Monday, July 22, 2013

Just outside my door

It rained every day for a week here. In July. In Texas. Some of you may not realize how unusual that is, so I'll tell you...unbelievably.

I took these photos a couple of days ago, while everything still looked green and perky and happy from all the rain. It won't be long till they look as if they're afraid I'm never going to bring the garden hose around and give them a drink. Of course, I will give them a drink each evening, but they'll still be a tiny bit afraid I'll forget.

I've done several posts on flowers and plants that look good in a modern setting. These are some of my favorites.


I snapped this one from my chair as the boys were playing outside.

Hazy day...still a 20% chance of rain

Bougainvillea

Tiny portulaca (moss rose) bloom, in spite of so little sun

Cactus outside my front door
(And see how well the honeysuckle is covering the trellis?)

Close-up of cactus and portulaca flanking my front door

Coral honeysuckle on the trellis/fence

Mexican heather in windowboxes on my house

Shady corner by the driveway for fern and caladium

Close-up of caladium...What looks cooler in the summertime?

Another variety of caladium, in pots behind my house

And yet another caladium, this time in a bed behind my house

Elephant ears in another shady spot behind my house

Hosta in a bed behind my house

More hosta and liriope behind my house

Succulent in a pot behind my house

More succulent from the pot behind my house

Impatiens in hanging basket behind my house

Sedum and lantana in a pot on the patio
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18 comments:

  1. Reduce, Reuse and RummageJuly 22, 2013 at 12:18 AM

    love the succulents

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 22, 2013 at 5:55 AM

      I love them too. Poor things have gotten a little water logged with all this rain.

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  2. Ton S. July 22, 2013 at 12:59 AM

    So fresh and lovely. The only greens in my apartment are the ones in the fridge. ( :

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 22, 2013 at 6:02 AM

      Glad you're eating well! :) I have to have more than just lettuce in and around my house. Plants literally make the air inside healthier. Outside, they make me smile.

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  3. MakeminemidcenturyJuly 22, 2013 at 3:24 AM

    So interesting seeing your plants. What's the go with lantana? It's a pest here and has a tendency to overtake native plants in the wild.

    I do like the look of your elephant ears (you know what I mean!).

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 22, 2013 at 5:58 AM

      Lantana can be intrusive here too, so it's best confined to pots or small, contained spaces. I think it's only valued here for its drought resistance.

      Delete
  4. Bill MJuly 22, 2013 at 4:46 AM

    Very beautiful plants. Your weather seems like Florida. Nice Independence Day week end and rain ever since.

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 22, 2013 at 5:59 AM

      We had days and days of scorching 100+ temperatures after Independence Day, and then a week ago, it started to rain...and rain...and rain. So strange for July in Texas!

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  5. PippaJuly 22, 2013 at 7:08 AM

    All looking very lovely and the trellis planting is coming along a treat! :)

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 22, 2013 at 10:07 AM

      The honeysuckle has made it to the top and beyond. Now it just needs to fill in and get thick.

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  6. Tina@WhatWeKeepJuly 22, 2013 at 10:16 AM

    Lantana is definitely our friend in the Texas heat. Love your bougie...I had to get rid of mine because of the dogs. Grow honeysuckle, grow! Looks wonderful, Dana.

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 22, 2013 at 11:13 AM

      Thanks, Tina. I've seen some pretty big clumps of lantana, even in our intense heat and drought conditions, so I can definitely see how it could become a real pest in a place like Australia, can't you?

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  7. Stacey@aGoodehouseJuly 22, 2013 at 12:11 PM

    Your plants are so beautiful, Dana! I know they (and the lawn) love the rain... but I'm getting tired of it. It's so hard when you're trying to paint the outside of your house. UGH! We're getting drenched too. I know, I know... I'll be complaining in a few weeks when we're parched and the plants are all hunched over but .. you know. :-) I adore caladiums but your cacti and succulents are making me so happy.

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 22, 2013 at 12:21 PM

      Even though we really needed the rain, I have to confess that I got tired of it too, and I'm happy to see the sun today in earnest. Some of my plants were getting too wet, and our grass is totally out of control. Maybe now we can mow!

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  8. toveJuly 22, 2013 at 1:26 PM

    Oh, your plant selection looks wonderful, Dana! So much beauty around your house! The "trumpets" on your honeysuckle are just amazing, can't believe it grew so fast. The weather is gorgeous here now, 25 degrees on the Celsius scale, so we're really enjoying the outdoors:-)

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 22, 2013 at 1:52 PM

      It was in the 70s all last week too (the equivalent of your 25 degrees Celsius), but the forecast calls for the temperature to get over 100 again by the end of the week and hotter next week, which would be like 38-41C).

      I made a bet with my daughter and SIL that the honeysuckle would be to the top of the trellis by the end of June, and it was. You could practically watch it grow during all the rain.

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  9. AllisonJuly 23, 2013 at 10:03 PM

    all so pretty Dana. love the portulaca and the yellow bougie. plants just make a home look lived in don't they. some hot days ahead for you. I love the heat and want summer days so badly....but you can guarantee I`ll whinge about the heat when it gets here. Al x

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 23, 2013 at 11:51 PM

      I love warm weather, but when it's 105 (41 C) for days on end, it makes gardening a challenge.

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