08/06/08

Celosia and Phlox paniculata

Celosia

Celosia reseeds and multiplies in my front beds every year. The offspring seems to be a mix of Celosia 'New Look' and 'Punky Red.' When the temperatures in Texas hit above 105, this is one of those plants that keeps on going.

08/05/08

Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)

Year after year I tried growing Cleome from seed. No matter how many seeds I sewed, I always just got one out of many to germinate. This year I finally gave up. Low and behold they popped up on their own. Reminds me of the lesson I have to keep learning over and over - 'Let nature take its course!'

07/28/08

Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas Sage)

This is one of my favorite plants native to western Texas. I am fond of the grey foliage as it seems to combine well with everything. It likes a dry, well drained location. I pretty much never water it. I have three in my front beds that are each about five feet tall. They usually put on a purple flower show right before or after a rainstorm. There is a slight chance of rain in a couple of days so this morning when I saw the blooms I became more apt to think our summer drought may come to an end. (Low and behold - we did have a gully washer on Wednesday the 30th!)

07/23/08

Canna "Tropicanna" and Rose 'Belinda's Dream'

I love pink and orange flower combinations. At one time I had planned on doing an all Orange/Pink bed in the front garden, but could not discipline myself to just those color options. It is always fun when Tropicanna and Belinda's Dream are blooming simultaneously.

07/17/08

Leucanthemum 'Becky'

I love the simplicity of Shasta Daisies (Leucanthemum). 'Becky' was given the 2003 Perennial Plant Association's 'Plant of the Year.' I've tried to grow other Shasta Daisies but none performed even half as well as Becky. Another nice feature is that she multiplies abundantly. To read more about this almost perfect plant go to: http://www.perennialplant.org/ppy/03ppy.htm

07/16/08

Passiflora (Passion Vine)

A neighbor gave me cuttings of their passion vine a few years ago. In our zone, it comes back every year after going dormant in the winter. You know summer is in full swing when the vines burst into bloom. The flowers are amazing and the scent divine. Passion flowers were named for the passion of Christ. The filaments represent the crown of thorns, the ten petals are the ten faithful apostles, the five anthers the five wounds, and the stigmata represent the three nails.

07/15/08

Dame de Coeur

Winnipeg Parks

Graham Thomas

This has been a good year for the roses. Even though the temperatures started soaring upward early, most of the roses have continued to repeat. These three roses are all in the same bed and when they all bloom in unison they complement each other’s blooms.