Saturday, August 15, 2009

August 15th - Bloomday

How the heck did it get to be August? It was just yesterday that I was watching the first canna tips bursting from the soil - now they are blooming. It goes so fast! This is our Rose of Sharon Hibiscus syriacus 'Red Heart' it's still little, having only been in the ground for this season but it is blooming its heart out.
The yellow Crocosmia is always a late bloomer, the C. Lucifer has started forming seeds before this one even gets started.
This red/orange Crocosmia (unknown variety) also comes later than the Lucifer. It's nice to have them appear just as the Lucifer is disappearingWater Canna bloom in front of Ensete Maurelli foliage
Unknown sedum about to bloom
Eucomis Oakhurst the blooms on this fabulous plant last for months and they make long-lasting cut flowers too. Occasionally a bloom spike will break off and that is my opportunity to bring it in the house and enjoy it there....it lasts forever!
The blooms on the Eucomis Pole-Evansii are also starting to open I LOVE this bright orange/red canna bloom
Another about to open
The Lobelia 'Queen Victoria' are starting to open, they would have been much happier with more water but I was feeling a little stingy and wanted to see how they would do with less.
The Hydrangea is starting to do it's color fade that I posted about in July. It was hurried along this year to to the unusual heat.
Blooms on the ginger mint. The bees adore these little flowers and get quite annoyed with me when I water the corn that is also in this planter.
After languishing in the shade the Datura is responding nicely to being brought into the sun. This small bloom should open in the next day or two. Hopefully there will be more!
My Chocolate Cosmos puts out the most amazing dark flowers, which really do smell like chocolate. Unfortunately the only one I could get a decent picture of was this one, on it's demise. The other blooms were so dark against the white wall you could only see an outline.
This unusual flower belongs to the Caladium plant nearby - but not in the picture. The foliage is a Euphorbia.
The name of these purple flowers escapes me, and since this is an old plant brought to this garden from my house in Spokane the tag is long gone. It's another plant that I grow for the foliage (which you can barely see) and tolerate the flowers.
As always visit May Dreams Gardens for the low down on what's blooming on August 15th around the world.

11 comments:

  1. Wow, your plants look so exotic and lush compared to the ones in my Texas garden. Thanks for sharing pics, and Happy Bloom Day!

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  2. lovely flowers! I had a Queen Victoria lobelia, and it disappeared. maybe I'll get another one and try again.

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  3. Your garden is all about fabulous foliage and form and texture, Loree, but you've got it going on with flowers too!

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  4. Liatris. One of my August favs. Very reliable plant.

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  5. Your flowers are mesmerising! I love the Chocolate Cosmo. Smells like chocolate too... wow what a flower!

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  6. So many in bloom right now, you're proving me wrong, you CAN have a foliage garden and a good size flower collection. I didn't even realize Caladiums bloomed. I adore chocolate cosmos, I used have some but let them slip away, I forgot I meant to plant more this year. I also like these as cut flowers, just one in a tiny vase to appreciate inside, and you don't miss it too much outside on the plant if you have a good blooming year.
    I wonder if my datura or brugmansia (bought earlier this year when I was feeling especially lazy in my record keeping) will be in bloom when I get back. I started to think nothing was going to happen with that.

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  7. That unusual flower and euphorbia foliage look splendid.

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  8. Thanks for the lush and lovely treat!

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  9. lisavollrath, thank you! Exotic is a HUGE compliment. And thanks for visiting!

    Mumm, the Queen Victoria lobelia are lovely, perhaps you should! I am a little sad at the lack of POW from them this year. I guess I learned my lesson and I should move them to a place where they get more water.

    heirloomgardener, thanks! Me too. God I hope it makes it through the winter.

    Pam, thank you! I went out to photograph thinking that there wasn't really much to show, I was pleasantly surprised and even deleted a few so my post wasn't 8 days long!

    Jenn, yep! You got it! I have one that blooms white too, but its blossoms are already gone. I don't suppose they are happy in Arizona are they?

    Stephanie, you should see if you can get a hold of some seed for Chocolate Cosmos!

    Megan, I first saw a Caladium bloom in a green-house and was surprised. Good idea with the Cosmos. Mine are in a difficult to enjoy place so bringing one in the house would be a good thing. I am totally blown away that my Datura is going to bloom, I had abused it so for most of its life. Hope you are welcomed home with a couple flowers.

    Thanks for stopping by Nicole!

    Ricki, "Lush and Lovely" sounds like a blog name...but perhaps on another topic. :)

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  10. You have a very distinctive mix of flowers.

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