Things I Liked Seeing Today

The slideshow was not as popular as I'd thought it might be. The consensus is that most would rather look at some photos with detailed descriptions. Me, too.

These little fellows are seedling melampodium and some Laura Bush petunias, two of my best reseeders. Melampodium literally comes up blooming, is self cleaning and lasts until frost. Its only downside is that it does not attract butterflies, but I have seen Red Spotted Purples light on it just hanging out, not to nectar. Laura Bush (the petunia) is a good mixer, showing up everywhere, but not intrusive.


The gardenia show is almost over with just a few buds still opening. It was grand and romantic while it lasted. Not only do they smell good, they're very photogenic. Confederate jasmine has taken a new fit of blooming so there's strong fragrance to take the place of the heady gardenia.


These last two are one new fav and one standard. I bought two bags of gladioli at a big box store in the spring. The label didn't show such a rich purple. I think they are gorgeous. The others are to have a yellow throat, if they ever send up blooms.

The old standard is my Texas fav, Esperanza, known to some as Tecoma stans. Yellow Bells bloom from the end of June to frost. They'll be joined soon by Pride of Barbados, the ferny plant between the Esperanza and the ubiquitous Laura Bush petunia, which reseeds freely in the Esperanza bed.