Friday, September 16, 2011

A few lovely blooms.

I had not planned on posting for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (hosted by May Dreams Gardens) this month, as things are generally quite grim here in Central Texas. But last night as I wandered the yard tallying dying trees (!), I noticed - plants blooming!

We had a small break in the heat last week (followed by multiple 100 degree days this week), and with a little watering these few burst into bloom. What a welcome sight!

Texas lantana (Lantana urticoides or L. horrida) - I love this plant!
It seems to do best when conditions are worst, though these are the most blooms
I've seen on it this year. It is backed by spineless prickly pear and Lindheimer muhly
(about 1/3 of the size they should be).
Trailing lantana (Lantana montevidenses)


One lonely blackfoot daisy
(Melampodium leucanthum)


And the piece de resistance - Autumn sage (Salvia greggii). 
Perhaps fall is approaching after all!

8 comments:

  1. Your autumn sage looks better than mine. I do like it. Good year round plant.
    Hope you're right, and fall is almost here. I am SO tired of this heat.
    Stay safe...

    ReplyDelete
  2. OMG...that last shot of the Autumn Sage is breathtaking...glad you decided to do a GBBD post after all :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your salvia is amazing! And lantana seems to have survived all of the TX hardships this summer.

    I hope you all have a little rain soon. I have friends in Brennam and think of them often.

    Happy GBBD!
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  4. @ all - those two salvias are blooming, but the other 10 or so are not! After I posted this, a shower passed over - 2/10"!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Goodness - your Autumn sage has sure perked up! Knew they were tough plants - but they gotta be super tough this summer. Happy GBBD!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love lantana, too! Such a cheerful, non-demanding plant. But oh, my! Your autumn sage is just gorgeous! Congrats on your 2/10". Not a lot, but I hope it helps some. We are still waiting for rain to come this far east. Maybe in a day or two? (At this point, I don't really trust the weather man!)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Isn't it quite amazing that you have blooms giving the severe conditions your state has been enduring all summer! Nature is a real trooper that never gives up or surrenders! Your pink Autumn Sage is just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  8. @ RB, HG & Jennifer - Autumn sage is my most reliable and successful plant. Love it!

    ReplyDelete