Heritage irises and more

 

It's been two years since we've had these and it was two years before that that they appeared; they must have been regrouping. They have a licorice or anise scent.

The Dutch irises are done after putting on quite a show, in several colors. Dayflowers (or spiderworts) are thriving and adding to the blue colors in the garden.

We would buy the flame or sunset assortment of ranunculus again. We've never seen some of these showy two-tone colors before. They came from John Scheepers, when most sources were pretty much sold out for the season.

Clematis continues to produce flowers. Thunbergia is blooming again; this one has a green center eye instead of a dark one. There are butterfly eggs on the milkweed plants. Every lantana plant is covered in flowers. Purpleheart is blooming. The second, smaller sort of ornamental allium is blooming.

We are seeing volunteers from nasturtiums and hyacinth beans. Last year's torenia is volunteering, also. There are still some anemones. The old-fashioned narcissus is done. There are still some iphieon. Pink oxalis is covered in bloom. There's one pink wood hyacinth. The plumbago next door is starting to bloom, but ours isn't. There was a second set of Erlicheer blooming, along with one kind or another of yellow miniature daffodils. We have seen no sign of Thalia this year.

All leaves are down from the oak trees, but the flowers have dropped from only one. Soon, we'll see pecan flowers.

The former mystery rose is covered with fierce thorns and handsome flowers. Amaryllises set outdoors in pots over the years are shooting up flower stalks. The latest to appear is entirely red.

Sweet peas are flowering in profusion, in many, many colors, including a striated red and white, several shades of blue and purple and crimson, and many other colors, but we have none of the crimson-and-purple antique bicolor one.

We're still harvesting lettuce and peas for the table. Bush beans are doing nicely in pots. Morning glories are coming along.

Squirrels, blue jays, and others continue to disport themselves among the loquats, which are beginning to ferment and attract wasps.

We keep deadheading the violas, and they continue to bloom, but soon it will no longer be cool enough for them.

The grass seems to be greening up. It's not really growing upward, but it is beginning to sprawl a bit. It's time to neaten it up with the offset edging shears.

We think that we've heard warblers the last two days, but we haven't been able to catch a glimpse of any. The blue jays are also fond of the loquats, and the titmice are attracted by something. Many birds are searching for inchworms among the oak and pecan flowers.

Every day is beautiful and passes all too soon.