Things to love in Late Spring

In late Spring, the Peter's Purple Bee Balm explodes into color and it is a sight to behold. In the front garden, the Calylophus are still blooming, and provide a striking contrast.

I love their fire cracker like flower

Of all my plants, this is the one that stops the most people on the street. And it filled this whole space in three years from one small plant!

Also in late Spring, the Day Lilies put up their tall stalks, and slowly unfurl their beauty!

The day lily in the back garden has some native milkweed blooming behind it. I had actually forgotten the milkweed was there until it put forth its bloom :)

The Engelmann Daisies that I transplanted this spring have been gorgeous in their new bed, bright and sunshiney.

Last year, a small fern like plant popped up in the back side garden. I truly don't know why I didn't pull it for a weed. I guess because I really liked its feathery foliage.  It did nothing the whole year.  This year, it popped up again, and again, I decided to keep it. Only this year, it grew very tall, and now has put out the beautiful red flowers. 

Turns out is is a biennial Standing Cypress (aka Texas Plume). It is kind of in an awkward place, so tall at the front of the bed, but I love it anyway. When it starts going to seed, i am going to see if I can direct the seeds toward the back of the bed.

This year, my twist-leaf yucca has put up its stalks and blooms. The bamboo muhly shows its feathery green.

A close up of the top of the bloom, where not all have opened up yet.

A new favorite of mine is the Creeping Germander. I bought some last year, and love it as a textured, low lying ground cover.  But then, once a year, it burst forth with a ton of small purple blooms, which makes it even more awesome.

I like this plant so much, that I bought 5 more to put in the back side garden bed. It is in partial shade, so it may not bloom in that location, but I really got it for its foliage texture.

I am so pleased with the new solar garden.  For just being a few months old, it looks really great.  The lantana, snake herb and Bee Balm are all blooming in the left side, and the Englemann daisies look great on the right side.  

Here is a close up up the lantana, with Bee Balm in the back.  I wasn't able to get the snake herb in there as well, but it is gorgeous all together.

One other beauty in late Spring in the Gregg's Mistflower. I believe this is mostly a fall bloomer, but I have gotten a bunch of blooms this spring. This is supposed to be a huge pollinator attracter, thought I have honestly not seen much on it this month.

I bought one new plant this month (I bought a lot of new plants, but this one was unfamiliar to me) A Flax Lily Diaella.  I love its variegated foliage.  I have know idea how it will do, but it was a clearance plant for a dollar, so I figure I don't have much to lose :)