Garden Bloggers Bloom Day July 16, 2009

Sorry to be late; I was overbooked on the 15th. I took some photos last evening with the Canon Power Shot Pro but the lighting and my tremor didn't make them turn out well enough to use. Today I went back to my faithful little Canon Elph.

During June we had an inch of rain, which for us is good, but July has been hot, dry, and windy with dry lightning storms. I spend the days running out to change the hoses and sprinklers often, and sympathize with the plants for being dessicated. Last Friday we had wildfires both north and south of us. Luckily, the fact that there had been rains kept the fires from growing explosively, as they did during our recent drought years. The northern fire was on Fort Carson land, was contained quickly and threatened no structures. The other fire was just south of Florence at the base of the Wet Mountains and 200 homes had to be evacuated in several subdivisions. The fire was contained by the end of the weekend with no structures burned. How we appreciate our fire fighters in this area, most of whom are volunteers, with help from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which has a facility in Canon City because there is a lot of BLM land in Fremont County.

Given that introduction to our climate, here is what is blooming at Toad Haven today.

Wine Cups Mallow and Blue Vernonica in prairie border. These both do very well in our hot, dry climate.

Trumpet Vine in the north prairie border. I remember playing witches fingers with these as a child in Granny's garden.

Small Prairie Zinnias in the northwest corner of the prairie border next to the driveway where it has the gravel it prefers.

Echinacea and yellow Yarrow in the west prairie border. They put on a great show in the summer and I leave the seedheads over the winter for the birds. The grass behind this border is the Blue Gramma grass which is native to Colorado's prairies and makes a great lawn with far less water and cutting than the usual Blue Grass that our pioneers felt they had to have to remind them of home, which has been one of the causes of water shortages in the state. I consider myself Granny Gramma Grass Seed.

This patch of Sweet Rocket on the north side (front) of the house, was one of the few plants that had survived the previous occupants of our house, who didn't water, weed, or care for the yard in any way. When I go out front to change the sprinklers on the small patch of blue grass, the fragrance of these flowers brightens my day.

I'm particularly attracted to these Decorative Oregano flowers in the backdoor patio garden with the Lavenders and California Poppies.

Gaillaridas blooming in the corner of the dooryard patio garden. I've also just planted some Gaillarias, yellow Yarrows, and silver Artemesia in the narrow, hot bed along the south side of the house on the other side of this garden and patio. I'm trying to find something that will survive in that hellacious climate.

A volunteer Queen Anne's Lace blooms next to the Germander that borders the driveway edge of the Herb Garden.

I realize that these are not blooms, but they are the fruit of previous blooms. This is the first harvest from my tardy veggie garden. The large Eggplants are not even bloooming yet, but I am personally fond of these long Japanese fruits. Come on Zuchinni and Tomatoes!

Check out what's blooming all over the world at May Dreams Gardens