Agaves with Blue Daze (Evolvulus nuttallianus) and Pink skullcap (Scutellaria suffrutescens)
Since this is the only time Macro Monday and GBBD both fall on a Monday, I thought it fitting to do a lot of close-up shots.
Purple, blue, and violet/pink are my color mainstays. I mix a few yellows for a nice balance.
Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens & Lisa at Lisa's Chaos for hosting. Both are on my 44 Fabulous Flora Fanatics Blog Roll. Go visit when you get the chance!
Melochia tomentosa (in the chocolate family)
Setcreasea pallida with green leaf & purple edge.
Young Crepe Myrtle shoot blooms in front of Arkansas yucca. When you cut through a Crepe Myrtle root, the damaged root sends up shoots that are the same mature age as the parent. They can bloom as a one foot sprig! These are a beautiful nusance.
Kaempferia pulchra, also known as Peacock Ginger blooms all summer here.
Lantana trifolia 'Fruity Pebbles'
The unusual Oxalis triangularis grows wild in my zone 9 woodland garden. It needs a dormant period, then suddenly pops up again.
Ruellia nudiflora. I'm convinced there are two wild varieties ~ both a light and dark purple type. Or maybe we have two species growing side by side along the highways.
A new flower (Oxypetalum caeruleum) I'm trying with soft fuzzy leaves and these heavenly blue flowers. It sprawls all over the other plants. A drought tolerant member of the milkweed family.
A bromeliad called Neoregellia 'Midnight'.
Probably native Ruellia humilis (groundcover with hairy leaves and stems)
More purple leaves of Tradescantia.
Angelonia reminds me of tiny orchids. I love this plant!
Wisteria is blooming for a third time this year.
Here's one of the yellows I talked about. This is Mussaenda luteola.
My Blue Agave garden. I want to mention that Houston is now on mandatory lawn watering restrictions(twice weekly). Good-bye green grass. Though small, I have one of the last green lawns on our street. I will still water the flower beds. The 2011 drought is breaking all known records and has now surpassed the drought of 1917 by 5 fewer inches of rainfall at this point in the calendar.
Normal yearly rainfall: 48 inches. So far this year: 10.83 inches.
AND FINALLY......
"The Secret Rooster?"
This week, we've heard a muffled 'ur-ur-ur-ur-errrrrrrrrrrrrr' first thing in the morning and suspect that our Nina is really a NED!
We'll have to give Ned back if those feathers turn into rooster feathers. That leaves us 5 hens...as long as there are no more surprises!
David/ :-)
Houston, Texas
Oh dear! That ur-ur-ur-ur-errr doesn't sound like a Nina! Or maybe she's just a very gifted hen!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly do have some fabulous waterwise drought tolerant plants. I grow quite a few of them myself over here, so I recognise the Scutellaria, the Evolvulus, the Mussaenda and the Angelonia ... all can do without water for periods of time.
We're always on Level 1 watering restrictions here, which means we can only put on sprinklers every second day for a couple of hours in the early morning and a couple in the early evening.
We have similar yearly rainfall averages to you - ours is around 43 inches - and we've had years when we only got around 18 or less, so I can understand exactly how hard it is on the garden. Here's hoping some rain arrives for you soon!
Wow! What a great garden you have! And I'd say Nina sure looks like a Ned!
ReplyDeleteWow - really marvelous macros!! :)
ReplyDeleteYour agaves look great...looks funny for houston however. used to seeing giant liriope, begonias, and palms.
ReplyDeleteThat's tropical all right! I always wonder what it would be like to have a little more water and a little less frost...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Love the colors! Happy bloom day.
That is a very beautiful garden. The flowers are all very pretty.
ReplyDeleteI love your agaves as well... have noticed they are becoming more available here, but of course would have to be wintered inside... L
ReplyDeleteLove your combinations of agaves and blooms. The colours complement each other.
ReplyDeletePoor Nina - does look a bit masculine. It's a pity roosters can't keep their mouths shut isn't it.
Great, colorful shares this week!!! I especially liked the young C. Myrtle in front of the tropical fan palm frond!!! Very dramatic.
ReplyDeleteBRONZE LONGHORN is my Monday Link...stop by if you can.
so many beauties here...I think that first one (related to chocolate!!!) is my favorite though.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love the combination of the Crepe Myrtle and Arkansas yucca.
ReplyDeleteHappy GBBD :)
NIna may just be unusually talented. Have you seen the barking cat? :D
ReplyDeleteYour blue agave garden looks wonderful despite the water restrictions as do all your posted flowers. I can't believe they've lasted through the heat and drought. Amazing!
I been hearing what drought you folks been having out your way and I'm sure you have but ain't effected your plants none, they're gorgeous. Might have effected your utility bill though, effected mine that's for sure....:-)
ReplyDeleteVery nice collection, David! I need to invest in some pink skullcap for sure. I love the blue daze, it's an annual here. Austin's been on twice weekly watering restrictions for what seems like forever; it's expected we'll go to once weekly watering next month. That's when I give up! Happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a gorgeous garden! I am in love with the second photo! Your rooster, lol. :0)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous flowers, David. I like the Lantana trifolia..very cool foliage! I've only seen Lantana camara here, it's commonly planted on roadsides, a lovely hardy plant..
ReplyDeleteGreat flower shots! Is the Neo 'Midnight fairly hardy in Houston? If so i might have to pick up one for myself! By the way, we have twice a week watering restrictions i=here in jacksonville and the grass looks just fine as long as it's cared for. Some other plants suffer, but I'm sure that all of yours will do just fine!
ReplyDeleteAll photos are simply gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the Angelonia that looks like an orhcid.
Cassy from Acoustic Guitar Lessons