GBBD LIST for August 16, 2011

For this Hot August GBBD list, the blooms in my garden may be few and small, but bees and birds and insects can still find a little pollen and nectar if they look hard enough. And since this Stapelia produces an aged-meat scent to attract its pollinators, even flies have their own flower:
What's happening:

Abelia chinensis - a few random flowers on the shrubs near the secret garden

Abutilon hybridum 'Patrick's' - just 1 stunted flower - plant is in a container in secret garden

Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii - Flame acanthus flowers don't last long so hope hummingbirds work fast

Asclepias curassavica Tropical milkweed - half-a-dozen plants in various stages of bloom. No monarch cats - but the bees & milkweed aphids like them

Buddleja lindleyana - still making flowers in shade where live oak gets watered

Calibrachoa hybrids - very stressed, with pale leaves, but both plants have a few flowers

Clerodendrum ugandense Blue Butterfly clerodendron - in patio container. Runoff goes through gravel to roots of pecan tree.

Coreopsis 'Creme Brulee' - didn't bloom last year - moved a chunk to new back wall bed.

Cosmos sulphureus? Orange reseeding cosmos - the birds eat the seeds as soon as they form

Cuphea llaeva Batfaced cuphea - one plant died, one blooming OK

Cuphea llaeva pink & lavender - bees love it so I soak it to keep the tiny flowers coming.

Cuphea ignea Cigar plant - just a few flowers

Datura inoxia? In container - one flower

Dianthus - this container with a couple of plants of red 'Telstar' hybrids is hanging on! (Other plants had lasted for several years in hanging baskets but they gave up this summer.)

Dicliptera suberecta, Uraguayan firecracker plant- tired but still blooming

Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' - some tiny flowers but very stunted plants compared to last year

Evolvolus 'Blue Daze' - one plant almost dead, one near birdbath very happy

Helianthus spp Native sunflower - buds, blooms & seedheads in all stages of development. Finch haven.

Justicia spicigera/ Mexican Honeysuckle - wasn't blooming last month. Blue salvias not flowering and the Mexican Honeysuckle is a hummingbird plant so I started watering it regularly - now many orange, tubular blooms

Lagerstroemia - most of the crepe myrtles have at least a few flowers. Ordinarily I would dead head, but some birds eat the seeds so I've left the seed pods develop this year.

Lantana, unknown varieties upright lavender and trailing white in front hanging on

Lycopersicon lycopersicum, tomato flowers - a couple of flowers on 'Mexico Midget'

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii/Turkscap or Red Wax Mallow - not great but has flowers

Melampodium leucanthum / Blackfoot daisy some flowers

Pelargonium 'Fantasia Salmon', grown as houseplant in breakfast room window - always in flower

Perovskia atriplicifolia - Russian sage - most bloom is like dried flowers, but a few wands fresher

Plumbago auriculata - the two Blue Plumbago plants have flowers also have some brown branches

Poliomintha bustamanta, Mexican Oregano - one of three has flowers. Alive but even this tough plant is battered

Rosa 'Mutabilis' - looks like a couple of buds forming on the one in patio pot; one in front very stressed.

Rosa 'Red Cascade'- One spray of flowers near bird bath where it gets water and afternoon shade.

Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes' - the flowers are small but still coming because I soak it - birds need seedy plants

Russelia equisetiformis, Firecracker plant - one plant new buds opening

Salvia coccinea - buds on patio plants.

Salvia farinacea, a few flowers

Salvia greggii, there are some flowers on the plants in the triangle bed with the cosmos. The other greggiis just surviving

Scutellaria suffrutescens - only one of the cherry skullcaps has a few tiny flowers. The other skullcaps in blue, white and pink are not blooming, but at least seem to be alive

Stapelia - there is one open flower & 2 buds on one of the plants

Tetraneuris scaposa, four nerve daisy Hymenoxys a couple of flowers on plant near bird bath

Torenia fournieri hybrids - lost one plant, surviving Wishbone Flower has a couple of flowers

Vitex agnus-castus - 3 little flower heads


Zephyranthes 'La Bufa Rosa' above - I have them in beds and tucked into containers all over the place so a couple of flowers appear somewhere each day

Zinnia linearis alba not bouncy but alive & with flowers.

ENDANGERED STATUS

The "Vegetable garden" is down to a couple of containers with peppers & cherry tomatoes

The vintage 'Provence' Lavender plant that grew in a patio pot for at least 8-years looks dead

Pineapple sages not happy - one looks alive, one stressed, one dead

Most salvias barely alive or else looking dormant, including Salvias guaranitica, ''Black and Blue', 'Hot Lips', 'Coral Nymph', 'Nuevo Leon'

Cooking Sage/Salvia ready to croak any minute

Cercis- Texas Whitebud in front down to a few yellowed leaves... poor tree may not make it.

