Begonias heaven!

 Begonias are one of the most wonderful bulbs to add to your garden. There are many types, from the common fibrous, tuberous and Angelwing types, to the larger and more intriguing cane and shrub types. Today's blog showcases a number of these summer and fall bloomers.

From top to bottom, here are my Gloriosa lily, Salvia melissodora, silvery Centaurea ragusina and directly above my ever blooming Erythrina crista-galli.

Petunias may be common but they still are pretty.

My Aloe striata is handsome even when not in bloom.

Nandinas are a workhorse plant. Here's a variety called Firepower, showing its fall red blush.

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 Above is one of the many bromeliads in my garden; underneath is the first photo of my many Begonias (Nonstop Orange) and directly above is my golden Duranta. It was slow to establish but is a real trooper now.

Above is my Asarina 'Joan Lorraine.' When customers ask me for a small, well-behaved vine, this is one of my favorites to recommend.

This is one of several Angelwing begonias I have in my garden. Many of these types have spotted leaaves, as this variety does.

I forget the variety name of this Tradescantia but I call it 'Fuzzy' on account of its furry foliage. Tradescantias make wonderful ground covers for part shade.

There's no 'bluer blue' hydrangea than H. 'Nikko Blue'. It holds its robin's-egg blue color, even without a bluing agent added to the soil.

White speckled flowers hold an appeal for me. Here's a Fallopia japonica 'Variegata' showing prominent white coloring. Below is an unusual Viburnum, V. macrocephalum, showing some fall color.

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Above is the immediately recognizable Blue Bear's Paw fern. It has rooted down through its pot and now is prospering. Below that is another of my many bromeliads, showing some eye-catching banding. And directly above is a type of Bird's Nest fern, showing its prominent central spine.

This Evolvulus is both hardy, ever blooming and just so pretty. You want blue? This little ground cover has it in spades!

Lantana may be common but the bush types offer an array of tantalizing colors. Below is another one of many Begonias, which features lovely ginger tones.

Here's another one of my many Neoregelia bromelids. They are the easiest plants to care for and look good year round. And below is my Mandevilla 'Apricot'. Subtle color but beautiful.

Above is my ornamental grape (Vitis coignetiae. showing some of its fall color. Huge leaves are a feature of this species.

There are many types of plumbago. This ground cover type is Ceratostigma plumbaginoides. It's a workhorse plant and is a welcome mid-fall to early winter bloomer.

Another Begonia, this one B. belleconia 'Soft Orange'. It features ruffled petals and a pastel orange color.

Even tho this Begonia 'Wild Pony' has yet to bloom after like 8 years, I love its dark and heavily crinkled leaves.

Yet another Begonia that I've lost the ID tag for. Love the blush of colors here.

Here's a shot of the walkway leading to the backyard. As you can see, it's densely planted.

Here's one of my Angelwing begonias, with its characteristic sprays of pale pink flowers.

This Azalea 'Court Jester' has been through the ringer but continues to bounce back and even bloom late into September.

Another one of my Neoregelia bromeliads, this one called 'Comet'. Neos, as they are called, are known for their colorful centers, as is the case here.

Top photo is my Pelargonium 'Caroline's Citrine', an unusual Pel that prefers shade. It is favored as much for its bi-colored leaves as for its flowers. Directly above is another unusual Begonia. This one is called Gryphon and is treasured for its foliage.

Bring on the lilies!!

 June has much to recommend it but in my garden, June means one thing - lilies. Lots of lilies. Whether it's the wide ranging Asiatic types, the fragrant Oriental types, the new and fabulous cross Orienpet lilies or the great variety of Trumpet or Tiger lilies, there's seemingly a lily flower for everyone's tastes. So, here are some of the first ones in my garden, those photos interspersed with photos of other garden denizens. Enjoy!

Philadelphus lewisii 'Goose Creek'. I was delighted to find that this variety exudes that lovely mock orange fragrance. The P. lewisii and its hybrids are usually lacking fragrance.

Crinum 'Rosea'. This relative of the pink flowering Naked Ladies also puts out fabulously large and showy flowers in early summer.

Remember those 'Got milk?' commercials. The blue hydrangea of that is this H. Nikko Blue. Holding onto its true sky blue color year after year, it's an unparallaled beauty.

Lily 'Royal Sunset'. I just love this reddish-orange color.

Vitis coignetiae. I love the ginger colors on this ornamental grape.

Staghorn fern + Aechmea fulgens. I stuck both of these epiphytes in the V of a tree and they are thriving there.

Anisodontea 'Strybing Beauty'. This nearly year-long blooming member of the Mallow family is a real delight and requires only pruning to keep it getting everywhere.

Lily 'Eyeliner'. This lovely lily is supposed to have a black rim to the petals but even without that, they are still lovely.

One of my new lilies, this colorful L. 'Brasilia' is proving to be a vigorous bloomer.

My favorite lily in the early going, the flowers on this Lily 'Zeba' are huge and generously splashed with a rosy-red. Fabulous.

There are many species and subspecies of Coyote Mint (Monardella). This one is a hard to find M. linoides. As their common name implies, the leaves have an agreeable minty smell and the flowers are a magnet for bees and butterflies.

One of many ornamental onions, this Allium atropurpureum sends up spherical heads filled with tiny wine-colored flowers.

Bronze fennel. I planted this vigorous herb because it's one of the host plants for the Anise Swallowtail butterfly. Sure enough, I got a handful of colorful caterpillars this spring. Plus, with its dense bushy form, the fennel is attractive on its own terms.

Part of the newly added All Summer Asiatic mix, the first batch of lily flowers came up pure white. Later, I had lighter and darker pink flowers.

This enchanting Lily 'Corsage' is proof that good things do indeed come in small packages. The flowers are petite but they appear in large numbers. I love the speckled petals.

Brodiaea species. This California native bulb faithfully returns each year, putting out sprays of striking purple flowers.

One of the darkest Ninebarks out there, this Physocarpus 'Monlo' provides instant contrast with the green plants on either side. Quick to leaf out in spring and also quick to bloom, the flowers are a magnet for bees.