June GBBD

It's been *so* hot and *so* dry here in South Texas lately that not much is blooming.  But yesterday my Texas Star Hibiscus presented its first bloom and it is gorgeous!

Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming in others' gardens on this June Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

And in keeping with our recent mantra this dry, hot Texas summer, Pray For Rain!

Star Hibiscus Awakens

This is a beautiful Texas Star Hibiscus plant that I blogged about last summer.  Again, this past fall, I cut it back, set it in the greenhouse, watered it regularly and waited for spring.  And again, it didn't disappoint me.  It seemed like overnight, this beautiful plant burst from its winter sleep and grew seemingly four inches!  It's one of the prettiest plants that live on my back patio during the summer and I'm so happy to see it wake up!  And I can't wait to see those gorgeous red flowers.  The hummingbirds love them too :)

 

Violas

...aren't they lovely?

I was at the nursery last week looking for a burst of fall color to put in my copper planter boxes that line the brick walls on my back patio when these beauties caught my attention.  They are Sorbet Black Duet Violas and when I saw them, I was hooked.

The Sorbet varieties tolerate cold weather better than other violas and here in the hills where the temperatures can get pretty chilly, that's important to me.  The plants are compact and are ideal for edgings or containers.  Plus, they just look so cheery and lighthearted to me.  Since I planted them, every time I'm out on the back patio (like every single day), they simply make me smile :)  

Texas Star Hibiscus

Just look at this beauty!  It's a Texas Star Hibiscus (or Scarlet Hibiscus), Hibiscus coccineus, that I bought at a plant sale last summer.  It bloomed all summer long and when winter came along, I cut it back, put it in the greenhouse and watered it regularly.  I brought it out this spring, watered it just about every day, and look at my reward:

A few days ago, the plant began to show signs of imminent blossom so I grabbed my camera and began to document the process.  

This hibiscus is a slender, shrubby perennial that dies back in winter and re-sprouts in the spring and it must be protected from freezing.  As with most hibiscus, the flowers last only one day but new ones continue to open all summer and into the fall.  They do best in full sun but also need plenty of water to bloom.  The scarlet hibiscus occurs naturally in swamps, marshes and ditches, from southern Georgia and Alabama to central Florida and Texas.  Established plants can have one to several stems up to 7 feet tall. (Mine is about 3 1/2 feet tall.)  The five petaled flowers are brilliant crimson red and anywhere from 6-8 inches across.


It's an absolutely stunning plant (as you can see :) and I'm thrilled it makes its home on my back patio!

Wild Sunflowers

I'm not sure if it's due to the recent rain we've received, but the wild sunflowers are putting on quite a show.  They are everywhere on the property...standing tall and providing a great source of nourishment for the local bee population.  The goldfinches love them too!  Just thought you might like to see...

 

The tiniest bee... :)

 

Blooming Cactus

I think you all know how I feel about having the beautiful Texas hill country as the backdrop for my garden (and my life actually)...I'm truly blessed.  Living here allows me to witness the ever changing landscape of the Texas hills.  Like now...the cactus are in bloom and they are stunning.

The rains came at the right time this season and we are surrounded by beautiful blooming cacti.  I believe there are more than 100 species of cacti that grow in Texas, the widest assortment found in any state in the United States. Many are best known by such nonscientific names as blind pear, cow-tongue cactus, night-blooming cereus, Texas rainbow, tree cactus, early bloomer, and devil's head, so-called because its rigid spines are dangerous to the hoofs of horses and cattle.  I won't pretend to know the scientific (or nonscientific) names of all the species that grow around me.  I simply want to share with you their wildness and beauty.  I do hope you enjoy :)

 

 

Even the caterpillars love them!  Better they eat cactus blossom than my vegetables!

The Wildflowers Just Won't Quit...

...I mean seriously!  Thanks to the rainy fall and winter the wildflowers are just blooming continuously this year.  It seems when one type quits blooming and goes to seed, another equally beautiful flower takes its place. I was walking around the property a few mornings ago and was captivated by what I saw.  The fields are just blanketed with beautiful color and interesting shapes.  Just look at this:

 

 

 

 

 

And that beautiful patch of poppies that I wrote about a few weeks ago is still putting out beautiful blooms and this lovely flower had a visitor.

Again today, I was reminded how blessed I am to have the beautiful Texas hill country as part of my home garden.

Poppies and Roses

At this time of the year there is never a dull moment in my Texas hill country garden.  In my routine morning trek out to the vegetable patch, I made a wonderful discovery.  Right there in the middle of Mo's garden was this beautiful, tall, pink, perfect poppy blossom!  I couldn't believe it.  When I went to inspect it, I noticed that it was a big patch of poppies and that there were quite a few buds down in it.  Looks as if I'll have a show of poppies for a little while anyway.  Luckily it was a cloudy overcast morning, so with camera in hand, I began snapping away.  Look at this beauty.  Such a gift.

 

A few of you have asked me if those beautiful rose buds I posted a couple of weeks ago have popped yet.  Well, yes they have and here they are!

So much beautiful color in the garden during the early spring.  It is simply wonderful.