Flower Power: GBBD May 2011

On the fifteenth of every month, May Dream Gardens invites us to share the plants that are blooming in our gardens.  Between the drought and high spring temperatures, many of my plants are either no longer blooming or are in the final stages.

Established Plants

A recent rain shower (thank goodness!) inspired the Pink Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes rosea) to produce a few blooms in celebration.  The first wave is fading, but others are still on the way.

In last stages of its bloom period, the Dwarf Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides 'Radicans') still has a couple of its fragrant blossoms open.  They tend not to last long outside, as they get snipped and brought inside so we can enjoy their perfume.

Likely to continue going strong all summer, the pond plant Aztec Arrowhead (Sagittaria montevidensis) is already on its second bloom stalk.

Fading in the heat, I'm hoping that a good shearing will help the Anthony Waterer Spirea (Spiraea x bumalda 'Anthony Waterer') to produce another wave of the magenta flower clusters.

Moved deeper into the shade, the Red Dragon Knoweed (Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon') seems to be quite happy.  Time will tell as summer's heat has, in the past, made it look quite tired.  I'm hoping the increased shade will help it out during those times.

Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala), of course, can always be counted on to put on a show with its intensely pink blooms.  It tends to get lanky in my shade, so I must remember to shear them back on occasion.

Some of the initial flowers of the West Texas Mist Flower (Conoclinium greggii) are looking tired, but this is just the first crest of a summer long purple wave.

They don't last long, but the blooms of the Crinum (species unknown) are quite eye-catching when at their peak.  Already fading, it will sometimes produce a second wave of bloom stalks (here's hoping).

New Plants in the Garden

I am very pleased with the Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Alice' (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice') in its first spring in the shade.  Though it only produced two clusters of long lasting flowers, it has almost doubled in size - so next years show looks quite promising.

This is as close to a "flower" as Sparkler Sedge (Carex phyllocephala 'Sparkler') will ever get, but it was fun to discover the inflorescence while looking about the garden.

Potted Plants

Though starting to fade, the flowers of the Orange Kaffir Lily (Clivia miniata) are still showing intense color that catches the eye.

The only rose that has at least survived in my shady garden, I have never known the exact name of this Old-fashioned Rose.  It produces a few small blooms throughout the summer.

A pass-along from Robin (Getting Grounded) that I over-wintered inside, the Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) has not grown much yet.  But it has still been able to produce a small group of blooms.

Indoor Plants

Still going strong, the flowers of the Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis sp.) just seem to last forever.  The first couple of pictures are from plants that are just now opening their flower buds.  But the others have been putting on a show for over a month.

Tardies

Hit hard by this winter's extremes, only a single flower stalk is rising from the recovering Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus africanus).

Also recovering from the lengthy winter freezes, the Amaryllis 'San Antonio Rose' (Hippeastrum 'San Antonio Rose') are nonetheless producing several flower stalks.  Soon the red blooms will add color to this area of the garden.

Be sure to visit May Dream Gardens to see what is blooming in other gardens.

Planted in the Ground:

• Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora): Already had several on the left side of my front beds; finally got around to adding thirteen to the right side.