Red Hot for Summer Heat
Posted: July 10, 2020 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Asclepias curassavica, butterfly weed, Encore Azalea, Hamelia paten, Hibiscus coccineus, hummingbird bush, Monarch Butterfly, Penta, penta lanceolata, rose, Salvia coccinea, Texas Star Hibiscus 16 Comments__________________________
The summer heat is on and the temperature is rising to 100 degrees or so. My red flowers are undaunted by the heat. Usually, I flee these super hot days for cooler climates, but in this current situation all plans have been canceled, so I’ll be enjoying the red hot plants of summer.
Saliva coccinea is a staple in the Automatic Garden. It survives the heat and the cold.
Hummingbird Bush (Hamelia paten) is a favorite of hummers and all pollinators.
Penta lanceolata will reseed and can make it through the winter, although it will look raggedy. Butterflies love it.
This Encore Azalea is kind of red. This azalea will repeat bloom throughout the year with early spring being its most prolific time.
These are probably the last roses until the weather cools.
The Butterfly Weed (Asclepias curassavica) has come back after being eaten by spring migrating Monarchs’ caterpillars.
Texas Star Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) is the star of the garden. It is big, red and loves the heat.
The Texas Stars Are Big and Bright
Posted: July 28, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Hibiscus coccineus, My Kitchen Window, Southern Gardening, subtropical climate, Subtropical Gardening, Texas Star Hibiscus, Year-round gardening 20 Comments
The Texas Star Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) growing outside my kitchen window, looked so gorgeous, I interrupted my dinner to take a photo.
The big red flowers were glowing brightly as the sun got lower. I’m afraid the photo does not quite reflect what my eyes were seeing.
Nonetheless, the Texas Stars made a pretty picture.
Summer Bloomers
Posted: July 23, 2018 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Black Eyed Susan, Butterflly Weed, Cleome, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Hibiscus coccineus, Justicia brandegeeana, Monarch Butterfly, My Kitchen Window, Purple Cone Flower, Shimp plant, Southern Gardening, subtropical climate, Subtropical Gardening, Texas Star Hibiscus, Year-round gardening 17 Comments—————–
The summer heat is on and we are looking at 102f degrees (actual temperature) for the next few days. Thankfully, some of my faithful flowers can take the heat.
The Texas Star Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) greets me from my kitchen window each morning. Yes, we do like to name as many things “Texas” as we can. I recently found out that George Washington also grew this plant. He probably didn’t call it Texas Star.
The Black Eyed Susan is a reseeding annual and can pop up anywhere in the garden. I never mind volunteers and just transplant them back in their beds.
The seeds for this Cleome are from my father, who always called them Spider Plants.
Many bloggers have shown photos of Purple Cone Flowers. I just have one hanging on, as the deer and rabbits ate most of the flowers.
Butterfly Weed is ready and waiting for the Monarch Butterflies.
I was in total awe when I first saw a Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeana), I had never seen a plant like it. Now, it happily fills my garden from a cutting given to me by my mother-in-law.
Design in Nature
Posted: July 3, 2017 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Southern Gardening, subtropical climate, Subtropical Gardening, Texas Star Hibiscus, Year-round gardening 9 Comments
Early one morning, this Texas Star Hibiscus caught my eye. It was partially opened and the sun was shining through the green star making it look like stained glass.
Unfortunately, the view from human eye always looks better than a photo and the glow is not quite captured.
Before long, the flower opened separating the green star. Nature has an endless variety of beautiful designs.
Texas Stars Greet the Solstice
Posted: June 21, 2014 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, bees, butterflies, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Hibiscus coccineus, Hummingbirds, Midsummer, Summer Solstice, Texas Star Hibiscus 2 Comments
The Texas Star Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) opened at first light and greeted the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies gather its nectar. Birds pick the hibiscus’s seeds in the fall and have replanted some in the natural area behind the fence.
The Texas Star is a reliable bloomer and is root hardy on the Gulf Coast. It adds more stems to the plant each year and also reseeds. It begins to bloom during the long Midsummer days.
