Bloom Day - September 2012

After missing last month's bloom day, I went out today and took some pictures of what is blooming in my garden...

The Coreopsis 'Route 66' is still going strong (and probably would make more flowers if I dead-headed it!). I'm planning to use some more of these in the front garden next spring:

I know I should just cut the whole plant back, but it still has so many pretty flowers!



 There are also two different Lantanas still blooming. The first is 'Miss Huff', which comes in shades of orange, red and pink:

This plant has grown so much since I got it, and with (basically) no baby-ing from me!

The second is a Lantana 'Bandito'. Its more bushy in shades of red and orange. It's supposed to be less hardy than 'Miss Huff', and is sold as an annual. I'm hoping mine will survive the winter though... Behind it is one of the Russian Sages, still going strong also.

The bees love the Russian Sage - the whole plant buzzes. Strangely, they complete ignore the Lantana....

 For some reason, some of the Hesperaloe parvifloras have started re-blooming on the old bloom stalk! I've never seen them do that before. It leads to pictures like this:

The black spots on the seed capsules is sunburn! It's been hot lately...

 Hopefully the hummingbirds will find them! Also in the back garden, the red sages are reblooming, much to the hummingbirds' delight.

Meanwhile, in the front garden, after not blooming for 3 (!) years, the Clematis 'Jackmanii' is on about it's third reblooming. I'm not sure what made this year better than previous years, but hopefully it will do it again.

I am way too excited about this plant finally blooming...

 The iceplant is also reblooming, but at not nearly the same intensity as earlier in the year. I really need to add some more flowers/late summer color to the front garden, I think...

These are so bright, it's hard to take good pictures!

Meanwhile, the irises just put up more foilage and no flowers... sigh. As part of the re-vamp of the front garden, I think those are coming out, and being replaced somewhere else (where hopefully they'll have more luck!)

One of my houseplants started to bloom too!

My reaction: "Squee!" (really)

I've never seen this one bloom before! It's labeled as a aeschynanthus radicans or 'lipstick plant'. Given the amount of neglect it gets, I'm surprised it's blooming, but I'm also excited!

To see many more bloom day gardens, visit Carol at May Dream Garden !