We're in the midst of a heatwave and that, combined with our water restrictions, is making it hard to find blooms fit to photograph or exclaim about. In prior years, I complained that my September Bloom Days felt like scavenger hunts. This year, that's how August feels. There are some bright spots of course.
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| Gaillardia grandiflora 'Arizona Sun' and look-alike 'Goblin', shown here with Grevillea 'Superb' in the background, continue to pump out new flowers with regular deadheading |
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| The flowers of Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' and Cuphea x ignea 'Starfire Pink' may be small but they're plentiful and unstoppable |
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| Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' is grabbing attention at stations throughout the garden |
While most of the
Eustoma grandiflorum (aka Lisianthus) that has graced my garden beds have hunkered down in response to the heat, there are signs that the pink form is poised to make a come-back.
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| Eustoma grandiflorum 'Echo Pink' has already begun producing new blooms |
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| And, if the heatwave doesn't shrivel the buds, there should be plenty of flowers to follow |
Most of the yellow sunflowers have fallen prey to the heat and water limitations but the red sunflowers I planted from seed continue to provide a bright spot in the vegetable garden.
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| All the Helianthus annuus seeds from a mix labeled "Drop Dead Red" have produced flowers in the same dark red color |
Meanwhile, some plants, like the
Fuchsia thymifolia I was foolish enough to add to my garden in early spring, have turned to toast. Even the stalwart California native
Solanum xanti, which has bloomed non-stop since November, is taking a rest. Otherwise, there's a little of this and a little of that scattered about the garden. I've organized my photos into color collages again this month.
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Top row, left to right: Abelia 'Confetti', Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' and Echinacea 'Pow Wow White'
Middle row: Gaura lindheimeri, Gazania 'White Flame' and Hibiscus trionum
Bottom row: Pandorea jasminoides 'Alba', Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom' and Plumeria (no ID) |
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Top row: Achillea 'Moonshine', Coreopsis 'Redshift' and Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Peach'
Middle row: Gazania 'New Day Yellow', Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' and Grevillea 'Superb'
Bottom row: Tropaeolum majus, Salvia lanceolata and Zinnia |
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Top row: Abelia x grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Bauhinia x blakeana and Bougainvillea (no ID)
Middle row: Cistus x pulverulentus 'Sunset', Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' and Pelargonium peltatum 'Dark Burgundy'
Bottom row: Pentas 'Nova', Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' and Scutellaria suffrutescens |
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Top row: Campanula primifolia, vareigated Caryopteris (no ID) and Duranta (no ID)
Middle row: Hemerocallis 'Indian Giver' (back for a brief return engagement), Limonium perezii and Polygala fruticosa
Bottom row: Salvia 'Amistad', Thymus serphyllum and Tibouchina urvilleana |
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| And finally, a scattering of succulent flowers (clockwise from left): Portulaca 'Carrot', Aloe 'Johnson's Hybrid', Echeveria flower (no ID), Echeveria pulvinata 'Ruby' and Hoya carnosa (no ID) |
For more floral fanfare, visit Carol, the host of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, at
May Dreams Gardens.
All material
© 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
