It am hot!

Even with the heat, I have a few flowers. The crocosmia are looking quite nice although the leaves are beginning to brown and this is the only clump from the three or four from last year that survives.

Graham Thomas rose is blooming although the flowers are small and turn crispy after opening. Also this year the flowers are turning apricot rather than bleaching white like last year.

Perking up in July

A few more flowers this week. The white verbenias in the planter are starting to bloom nicely. I just have to remember to water them every other day.
Next is gaultheria. I planted two dozen of them last year with the hope that they would like it here and multiply. Most didn't make for this season but this one is looking good. I don't know if they didn't like the winter or they need more water.

Next a closeup of mutabilis showing the color range. They open yellow and turn pink and then fushia. Finally another shot of my purple shrub rose. This week it is looking pretty showy with the full range of color from purple through red to lavender.

Happy Fourth - No Fireworks here

Havn't got much more to show this week. We are still pretty much in between something. The first picture is something I regard as success. It is a small part of the bed area between my lawn and the retaining wall. It is the closest thing to my hopes for luxurious flower beds. I will give credit to Digging Dog. I think all the plants came from there and they suggested the combination of the yarrow and the aster. (You can see the yarrow just beginning to bloom and the aster is the tall, dark leaved plant in the background). The other plants are euphorbias who seem quite happy.
The other picture is my 'purple' shrub rose. It is a deep purple in the spring but not in July.
I would have more roses if I could persuade the gardeners that roses are supposed to have flowers. They want to shape them. Sigh!