Bloom Day July 2019

 Big box store Canna

Rose 'Twilight Zone': 

Trachelium peaking.  Deadheading brings more flowers, from what I remember when I last grew it, some years ago. 

First Eustoma flower.  Poor photo, but cool flower! 

 Hunnemannia fumariifolia.  You can toss seeds everywhere, but they only sprout where they want to. 

 Big box store Daylily at noon

Rose 'Bishops Castle'.  Silvery in morning light, Pittosporum 'Ivory Sheen' behind.

 The three 'Bishops Castle's had a marvelous first flush back in May. and here they are again, just as good. 

 One of last year's purchased Big Box store Dahlias

 Pass along, unknown rose.  It's a stellar plant--pristine foliage, constant flowers.  Grew it from a cutting from a garden buddy, who got it from another garden buddy, who got it from her Mom's garden in Tennessee. 

 Lotus jacobeus

 Purchased a few months ago, Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero' is already flowering.  Monocarpic, but it has several offsets forming.  At least I didn't kill it.  I read Cryptanthus must be kept at the very least damp at all times, preferably steadily moist.  Drying out kills them.  I don't know if this applies to all Cryptanthus, or just some of them, but it is how I've been treating 'Absolute Zero'.  It's been faithfully watered, unlike a lot of the small potted plants on the patio.  Actually the small potted plants on the patio have been getting watered regularly again, because I'm constantly checking the Cryptanthus to make sure it doesn't dry out.  Huh.  How 'bout that? 

 The pale yellow flowers of Crassula pubescens match pale yellow areas of Agave 'Joe Hoak's foliage, and the burgundy stems accent the pairing.  Unplanned serendipity.

Down at the bottom of the garden, by the pergola, the Stephanotis finally looks like something.  I had it in a hot sunny spot for a couple of years, where it came close to dying.  It has recovered here and this past winter's perfect rain seems to have established it.

 I'm encouraging it to grow up onto the Pergola.  Eventually it might be impressive. 

 I've had various generations of 'Irene Nuss' Begonia in the garden since we move here.  Before we moved here, even.  Always a superb plant, there was a long stretch where it was dismal and I kept meaning to pull it, baffled by its steady decline.  

Circumstances led me to pull out the huge old woody Fuchsia next to 'Irene' first--whereupon I discovered there was a Fuchsia root 4" (10 cm) in diameter(!!!) running under 'Irene' sucking up all the moisture in the soil for itself.  I should have taken a photo of that root, because who can imagine a Fuchsia root 4" in diameter? 

But you know how it is when you are pulling something big out of the ground.  You just want to get it done and get the mud off your hands, knees, socks, shoes, face...of course I rooted several cuttings of the Fuchsia which are now growing elsewhere, as well as several cuttings of 'Irene Nuss', which are growing well, and even flowering at the height of 3". 

 After pulling the Fuchsia root, original 'Irene Nuss' stayed where it was, given the excuse it had for underperforming.  It immediately began to recover and is impressive once again, after what must have been nearly a decade of struggling.  Huh.  How 'bout that? 

 Another big box store Dahlia purchased last year

 First flower cluster of the year from one of the black-foliaged Lagerstroemias

 This July has been more mild than last year, the year before that, the year before that, the year before that...it has been more like the historic average.  So much still looks very good. 

A little June Gloom has lingered to keep July temperatures down a few degrees, making all the difference for the plants.  

Agave marmorata.  Note the bird at the tip top of the cypress on the right:

I've even once or twice sat under the pergola for a few minutes, because it wasn't unbearably hot.  
Then off to admore some other plant

 The neighbor's Magnolia grandiflora can be closely admired by standing on the retaining wall, which puts some flowers at exactly nose-height.  I get to enjoy the heavenly fragrance at full strength... 

 ...and watch the exuberant joy of the honey bees feeding upon it. 

Happy July flowers.  May you be feeling the same joy as those bees!  Bloom Day meme hosted by May Dreams Gardens.