Flowery Friday

Gardening has been a real struggle this year, with one weather challenge after another, but looking around my yard yesterday, it occurred to me that, in spite of all my whining, the garden really isn't doing all that badly.  Here is a sample of some of the blooms brightening my life this Friday.

Summer phlox and salvia are hard to beat for all-summer blooms.

And of course there are the obvious summer stalwarts such as this crape myrtle.

The 'Otahal' salvia continues to attract native bees.

This white crinums, as well as the pink 'Ellen Bosanquet', have been in constant bloom for weeks.

The crocosmias, too, have a long bloom cycle and are favored by the migratory Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that are now passing through my yard.

The white 'Texas Star' hibiscus has been a winner in my garden this summer.

As has the red star.

The old-fashioned 4 o'clocks bring color and scent to the late afternoon and nighttime garden, enticing pollinators that fly at night.

Well, my little toad friend doesn't fly at night but he does make his home under the 4 o'clocks, perhaps to prey on the night's flying insects.

My favorite yellow rose, David Austin's 'Graham Thomas' glows in the late afternoon sun.

No blossom is more iconic of my summer garden than the tithonia or Mexican sunflower, beloved by hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and me.

With such colorful blossoms from all these tough plants, what have I really got to complain about?