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Saturday, May 15, 2010

GARDEN BLOGGERS' BLOOM DAY MAY 2010

I can't sleep. The rain is pounding on the roof and thunder crashing all around. It is 4:30am on May Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Although it is going to be a soggy one here in central Texas every gardener is celebrating a good garden soaking. The wine cups and ice plant that have wowed my garden for weeks will likely not be opening today.

Our native Clematis pitcheri will still be open because unlike the more showy open flowered clems. this one has rather waxy petals.

Ever since a packet of Brachyscome or Swan river daisy seeds came in a magazine I have grown this annual. I can't get enough of the tiny purple and white flowers. Open pollinated so I can save the seeds from year to year.

Another year with my gorgeous mounding Wright's skullcap, Scutellaria wrightii. This one has solid purple flowers which is rather unusual.

The more usual is two toned.

Although blanket flowers are blooming everywhere, most are the single petaled variety.

Only one of the fluted form appeared between the pavers in the vegetable garden.

What a surprise I had yesterday when I spotted this pomegranate flower and it is not on my big pomegranate tree, which has been flowering for weeks. This one is on a tree I grew from seed. Of course it is in the wrong place; an impossible place.

It was just in temporary spot and I had every intention of moving it this winter but didn't get round to it.

If I don't do it next winter we will soon be unable to walk down the path.

I think we will be seeing a lot of these this week. Happy Bloom Day.

16 comments:

  1. Hiya,

    Didn't know the skull cap was a garden plant.We have it growing wild down by the Thames. Never saw it with such lovely bold flowers. Warmth and moisture: your garden will be a treat all summer.

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  2. Love the purple Skullcap! I've had the ordinary pink, but I'd be tempted to put it back in my garden if I ever come across this one....it's beautiful!

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  3. Has that rogue pomegranate grown so much in just one year? Must really want to LIVE on your rocky slope. I hate it when lovely plants have to be grubbed up - seems such a pity.
    Lovely bloomday post - thank you, all those hot colours make me feel ready for summer (still a while to go yet here in London).

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  4. Your garden still seems filled to the brim with lovely flowers. I hope the winecups I bought this year will look as nice someday as yours do now. I've never had any luck with winecups. But then, I've never had any luck with butterfly gaura and I finally have some blooming this spring. Planting it in the fall rather than the spring seemed to be the trick.

    PS. The nigella you gave me is still flowering beautifully. Thanks so much.

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  5. We had a major storm in the Houston area yesterday and we, too, are celebrating the fact that our parched gardens got some much needed rain. Your garden looks gorgeous. I love that little skull cap, I've never seen one before, but it's just lovely.

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  6. Ruth- Thanks for visiting on bloom day. Sometimes mother nature just plants the perfect plant in the perfect spot.
    Joco- it is a native wildflower but lots of my flowers are natives. They are so much easier to grow and they reseed themselves.
    Scattered gardener. The plant is in its third year fro a load of seed pulp I just threw onto the ground. it is in the veg bed. I must get it out when it goes dormant in the winter.
    MSS- WIne cups- Don't even mention them. I yanked loads out the other day. They were taking over. So many seeded this year and they are just too big for the sunken garden. Glad you are enjoying the nigella. I love it too.

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  7. Your garden is always fun to visit, Jenny - and I like Wright's skullcap, too. Actually I like it so much I've planted half-a-dozen of them but they want your gravel paths, not my soil! One plant has managed to survive by the mailbox with a few flowers but are they two-toned? Have to look closer tomorrow.

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  8. Scutellaria wrightii is beautiful with a perfect shape! I love it!
    Brachyscome are one of my favorite plants, appear delicate but they are really hardy.

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  9. Your garden is so lovely Jenny! Do you put out winecup seed yearly or is it coming back on it's own? I really love that double blanket! I get the regular variety year after year...Great show!

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  10. It is all so lovely Jenny. Thank you for sharing. Glad you got some rain.~~Dee

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  11. Lucky you to be getting all that rain! (I'm starting to think it's our turn for a drought this year, eek!) The wine cups and ice plants look great together. And I love that clematis (it's hard to find though, right?).

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  12. Your garden looks so inviting! Thanks for visiting mine on Bloom Day! Pam

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  13. Great pictures. Your Wright's skullcap is one the best I've ever seen. How do you do it?

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  14. Annie- You are right they really love the gravel and I think they like having their roots underneath the stones. I will be very sad when the mounding skullcap dies.
    Yolanda- I wish the brachyscome would just reseed itself but it never has done. I have to start them myself.
    Conscious gardener- last year they seeded all over the place. I am not sure that the sunken garden is the right place for them because they sprawl too much. I have cut them back in some places because they were taking over.
    Jean- Feat or famine over here too. After weeks of nothing we got over an inch. I am rejoicing. Hope your rain come s soon. They always have the clematis on sale at the Wildflower Center Spring sale. I picked up another one this year.
    Pam- Thanks for visiting my garden too.

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  15. Love the ice plant and the wine cups! I haven't planted ice plant for several years--thanks for reminding me to add some again this spring. The skullscap is a plant I've only seen a few times in photos; its blossoms are really eye-catching. Happy Bloom Day--it's always nice to meet another Rose:)

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  16. Thank you for sharing. You have a lovely garden. I love the brachyscome.

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