May Blooms pt. 2

Here are a few more flowers and plants from the last couple of weeks of May. Click on any photo to view larger version.

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seed-grown annual Bachelor’s Buttons

seed-grown Lagurus ovatus ‘Bunny Tails’

Dianthus ‘Pop Star’

Petunia ‘Merlin Rose’ and purple Alternanthera

Scadoxus multiflorus “Blood Lily”

pink climbing roses

White Dianthus and orange Profusion Zinnias

Dendranthema ‘Clara Curtis’

Blue-eyed Grass

Oxalis ‘Iron Cross’

annual Bachelor’s Buttons

seed-grown Nemophila ‘Penny Black’

Dianthus

Coleus ‘Roaring Fire’

Hydrangea blue ‘Endless Summer’

Perilla ‘Magilla’

Caryopteris ‘Sunshine Blue’

Bidens and Ageratum in a container

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May Blooms pt. 1

It’s hard to believe the month of May is already almost over! The flower beds and borders and containers are all planted (for the most part) and mulched now and I’m busy every day maintaining it all. We haven’t had much rain lately and it’s very hot, so I’m already having to water at least every other day, especially the containers. Here are some photos taken over the past week and a half. Click on any photo to view a larger version.

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Clematis ‘Kilian Donahue’

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These blooms are also ‘Kilian Donahue’. This clematis gives the appearance of being two or more vines planted together as the new and old flowers bloom together.

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Orange butterfly and Gallardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’

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I planted a lot of gallardia in the new slope bed above the gazebo. This is a very hot, all-day sun area. So far, they are doing well here.

 
‘Mesa Yellow’ and ‘Arizona Sun’

 
‘Burgundy’, watering new slope bed

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I grew these Agastache ‘Apricot Sprite’ plants from seed this spring. They’re doing well, if the racoon would just stop digging near them and knocking them over.

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Veronica ‘Royal Candles’

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Roses – ‘Carefree Sunshine’ and old-fashioned pink rambler

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Much more to come. I’ve been busy, but I have taken lots of photos this month. Just haven’t had time to post them yet.

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Mountain Laurel blooming

The Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), commonly called “Ivy” here, is one of our most beautiful native shrubs. This shrub is evergreen and frequently grows in thickets, and often becoming tree sized in the woods here. I have this one at the edge of the front yard. It is about 8′ tall and is in full bloom right now.

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Mountain Laurel

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Closeup of flower clusters

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Zebra Swallowtail

This Zebra Swallowtail butterfly stayed around these seed-grown Agastache (Anise Hyssop) plants all day today. I see these butterflies here all the time but only rarely are they still, I think this is the first time I have ever been able to get a few snapshots of them actually on a flower. Click photos to view larger.

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Zebra Swallowtail on Agastache

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Zebra Swallowtail nectaring on Agastache flowers.

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