The Earth Laughs in Flowers

With all the political unrest these days, isn't it nice to have Nature to sooth us? It's been rough here with a record-long heat wave to start the month of August. It's back to reasonable now, thankfully and the flowers are singing their summer tunes. 

The first of my five herbaceous Hibiscus plants just burst into bloom yesterday.

Hibiscus moscheutos 'Kopper King'

I bought this one for the dark foliage but the flowers aren't too shabby either.

Tons of buds!

Volunteer Morning Glory

Below is a garden miracle. This Crape Myrtle was a gonner many years ago when  a windstorm broke it off at ground level. I replanted the area with other things and didn't look back since I have another Crape Myrtle in a different part of the garden. Last year, I noticed leaves and life! Now look at it. It's a miracle. 

 

Crape Myrtle blossom (Lagerstroemia)

The miracle Crape Myrtle with Alstroemeria 'Tri-Color'

Volunteer Nicotiana. Aren't they cool?

 

A cute crispa cross Clematis from my Ohio friend Deborah.
Isn't it adorable?

Mystery Clematis is still putting out blossoms.

Clematis 'Alionushka' is happy too

I lost most of my Dahlias after last winter's ultra cold, ultra wet madness. These are the tried and true. (Junkyard Dog is alive but hasn't bloomed yet.)

Dahlia 'Rip City'

Dahlia 'Bonne Esprance'

Dahlia NOID

Dahlia 'Ivanti'

Dahlia 'Pink Princess'

I love this rose:

Rosa mutabilis

Lonicera 'Major Wheeler'

Major Wheeler Honeysuckle 

Right on cue, the Cyclamen popped up.

Cyclamen hederifolium

I got the below plant from my friend Nancy in Corvallis. It is looking nice in one of my woodland borders. 

Eurybia divaricata 'Eastern Star' (formerly Aster)

 

Kniphofia 'Pineapple Popsicle'

Salvia 'Wendy's Wish'

Clerodendrum bungei

Heuchera 'Paris' 

Iris x norrisii 'Sangria' (aka Pardancanda norrisii)

New this year 'Fat Domino' Persicaria. I had my doubts as to whether it would live up to its name but I'm pleasantly surprised. The mature spikes are definitely fatter than the species.

Persicaria 'Fat Domino'

This Evening Primrose is such a happy camper. I've had it reseed in my garden now and it winters over just fine and blooms all spring and summer. 

Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta'

The epithet says "magenta" but it's more like a warm pink, which I love.

Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta'

I love this Epilobium. (I can't get used to its new name Chamaenerion.) It's a dwarf Willow Herb from Dancing Oaks that I just love. It reseeds politely and has a really long blooming time. And the bees adore it.

Epilobium fleischeri

Epilobium fleicheri

My two little 4 inch pots of this Phlox have finally spread out to cover this area (below). Mingling with Sedum 'John Creech' and S. 'Tri-Color' (and various weeds) it looks really cool in this mostly shady spot.

Phlox glaberrima ssp. triflora 'Triple Play'

Rheum palmatum var. tanguiticum rising above more 'John Creech' Sedum

A few of the resident buzzers...

Campanula lactiflora 'Lodden Anna' and honeybee butt.

Garlic Chives Allium tuberosum and bumblebee butt.

Allium tuberosum

Heliotropium cv.

Oh so much more. But enough for now.

I hope your garden is bringing you sweet respite from the world's woes.

Happy Camper!

Yes, that's me. I'm a happy camper because finally, there is a blossom on my Desert Four o'Clock. (Mirabilis multiflora). I've been babying this guy since last year when I purchased from Annie's Annuals. 

Mirabilis multiflora

I first saw Desert Four O'Clock at Dancing Oaks Nursery a few years ago. The blue-green, glaucus foliage is  a nice complement to the ephemeral lavender flowers. 

Mirabilis multiflora at Dancing Oaks

Here you can see that yesterday's flowers are about to wither and die and today's flowers are watching the clock.
At Dancing Oaks.

Here is my plant... growing in a very well-draining, gritty soil. There's hope.
I'm concerned about winter-wet so I think I'll keep it in its container under the patio
for at least one more winter.

This silly 'Dreadlocks' Amaranthus is going to town.

Look at the all of the baby dreads it's growing.

Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta'
I'm so glad this lovely little plant's flowers are NOT magenta but instead a perfect pink.

I'm a little obsessed with my Candy Lily (x Pardancanda 'Sangria') Check out these colors. It's just exquisite, isn't it? But I only have one variety. Amy Campion has a bunch of them. Check out her blog post here.  I'm so jealous. 

The flowers last for only one day and then they get all twisted up like this.

Kind of looks like a family of caterpillars,  doesn't it?

I love wildflowers. Last year on a hike, I found Coastal Hedgenettle (Stachys chamissonis) growing all along a creek bed. I took just a few little tiny cuttings. They rooted. And this year those cuttings are a nice plant and that nice plant is blooming! Isn't it pretty? 

I'm sure some people consider this a weed and just in case it decides to take over the garden, I'm keeping it in a container without drain holes to mimic a bog. The plant itself isn't remarkable as you'll see below, but I like it because of the flowers. There are tons more buds.

This Meadow Rue is going gang busters. There are probably two hundred tiny button flowers on this plant. Very difficult to photograph.

Meadow Rue (Thalictrum delavayi 'Hewitt's Double') 

Phlox paniculata 'Bright Eyes'

Monarda didyma 'Balmy Rose' I love this color!

New to me this year, I'm in love with this hardy Lobelia.
I love this color too. Ha ha.

Red Four O'Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) that wintered over beautifully and just started blooming.

More Four O'Clocks. I've got them all over one part of my garden. I love them.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Fuji Waterfall'  new to me this year.
I bought it as a tiny cutting from Fry Road Nursery. 

Penstemon 'Enor' I finally found the right place for this beauty.
It needs as much sunshine as you can give it.

Aster 'Monch'  new to me last year.
I really like how well it mingles with other flowers.

I've been so enamored with this little Cyprus Vine for years and decided to grow it this year. It wasn't until the beginning of August that it really starting blooming. 

Cyprus Vine or Ipomoea quamoclit

The hummingbirds love them.

The flowers only last for the morning. 

By early afternoon they're doing this.

Cannas... I love them!

This Canna is called 'Bird of Paradise'.
I haven't seen blooms yet but it's the foliage I go for.

Tiny Wire Vine in a rusty can. Just for fun.

Honeybee on Anemone 'Wild Swan'

Bees on Dahlia 'Junkyard Dog'

Honeybee on Knautia 'Mars Midget'

Honeybee on Garlic Chives, (Allium tuberosum)

It took a bit of searching to get the identity of this little guy.
He is a Gray Hairstreak Butterfly.

And finally, on Saturday evening, all was quiet as I finished my garden puttering. But then I heard noises in the neighbor's yard. I got closer and through the fence, this is what I saw...

She had her mommy and several relatives with her but they moved on while she stayed, posing for my camera. It wasn't easy to capture her through the fence but I took as many photos as I could. And I was happy when I uploaded them and had one keeper. 

Thank you for your sweet comments, my friends.