Wednesday, December 15, 2010

December Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

It is starting to look like Fall here, citrus are turning orange, leaves are covering the ground and it’s kinda cool outside.





The pentas are still growing strong. I really like this variety, it’s tall and lanky instead of short and bushy and it has done very well in my garden this year.








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This grouping has been blooming almost all year. It is a cuphea ‘David verity’ in the very back, in the middle is a shrimp plant, and in the foreground is chenille plant (Acalypha hispida).

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The pink trumpet vine (Podranea ricasoliana) looks great against the clear blue sky.









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This salvia pops up all over the garden, but it’s a long bloomer and the bees and butterflies like it.








IMG_2022This cuphea been blooming most of the year. It is probably either
cuphea ‘Starfire Pink’ or cuphea ‘Twinkle Pink’.

 
IMG_2023I love the delicate blooms of the Diamond Frost euphorbia. It almost didn’t make it through the hot and dry summer, but it’s happy now.

 
IMG_2024A few roses still blooming. The knockouts have a few blooms too.

 
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Iochroma cyaneum is showing some signs of frost damage, but the blooms are lookin’ good.







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Fruit from the uju kitsu aka a sweet lemon is ready to be picked.

 
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The duranta is still going strong. It has flowers for the bees and berries for the birds.
 
These black-eyed susans made a comeback (along with the nut sedge).
 
To all the northern gardeners, I hope you enjoy my pictures without snow covered plants.  Look at it this way, you get to have a gardening off season, a time to rest, a time to contemplate the spring or for you workaholics a time to work on the inside of your house.
 
 
Visit May Dreams Gardens to see more Garden Blogger’s Bloom Days.

12 comments:

  1. Lovely blooms--how nice to be able to pick your very own sweet lemons! Yes, this northern gardener envies your blooms, but you're so right. I need a few months' rest from gardening, and I don't envy you your summer heat. It's nice to come here on this cold day and be warmed by your colorful garden!

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  2. It's funny what a difference of a few miles can make. Your garden looks much more floriferous than mine on the the northwest side of town. Here, we're mostly brown now.

    Happy holidays!

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  3. Beautiful December Bloomers! We share lots of common plants in our gardens: diamond frost, cuphea, chenille, pentas, and etc. I have a blue and black salvia is about blooming, and I love your red salvia. Nice! BTW, Thanks for visiting my GBBD post and leaving a comment. Nice to "meet" you in this blogger world!

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  4. Thanks for the great bloom photos during my winter "time off." I wish I could grow a Iochroma cyaneum -- never heard of it but those purple trumpets are stunning!

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  5. WoW! You have a lot blooming in December. Isn't it nice to not have a frost yet? Now if we could only get some rain.
    I've got to buy some chenile plant next year. You are my second friend to have this plant. It looks like a fun plant to have in the garden.
    David/ Tropical Texana/ Houston

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  6. aloha,

    beautiful blooms today, thanks for sharing them...i'm a fan of cupheas, they are such givers don't you agree? nice to see all the color in your garden this winter.

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  7. I've never seen a shrimp plant that color-I think the only ones we have around here are the orange ones. I used to have some Diamond Frost, but they didn't survive the constant trampling by my basset hound, who always had his nose to the ground and was somewhat oblivious to whatever he was walking on/through at the time, but that was kind of part of his charm. LOL! Love your roses!

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  8. It's looking good in your part of Southwest Houston!

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  9. Sharing the colors vicariously sure does help get us Northern gardeners through the long, colorless non-gardening days. You have so many beauties to show for December. I've never seen a pink trumpet vine before. How beautiful! I also love those pretty purple blooms on the
    Iochroma cyaneum and the cupheas.
    Thanks for visiting and saying hello :)

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  10. Everyone, thanks for visiting and all the nice comments.

    @Birdwoman Yeah, my family always makes fun of me for saying the climate is different in other parts of town, but there really is a variation!

    @David Yeah, we could really use some rain, I had to water this weekend...it's Dec! I love my chenille plant, you should definitely get one.

    @Noel Cupheas are definitely givers! I totally agree.

    @Dreamybee I've noticed my shrimp plant actually becoming a deeper red since I posted the original pictures. I have heard others mentioning that theirs change colors in the winter too.

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  11. Nice post...sigh...makes me a little jealous ;-)

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