July Favorites Under The Bleaching Sun

Heat-loving Bougainvillea makes July more bearable

It's been a consistently hot July, though we on the coast have been spared the worst of the misery--inland has been far more hammered by heat.
Sun damage on the Stephanotis, but flower buds, too.
   Despite the sun bleaching everything green to a tired version of its spring beauty, a few plants still bring July joy to a gardener's heart.   Bougainvillea glows in July.  Gaillardia holds up to heat, feeds bees and butterflies, and blooms on and on.
While the Hemerocallis production has declined since their May and June peak, they still offer fresh flowers every morning.

Even the roses are having a decent July.  Last year's devestating Chili Thrips invasion has not been nearly so bad.  Some careful spraying of the unopened buds with Spinosad, after the pollinators have gone for the day, has been more effective than expected.
And the Dahlias, of course.  'Funny Face' there on the left.  Heat loving rose 'Belinda's Dream' on the right. 
A big splash of hummingbird food from Aloe 'Cynthia Gitty', while golden Aloe Megalacantha continues to send out new flower stalks.  When did it start?  Four months ago? 

Sweet small surprise, the Zephyrantes flowers have been frequent this year.  
Salvia 'Amistad' may prove to be too vigorous for this garden, but we're enjoying it before it becomes a pest.
The Lagerstroemia 'Dynamite', just beginning the show, is usually an August favorite.  But how I can I ignore it today? 
 New Lagerstroemia 'Ebony Glow' (aka 'Black Diamond® Blush™'), too.
 Foliage--must mention the Kalanchoe beharensis out front, looking happy, sprouting fat new leaves, enjoying dawn to dusk intense sun, and reflected heat from a stucco wall and the asphalt street, and not minding that a bit.   Wish I could thrive in heat as it does.  
 Many more exceptional performers for July to be found at, and via links, at Danger Garden

Comments

  1. It is hot this summer. Don't care for it at all.

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  2. What a beauty your july garden is bringing you. Beautiful.
    Have a wonderful day.
    Rosehugs Marijke

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  3. I wonder what brought out the rain lilies? Increased humidity maybe? Mine haven't made an appearance since the winter rains. I don't know why but Salvia Amistad does well for several months in my garden, then abruptly dies - it's happened 3x in different spots so I'm guessing maybe it doesn't like my sandy soil.

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    1. Rain lilies? No idea.

      Huh. 'Amistad' is very vigorous here. Getting water?

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  4. Oh wow, I just added 'Dynamite' and the 'Amistad' Salvia to my garden. I have a bougainvillea too, just purchased at Home Depot at half off, and it is very small.

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    1. Great choices! The pure saturated color of both is just right. They look good together, too.

      Bougies have extremely fragile roots when small. When large, you can't kill them here.

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  5. Looking fabulous! Love the Aloe 'Cynthia Gitty' photo.

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  6. one comment: my roses are being denuded by rose saw fly larvae. Everything fro Pink Peace to mutabilis. Never happened before; my neighbors roses seem unaffected but the gardener ('yard janitor'--B.G.) probably uses Bayer systemic. Ive been blasting them with high pressure water but it hasn't helped stop their spread. Next, Spinosad--tough to get those underdsides.
    one question: can you chop back rhe Kalanchoe to force out lower growth?

    Your blog is a welcome spot of enjoyment in the daily inundation of MSH&G that is the 'news': Misery Suffering Hostility and Greed. POE is JLC&G--Joy, Light, Color and Grace! Thanks so much!

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    1. I've got quite a bit of sawfly damage here as well. Had hardly any last year. Spinosad safer for pollinators than Bayer. I try to avoid any spraying at all-usually predatory insects show up to a

      I don't know if I could top the Kalanchloe; I like the trunk on it. The Maireana will eventually surround it.

      Yeah, what a week for news, eh? Crazy.

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  7. That Kalanchoe is impressive. I'm assuming, now that the San Marcos site has taught me that those notches on the trunk are leaf scars, that yours is no youngster. Has it bloomed? (not that this is grown for its blooms)

    The SM site also reveals the existence of a hybrid called 'Fang', which is not only an irresistible name for Soupy Sales fans but also looks as if it would be fantastic ranged around the K.b. Have you ever encountered it growing or for sale?

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    1. Ain't that San Marcos site awesome? So much info. No, has not bloomed yet. Yes, leaf scars. It's...six or seven, having languished in a pot for too many years, and is way way happier in the ground. I never had quite the right spot for it until I redid that area of the garden. 'Fang' is fairly available here. The leaves are very cool with the wax-like drippy shapes coming off them.

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  8. I was checking the N'tl Weather Service stations in your area, and that does seem warmer than usual. Tough plants, all you're showing, at least to me and compared to what they are used to. I would post on this, but Leucophyllum everywhere in bloom fro our cool down / wet up didn't seem interesting to me.

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    1. I love my Leucophyllums. They've been good even without Arizona-level temperatures (thank goodness!).

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  9. Loved your photos. I needed a little pick-me-up since it's too hot to do much in my own garden. I just heard that Sacramento had 90+ degrees EVERY DAY in July--the first time this has ever happened.

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    1. Nice that you were able to get away to Iceland and Europe. 90F every day. Yikes.

      We are predicted to get that every day for the next week. Frowny face! Hopefully the prediction is wrong. Iceland sounds really good right now.

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