Sunday, June 8, 2008

Summer Colors

It is hot and windy outside! The temperature continues to stay in the upper 90's - low 100's and the wind doesn't seem to want to let up! And it is only the beginning of June. I think we are in for one long, hot, summer. My garden is already being overtaken by hot summer colors - yellow, orange, and red are dominating right now. Check it out:

Black-eyed Susan:



Yellow/Orange Cosmos:



A closer look:



Bulbine:



Native Lantana:



Mexican Hat:



A few of the Nastursiums are still hanging on:



Squash Blossom:



Scarlet Runner Bean - This one won't set beans until the weather cools down in the Fall, no matter though, I grow it for the fabulous red flowers:



Damianita and OH!, A blue flower! - Wrights Skull Cap:



Big Red Sage - This is a Hill Country Native that was once thought extinct, but thanks to the LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center it was rediscovered and brought back from the brink. Awesome!:



Here is a blue one - Agapanthus 'Peter Pan':

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You cosmos are so short, thick, and floriferous! Mine are just a few rangy, scrawny things.

And my nasturtiums were a complete failure despite my planting several packets at different times. I finally got one tiny flower last week just before the plants all dried up. What's your secret?

Anonymous said...

Our nasturtiums didn't do anything either. We probably planted too late.

I love all your oranges, and they always look great with blue. Did you see Aiyana's garden at Water When Dry? She planted an orange Tecoma stans with a 'Santa Rita'-like (purple) prickly pear in front. Awesome! It's a combo I'd love to try, but I've gone with reds and pinks instead of orange in my garden, and I'm not sure I could work it in now. Actually, I do have a couple of orange flowers, but they're subtle (for orange): bulbine and cigar plant.

Diana said...

Hey - those Cosmos are amazing. Love those colors in your garden. They go so well with everything.

Lee17 said...

mss,

I dunno what I did with the cosmos -I put the seeds in the ground and - Whala! - flowers. I did dig in a bunch of Dillo Dirt into that new bed. That is probably what did the trick.

As for the nasturtiums, I thought mine were looking awfully sad! They didn't turn into the monstrosities they do in the Northwest, that is for sure! They did ok though. I used the vining variety and maybe it does better than the bush types? I'm not sure. I think I should have gotten mine in earlier than I did though.I am going to plant them in January next year. Nasturtiums really dig cool weather.

Lee17 said...

Pam,

Santa-Rita Prickly pear with Orange tecoma stans would be outstanding! I would love a combination like that but I am not sure If I have room for it - I am gonna look though!

Lee17 said...

Diana,

Thanks! I was planning on having red corn poppies to go with my blue morning glories, but I planted the poppy seeds at the ENTIRELY wrong time of the year and the pill bugs destroyed them all. I am going to try again next year though!