Scaevola - Fan Flower was torn to pieces by squirrels

Brugmansia looks dead - it was already stressed from record cold temps last winter

Gulf Penstemon looks dead - Hellstrip is living up to its name

Monarda disappeared

Pink Gaura lindheimeri disappeared

Columbines looking bad

Fan palm looks dead

Palmetto fading fast

Native & Japanese painted ferns disappeared - hope they are "Aestivating"!

A summer without moonflowers - planted 4 times since early spring - never germinated

Cypress vine grows, but there are never any flowers. Now wondering if the finches are eating the buds ... I have seen them snacking on the buds of a Salvia coccinea

With the August 2011 list now on record - now off to post at The Transplantable Rose, my main blog.

GBBD LIst for September 2010

Every month Carol of May Dreams Gardens asks us to tell what's blooming in our gardens. The main Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post will be found at The Transplantable Rose... here is the list with botanical names*.

Some of last month's bloomers have dropped off the list - a few have dropped off permanently. Here's what's in bloom now:


Abelia chinensis/Abelia, four white shrubs - fresh bloom after rain.

Abelia chinensis two medium-sized pink shrubs, light bloom

Abelia chinensis 'Edward Goucher' smaller pink shrub, in bloom

Abutilon hybridum 'Patrick's', think it's named after Patrick Kirwin - buds and flowers

Allium tuberosum, Garlic chives in flower

Asclepias curassavica, tropical milkweeds - in bloom & covered in aphids

Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Gold' gold cultivar of tropical milkweed - a few ratty flowers

Buddleia davidii Pink Butterfly Bush - a few buds, not open

Buddleja lindleyana/ Weeping butterfly bush - a few flowers

Callisia repens AKA Tradesantia minima, inch plant

Canna X generalis burgundy leaved - one flower

Capsicum annuum – garden peppers - many flowers.

Capsicum annuum are also the wild bird peppers, Chile pequin- some in bloom, some with tiny peppers

Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl' are lovely dark purple ornamental peppers, upon which some bird or critter has been chomping, so they are not very ornamental.

Catharanthus roseus - annual vinca- white- one survivor in hanging basket

Clematis unknown hybrid, purple flowers - attacked by insects but has buds and flowers

Clerodendrum ugandense – Blue butterfly flower. AKA Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense' AKA Rotheca myricoides 'Ugandense'- my new plant in a container is winding down after being in in bloom for months; the one in ground for a few years finally recovered from winter and looks lovely.

Clitoria ternatea- annual vine-the Blue Butterfly Pea, many flowers

Conoclinium greggii, Gregg’s Mistflower - a few flowers and buds in front garden

Cosmos sulphureus, reseeding annual. Most of the original plants died after the rain, but seedlings had sprouted and those small plants have flowers

Cucumis melo? Cantaloupe type melon. It should have been pulled up after 3 melons were destroyed by animals & vine attacked by borers. I ignored it and remnant has a few flowers.

Cuphea ignea, orange Cigar flower - light bloom

Cuphea llavea – small pink & lavender form - not great, but a few flowers

Cuphea llavea –red & purple ‘Batfaced’ - two plants still doing fine

Dicliptera suberecta Uraguayan firecracker plant also called Mexican Hummingbird plant- flowering now- would be larger but somebody got too close with the weed whip.

Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', two plants - one in great bloom, one okay but would be better if I hacked back its neighbors

Evolvulus glomeratus, Blue Daze - lone survivor in patio container blooming well


Gaura lindheimerii ‘The Bride’ native - seedlings popped up and in bloom

Gaura lindheimerii, unknown tall rose-pink variety (‘Pink Cloud’?) finally making flowers after sulking in summer

Habranthus tubispathus, copper lilies, yellow rainlilies - you just missed them

Hedychium coronarium/ Hawaiian White Ginger - buds

Helianthus, unknown, gigantic, annual sunflowers - storm knocked off branches, but what's left is still blooming

Hibiscus syriacus/Rose of Sharon - just a couple of flowers now

Hippeastrum hybrid/ ‘Red Dragon’ amaryllis

Impatiens walleriana, bedding impatiens - white impatiens in Secret garden still live and bloom

Indigofera amblyantha? /pink false indigo - went OUT of bloom after 12" of rain. Am so annoyed I left its name on the list just so I could complain to you.

Ipomoea alba, Moon flower vine - many buds and flowers every evening - yay!

