Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - July 2018/Poetry Sunday - July by Helen Hunt Jackson

July

by Helen Hunt Jackson


Some flowers are withered and some joys have died; 
The garden reeks with an East Indian scent 
From beds where gillyflowers stand weak and spent; 
The white heat pales the skies from side to side; 
But in still lakes and rivers, cool, content, 
Like starry blooms on a new firmament, 
White lilies float and regally abide. 
In vain the cruel skies their hot rays shed; 
The lily does not feel their brazen glare. 
In vain the pallid clouds refuse to share 
Their dews, the lily feels no thirst, no dread. 
Unharmed she lifts her queenly face and head; 
She drinks of living waters and keeps fair. 

~~~


The water lily does not feel the brazen glare of the hot July rays. "She drinks of living waters and keeps fair."

And what else is blooming in my garden this July?


The milk and wine lilies will wilt in the hot rays, but in the early morning they are fresh and lovely.


'Ellen Bosanquet' crinums seem unaffected by the heat.


And so do the blue plumbagos.


The purple oxalis blooms best in cool weather, but even in midsummer it puts out a few of its pretty little blossoms.


Dahlias are definitely summer flowers.


The crocosmia is nearing the end of its bloom cycle.


Pentas.


Last year's marigolds reseeded themselves this year and the volunteers have been blooming their hearts out all summer all around the garden.
  

It's called blue salvia but it sure looks purple to me.


Purple coneflowers.


Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum' - common name black-eyed Susan.


Anisacanthus - also called flame acanthus.


'Caldwell Pink,' an antique rose.


Lantana.


The strange little blossoms of the buttonbush are much sought after by pollinators of many kinds.


 Snapdragons - still snapping.


Gaillardia.


Jatropha - just about to bloom.


Four o'clocks.


Hamelia patens with a bee attendant.


Angelonia.


Crape myrtle.


Yellow cestrum.


Duranta erecta's blooms are almost always covered in butterflies, but naturally when I went to take this picture, there wasn't a butterfly in sight.
  

We've had a pretty wet summer so far and the Texas sage, whose blossoming is triggered by rain, has already had several bloom cycles.


Justicia 'Orange Flame.'


The blossoms do look like flames, don't they?


'Lady of Shallott' rose. 


It's called Joe Pye weed, but it's not a weed; it's a lovely plant, a favorite of butterflies.


'Cashmere Bouquet' clerodendrum.


Tropical milkweed.


Summer phlox.


It wouldn't be summer without sunflowers.


Purple basil, beloved by bees.


Cypress vine. I got my start of this plant many years ago from my mother. It reseeds itself prolifically every year and whenever I see it, it reminds me of her.


'Darcy Bussell' rose.


The groundcover called wedelia.


Red columbines still bloom under the magnolia tree.


'Pride of Barbados' (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) - one of the more colorful members of the pea family.

With the weekly rain showers that we've had, it has been a struggle to stay ahead of the weeds in my garden and I fear I am losing the battle. But the rain that encourages the weeds has also helped to keep the flowers healthy and blooming, so I guess I'll take that trade-off.

Thank you for visiting my zone 9a garden this month and I look forward to visiting yours in turn. Thank you Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting us.

Happy Bloom Day!

Comments

  1. Beautiful! Wonderful!
    My Cypress Vines have not bloomed yet, but 'prolific' is certainly the right term for them! And my mother grew them, too.
    Love the Dahlia! And Milk and Wine Lilies - gorgeous!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cypress vines are an old favorite in the South and once they are started you've got them forever!

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  2. I have been following your blog long enough to recognize the flowers of the season in your garden. These posts bring me great joy because my mom had a yard full of plants and flowers and yours reminds me of hers. If my parents were still alive, today would be their wedding anniversary.

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    Replies
    1. Ah, a day to remember them both. I'm glad my flowers remind you of your mother. I could have no greater compliment.

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  3. Wow Dorothy, there is no mistaking it's summer there. Your garden looks amazing. Justicia 'Orange Flame' is particularly lovely, I wish I could grow it!

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    Replies
    1. 'Orange Flame' has done especially well for me this summer. I think it appreciates all the rain we've had.

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  4. Lovely poem! I have missed the status of your garden; it used to come weekly. :-) My favorite among all are the dahlias, crape myrtle, yellow cestrum, "Cashmere Bouquet", and Pride of Barbados.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My poor garden has been sadly neglected for the past several weeks. Perhaps I'll be able to give it more attention in the coming months.

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  5. Loved how you worked your Poetry Sunday into bloom day - I feel like that today, with hot (for us) weather and oppressive (for us) humidity. But I loved your flowers, many of which won't survive our upstate New York winters (like, alas, crepe myrtle) Was especially interested in your Duranta erecta, new to me, and was saddened to find it is considered invasive in several parts of the world. Hopefully not for you!

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  6. Dorothy-you have such a beautiful collection of blooms in your garden! I especially love the Dahlias and gorgeous lilies, all so lovely.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lee. The various crinums are particular favorites of mine, too.

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  7. What a garden! Great plants. I am not familiar with anisacanthus but would like to be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is native to southern parts of Texas and through Mexico. Very drought tolerant. According to Texas A&M's horticulture website, it is root hardy to zone 7. I am in zone 9a and mine usually dies back in the winter but comes back strong in the spring.

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  8. Hi Dorothy, we have the same tropical blooms, as those plants also thrive in mine. I also have most of them, just that they seem to be so common here that i just don't normally take their photos like the Caesalpinia, lantana, marigold, pentas, duranta.

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  9. ...but that Crinum 'Ellen Bosanquet' is not blooming now, it did last year but not as lovely as yours. It doesn't like our too much heat during the dry season.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'Ellen' is very happy in my climate. She blooms profusely for me every year.

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  10. Hi,we do share lots of lovely blooms of summer ,I loved your capture of Crape myrtle and Pride of barbados also known as peacock flower in our region,never heard of Angelonia its pretty,we cant let to bloom Dahlia in summer since sunlight is too harsh and those plants can't bear heat waves its grown as an annual for spring garden.
    Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I enjoyed visiting your garden in India and found several plants there that we have in common.

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  11. So many gorgeous blooms, Dorothy! I have a new salvia that looks similar to yours; it's called 'Rockin' the Blues,' I think, and is similar to 'Black and Blue' but purple rather than blue. The hummingbirds love it. 'Pride of Barbados' is something I'm sure I couldn't grow, but what a stunner! Happy Bloom Day!

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    Replies
    1. 'Pride of Barbados' is a real winner in our summer gardens and has been especially floriferous this year, but, no, it would never survive Ohio's winters.

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  12. So many blooms!!! Seeing your dahlia reminded me that mine has not bloomed yet. Hmmm. Perhaps it is time for yet another garden stroll...or maybe I could continue sipping coffee and scroll through your pictures again while sitting in the air conditioning. Tough decision.
    Thanks for sharing on GBBD.
    Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our plants never seem to bloom to our schedule, do they? They have their own timetable and no doubt your dahlia will bloom when it's ready.

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  13. What a nice summer garden! I love your crinum. We have a few of those in our garden too. None were camera ready for GBBD though. Thanks for sharing.

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