What's Bloomin' - July 2013

July is one of my favorite months in my garden.   The hard work of spring is over and I can just enjoy my garden and the wildlife it brings.   What better way to spend the day than strolling through my garden with no specific agenda, just deadheading perennials here and there, plucking a few weeds,  marveling at the bees and butterflies, and pausing to take a picture of the newest bloom on the scene (and yes, I must admit, dripping sweat and swatting mosquitoes -- this is Texas in July, after all).

So humor me with my delusions of garden grandeur and come stroll through my garden with me to see what's blooming...

The front perennial beds are full of color:   

Lantana, salvias, phlox, rudbeckia, loosestrife, daylilies, and more.

This swallowtail butterfly paused just long enough on the 'John Fanick' Phlox for a nice photo op.

 

Last month the swallowtails were partial to the bee balm

The fountain by the front walk bubbles away among 

the phlox, rudbeckia, and ferns

 

 

Unlike those pesky mosquitoes,
annual cosmos is always welcome wherever it lands.

The bold foliage of the 'King Humbert' Canna provides a beautiful backdrop for the orange cosmos and 'Karley Rose' fountain grass on one side, as well as the spikes of 'Morden's Pink' Loosestrife on the other side

The new hellstrip (a/k/a heavenly patch of perennials) along the street is starting to fill in nicely.

The crape myrtles are in full bloom

 Mosquitoes being the exception, good things can come in small packages.   

Katie's Ruellia is a faithful summer bloomer

I am starting to become a daylily addict, 

recently adding seven new varieties to my garden.

Here are a few still blooming this month.

Top Left:  Orange (unknown variety - gift from a friend)

Top Right:  Hawaiian Nights

Lower Left:  Persian Market

Lower Right:  Rosy Rhino

Moving to the backyard....

This pink water lily is new to my garden (also a gift from a friend)

After getting off to a very rocky start after being transplanted in 2011 (our worst summer on record!), the 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea proved to be a survivor and bloomed beautifully this year. 

 

And the Oakleaf Hydrangeas have faded to a lovely shade of pink.

 

Unlike my sweaty clothes after a day in the garden, 

the blooms of my 'Guacamole' Hosta have a gardenia-like fragrance :-)

Speaking of sweating, on a recent trip to Beaufort, South Carolina 

(it's just a wee bit humid there),

 I purchased this new hummingbird feeder.  

I hope the hummers like it as much as I do

All sweating and swatting aside,
I hope you've enjoyed July's blooms in my garden.

Join Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day
and a look at more gardens around the world.

And may your delusions of garden grandeur become reality

Toni :-)