Summer blooms
WARNING!!!! HEAVY WITH PICS!!!!
Now….I know….this is mostly a trashy to treasurey….redo….upcycle it blog….but during the heat of summer, things get crazy, and folks go on vacay…and kinda get too hot and tired to work on “house stuff”. It’s time for swimming, BBQing, and YARDWORK!!!! Now most folks just kinda fade away with the flower part of gardening when the heat of July/August hits…..I have to admit….I’m a die hard. I am still snatching up flowers and such at the store. I just can’t stop! The reason for the name…..because of some advice. If you let your lawn grow a bit taller….or shaggier this time of year….it won’t take as much water….and it shades out the weeds….I PROMISE this works!!!! Just some “summer” advice….from someone who has a HUGE yard….that didn’t have any grass when I moved here five years ago….and now the whole acre or whatever this monstrosity is….is completely grassy and pretty weed free….in the yard that is! lol
This time of the year is one of my faves. I know….I know it’s blazing out….but in my book…that’s the time of the year that I’m NOT complaining about the cold. This has hit home especially this year when I’m thinking about my hubby stuck up in North Dakota….where the winter will likely hit -30 to -40 this winter! EWWWWWWE…..I shiver just thinking about how miserable that is gonna be!…….and how bad I’m gonna miss him!
ANYHOO….There are tons and tons of beautiful things blooming this time of the year. Things that actually grow the best in my neck of the woods. I’m gonna share some of my, not NO CARE….but LITTLE CARE garden goodies with you!
The standards. Yep….we southern girls know about the cacti….and yuccas….but there are more….Now….I’m not gonna go all “botanist” on you and try to give you the LONG technical names….I’ll give you my slang names….and if you want more….I’ll hunt it down for you! For those of Y’all who live local….the pics marked share….I’ll be happy to share with some lucky subscriber….will get one of each of those. I’ll say more about this in a bit….
Now….I have more that I’m gonna GIVE to the winner…..but I really could go one forever! One thing I DO want to say that I’m sharing will be a Crinum Lily. Ask any of my friends that I’ve shared one of these with….no garden should do without these. Look it up! They’re AWESOME…..mine get about two feet tall….and just get thicker every year. I got these about twelve or thirteen years ago from a friend….and I’ve been in love ever since! Thank You “Miss Pam!!!”
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- These are some of those little houseplants that they sell at wallyworld. and a few little succulents. None are perennial….but GREAT for the heat. They also don’t mind if you forget to water them for a few days!!! AND….YES that is a painted napkin dispenser!!!
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- allisim. Okay….I know everyone uses it, not perrinial, but just works it’s little booty off…if you keep it dead headed it’ll just keep going….even after a light freeze. And…if you plant it where it likes it….it’ll reseed itself for you for next year! I take the clippings when I dead head it and throw them around where I want some more….up it comes….and to work it goes!
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- For the life of me, I can’t recall the name of this….ugh! If they’re happy…..you’ll find them about in your garden….I also place the “heads” where I’d like to see them come up. These also come in white….I’ll try to get a name!
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- I call this weeping butterfly bush. I ordered this through the mail a few years ago. It’s not a very good pic of it. It’s blooms are smaller than the types you find at the nurseries….but it does weep. The bees and butterflies LOVE it. They warned me when I purchased it that it spreads via underground runners! THAT is an understatement!!! This is definitely a “SHARE” plant!!!
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- I know….it’s a lousy picture….but I love these and they spread really well from seed…I’ll be glad to share what I can get of these. They didn’t do too well this year….I’m not sure why. I call them miniature hollyhocks.
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- This is Salvia “black and blue” It’s always done really well for me….till this year. I think the blow dryer last year really effected many of my plants….including the tough standbys……this is no exception.
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- This is evening primrose….alot of gardeners don’t like this because it reminds them of vine weed. It does spread like crazy!!! but unlike vine…or bind weed….it doesn’t choke anything out! It just gets covered in a wave of pink during it’s first bloom….then it’ll just keep blooming off and on all summer. This is a share!
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- More evening primrose
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- Awwww…..yellow butterfly bush. It took me forever to find one….and I had to nurse it back to health….but it’s doing great this year!
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- Rose of Sharon….this one I got for mother’s day from my youngest son and lovely AMY….one of my faves. Rose of Sharons just LOVE this neck of the woods and are a WONDERFUL backdrop in a garden. They are just bursting into bloom right now!!! The time when so many gardeners are disgruntled with their gardens!
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- A pale pink Rose of Sharon….
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- Russian Sage is awesome to fill in a large open spot in the middle of a perennial bed….I have these everywhere….they just require NO work and bloom and attract those WONDERFUL buzzers to the garden!!!
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- Common name for this is obedient plant. This one is a lavender/fushia color….it gets about 2 feet tall….and just spreads as much as you’d like it too…but easy to dig and move about if you want to control it. I have white ones too….but they never have done very well here….but I’ll be glad to share some of this color!!!
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- I call this False indigo. It’s little bloom is fairly small….but It gets fairly tall….mine is just a few years old….and it’s probably four feet tall…you can trim it all you like….it just gets bushier. It will spread like crazy by seed….but the babies pull up pretty easy. DEFINITELY a share!
