Moy Grande hibiscus Archives | Page 2 of 2

Still going strong for Bloom Day…

It’s been a strange year in the garden.

We had a cold, rainy winter, a wet spring and a late summer.

My garden was at least 3 weeks behind for the better part of spring and summer.

As we head into fall, things are still not quite right.

Some of our native sun-loving plants just aren’t performing the same this year.

And some of my plants are showing the stress of several hard rains in the last few weeks – a real anomaly for September here.

Their feet were very wet and they don’t like it.

This Double Purple Datura has fought off caterpillars or grasshoppers all summer.

I’ve had few blooms and holey leaves, but when it does bloom – it blows me away. It’s like a beautiful ballgown.

This isn’t technically a bloom, but a Magnolia bud – but I wanted to share it with you because it’s just so wonderful. Doesn’t it make you want to just reach out and touch it.
Second set of blooms down low on this Echinacea — the tops have already gone to seed which I am leaving for the birds. It got a slow start too this spring. The deer ate the first TWO sets of blooms before I got to see them.
But the second set is barely holding onto it’s petals.
This is a happy Blackfoot Daisy. Hermine killed two others that were this wonderful until last week. They REALLY don’t like the rain.
The Moy Grande Hibiscus is stunning again this summer – some days sporting 8-10 plate-sized blooms. It has a few yellow leaves, but it liked the rain and is blooming profusely to say thank-you.
The rain also prompted a second set of blooms on the Bottlebrush tree.
And it’s the season for the out-of-control, totally invasive, I-swear-I-will-never-plant-again Cypress Vine. Of course I will never need to plant it again because it comes up all over my garden every year — especially where I don’t want it!
And the amazing ditch lily brought to me by Lori, of the Gardener of Good and Evil, is STILL blooming. Seriously. I love this plant.
The morning glories that were invisible for most of the summer have started to pop out all over the place. There’s just something about them that just makes me smile.

Special thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for inviting us all to share what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of every month. It’s like we’re all chatting together over the garden fence!

Happy Bloom Day!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:26-06:00September 15th, 2010|blackfoot daisies, Blog, Bottle Brush tree, cypress vine, datura, ditch lily, echinacea, GBBD, Moy Grande hibiscus, rain, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Blooming in spite of August…

Maggie Roses keep each other company.

Ok.

It’s hot. Dang hot.

But they’re still going and so am I!

This is a cooler summer than the last two summers have been. We’ve enjoyed lower temperatures and much more rain than we normally have. But not too much rain, like 3 years ago!

So my garden is pretty happy this Bloom Day. Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, invites us to share what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of every month so we can share and compare and contrast with what’s going on all around the world.

Sapphire Showers Duranta leans down to mingle with Sedum Autumn Joy.

So, here are some of my blooms. Some things are not as full of blooms because they’re used to the blazing heat and drought.

Love Lies Bleeding

My Amaranth, a passalong from Phillip, of East Side Patch, is 4 feet tall and just sprouted a lovely bloom. I’m hoping for many more blooms trailing over soon!

Grandpa Ott Morning Glory

Plumeria

The Plumeria were stunning last month, but they are coming to the end of their bloom cycle now. This is the last bloom on my three plants.

Cypress Vine

The Cypress Vine looks pretty here. But what you’re not seeing here is how it has taken over the vegetable garden and is trying to choke out the tomato plants, the pepper plants, the strawberries … you get the idea!

Trailing Lantana

Datura

Esperanza

The Esperanza is bursting with blooms all around the pool area.

Mandevilla

Clematis Jackmanii

Buddleia

I love the look of this Crape Myrtle next to the Ruby Crystals grass flowing in the breeze.

Angel Wing Begonia

I love how this beautiful plant from my good friend looks in the pot by the front door.

Homestead Verbena

This is the verbena that was supposed to be the wonderful deep purple but it turned out to be white.

Senorita Rosalita Cleome

Moy Grande Hibiscus

The fabulous big-as-your-head hibiscus is performing up to it’s reputation again this year.
Dianthus
Can you believe that these dianthus all around the walk way up to the front door, planted last November, are still blooming? I’ve lost a few to the heat, but boy, are they hearty.

Yarrow – Paprika

One of many different colors of Lantana around the gardens.

