after the rain

So, we've finally gotten some measurable rain down here in south Austin - two days of afternoon showers, in fact.  Sweet!  The lawn is looking much happier and the plants all seem to be breathing cool green sighs of relief.  I celebrated the rain and cooler temperatures by taking some pictures.

Cleome:

Gruss an Aachen, yet again. This is one of the few roses that has bloomed nearly nonstop for me this summer.  Its only two drawbacks in my experience are lack of fragrance and tendency to blackspot, though it quickly drops its yellow leaves and keeps on blooming:

Happy coneflowers:

A color combo I'm experimenting with as I wait for the perennials to fill in: potato vine, "margaritaville" yucca, and purple fountaingrass.

Moss verbena. A few days ago these bright violet blooms matched the blooms on the silverado sage.

And surprising me, Souvenir de la Malmaison, blooming in the rain. I hadn't even noticed a bud!