Rain relief Bloom Day
‘Radsunny’ Knock Out rose is back. I love its lemony scent too.
What a difference a month and several inches of rain make. Last Bloom Day there was a hint of desperation in my post, and I noticed that many of my fellow Austin garden bloggers didn’t feel up to posting. With rain and cooler temps comes renewed energy in the garden—for the flower-producing plants and for the gardener too. Here’s a sampling of what’s blooming in my garden on this day.
Continuing the yellow theme, Bulbine frutescens continues to put on a good show.
Here’s something new. The black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) I grew from seed has begun to flower.
As has golden thryallis (Galphimia gracilis). This tender perennial nearly didn’t make it through the summer. I think they are fairly drought-tolerant when established, but this one is a baby and it got very wilted on numerous occasions. It looks happy now though.
The oxblood lily (Rhodophiala bifida) bulbs I brought with me from my old garden are simply leaping out of the soil now that we’ve had some rain. Here they mingle with Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ amid blue ‘Bath’s Pink’ dianthus foliage.
And they look nice against the blue pots in my raised beds.
‘Ava’ agastache is still going strong.
The Datura metel looks to be finished blooming, but the seedheads are fascinating in their own right.
Happy Bloom Day to you. To see what’s blooming in other gardens around the world on this date, visit May Dreams Gardens.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Red and blue’s one of my favourite combinations – an absolute winner. We have just one bloom in common – my S. ‘Autumn Joy’ has been absolutely covered in bees the past few days. It looks like they’re making up for lost time after our poor summer!
Pam,
Happy Bloom Day! Glad to see your garden is coming back to life after some much needed rain. The yellow flowers certainly are cheery. I agree with you about the datura seedhead, it is very interesting and it looks like some exotic fruit you might find in the grocery store.
Hi Pam, your voice does sound much happier now! How wonderful about the oxblood lilies. We have a bud too. That bulbine is always my favorite flower that you can grow that we cannot. The grass is always greener, eh? Love yellow roses of all types, but this one has a lot going for it with that bloodline. The dried datura seedpod, after it opens and the seeds removed makes a wonderful Hallowe’en decoration in a bowl or on a wreath. Wear gloves though! 🙂
Frances
I think you have convinced me to try some Oxblood Lilies. I have Lycoris, but I like the bolder flower of the Oxblood. Happy GBBD!
Love all the blooms. I think I will follow suit and take photos today in my garden. The rains have been so wonderful for my newly established flower bed in my new home. An old neighbor gave me a cutting of her Double Flowering Purple Datura metel and it has grown to be about five feet and about five feet wide, the blooms are fabulous! I will post a picture over at http://www.gardenwithme2.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing your lovely blooms! Pamie G. New Braunfels, TX
I’m so happy that you all got some rain. It does seem to make everyone happy, including all the pretty blooms in your garden. Thanks or joining in for bloom day “rain or shine”!
Pretty yellow blooms in your garden today – it’s been so great to see the ground STILL wet after all that rain. Everything is looking better – even things I didn’t think were suffering. It’s a delight to see, isn’t it?
Sunny Knockout and Julia Child are both new in my yellow rose garden. That Radsunny is great. Bulbine is one of my Texas aquisitions that has really done well. My Oxbloods are done, aren’t they just stunning?
You sure had a quick comeback, once rain came. Amazing what a little nectar from above does for a garden. Happy Bloom Day.
Very nice blooms today. My BES vine has gone wild!!
Great photos, as usual.
I’ve tried Blackeyed Susan vine before and had no luck. Maybe I’ll have to try it again. The Thryallis is on my list, too. Deer aren’t supposed to like it…uh, yeah. We’ll see.
The rain has perked things up around here overnight. Love it!
Happy Bloom Day.
It’s so good to see things blooming and looking beautiful in your garden. The Oxblood Lilies steal the show, and I do love them set off by the blue pot. Happy Bloom Day!
I love black-eyed Susan vine in all its variations — the traditional Susany colour but also the cream or orange versions, each with a black eye. However, I have to purchase pre-started vines as I have neither the space nor the patience to start the seeds early enough to bloom in our shorter summer. Lovely flowers, especially those Oxblood lilies.
It’s funny how everyone seems to have gotten some rain!
Hi Pam,
Your blooms are beautiful, as usual. I’m not familiar with the Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and really like it! Is it fairly drought tolerant? Happy cool weather bloom day!
