An inch of rain!

The Guara that I purchased earlier this year are really thriving!

Over the last few months, it seems like everyone else in Austin has gotten rain, and we've gotten nothing. But yesterday, we received over an inch of rain. Woot! All of the flowers and plants just soaked it up!

Western Corner of the Front Yard 
Right now, my favorite part of the garden is the far west corner. I filled it in this spring with 4 new Mealy Blue sage, 4 new Tropical Milkweed and some Guara that I found on clearance at Lowe's and it really filled in the area.

The two Tropical Milkweed transplants are doing well, as are the four new ones I purchased this year. All are in bloom, creating a pretty corner of red and orange. I have collected up some seeds and I am going to try and propagate some new plants from this year's seeds.

Only one of the three Trailing White Lantana made it through the winter , but it really fills in the corner with its white, crisp blooms.  Well, one other lantana is hanging on at just one stalk.  I keep watering it in hopes it will hang in and grow.

Here is my one Mealy Blue Sage that made it through the winter, along with the additional four I purchased this year.

And the Knock Out rose is covered in blooms.

Middle Front Bed
The middle of the front bed looked better a few weeks ago, when the Salvia and Four Nerve Daisies were lush and in bloom, but I still love the way the Agave holds center stage with color all around!

My small field of Coreopsis is doing well!

The Purple Coneflower that I planted from seed last year is blooming for the first time! The four new ones that I planted earlier this year are still small, but hopefully next year this whole area will be full of blooms!

The  Esperanza and Duranta just started to bloom this week.

And the backyard Pride of Barbados loves the heat, but enjoys the rain!