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August 15th, 2007
GBBD 200708: Aug 2007

photo: Cosmos sulpureus
Cosmos sulphureus

Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites us to tell her what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month.

August 15, 2007

Now that Austin is finally reaching normal summer temperatures, many plants have decided it’s time to close up shop until fall. However, after receiving almost twice our annual rainfall, the garden looks better than usual for this time of year. Typically here, there are few new flowers in the garden in August. Most of what’s blooming is just hanging on for dear life.

  • Abelia grandiflora
  • Allium tuberosum
  • Antigonon leptopus
  • Asclepias curassavica
  • Canna–unknown red from seed
  • chili pequin–very few flowers but covered in fruit
  • Coriandrum sativum–some cilantro sprouted with last month’s rains and quickly flowered on ragged 1 foot tall plants
  • Cosmos sulphureus
  • Duranta erecta
  • Hibiscus syriacus
  • Ipomoea quamoclit (cypress vine)
  • Lagerstroemia indica
  • Lantana ‘New Gold’
  • Malvaviscus arboreus
  • Mirabilis jalapa pink
  • monkey grass
  • Oenothera speciosa (pink evening primrose)
  • Oxalis triangularis
  • Nerium oleander ‘Turner’s Shari D.’ — full, gorgeous bloom
  • Plumbago auriculata
  • Polanisia dodecandra
  • rose ‘Blush Noisette‘ — once again in full bloom
  • rose ‘Red Cascade’
  • rosemary (unusual for summer here)
  • Rudbeckia hirta — fading
  • Ruellia (Mexican petunia)–dependable this time of year
  • Tulbaghia violacea (society garlic) Thanks, Pam!
  • Verbena canadensis

by M Sinclair Stevens

5 Responses to post “GBBD 200708: Aug 2007”

  1. From Annie in Austin:
    August 15th, 2007

    The orange cosmos were just as pretty in real life, MSS – I really like them. And the Antigonon looked great by the driveway. [The ones I bought and killed were sold as “Queen’s Wreath”.]

    This year is so odd! I have new buds coming on the miniroses and on the ‘Julia Child’ … after last year that seems like a miracle.

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

    I was going to take photos of the antigonon but I had so much trouble with my blog software that it took me hours just to get this little post written. After that, I was too frustrated to add photos. — mss

  2. From Steve Mudge (Dallas):
    August 15th, 2007

    I’ve got to try that orange Cosmos next year–our regular Cosmos didn’t really fare to well in the rain and heat…that’s what I get for using seeds I brought from Oregon!

    One plant that has been spectacular this month is some kind of Rudbeckia my wife picked up at the Lady Bird Wildflower Center–just covered with blossoms and not skipping a beat from the heat.

    I think the amount of water has more to do with it than the species. The C. sulphureus looks good this year because the plants got a lot of rain in June right after they sprouted. The ones that have sprouted more recently are rather small a scraggly. I’m just happy that they don’t mind some shade–a problem I have trying to get most xeric plants to flower. The pink C. bipinnatus have a plant or two that are also flowering now. It just happened none were in flower today. — mss

  3. From Carol (Indiana):
    August 15th, 2007

    Thanks for participating in Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day again. As I visit all the bloom day posts, I’m picking up that common theme that no one seemed to have “normal” weather this summer and it has changed things up for many of us.

    That cosmos is the very definition of the color orange. It’s a keeper!

    Carol at May Dreams Gardens

    Summer 2007 has been wonderful for Austin gardeners. Sounds like most of you are getting our normal weather–not that I’d wish that on anyone, especially not other gardeners. — mss

  4. From Layanee (Rhode Island):
    August 15th, 2007

    Nice photo and a great list of flowers in bloom. Austin is well represented in the bloom day posts!

    Your Rhode Island garden looks so green. I love your gourd flower photos. Austin is lucky to have so many garden bloggers. What interests me is how very different our gardens are, both in style and the plants we grow. — mss

  5. From Ki (New Jersey):
    August 16th, 2007

    The Duranta Erecta and Polanisia dodecandra look very interesting. When I first saw the Polanisia I thought it was a Cleome. I hope the rain you’re getting from Erin won’t rot your already waterlogged plants.

    The Polanisia was sold as used to be classed as Cleome marshalli–so they were considered relatives at one time. — mss