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September 15, 2011

September 2011 Bloom Day

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Ay yi yi, it's dry this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. First, a wide shot to show you a typical San Antonio lawn (it's my neighbor's) and my bright spot this bloom day, my lantana bed. I suppose the lawns don't look too bad... if it were January, but this is September and most turf is already dormant (or maybe dead).

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Last year, my lantana bed was twinkling with butterfly wings. This year, none. But I did see this guy.

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I just happened to catch the Pride of Barbados between blooms. It looks like spent fireworks, doesn't it? There's lingering beauty while it fades away.

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The dwarf plumbego seem fine. In fact, they actually spread a little this year. I planted them as a ground cover, but it will be many, many years before they form a solid mat.

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Two of my part-shade plants, turk's cap and liriope, are doing their part to add a little interest this bloom day.

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The pentas are happy now. This spring, I planted them in the backyard where the scorched zinnia (yikes! - it looks like a zombie, doesn't it?) are trying to make a go of it, but the penta were very unhappy. Since they can handle part-shade, I moved them to a pot in the front yard and they've shown their appreciation by putting on new blooms.

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The esperenza doesn't seem phased at all by the heat, nor the drought. It freezes back each year, but as you can see, it shoots up to full height in a very short time.

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This is the pride of my garden right now, blue pea vine. After keeping an eye out for it for three years, I finally found it in a nursery in June. I am very pleased with its flower and leaf color. The green has a cooling hue that adds a sense of peace to the garden.

To see what is blooming this month in other gardens, visit May Dreams.

A Small Favor
If you've read this far, could do me a small favor and vote for Blaze, the name I submitted for my industry's conference mascot? Anyone can vote; all you need is an email. If Blaze wins, I get a free registration at the meeting in Florida. Oh, wouldn't it be nice to fly over a place where green was the dominant color and "rain-starved" wasn't a phrase the weathermen uttered nightly.

11 comments:

  1. Where O where did you get the blue pea vine? I love it. I garden in the hill country southwest of Austin.

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  2. Hi Ann, I got the blue pea vine in a #5 nursery container at Rainbow Gardens in San Antonio in June. I think it cost me $24. When we sketched our backyard plans 3 years ago, we planned for blue pea vine, but I could never find it. When I finally saw it this year, I snagged it, even thought I had already planted an alternate vine in the spot I had in mind. The vine has some of the most true blue flowers in nature and I've been really impressed with the foliage color too. The only trouble is the bottom most leaves turn yellow if the plant starts to dry out. I hope the problem will solve itself once the pea vine has had more time to establish itself and Texas gets back to half-way normal rainfall.

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  3. Yikes...that is dry! Granted, here in Portland, by the end of summer, pretty much every lawn looks that way too! Love that blue Pea...gorgeous!!!

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  4. Love your Bloom Day images. I see that we do have a few plants in common. The Esperanza and Pride of Barbados have done especially well for me here close to Houston, as well.

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  5. Your dry conditions are exactly what we experience here for the six to nine month dry season we have every year. Right now the grassed area at my place if brown as it has been for months, so the sight of your drying grass didn't look out of place to me at all.

    You've got some lovely blooms in your garden right now. I love the white Pentas. I have a couple myself and it's nearly always in bloom here. I had to smile when I read that you're happy to have finally found a Blue Pea Vine. It's a weed at my place and I pull out loads of it every year!! I did like the look of that dwarf Plumbago. Now that's something I'll be looking for in the nurseries here.

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  6. Your bloom day pics are beautiful. Hard to believe anything is growing in this heat and drought. I love your blue pea vine. Thanks for visiting the Rambling Wren blog.

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  7. If you voted for Blaze, thank you. He won, and I will be going to Florida next month! Whoo Hoo. I'll take a camera and try to do a little blogging about the trip when I get back.

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  8. I can see why the blue pea vine is your favorite right now - that's some really intense blue. Happy GBBD!

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  9. Your blue pea vine really made a statement! I can see everyone else thought so too. I'm gonna have to keep my eye out for that one. Happy GBBD!

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  10. Update on the mascot contest. Blaze won, but evidently three people submitted that name and they did a drawing to see who would win the trip. It wasn't me. Bummer. But thanks anyway to those who voted.

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  11. I'm going to Orlando after all. Yay! Turns out the original winner has a schedule conflict and they offered it to me. Woot!

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