Today is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, a monthly event hosted by Carol of
May Dreams Gardens to celebrate the flower power of our gardens. Last September, I complained that finding flowers for my Bloom Day post resembled a scavenger hunt. It's much the same this September, although some flowers present at this time last year, like the Japanese
anemones, Camellias and Salvia leucantha, have yet to make an appearance while other plants, like
Echinacea and Leucanthemum, have stopped blooming. After a brief but unexpected rainstorm a week ago, our temperatures soared over 100F (37C) and the hot Santa Ana winds have returned, sparking a fire in nearby Orange County. Given the combination of heat, dry winds, and reduced irrigation in response to our drought, perhaps it isn't surprising that most of the flowering plants in my garden are showing few, if any, blooms.
The most significant exceptions are 2 blue beauties.
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| Despite the heat, the second round of blooms on the Eustoma grandiflorum 'Borealis Blue' is more robust than the first |
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| Next year, I'm planting more of these in a broader range of colors! |
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| With periodic deadheading, Salvia 'Mystic Spires' keeps on pumping out new flower spikes |
There are a few other blue and purple flowering plants to be found, tucked into corners here and there but none have the presence of the Eustoma (aka Lisianthus) or Salvia.
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| Angelonia augustifolia |
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| Brachyscome 'Brasco Violet' has bloomed almost continuously since March |
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| I almost missed the blooms of the Liriope muscari |
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| The flowers on Salvia macrophylla aren't profuse but you can't miss that bright blue color |
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| The intense heat has scorched the leaves of Tibouchina urvilleana but not the blooms |
Yellow flowers demand notice, even when there are few to be found.
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| This Anigozanthos 'Big Roo Yellow' is new to the garden |
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| Succulent Bulbine frutescens have bloomed non-stop all summer |
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| Coreopsis 'Big Bang Redshift' is on its second run |
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| I showed this Phalaenopsis orchid last month but it deserves another mention - it keeps producing new blooms while sitting outside with only partial shade and haphazard watering |
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| Rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun' is trying to upstage Grevillea 'Superb' |
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| But the Grevillea can't be side-lined by anything |
There are some pink, red, white and cream-colored flowers too, if you look hard enough.
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| Gaura lindheimeri 'Snow Fountain' has come back after an infestation of aphids and mid-summer pruning, providing a nice complement to recently planted Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' in the background |
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| Hibiscus trionum started blooming in earnest following the little bit of rain we got a week ago |
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| Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl' is entering its peak bloom period |
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| Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' is in its glory |
There were even a couple of surprises as I searched high and low for flowers.
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| This unidentified Cyclamen, plunked in the side yard when I changed out the contents of a pot in late June, not only survived in the dry shade but has flowered ahead of schedule |
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| The Digiplexis I hadn't cut back yet is blooming again |
I also found signs of coming attractions.
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| Plectranthus ciliatus 'Zulu Warrior' is getting ready to bloom |
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| And the first few flowers have appeared on Tagetes lemmonii |
Before I close, as it's Monday and I usually post photos of a bouquet in connection with the "In the Vase on Monday" meme hosted by Cathy at
Rambling in the Garden, I'm appending photos of a bouquet I created from flowers collected from my garden as I conducted by Bloom Day survey. Cathy's vase post can be found
here.
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| A 'Buttercream' rose, slightly past its prime, is surrounded by Angelonia, Abelia, Bulbine, Rudbeckia, feverfew, ornamental oregano and sprigs of thyme |
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| A closer look at Rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun' and Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark' |
That's it for September's floral round-up. Hopefully, temperatures will cool and my garden will rebound in October. In the meantime, please
visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, the host of the monthly Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day event, to see what's in bloom elsewhere around the world.