Yes, it seems to be, Iris. It survived this summer without special babying. I confess, however, that I’ve killed it a couple of times in my old garden. Not sure what went wrong those other times. —Pam
Happy bloom day! How exciting that you finally got some real rain. We really just got a freak storm, the real rain is in the future. Love the black-eye susan vine, I have it myself and it has flowers in many colors, very enjoyable.
I can hear ‘Rain Relief’ in your post. Lovely flowers as always and what a nice addition in the black eyed susan vine you grew from seed. You should get a long bloom from this plant in your area shouldn’t you?
I really don’t know, Layanee. This is the first time I’ve grown it, and I don’t often see it around town, for whatever reason. I hope so! —Pam
We haven’t had a decent rain here in months, color me jealous! I love the Bulbine frutescens, I don’t think I have seen those before. The flowers are so delicate and pretty!
Lovely blooms, Pam! I have been feeling so much sympathy for you Texas gardeners during this hot, dry summer, but now it’s your chance to shine! Things are winding down in my garden–which could really use some rain by the way–and in a short while the blooms here will be just a memory.
Yay, your black-eyed susan vine finally bloomed! I know you’ve been waiting for it! Now I want one…
Beautiful shots…..I just bought some orange Bulbine, but havn’t found the perfect spot in the garden yet.
The Bulbine is a new plant to me, NICE!!
I shot some Thyralis pix this morning and I agree the red/ blue contrast of the Oxblood is perfect
Scott
I love my Sunny Knockout rose, too! It is very cheerful, and along with a few Texas Pioneer roses, is one of a handful of newer roses I have. My first gardening passion was and is old garden roses, particularly the old Teas and Chinas. Pam, I love your photos (especially the recent ones of one of my favorite places, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center) and the blog. I live in Fort Worth, but my sister and brother in law are in Round Rock, with similar problems regarding the drought. We up here in north central Texas just got several days of wonderful rain and cooler weather, for a change. All all of my old garden roses and my other plants, shrubs, and trees are just loving it!
Another great rose from Bill Radler is Carefree Celebration, which I got for a friend from Chamblee’s Rose Nursery in Tyler. It is a gorgeous orange/peach combination, about 15 to 18 petals, and is extremely disease resistant. Chamblee’s also has a great online mail order division, shipping one gallon very healthy own root roses. They have many of the older varieties, and lots of newer, hardy ones as well. Love both them and the Antique Rose Emporium, since I like supporting Texas businesses.
Thanks for the heads-up about ‘Carefree Celebration.’ Of course, I’d have to move to be able to add any more roses (a slight exaggeration) to my garden. I’m short on sun in the back yard and long on deer in the front. 😉 Thanks too for your kind words about my blog, Suzanne. —Pam
Ooh, must get that lemon Knock Out! I love the thunbergia, too, but forgot to plant this year. I’m still eyeing a spot for the blue one, too. Love ’em. Beautiful flowers for Bloom Day!
I love your Rhodophiala! That is one bulb that I never seem to remember wanting until I see pictures in the fall. You have some real beauties to be coming out of drought conditions. Happy Bloom Day!
It is good to hear that your drought has been partially broken. I love those oxblood lilies against that blue pot. They really pop. I also enjoyed the tour of the Wildflower Center. I would like to see it in person some day. Happy GBBD.
Rain. Enough said.
Happy Day After Bloom Day~~and good/great news that rain is once again making Austin green! The red oxblood lily (isn’t that name perfect) looks wonderful against the blue container. I think that may be the perfect blue for any flower! gail
That’s a very tempting yellow rose, Pam – how wonderful that your yellows are blooming again! Except for the sunflower planted by birds that color is still missing in my garden…but thanks to MSS there is red from the oxbloods.
Now that our gardens have had a big drink, we all need to wish hard for rain to land on the watershed for Lake Buchanan so the reservoirs get filled again, right?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I’m very happy to know that Austin has had some rain and cooler temps. What a relief for you all!
I just planted two red knockouts. Can’t wait to see them grow into bigger bushes next summer. Your yellow is lovely. The thunbergia intrigues me. It’s so cute. I must give it a try.
Those oxbloods are gorgeous, especially against the blue pot.
All lovely blooms for Bloom Day 🙂
I hope you have a wonderful fall in the garden, Pam.
I tried to grow the black-eyed susan vine, but I didn’t have any luck. Yours looks so lush.