This morning, in between making salads for a pseudo catering gig, I ventured outside with the camera as the early sun started washing over the blossoms and plants in the myriad of native perennial gardens. Had I thought faster more time, I would have used the macro lens to get real close-ups of the flowers. But alas, being pressed for time, I grabbed the camera with the lens which stays mounted 99% of the time and started shooting.
Gerbera Daisy.... annual.... grown in a pot under the gazebo.
Standing Cypress.... wildflower perennial..... very tall. Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.
Indian Blanket and Lemon Horsemint .... wildflowers.... butterflies love these!
Hundreds and hundreds of Indian Blanket wildflowers. My goal is to create a "pocket prairie" featuring the native wildflowers indigenous to the Blackland Prairie of this region. Before urbanization, this Blackland Prairie supported many wildflowers which existed on nothing more than the water received from the rains.... even in years of drought. My kind of flowers!
One of the many milkweed varieties necessary to the existence of Monarch butterflies. As urban sprawl takes over the natural prairies and habitats, the population of Monarch butterflies is dwindling dramatically. Native plant societies are spreading the word to gardeners to include these plants in the landscape before the monarch becomes extinct. The second plant shows some of the milkweed pods maturing after the spring flowering.
Lemon Horsemint again. This has multiplied and spread very quickly and easily. Other common names for this same wildflower are: Lemon Beebalm, purple horsemint, lemon mint, Plains horsemint, horsemint, and purple lemon horsemint.
Trumpet vine.... also called trumpet creeper. I am trying to train this to grow over a nearby arbor. The hummingbirds and butterflies love this plant.
These are very tiny.... nearly a groundcover.
Apricot agastache.... another favorite of hummers
Salvia .... there are tens (if not hundreds) of varieties of salvia.
Golden columbine... almost the end of their blooming cycle.
Texas Rock Rose....
Brakelights red yucca..... (more of a true red than the usual salmon colored "red yucca")
Red Yucca....
Another variety of salvia.... also called autumn sage... comes in white, pink/salmon, purple, red
More salvia... also called mealy sage
Behind the windchimes are the Standing Cypress. Some are taller than me!
This is an ornamental clump grass (annual) that I couldn't resist... it is called Fiber Optic grass.
To date, all the perennial and wildflower additions have been to my backyard. It is my personal sanctuary. I really need to get busy with the front yard, too. However, my vision always far exceeds my budget.
I can't believe JUNE starts tomorrow! Spring is behind us and now the long, dragging, HOT months of summer are here. Most gardening will come to a halt other than the harvest of ripening veggies. Autumn will bring renewed energy to work outside.... once the heat abates.
Until the next adventure.... local or otherwise......
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