Favorites as We Move toward a Summer Garden



Sammy Russell daylily

I'm always glad when I can show more than one blossom.

The groundcover is dichondra. I let it grow or pull it

depending on my notion for a particular spot.

Salmon Sheen contrasts with Blue

Hydrangea against the white of H. Quercifolia.

Brugs remind me of Ballet Dancers

I've given them companions including

'Halcyon' Hosta just emerging.

'Siloam Ury Winniford' with Echinacea

A single white-throated Corn Poppy

among the dark centered ones. Papaver

rhoeas is scarcer than usual this year. Blame

the scarcity of poppies on a mild winter. I know

some P. somniferum died from hot sun as

very small winter seedlings.

 The first Black-eyed Susan blooms in front

of Calfornia poppies and Larkspur.

White California Poppy -- seed for this came

from Carolyn in California.

The cudweed in front could be a host for

a butterfly, or I could pull it.

Ratibida and Lantana montevidensis.

Ratibida can get weedy. Weedy flowers get haircuts when

they're out of control -- that works for me, too.

A good haircut always encourages me to behave.

When I went to the mailbox, I noticed how well yellow

Lantana is starting to bloom. As the yellow picks up,

lavender may cut back a little in the heat.

Larkspur, California Poppies and Ratibida.

Soon there will be Tithonia and Melampodium here as

seedlings are coming on quickly from last year's Tithonia seed pods

left on the ground where they were to grow. Melampodium are

self-cleaning, self sowing, heat and drought resistant. The only

thing about Melampodium is, butterflies find no nectar on it.

Butterflies are still infrequent visitors. Those who do visit find plenty of nectar and hosts.

Pipevine is plentiful in the far back yard. Asimina awaits Zebras. Many of the host plants here are self-planted. I contributed Parsley scattered throughout nectar plants for Black Swallowtails.

First Daylily might be Stella

I know better than to buy daylilies in a bag. It's how I met Sammy but it doesn't always turn out so auspiciously. These were supposed to be 'Little Women' -- a pink. Pink daylilies are apt to be somewhat melon colored but this one is definitely not pink. It bloomed for a long time last year so I suspect it is Stella or one of her offspring, maybe an unknown seedling but a prolific bloomer nonetheless. I moved the three clumps to the front bed where yellow fits in well.

We've been in a dry spell and I put off watering as long as possible. So long in fact that I almost lost some of the chartreuse alternanthera. So dry that pink poppy pods are already opening up. I cut some into a pink bowl so I could remember what they were. Now I need a red bowl and an orange bowl for later poppy pods and an orange bag for collecting California poppy pods.

The variegated Hydrangeas I transplanted will appreciate the rain shower (0.1 inch) we got. They were in a dry place under a live oak and never reached the size they should. Two are now beside the ornamental pomegranates. Halcyon hostas that match the gray-green variegation are yet to move. There is leaf mold to scoop up and then the mower can make a curving sweep under the live oak where Virginia creeper threatens to take over as evidenced in the pic below.

Hydrangea Mariesii Variegata pic from a previous year.

I grew these from cuttings, starting with 6 pieces that Miss Billie broke off  saying, "Here, stick these in the ground, they'll root. I killed 3 when I moved them after they rooted. When I moved two this week I took cuttings again.

I looked through Ruggiero's book Annuals with Style last night and Iversen's tropical plants book The Exotic Garden for new plantings with old favorites like alyssum and petunias.

.

Runners-Up in the Bloom Day Contest

It's hard to leave off some of April's Blooms when writing a post for Bloom Day. So many pretties, so little time for readers to go down the entire list before rushing on to the next glorious photos on another blog. I tried to show some of the more uncommon plants in my garden on the fifteenth while passing over some beauties. "I'll give you a whole post of your own later," I promised some while reminding the roses that they get shown off all the time.

One of two kinds of Larkspur, show with a poppy.

This one is more double, blossoms reminiscent of delphinium.

Single Larkspur with little bunny heads in the blossom if you look carefully.

TAMU calls this one Consolida ambigua 'Bunny Bloom'

Laura Bush Petunias and Sedum acre

Pentas cuttings are just getting started.

A few of last year's have new growth.

Verbena on a Stick and the first Corn Poppy.

Gerbera. Note the hole in the leaf; hail did that.

Poppies failed to make the cut because most of the petals have fallen,

leaving lots of decorative seed pods.

Sweet William seedling.

First blossom on White Dawn rose climbing on a rough cedar post.

My Original Bloom Day post is here: Sparkleberry and White Shrimp .

Popular Poppies

California Poppies are blooming in my garden as if they did not know this is a hot and humid climate. So far only one has flopped, a victim of last week's high winds.

Papaver somniferium has commenced bloom. We're waiting for Corn Poppies which show promise. There are no Iceland Poppies this year, an oversight that I will correct this fall by scattering many seeds. If I have Iceland Poppies, I can almost pacify my desire for tulips.

These two pics show the progression of a bed. Daffodil foliage is maturing, lantana foliage is emerging, Purple Heart has sprouted. I set out tiny chartreuse alternanthera cuttings.

Daylilies will bloom next month. Black eyed Susans have planted themselves about.

Farther down the row spiderwort makes a big show as it threatens the entire bed.

Larkspur is ready to bloom. Wind broke the first blossom.

Duranta has resprouted. Crepe myrtle has foliage and will bloom in summer. 

Poppies last for only a couple of days when the weather is warm.

The silk-like petals shed leaving attractive pods.