The blue bonnets are still going but looking a little faded and some have pods.

Prairie Verbena are going strong. I had them once before and seems like they bloomed all summer.

Just one lonely Pomegranate bloom. Same thing last year. It is about 7 feet tall and full. Multiple trunks/stems.

Some kind of culinary Sage. Pale gray leaves, tons of purple blooms.

Damianita finally.

Purple, volunteer Lantana.

Indian Blanket just starting up.

Some kind of tiny white daisy. Bloom is similar to Blackfoot, but foliage seems different. Lots of those in one area.

A patch of black Iris I had forgotten about.

I should add, I guess, that until last fall I had not set foot in my yard (other than the driveway) since November of 2011 due to a broken back. Everything I've mentioned here and in my initial post have survived (minus the blue bonnets and verbena) all this time without human help. I'm amazed, frankly. There are other things out there that aren't mentioned because they are not blooming. It was always a wonder to me how anything could grow in our white dirt, high temps, and almost zero rainfall even with help from me. I have some tough plants.

Clivia I got 30 yrs ago from my now 93 y/o MIL is crazy blooming this year. Double stalks from one plant. Some years, I get nothing. Then this. Go figure.

I'm jealous on the Clivia. Still waiting on first blooms for mine.

Iluvtobake I'm glad you are getting to enjoy it this time of year. Some of these plants are pretty durable.

I did a drive by on a garden center yesterday. Bear in mind I am in moist, humid east Texas. They had a new plant supplier and the plants in stock will probably be short lived here. Blackfoot daisy, Artemisia Powis Castle, Gaura… I resisted temptation as I suspect they would fade away with 90% humidity.

Pod, you are right about that. I used to live in se texas and would try to grow things I would see in San Antonio. Usually didn't work out. Humidity counts for a lot, I think, even if you replicate everything else in a pot.

Now I wish for hydrangeas, azaleas, huge trees... there is always something I wish could grow. No matter where I live.

@Iluvtobake ~ I lust after the types of plants that do well in your area (yep, I had to resist the temptation to purchase some of those) or I wish for a climate where I could leave tropicals out year around or plant them in ground. But it is not to be. I'm thinking we need to be happy where we are "planted".

My Oakleaf Hydrangea has leafed out and is just starting to bloom.



And I can see that my Magnolia grandiflora is just barely starting to create some buds. Probably be 3 weeks or more before I get blooms.



However I'm really bummed out because I wasn't around when the Cedar Waxwings did their thing and stripped all the berries off the Mahonias. Dang! If anyone has ever seen them strip berries, you'd understand.

I understand about the Cedar Waxwings. I got to watch them strip my yaupon hollies a couple of weeks again. It doesn't take them very low long and then they're gone!

I was watching those mahonias like a hawk. The waxwings probably came while I was at my ophthalmologist. Boogers.

As I was leaving this morning I saw that my first light purple irises were blooming. Ran out and took a picture just as it was starting to rain.






Then I turned around and saw that my pink salvia greggiis were looking good.



That 'bushy' plant behind the salvia is my bronze fennel.

My Desert Rose finally bloomed

Looking great! Mine is putting out buds now.

Been waiting a long time for this yellow clivia. I hope the rain doesn't pound it down! Gonna go move it just in case.

Pretty! Now I'm double jealous...

All safe. But my lettuce sprouts got pounded in the rains. I wish I had thought to roll that to safety. @Pod. As you may know, clivia live to be pot bound. Mine have been in the same pot since Day 1. But I do have seeds I will share if you'd like to try them? Warning: they grow slowly, and I mean SLOOOOOW!

Too muddy for me to survey my plants that are potted. (ahem) I do have some paisley mud boots but I'd have to make sure that no spiders are hiding in them.

I am worried about my one and only crinum. A year or probably two years ago it was in a huge pot with its mother. We had so much rain that the mother and a sibling died. I was able to rescue it and then it almost died again. Brought it inside to dry out. Roots finally looked good and I saw some green starting to grow. I sure hope it didn't die again from the storm last night. Not sure how many times it can be reincarnated.

Right time of year for amaryllis to grow, if it has good drainage, last nights storm will just kick it into growing. Luck with it.

ShadyGreenThumb said:All safe. But my lettuce sprouts got pounded in the rains. I wish I had thought to roll that to safety. @Pod. As you may know, clivia live to be pot bound. Mine have been in the same pot since Day 1. But I do have seeds I will share if you'd like to try them? Warning: they grow slowly, and I mean SLOOOOOW!

That is generous, thank you! I am going to resist the seed temptation at this age and say no, but thank you. I think mine is an orange bloomer. The downside is it hasn't bloomed. The upside is I haven't killed it yet.

Your lettuce seedlings will bounce back and be just fine. Not to worry.

I just love Damianita. I don't know why you don't see it for sale more. I've only seen it at one place in Austin. The deer don't eat it, it's evergreen, drought tolerant, and stays small. Blooms it's little heart out for several weeks.

That looks like something I could use in our mostly native landscape.

I've seen it listed in some of the plant sales that actually list what plants they'll be selling. It's nice to see the pictures to know what it is.

Wildflower patch in the back yard


Wild rain lilies blooming in the patch. My store bought ones rarely bloom.


Antelope Horns in the 'meadow'.


My version of a Bloomin' Onion. They are just grocery store green onions.