While I've been obsessed with the veggie beds and getting them good and going, my flowers have been sulking from attention. They've gotten watered and I've been checking on their progress daily, but I've not been pampering them as much or obsessing over them too much. This afternoon, since it's a nice cloudy day, I went out and really checked on them to see what they were up to and how much they'd grown.
In my preoccupation with the veggies, much has been going on in the flower beds. All of the plants that I got at the beginning of April and that I planted a couple of weeks ago are establishing and doing well. This is a really crummy picture, but you can see the entire bed in it and I don't feel like going outside and trying to shoot another one at the moment.
The white "markers" you see in the pic are plastic forks indicating new transplants to watch out for when walking around in the bed. Forks are easy to write on with a Sharpie marker, too. We're using them in the veggie beds, too. They are cheap if you have to buy them, but you can save them from fast-food restaurants when you go to the drive through.
This daylily, San Antonio Firecracker, put out its first scapes EVER! There are 2 scapes and they are loaded with buds. One has EIGHT baby buds that I can count. I so cannot wait for this one to flower! I have another little daylily in the front yard that's put out its first scape as well. Pure & Simple was a gift to me last summer from a lady on Dave's Garden. I can't wait to see that one bloom either.
This little guy is Rudbeckia "Goldstrum". I planted it very late last fall and it barely survived the winter. Then, after our first good rainfall, the aphids attacked it and the slugs began eating on it. I gave it up for a goner, but when I went to plant another plant in that spot, I discovered one little leaf coming up. That's been about 2 weeks ago, and it's grown a week each week! I think I might have a winner on my hands!
This is the little piece of ground outside my backdoor and under my kitchen window. Last summer, I planted Texas Sage and 2 different kinds of Coreopsis seeds in half of the bed. This is what it looks like now. On the left towards the back is a pink Texas Sage. That big huge thing on the right is a Tall Coreopsis. It is loaded with buds! I can't wait to see it in all its glory. I'm going to save seeds and see if I can't get a few more for other places in the yard. There's actually a smaller coreopsis to the left of it, but it's totally overcome by the Tall Coreopsis. There's also a yellow daylily in the front left corner.
A close-up of the flower on the Tall Coreopsis. It's easily 3" across and they last for several days.
A red Texas Sage is hiding under the big pink Texas Sage. I noticed this little guy sticking his head out this afternoon when I walked out the door. I really think the red is very striking. I winter sowed some of these seeds and have several to plant out in the front bed.
This little scabiosa daily (Pincushion Daisy) was planted last fall. It started blooming late winter and has been going strong ever since. It's a butterfly and bee magnet, too. I love inviting bees and butterflies into my garden. It's good for them since I don't use chemicals and it's good for the plants.
Lastly, because I'm still totally enthralled with the veggie garden, here's a flower on our Straight Eight cucumber plant.
:o)
The front flower bed by our driveway is coming alive with color. In the past couple of days, I've added several new plants, which I'll profile later on at some point in time.
The gaillardia (Blanketflower) has come back in full force. I gave many of these away at the plant swap this past weekend and I've pulled some and put in the compost pile. There are many self-seeded plants in my flower bed as well.
This scabiosa daisy has really put on a show this year. I really wish this thing flowered all summer, but alas, it doesn't.
Phlox pilosa (Prairie phlox) was added last spring. It's a wonderful bloomer and the flowers have a very soft scent to them. It's most prevalent in the early morning and late evening hours when it's not so hot.
Here's a better pic of the little flowers that can range from pink to purple.
This Sweet William was also a new addition to the garden last year. It acted as a perennial last year, but I'm not sure if it really is. I absolutely LOVE the color and the long-lasting flowers. I hope to collect seeds from this to plant more next year. By the way, that's a Prairie Coreopsis sticking out from the middle of the plant!
The poppies have performed beautifully this year. I've pulled out several of the little ones that have already bloomed, but I'm waiting for the bigger ones to go to seed before pulling them.
The Brazos Penstemon is still blooming. It's gotten top heavy and some are laying down. The color is so pretty and the flowers are so dainty. Last year, when I didn't know what I was doing, I collected a seed pod. Threw the seeds into one of my winter sowing containers and they've sprouted! Now I'll need to transplant them to bigger containers and then plant them in the fall.
