The seed clusters on the inland sea oats hang like fish on a line, their Granny Smith green now mixed with a toasty brown. I adore inland sea oats in all seasons. Their delicate, bamboo-like foliage reminds me of Japanese paintings, and their flat, hanging seeds are beautiful from spring through fall as they change from bright green to brown.

Pavonia, or rock rose, holds up well in the heat. It’s an exception to the rule I mentioned last time, in that its leaves are fairly large, not moisture-conserving narrow ones. They are slightly fuzzy, however, which also helps reduce water loss.

This morning it was a favorite with this large black bee—perhaps a carpenter bee?

The black-eyed Susans are a little tired by mid-July, but they continue to party on in the shade of the vitex.

Hey, kids! It’s Spiderman! I frightened this anole out of the agapanthus with my hose, and he leapt onto the screen-porch post, hanging tight with his sticky toes.

One last image of the sea oats.