Blooms July 2022

Catharanthus roseus, looking so innocent
 

Pretty much a typical July.  "Round up the usual suspects!" 

Rose 'Rouge Royale', peeking around the corner:

Iochroma 'Purple Queen', hanging around:
Geranium 'Rozanne', safer locked up:
Ditto for Lobelia erinus:

Lagerstroemia 'Ebony Embers' on the lookout:


South African heath Erica speciosa, not keeping a low profile:
Russellia equisetiformis, living on the edge:
Another in the 'Ebony' series, 'Ebony Glow', taking aim at 'Fourth Of July' rose:
Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait', staying cool despite surveillance...

and trying on different disguises:
Oncidium flexuosum lives in the shadows:
 Aussies brought in for special work:  Grevillea 'Superb'...
and 'Moonlight':
All just the usual July suspects.  They start young in their chosen life...

...but beauty is no crime!  

 What's under surveillance in your garden this month? 

Comments

  1. That first rose looks good enough to eat. My G. Roxanne is in a traffic island in front of my house. The rabbits pass it by for better choices in the main garden so it is one thing I don't have to cage. It is big and happy. When they redo our street next year, I will have to find another home for it. I don't have a location where it will be nearly as happy.

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    1. 'Rozanne' never used to get eaten. I thought all my 'Rozanne's were just unhappy, until finally realizing they were being mowed to the ground. If I cage them they bounce back almost instantly. Tougher than she looks, 'Rozanne'.

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  2. I love the crape myrtles and the dahlias, of course. The rabbits eat Lobelia too? For some reason, they haven't done that here. I've had zero success with Geranium 'Rozanne' in my current garden but I can't blame that on the rabbits. I grew both 'Rozanne' and 'Biokova' with no problem in my former garden but both promptly dropped dead here (and I tried them in different spots). Maybe they might cope with life in a barrel....

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    1. I thought the Lobelia just didn't like it here, but as soon as one got caged it grew back. That one in the picture was down to just stem tips 1/2" tall.

      There are nice big lawns on either side, why are those rabbits not spending their time eating the grass instead of my flowers?

      The Dahlias have been a lot of fun this year. Making July bearable.

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  3. Well that's too bad that you have to put Rozanne in jail to protect her from the critters. Everything is looking splendid never the less !

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  4. I planted an iochroma! It has blooms but hasn't put on much growth yet. I noticed the crape myrtles were beginning to bloom at the garden center. I don't believe ours are yet.

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    1. Cool! I hope it does well for you. The hummers sure like the flowers.

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  5. I remember a few years back, a South African heath in full bloom took my breath away at the Seattle Flower and Garden show. I was very let down when I realized it was not zone hardy.
    Your Grevillea 'Superb' certainly lives up to its name.
    Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait' is elegant; I always wondered about the name though. They must have thought of the foam color rather than the coffee.
    Chavli

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    1. I'm thrilled the SA heaths are doing okay in my garden. They are quite special.

      The 'Cafe au Lait' has tan/brown coloration at times and can look quite 'Cafe' with a lot of 'Lait' in it. An older plant from 2 years previous will flower soon and may look more brownish.

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  6. Your typical July with the usual suspects is lovely. The Dahlias, in particular, caught my eye. I have to find little spots of sun to grow them in my mostly shaded yard. But they certainly are worth the wait when they bloom. Have a great week!

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    1. They do need a good amount of sunshine, but yes are very rewarding. Happy Gardening!

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  7. Lovely display. Does your Oncidium flexuosum live outdoors all year round, or just over the warmer months? Love the various disguises of your Cafe au Lait.

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    1. Yes, the Oncidium lives year-round in the 'Oshio Bene' Acer palmatum. It gets full sun in late autumn and winter when the Acer drops its foliage, and handles that without a problem. It came recommended as an easy outdoor orchid for this area, and it has proved to be so. We get just a few nights a year that might dip below 4C/40F.

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    2. Interesting, maybe it would work in my garden too - I’d assumed they were more of a tropical orchid, but your experience makes me want to try one here.

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    3. There's a species-orchid specialist in San Diego that I took a trip to visit in 2017. Asked him, "What is your easiest mount-in-a-deciduous-tree orchid?" The Oncidium was what he recommended. It is gradually growing from the wooden shingle it was mounted on, onto the trunk of the tree, and it flowers every early summer, so it seems fairly happy. Weak dose of liquid fertilizer recommended monthly in spring/summer, but I confess I'm forgetful about that.

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  8. Oh, that Catharanthus is just lovely!! Those little flowers remind me of one of my favorite serrata Hydrangeas (a very pale blue Cerulean Lace), but I'm sure it's a lot tougher than those are.

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    1. They love the summer heat and can take it easily without much water. They can live over if the winter is a warm one, but they look pretty bad until it warms up again in March. Excellent as a summer annual.

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  9. Replies
    1. Thanks! Dahlias are a lot of fun and very satisfying to grow, making summer a lot prettier, too.

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  10. I so love your Iochroma. Didn't think mine made it through the winter but when I cut it back stems still alive but it's refusing to leaf out. Time's a ticking. Will just have to enjoy yours.

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    1. The plant, the gardener and the local hummingbird population are all very pleased. Mine gets reflected heat from the house so perhaps that helps keep it warm.

      Good luck with yours--soaking and a dose of fertilizer do anything?

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  11. Rozanne's beauty still shows through the confinement. Fine selection of blooms!

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  12. Continues to amaze me what trouble the rabbits give you!

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    Replies
    1. Where are the coyotes, owls, and redtails when I need them?

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