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- A pale butterfly bush that came of from seed last year! I moved it to it’s current location!
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- A white single style bloom Rose of Sharon….LOVE LOVE!!!
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- They call this double Rose of Sharon Red….but it’s really a hot pink….one of my faves!!!
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- Trumpet vine…..what can I say? The hummers love it….but don’t plant it anywhere you don’t want to to TAKE OVER!!! This one starts out red….and then fades to this color. Share!
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- Here’s the “start” color!
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- I can’t recall the name of this one….It gets about a foot and a half tall….and spreads…but easy to control. The butterflies just SWARM to it!!! SHARE. If you really HAVE to have the name….I’ll try to remember….or look it up for you! UGH….getting old just stinks!!!
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- This is a Veronica. A pink version. There is also a purple. great small plant that does so well here too!
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- Oh….surely I don’t have to tell Y’all that this is purple coneflower!!! It’ll spread by seed too. This is the toughest plant you’ll ever find. BUT for some odd reason these took a hit in my yard last year too. I will however share seeds
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- Ahhhhh Vitex. I love this shrub. Some folks call this Texas Lilac! These are just amazing! I have one that’s about three years old….and it’s over ten feet tall….and probably six wide!!! A garden MUST for late season blooming backdrop. BUT you DOOOOO need some room for this bad boy. However, I’ve seen them limbed up like trees…..so I guess that’s an option.
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- Crepe Myrtle. I’ve had better luck with these since I moved into zone 7. for some reason they just don’t do that well colder than that. They will grow however. LOVE THESE!
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- Butterfly weed. This isn’t perennial here….but it’s a MUST if you REALLY want to attract Monarchs!
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- OKAY….I know all Y’all know what Petunias are….but seriously the waves are just too good not to drop around in your garden for constant pops of color!!!
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- Nasturtium….You HAVE to plant some of these. They are amazingly easy to grow from seed…and usually re-seed themselves each year. I have them in orange and red. You can eat the leaves and blooms. If you like to graze in your yard….and like radishes….you HAVE to have these!!!! I could eat a salad with ONLY these in it!
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- This is a little annual I plant every year. It’s a Salvia….and it’ll just come up anywhere you put the dead heads!!! I just love these….and they are a hummer fave!!!
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- Okay….it’s just a little succulent bloom….WITH cobwebs included….but I couldn’t resist. All my “non” perennial succulents are just going crazy right now. THEY LOVE the heat!!!
These are some of those little houseplants that they sell at wallyworld. and a few little succulents. None are perennial….but GREAT for the heat. They also don’t mind if you forget to water them for a few days!!! AND….YES that is a painted napkin dispenser!!!
Okay….there are more…..but seriously….I could go on all day!!!!
On the give away….this is NOT the give away that will be announced August 1.
To win this….(and YES there will be more plants than I have put in here for the prize…I’ll keep updating this post with a list at the bottom….so keep checking back to this post….because I have to remember what all I have that I CAN dig up and share.)
1. You HAVE to be a WEBSITE….or BLOG follower! That means that you have to go over to the right…..and subscribe via e-mail…..and confirm it in your e-mail. Or….if you have a blog feed….you can subscribe that way.
2. You have to either comment on here….or if you follow me on facebook….you can share there…..and comment on YOUR share. If you share on facebook…..I’ll enter you twice. I will allow you to enter yourself this way twice….once now….and once after the fifteenth…..so this actually gives you a chance to have your name put in four times from this method alone!!!!
3. If anyone follows me…and comments that they followed me through you….I’ll enter you again for each new follower you are responsible for.
It’s that simple. I will be running this from now till the end of August also….so get busy posting and subscribing….
I’ll place reminders on my facebook page throughout the month….with a link to this post….that way if you don’t do it today….you won’t have to search forever for it!
Good Luck!
Love Y’all!!!
Plants included in the Prize:
This list will keep getting updated
Weeping butterfly bush
Crinum Lily
False indigo
the fluffy purple flowers that butterflies love….can’t remember the name.
Purple coneflower seeds
Zebrina seeds
Lavender Obedient Plant
Pink Evening Primrose
Trumpet Vine
I also have another vine that has small “clematis” looking blooms in the spring.
Variegated Yucca….
Golden rod…..this is a tall variety….and spreads well….mine gets approximately four feet tall…..even after I cut it several times….which by the way just makes it bushier and have more blooms in the fall.
Tall reed grass….mine in currently about 13-15 feet tall!!
Garlic Chives
Mint….several varieties
MORE LOVE!!!!
Beautiful plants. Thanks for sharing Tammy.
Thank you….and I’m excited about this give away!
I absolutely love my crinum lily that you shared with me a couple of years ago. You have some lovely pics of your flowers girl …
Awwwwe….Thanks! I wouldn’t have some of them if not for you!!! Yeah…I guess you can be a testament to how WONDERFUL crinum lilies truly are!!! Love Ya!!!
Wish I had a yard full of flowers like these they are all just beautiful.
Well….Just maybe you’ll win this!!! After all….right now…your name is in the drawing more than anyone else!!!! =]