A SUMMER of OLD FRIENDS & NEW: HAPPY GBBD

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens, gardeners from all over can invite the world into their gardens. This month has me thinking about those flowers that I call old friends; they arrive every summer to say hello and bloom for anyone who takes notice. On the other hand, I have a lot of NEW flower friends up in the front garden. They haven't quite figured out if they like the place or not. Only time will tell. So let's see who's blooming this fine June day. Oh, and this is a special summer since we have kittens. WARNING: Photos of the fluffballs will be popping up between the flowers.

This Crown of Thorns is an old friend. She blooms almost every month.

Surprises are everywhere this summer. Hey, Cricket, want to help me with this edition of GBBD?

Kitten: "Who me?"

Cricket is a new friend and adorable.

The show stealer for this GBBD is this old friend that I've had around for 12 years; the White Orchid tree (Bauhinia aculeata?)

After two dismal summers of drought, this year's rains have set off an avalanche of cascading blooms.

More kittens! Hey, that's my gardening basket!

After a family vote (4 yay, 0 nay), we decided to take in a surprise; a pregnant stray cat wondering around the garden back in April. Miss Missy Hissy  has graced us with 4 cute kittens. She also no longer hisses.

It's hard to compete with that much cuteness, but the fairly cute Cottage Garden is filled with new friends, including Agave titanota and some pink rockrose.

More kittens! The kittens play until they suddenly poop out. Hilarious!

They are all new friends.

Another new friend is Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'. It can root from cuttings and it blooms ALL the time.

The momma, Miss Missy Hissy, is one of the most devoted I've ever seen. She loves her kittens.

Speaking of love, the Salvias love Texas weather. I have tried about 10 types of Salvias over the years with just one being a clunker.

Here's Mealycup Sage,  Salvia farinacea. It was on clearance for a $1.50!

Mealycup is one of the nastiest names ever given to a lovely flower. Why not Purplechalice sage?

More kittens! That's Gandalf the Grey looking at you! With a face like that, how am I to get any gardening done this summer?

Back to some old friends. Some of my daylillies are over a decade old and still bloom each summer. This is a Bob Munson hybrid with a lovely watermark. It might be 'La Charmante'.

This Lantana 'Fruity Pebbles' is fast becoming an old friend. This is its second season in the garden.

Here it is with the Agaves and rosemary.

Melochia tomentosa is also a second year veteran and a keeper. I beg you to try it if you like charming purple flowers. It needs a common name!

How do you like my garden helpers? Oops, sorry to wake you,Little Bear.

 That's Gandalf the Grey on the left and Little Bear on the right.

Here are some new arrivals for the summer garden. In this heat, I usually put them in large pots to grow out the roots before transplanting. Plus, they look nice by the front door...sorta like an official welcoming committee. I'm eager to see how that yellow Melampodium will do.

I need to buy some more Convolvulus  'Blue Daze'. It's also an old friend and it blooms all summer.

And here's a nice little pollen bee on this yellow Gallardia 'Mesa Yellow'. The native Gallardia is red and yellow and not prone to disease.

Oh my! I think I need to go break up a 'fight'.

I'll close with a view of the new front garden that I started in February.  Hope you like it.

 Happy GBBD from Tropical Texana. Meow!

David/ :0)