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Welcome to my zone 9a habitat garden near Houston, Texas.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - September 2013

September Bloom Day. One week away from the beginning of autumn. Let's see some of the things blooming in my Southeastern Texas garden here in mid-September.

 Crape myrtles, of course - the queen of the summer southern garden.


Nearby, the 'Coral Nymph' salvia has also been a faithful summer bloomer.


 As has its cousin, 'Mystic Spires.'


 This little red ruellia has done well for me.


And, of course, 'Katie' ruellia is downright incorrigible, which makes some gardeners hate it, but I quite like it.


 Speaking of incorrigible, Turk's Cap blooms twelve months of the year in my garden.


 This "volunteer" wildflower is either marsh fleabane or camphor weed - I think. I'm leaning toward marsh fleabane.

 
 Justicia 'Orange Flame' has been in bloom for a long time and continues to put out a fresh blossom or two each week.


 The little Blackfoot daisies are not at their best just now but they continue to give me blooms.


A single bloom from the shrimp plant. I find these blooms fascinating and hummingbirds love them.


 The Lobelia 'Cardinal Flower' is almost blooming - close enough to count for Bloom Day.


 Some of the roses, such as this old 'Caldwell Pink,' are beginning their autumn flush of blooms.


 'Graham Thomas' is always at his best in autumn.


 I have several varieties of lantana in my garden and they are all blooming now. We'll let this golden yellow one stand in for them all.


 The oxblood lilies, or schoolhouse lilies, continue their September bloom.


 And the datura continues to attract the nighttime pollinators with its beautifully scented blossoms.


 The 'Tropicannas' have bloomed prolifically for me this summer and they continue to do so.


But the star of my garden this summer has to be Cape Plumbago, sometimes called Blue Plumbago. My plants have been in bloom without a break since spring and, here in mid-September, they continue to be covered in these lovely blue, butterfly-attracting blossoms.

It's still quite warm in my garden, but the temperatures are moderating - low 90s Fahrenheit instead of high 90s - and in just one week my favorite season of the year begins. Hold on - autumn is coming!

Thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for again hosting Bloom Day for us. Thank you for visiting my garden this month and happy gardening!

16 comments:

  1. Dorothy, what gorgeous blooms you grow there in Texas. Some are new to me. I've long admired the Cape (blue) plumbago, wish it would grow here in Scotland.
    Happy Bloom Day!

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    1. The plumbago has been a real winner for me, Angie. Thanks for visiting.

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  2. So many pretties to see at your place! I always mean to buy some Plumbago the next Spring and never have.

    I am looking forward to the cool of Fall and the blooms of plants waiting for shorter days.

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    1. We are all looking forward to fall after our long hot summer, Jean. It is the best time of year in my garden.

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  3. Wow...I love the macro shots of all the colors in your garden and especailly the 'Graham Thomas' Roses...just gorgeous! Happy GBBD!

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    1. 'Graham' is one of my favorites - glad you enjoyed it.

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  4. I was in Northwest Arkansas for a week at the end of August. It was so nice to see the crepe myrtles in bloom there - they are so lovely but are not hardy where I live in upstate New York. I also saw some beautiful lantanas there and enjoyed yours, too. On the way back home, we stopped in Missouri and I saw turk's cap for the first time (a friend who used to live in Oklahoma ID'd it for me) and now I see it again in your post. Enjoy your remaining heat - it's gotten cool here quickly - 36 degrees officially this morning. Fall is almost here. Happy GBBD! Alana from Ramblin' with AM.

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    1. 36 degrees??? Wow! That would be considered winter here.

      Turk's Cap is a wonderful plant for our area. Very hardy and it really does bloom 12 months of the year. Moreover, hummers and butterflies love it.

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  5. You have a wonderful selection of blooms, Dorothy. I keep buying and planting various sages and salvias and they keep dying. Most disappointing. But, like you, I have lots of lantana and Turk's Cap blooming. Sort of makes up for the deceased salvias.

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    1. Lantana and Turk's Cap are staples in my garden. Two tough plants loved by butterflies and hummingbirds.

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  6. I loved the lantana as a child, the perfect little bouquets. So pretty. Your flowers all look great, so much grows there, many of them won't grow here so I enjoyed looking at yours. Graham Thomas is my favorite color of roses. Beautiful!

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    1. Lantana is an invaluable plant for anyone wanting to attract butterflies.

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  7. So many beautiful, familiar faces in your garden! Plumbago and Mystic Spires add such a nice cool note in summer. And I really like your volunteer fleabane.

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    1. That fleabane is definitely a keeper. It came to me in a nursery pot with a plant that I actually purchased. When I planted my purchased plant, I decided that the "volunteer" looked interesting so I separated it and found a spot for it in the garden, just to see what developed. I'm glad I did.

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  8. The blue plumbago is beautiful! You have so many interesting blooms that we definitely don't see in my zone 5 area. Most of all I envy you those beautiful crape myrtles!

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    1. Crape myrtles are real staples - and stalwarts - of our summer gardens here, but then you are able to grow many beauties that can't take our heat and humidity. It all evens out, I guess.

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