Ipomoea quamoclit, Cypress vine, reseeding annual - tolerated for Hummingbirds' sake

Jasminium sambac, Sambac jasmine - keeps making a few flowers

Justicia spicigera/ Mexican Honeysuckle- some flowers

Lagerstroemia indica, hot pink crepe myrtles (5 trees) - a few flowers, mostly seed pods now

Lagerstroemia x hybrida ‘Acoma’ white crepe myrtles (2 trees); a few flowers, many seedpods. Didn't get out to deadhead

Lagerstroemia indica 'Catawba', in new border, reddish-purple flowers, many seedpods, must deadhead

Lantana, unknown varieties upright lavender and trailing white, in bloom. In the parking strip one lavender-colored plant thinks it's Godzilla.

Lavandula intermedia 'Provence', Lavender, still blooming - am stunned at its long cycle and the hummingbirds approve

Leucophyllum frutescens/ Texas sage AKA Barometer bush AKA Cenizo – one shrub- handful of flowers

Liriope muscari/Lilyturf, growing in long lines all over the place, with some plumey flowers here and there

Lycopersicon lycopersicum, tomatoes - 'Sun Gold' has some blossoms and one other tomato variety has a few flowers

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii/Turkscap or Red Wax Mallow - two plants blooming

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, white form of Turkscap/Wax Mallow - two plants blooming

Melampodium leucanthum / Blackfoot daisy, in several beds. Many small flowers, but plants look as if cats/squirrels/raccoons have been using them for mattresses

Ocimum basilicum, Basil -a few on 'Spicy Globe'

Origanum majorana, Sweet marjoram - very odd little flowers and seed heads. Hope they are edible because we've been using them!

Oxalis crassipes 'Alba' a few flowers

Oxalis regnellii 'Atropurpurea', burgundy purple, clover-shaped leaves and pinkish flowers. Full bloom in front containers, light bloom elsewhere

Pavonia lasiopetala, pink rock rose - full bloom in parking strip.

Pelargonium hybrid, 'Fantasia Salmon', zonal geranium in breakfast room window - always a bud or flower

Pentas lanceolata Egyptian stars - had three. One washed away, one looks terrible, one in bloom.

Phlox paniculata 'John Fanick' - bought spring 2010 - only a couple of florets but plant is alive!

Piper auritum/Hoja Santa or Rootbeer Plant - a few of those weird white flowers

Platycodon grandiflorus, Blue Balloon Flower - plant near veranda made a few flowers

Platycodon 'Miss Tilly' - couple of new flowers

Plumbago auriculata (two shrubs) - climbing the wall, eating the sidewalk, non-stop flowers

Plumeria unknown species/Frangipani - only one creamy yellowflower stalk from three plants.

Poliomintha bustamanta, Mexican oregano (3 plants), all blooming but not pretty at all after being beaten by rain.

Portulaca - reseeded Moss Roses and Flowering Purslanes - mostly washed away or drowned but a couple have survived

Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranate in container has a flower & a tiny pomegranate

Rhodophiala bifidia/Oxblood Lilies AKA Schoolhouse Lilies, most bloomed - some still look okay, others shriveled. They looked like this a few days ago, with Strobilanthes dyerianus/Persian Shield


Rosa 'Red Cascade', mini-climber bought in spring for $3- climbing a metal bird tower and is in bloom

Russelia equisetiformis, Firecracker plant - blooming just fine under the Blue Clerodendron

Salvia coccinea, red Hummingbird sage couple of seedlings in bloom

Salvia coccinea, white Hummingbird sage very happy after rain

Salvia farinacea, Mealy Blue sage, wandlike flowers- here with Zinnia linearis


Salvia greggii, couple of the white and red ones are in bloom but some almost leafless

Salvia guaranitica, Majestic blue sage - a few flowers, leaves are in shreds from insect attacks

Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' - no flowers in back, a few in front, leaves look terrible

Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' three plants - maybe a handful of blooms - and very few leaves.

Salvia vanhoutii SYN Salvia splendens var 'Van Houttei' - this $2 plant is filling the entire center of the new border - many, many flowers. Appreciated by hummingbirds

Scutellaria suffrutescens, pink skullcap, two plants - don't look too bad and have flowers

Scutellaria wrightii? some variety of blue skullcap in parkway - has flowers

Sedum telephium? Hytotelephium? Some passalong plant resembling a pale pink 'Autumn Joy' is making buds.

Stapelia gigantea?/Carrion flower, Starfish flower - it looked like this on the 13th and smelled like rotting meat



Tradescantia geniculata, groundcover , had died back from drought, now back and in bloom

Tradescantia pallida, syn Setcresea pallida/ Purple Heart, scattered lavender flowers;

Vitex agnus-castus / Chaste tree - still has flowers

Zephyranthes 'Labuffarosea', Pink rainlily - you just missed them in bloom last few days, but none today

Zinnia linearis/ syn Zinnia angustifolia, several plants, abundant white flowers.

*As to the names - I try to be accurate, but no guarantees!