Some Flowers Blooming This Morning in the Gardens August 5, 2021

 This is Beverley rose.  When it is opens the edges of each petal are dark pink and the centers of the petals are light pink.  Very pretty, and becoming a very popular rose.  Strong rose scent.

This is Pirates Pearl.  It is always in bloom.  I have it growing everywhere, and it reseeds.

This is a relatively new lantana with a rounded form, very different form compared to New Gold lantana.  This is one of the Bandana lantanas.  Not as vigorous.  This is its second year in my garden, not sure I'm sold on it although the color varieties are cool.

Another lantana, year two and still small.  It is  different color also in the Bandana series.

Duchess de Brabant rose.

White Pillar althea.

Obedient Plant

Butterfly weed.  I have a lot of this in the Star Garden.  A few are new plants, but most of it came up from last year's seed and several plants made it through the winter including the hard February freeze.

A fabulous althea called Strawberry Smoothie.  An excellent bloomer.

Reliable old cannas.

This is David Verity cuphea.  This cuphea is winter hardy.  The flowers are smaller than cigar plant which I also have growing in my gardens, Cigar Plant is not a great bloomer, and it only blooms for me in the fall.

Another canna.  I bought this at one of the big box stores, and it's one of my steadiest bloomers.  

Texas Hot Pink phlox and rudbeckia Goldsturm

Zinnias are blooming everywhere, but I only took pictures of a couple of them.

Obedient plant

Red shrimp plant, most years I get spectacular displays but so far not much.  It took a hit in the freeze.  I'm expecting a good show in the fall this year.

White coral vine in the Star Garden just beginning its bloom time.  The coral vine in the Rose Garden didn't come back this year.  Very strange.  I'm glad I didn't lose this one.  The white color is rare and not easy to find in nurseries.

Another canna.  Gorgeous.

Another photo of Obedient Plant, This time with their fantastic 'false dragonhead' tops on full display.

Heliopsis, a new favorite of mine.  Solid blooms for months.

John Fannick phlox, also a long bloom time.  I didn't realize until this year how long phlox blooms.  I am going to buy more next spring.

Another lantana, also Bandana.

This is castor.  Pretty round red spiny seed pods.

Mystic Spires salvia

Another new favorite of mine - Fruity Pebbles lantana with the gorgeous purple berry-like seed heads

Grandpa Ott morning glory

Coneflower

Wild onion

Thryallis - this shrub throws off a lot of seeds and I have lots of seedlings around the mother plants.  This shrub has to be cut to the ground in late winter, so it can be a pain if you end up with too many.

Rudbeckia Goldsturm August 5, 2021

 This stand of Rudbeckia Goldsturm in the front bed looked pretty this morning.  It's useful because it blooms in August.  Anything that will bloom in August is great to have in the garden.  This Rudbeckia will spread which I am fine with.  I love it.  It is not evergreen for me.  It goes dormant and comes back in late spring.  So in my front bed, that is a bit of a negative because I'm left with a bare spot through the winter and the beginning of spring.  But I have always loved yellow flowers.

In the picture below that is Rudbeckia Maxima growing next to Rudbeckia Goldsturm.  I'm letting the seed heads dry out so I can pass some seeds along to a neighbor.  Maxima is about to start getting beautiful again.  It makes wonderful grey-green mounds of big leaves (love big leaf plants) in the fall and winter. 

   

Sweet Autumn Clematis August 3, 2021

 For southern gardeners who have always wished they could grow clematis, this variety is perfect for you.  It has no problems with our hot summers.  It has a delicious scent.  And the beautiful white color looks so cool and pretty in the evenings and early mornings.  The seed pods are really cool-looking too.  I will take a picture of them this year, I forgot last year.  This is a strong climber.  I planted it last year, and it has completely covered this trellis.  I planted one in Mom's Garden last spring.  That one is in bud but still small.  I have to watch the moonflower vine growing next to it like a hawk so that it doesn't overtake the clematis.  The moonflower vines are bullies because I have a lot of manure in the soil.  Since I just made the beds last winter the soil is very rich.

Below, I have a few hops vines growing up the same trellis.  I thought it had disappeared - I think our climate is too hot for hops.  But it came back pretty strong, I assume due to the cold weather we had last winter, but that is pure speculation.  I only got actual hops flowers the first year I planted it.  I never got a single one after that.

August

 

The sky is blue, the fields in view

All fading green and yellow

Come let us stray our gladsome way

And view the charms of nature

The rustling corn, the fruited thorn

And every happy creature

- Robert Burns

August

Fairest of months! Ripe Summer's Queen!
The hey-day of the year,
With robes that gleam with sunny sheen
Sweet August doth appear.

- Richard Combe Miller

White Celosia August 1, 2021

 Well, more like a beige.  Of all the colors of celosia that finally took hold in my garden after so many attempts, why did it have to be this homely color?  It comes back every year from seed, I never know where it will spring up.