Sedum Autumn Joy

Blackfoot Daisy

And, last but never least, the ever xeric Blackfoot Daisy. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – what’s blooming in your garden today?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:26-06:00August 15th, 2010|blackfoot daisies, Blog, Crape Myrtle, duranta, GBBD, grass, maggie rose, Moy Grande hibiscus, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

The garden supervisor

I went out yesterday morning to capture a few shots of water (yes, really, in Austin in July) on the garden.

I didn’t realize until I was outside that I had some supervisory assistance!

Dakota sat and watched me until she couldn’t see me any more. I’m not sure if she was wishing she could come outside, or if she was just thinking in her little pea-brain, “What in the world is that alpha-dog-woman doing now?”

Don’t you sometimes wonder what they’re thinking? I was even wondering about the squirrel who stopped in his tracks on the way up the tree when he saw me watching him through the window.

It was lush and green and moist in the garden this weekend after our several inches of welcome rain last week.
The drops on the Caladiums look like puddles on an abstract painting.
And, like most things, the droplets were dwarfed by the huge blooms of the Moy Grande Hibiscus.

And the moisture helped me see this huge spider web that spanned about 5 feet — from a tall coneflower plant to a neighboring tree. Couldn’t see anymore when I got far enough away to get the whole thing in the shot, but clearly the spider had lured in some lunch.

The rains gave everything in the garden a huge boost — so welcome since I am leaving before the chickens are up on Thursday morning — heading to Buffalo for Buffa10, our annual garden bloggers meet-up. I’m so excited to visit with friends from across the country and meet new ones, while touring amazing gardens.

Will I see you there?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:26-06:00July 5th, 2010|Blog, Buffa10, Dakota, Moy Grande hibiscus, rain, Sharing Nature's Garden, spring fling 2010|0 Comments

Barely in time bloom day!

The blooms were all out there, waiting for their photo session…each of them thinking, pick me, pick me!

And there were so many of them from which to choose, each one eager to join in Carol of May Dreams Gardens‘ Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

But it’s June here in Central Texas, and if I brought all the pretty girls to the dance I would have had to spend all day posting, instead of squeezing in quickly right under the wire tonight like I am!
So I decided today to only invite the newest or most interesting blooms. (Shhh – don’t tell them, but if you want to see the rest you can just look at June 1999!)

So, I lead with my White Echinacea, which just started blooming. I love its structure — it’s less formal-looking that the standard pink, rather ecclectic, don’t you think?

And no one can hold a candle to the Moy Grande Hibiscus. She bloomed on the 14th, but I’m sneaking her in anyway. This was her first bloom of the year. But there are many more to come soon.
To give you a sense of scale, the whole Hibiscus plant is 5 feet tall, so you can see how enormous this bloom really is.
The two Plumerias are happy as can be out on the back porch. And the Dessert Willow on the ground below them has just started to bloom, as well.
This little vignette by the cutting garden is so delicate-looking. The Crape Myrtle just started blooming, the Katy Road Rose is on bloom #2 and the Lambs Ears blooms are just finishing and peeking in from the bottom of the photo.
I think instead of Autumn Joy, this Sedum is Year-round Joy!
My new plantings in the giant pots by the pool are getting lush. In here I have Sapphire Showers Duranta, Silver Pony Foot, Bandana Cherry Lantana and Sharskin Agave. I know this will require pruning, but I was so enamored with the idea of these plants together that I decided I was willing to work at it. (Remind me of this in August, will you?!) P.S. See the dog tails in the background? Thought I’d throw in a hidden picture game along with the blooms!
This is the right side of the pool, with the lovely new Pindo Palm, flanked my Esperanza and white Datura.
The is the left side of the pool, with the other Pindo, a cluster of Echinacea, Taro Elephant Ears that are so relieved to have some shade so they will thrive this year, and in the foreground, some Tropicana Cannas (otherwise known as caterpillar food.)
The Plumeria blooms up close and personal. Wish you could smell their lemony goodness!
My replacement Bottle Brush tree seems to be thriving and is showing it with lots of wispy, yet spiky blooms.
Below the Bottle Brush, the cluster of Mai Nacht Salvia are looking particularly blue — and that’s a good thing!