bicolored lantana. The butterflies love it:



















A peachy pink verbena:














Next to the peachy verbena, Rainbow Knockout:


















My newest rose, Republic of Texas. Another rose? How could I not grow a yellow rose in Texas! I really wanted to try Stephen F. Austin, a gorgeous cross between Carefree Beauty and Graham Thomas, but it was too big for the space I had. Republic of Texas should stay under 3 feet, and work well with Rainbow Knockout and Rosette Delizy, which are in the same area. The color is usually more saturated than this.














Sad, pitiful acanthus mollis:


















Cleome, which I've never grown before:


















Ah, nostalgia. Bachelor's Buttons, aka cornflowers. This shade of blue is especially intense at twilight:


















Grasshoppers are also blooming in my garden this month:













The head gardener:

13 comments:

Carol Michel said...

Lori, Your garden looks like a beautiful place with lots of variety. Even the "head shot" didn't creep me out too bad!

Thanks for joining in for bloom day!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Bramblemoon Farm said...

Beautiful Blooms! I like the skullcap-- unusual. Thanks for the pic of the bachelor buttons, reminds me I need to plant some!

Annie in Austin said...

Hi Lori,

It's good to see all the interesting plants that you're growing - I also admired the Stephen Austin but didn't realize it could be a 6-foot rose! I hope the Republic of Texas will be a winner in your garden. As newlyweds in grad school, Philo and I planted Cleome so it's a nostalgic flower to me - they called it Spider Flower in SC because of the way the seed pods form.
The head gardener didn't scare me - but it looks pretty dramatic!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Lee17 said...

Oh! the bachelors buttons are sooo blue! Very pretty ;)

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

The Head Gardener is too cool! I like your magenta Verbena & the bi-colored Latana too. Your Acanthus doesn't look bad to me (we can't grow them here reliably).

Cindy, MCOK said...

Lori, as a native Texan, I may have to check out that Stephen F. Austin rose. The Republic of Texas is mighty pretty, too. Lots of nice things going on in your garden!

Unknown said...

lol... I like the "head gardener!" And that intense verbena is wonderful.

Lori said...

Carol - Thanks! I cropped the head shot on purpose to make it less creepy. ;)

Brenda - The skullcap is new for me. I admired it in Pam's and Lucinda Hutson's garden. I'm hoping it'll fill in the many bare spots in the shade of the crape myrtles.

Annie - I was pretty bummed about Stephen F. Austin. I drew and redrew my front yard plans trying to find a spot to wedge him in, but it just wasn't happening. Luckily, a more appropriate yellow rose called my name. I'll have to take some pictures of how it changes color in the heat-- it went from a more Julia Child-ish (heh) yellow when I bought it to a yellow-tipped pink the first time it got hot, and then to the kind of faded yellow you see in the picture. :)

Lee - Sometimes I wish I had more space, because then I would make a garden with only blue flowers with purple and grey foliage for contrast. Lots of bachelor's buttons, winter germander, and plumbago. Someday...


Mrs. McGregor's Daughter - You should see how the butterflies flock to the lantana. I plant a lot of butterfly plants, but that seems to be the overwhelming favorite. The acanthus mollis I plan to move to a shadier spot once it's done blooming. It wilts pathetically to the ground every time the sun hits it.

Cindy - I hope you look into Stephen F. Austin. I've had to resist the urge to try growing it in a pot every time I've seen it in bloom. Then at least I'd be able to grow this rose vicariously! ;D

Blackswamp Girl - No joke is too lame for me to make it. The verbena was an awesome surprise, I agree. It plays well with the purple-leafed stuff I have planted around it. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Lori,
Really stunning photographs! - you have a good eye for composition. I enjoy reading your blog - keep it coming!
PS. I like the "creepy" head shot - it is one of my favorites!

Regards,

Philip.
(ESP)

Anonymous said...

your flowers look gorgeous! I can't wait to have a garden that is so full of blooms! some day! part of gardening, I'm learning is LOTS of patience.

beautiful blog!

Miranda Bell said...

Hi Lori - I just discovered your blog through May Dreams Gardens - and picked up on your comment about liking the wild/abandoned garden look - and thought you might like a peak at ours!! I live in Northern France and it seems that we're quite behind you in the gardening calendar in that the roses (of which I love) are just starting their season and you can never have enough of them!! Graham Thomas as you mention is a beautiful rose - also Arthur Bell - you'll find a recent pic on my last post!

You've got some lovely plants in your garden and will spend a bit more time later looking through...

Miranda

Wicked Gardener said...

The verbena and the acanthus mollis look like my kind of plants. We only have about a month of roses too, if that, and it is about over.

Lee17 said...

Oh! Bachelor's Buttons! I love those. I should plant some next year. I had those every year in my little flower garden when I was a kid ;)