Sunflowers

The volunteer sunflower patch really started blooming today!

Floral Arrangement Courtesy of Storm

Big storm last night took out my large zinnia plant. At least I was able to "rescue" it by turning it into a floral arrangement!

At least my storm damage had a pleasant end result, unlike these poor people in Lamesa...

SUPERthrive Experiment

I ordered some SUPERthrive on the recommendation of folks in my Lubbock Gardening and Plant Lovers group. I'm going to run an experiment on the Blanket Flowers along the front walkway. They are part sun / part shade in the summer, but they struggle with the heat, wind, and dry air.

Will treat them once a week with 1/4 tsp. / gallon water.

First treatment 6/24/2021 - These closest to the camera get the most full, late afternoon sun.

Blooms & Turf

Back yard flower beds...

Ruellia - Mexican Petunia

Ruellia blooms

Rosemary

Petite Knockout Rose

 

Petite Knockout Rose

Lantana with moth

 Rock garden...

Zinnia

'Moonshine' yarrow

'Moonshine' yarrow

'Moonshine' yarrow

Turf update: It's looking great!

Scott's Turf Builder
'Highlander' Bermudagrass

Potted succulents...

Mesembryanthemum Dew Plant and Kalanchoe

Hummingbird Seed Mix

A neighbor gave me this packet of hummingbird seed mix, and I'm starting to get some blooms! It has a mixture of things, some of which is new to me. So far I can identify four o'clocks, scarlet flax, cornflower, larkspur, and some kind of lupine. Some other things are coming up that I have not yet been able to identify - so surprise!

Cornflower

Scarlet Flax

Summer Blooms!

 

Red Zinnia

This is the volunteer lantana that came up shortly after B died...

'Confetti' Lantana

'Confetti' Lantana close-up

Red Yucca

Hesperaloe parvifolia

My mom dug up a bunch of red yuccas last year to divide and gave me several. One is blooming in the rock garden, and it is quite pretty, especially in the morning when the bloom is lit up but the background is still in shade...

 Red Yuccas are not "true" yuccas. Wikipedia tells me they are native to the Chihuahuan Desert. They are definitely heat and drought tolerant and produce beautiful, long-lasting bloom spikes which last for months.

Red Yucca close-up

Red Yucca close-up