'Round the desmesne

This week we've enjoyed our fifth round of oxblood-lily showiness. Additional stems of pushed up from the first location that bloomed, and the last location to appear each year has done so. We're seeing clockvine (thunbergia, the variety with orange flowers and black centers). There have been a few passion flowers. The somewhat cooler nights have refreshed the potted geraniums. After having been pruned and rained upon, the lantanas in business again for the butterflies, and we continue to see many, as well as hummingbirds. The hummingbirds prefer Turk's cap above everything else. Bees are busy in the hyacinth beans. The pods have popped and the seeds from the milkweed and the Pride of Barbados have dispersed. Both kinds of milkweed (asclepias), the purely yellow and the orange-and-yellow combination, are putting forth new flowers. The nights are cooler for sleeping. Orion is very prominent in the sky. Any day now we'll see evidence of spider lilies (lycoris). Summer's on its way out!