Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June Edition

Welcome to June's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day in Deep South Texas. This month's theme should be "Only the Strong Survive!" I realize that all of Texas and most of the country are suffering through this month's unseasonably high temperatures. Our plants are no different. As I uploaded this morning's photographs, I thought the blooms are looking a bit tired - this heat sure puts them under added stress too! We'll begin with the heat lovin' Bougainvillea in salmon above and red below.

Here's another heat lover, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima
And I really should take a few minutes to find out the name of this vine. I know some of you must know it! It's a self seeder that comes back every summer and decorates the Firebush with its star-shaped flowers. My sister-in-law, Martha and Chris saw it growing in Roundtop, Texas and plucked a few seeds - thus, we just call it the Roundtop Vine.
Louisiana Iris will bloom until the first cool snap next fall. One thing I've learned is to separate it every 3 or 4 years. Otherwise, it keeps growing outwardly and you will end up with more of a circle than a round plant.
Bleeding Heart Vine Clerodendrum thomasoniae is still blooming - but it sure doesn't look as vibrant as it did a month ago.
Zinnias are coming into their own in all shades of purple, pink and red. I don't know what happened to the orange and yellow seed!

And who doesn't love the orange clusters on Flame of the Woods, Ixora coccinea. There is also a yellow gold variety that I'm looking for a spot for. Lately I've noticed some lovely plantings that have mixed the orange and yellow together.
The large flowering Crown of Thorns, Euphorbia splendens var. milii is becoming a bit speckled. It and the miniature variety below are both grown in pots around here.


This small bed of Mealycup Sage, Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue' has grown and bloomed so well, I added a few more plants to it. I trimmed back the Scarlet Sages, Salvia coccinea 'Lady in Red' and 'Coral Nymph' last week - we'll see what they're doing in July.

Pentas lanceolata just keep blooming and blooming and blooming. They are paired with the blue Mealycup Sage under the flag pole for a bit of a patriotic bed.
I can't bring myself to pull out the volunteer Periwinkles, Vinca minor. Both the purple and white are staking claim among the Ixora. The Frangipani is looking a bit tattered after some high winds last week.
This Daylily, Hemerocallis sp. 'Splendora Sunrise was a Mother's Day gift last year. We had to move them for a construction project - but they don't seem to mind.

Trailing white lantana, Lantana montevidensis is growing in a pot in a transition bed. I love the how the white shines in the moonlight.
Thyrallis is attracting lots of butterflies and bees. Its bright yellow flowers show up from a distance.
and Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa has sprouted all over the "Native Beds". She shares the space below native trees with the Frogfruit, pictured below.

This Porterweed has a great blue color. I need to find a little spot for some of the red variety.

Padre Island Mistflower is also crawling around in the "Native Bed".
The yellow pistols against the red Jatropha is a pretty combination.
All the Coleus is trying to bloom - but I'm pinching out the bloom stems as soon as I see them. Of course, I think its leaf is a pretty as most blossoms.
Variegated Shell Ginger is putting on quite a show. Or maybe it's just that I've finally noticed its details after years of ignoring it. Check out the beautiful yellow shell that peeps out of the white pod.
There are some re-bloom patches in the Bottlebrush hedge.
Pam from Digging has her gecko - but I have my own garden mascot. This large one-legged frog. Sometimes I can catch her early in the morning before the sun has warmed things up - or my dog, Red, has had a chance to chase her off. She is amazingly fast.

To see what's blooming in gardens around the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.