Surviving the heat

 Well, our 'hot' may not rival Chicago or Miami but damn, it was hot Friday and Saturday! I stayed indoors with the fan going 24/7. My garden didn't seem to mind, as I'd given it a good soak on Thursday. And lily season has begun in my garden. Here are photos of some of the early blooming varieties, plus a few other plants in bloom.

Evolvulus. This blue flowering wonder is back again, now in its sixth year.

Salvia patens. There's nothing like the extra large true blue flowers of this sage.

Cotnus Royal Purple. The aptly named Smoke bush features clouds of these wispy flowers.

My Tecoma x smithii has climbed up into this street tree and begun its exuberant flowering.

If at first you don't succeed ... My second try at growing this colorful Double Sensation lily has met with much greater success.

Salvia 'Black and Blue'. Inky black calyxes and vivid purple flowers are this salvia's calling card.

Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem'. Such a beautiful flower on this evergreen, summer-blooming Magnolia.

I've lost the tag on this new Daylily but I love its deep burgundy almost black flower color.

Here's one of my new this year lilies, called 'Lollypop'. Very simple but charming.

My Double Azalea Bronze snapdragon is just getting going in the blooming dept.

Echium 'Blue Bedder'. The annual form of Echium is a real bee magnet. 

Allium atropurpureum. One of the so-called Drumstick onions, these flowers also attracts loads of honeybees.

Two new Oriental lilies this year. They have huge, intensely fragrant flowers. 

Lily 'Lady Alice'. A charming new addition to my garden.

Lily 'Orange Ton'. Not sure what the meaning of this variety is but the flowers are large and have a bit of speckling at the throat.

Lily 'Purple Marble'. One of my favorite lilies from last year.

Lily 'Night Flyer'. Dark almost to the point of being black!

Lily 'White Twinkle.' This and the lovely Lily 'Corsage'get the gold star for being the most prolific of the lilies so far.

And here is the lovely 'Corsage'. The flowers are small but each bulb produced 10-12 flowers and they are pretty to boot.

Lily 'Elodie'. Not a semi-double like the grower claimed but lovely color nonetheless!

Memories of ... our favorite gardens

 One reason I suggest to friends that they take photos of their garden is not just to have an objective record of which flowers were in bloom when or when you'd done a particular gardening renovation but simply as a reminder of all the work you put in to having it succeed. In whichever way you define success. So, the photos serve as an objective record and as a way to look back with fondness on one's past efforts. Just a thought as I share more photos of my early summer garden.

Lily Lionheart. Sometimes lilies peter out over time but occasionally they get strong. The latter was the case for this Asiatic lily. The blooms you see are all off one stem.

Lily White Twinkle. My favorite name in the plethora of new lily varieties added to my garden this year. Pure white with delicate spotting.

Lily Triumphator. This is now the 4th year for this beautiful Aurelian hybrid lily. 

This red-tipped lily is part of an Asiatic lily mix. Lovely.

Lily Sweet Surrender. I thought I'd lost this lily but I had moved it to a different pot and forgot to transfer the tag for it.

This lovely raspberry-red Asiatic lily is from a mix called Summer Garden.

Begonia fuchsioides. Those unfamiliar with this scandent (climbing) begonia marvel at its boisterous nature. Very vigorous!

Echium Blue Bedder. This annual Echium is still a bee magnet, as most echiums are. Very pretty too!

Gomphrena decumbens. A year long blooming machine!

Lily Gold Band. This oriental type lily has huge and fragrant flowers typical of this group.

Lily Satisfaction. This new lily has exceeded expectations, being a richer maroon red than its online photo showed. Wow!

Geranium 'Sugar Plum.' This semi-aggressive carpet geranium has fern-like foliage and very pretty wine-colored flowers.

Calibrachoa variety. Million Bells, as this flower is called, are great for spilling out of a pot or hanging basket.

Aeonium Sunburst. This Aeonium has made itself at home near the front porch steps.

Lily Josephine. Another new Oriental type lily to my garden. Huge, fragrant and perfect!
 

Happy Mother's Day

 Hope all those of you who have a living mother in their lives got a chance to spend time with, and honor, her. And I hope too you had a chance to commune with another mother this last weekend - Mother Nature.

As with my last post, I have a great many photos of my garden to share so will keep my comments brief. 

Tillandsia tectorum. The king of tillandsias in my humble opinion.

Tweedia caerulea. In the milkweed family.

Dianthus variety + Gomphrena decumbens.

Cercidiphyllum. Love how it leafs out.

Papaver 'Drama Queen.' One of the breadseed poppies.

I think this mystery lily may be Sweet Surrender.

Dichelostemma. A lovely California native bulb.

Shady Lane. This is the name given to the beds that line the walkway to our backyard.

Philadelphus lewisii 'Covelo.' One of our native mock oranges. In full glorious bloom.

Pelargonium 'Elaine.'

Corydalis ochroleuca. A somewhat rare white-flowering Corydalis.

Ixis paniculata 'Eos'.

Eriogonum 'Shasta Sulphur'.

I forget the variety name of this pretty Calibrachoa. I think it may be Lemon Slice.

Cotinus 'Royal Purple'. These are the flowers on my Smoke Bush.

Here are two photos of my CA native Phacelia tanacetifolia, the first one a wide view and the second one a closeup of the flowers.

It's just starting to bloom but here's an early photo of my super vigorous Lonicera x americana.

Calibrachoa 'Evening Star' spilling out of a pot of lilies.

Abutilon 'Tiger Eye'.

Red-tipped orange Asiatic lily.

Ruellia elegans budding up + first flower.

Here's a slightly better shot of those Sweet Surrender lilies.

Picea koreana aureum. I love the bright yellow new growth!

Geranium sanguineum v. striatum.