I’m delighted as always to get to participate in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted monthly by Carol, May Dreams Gardens. As my garden moves past infancy into adolescence, I am finally enjoying the lushness it is gaining. The Rose of Sharon, above, is now 3 years old and showing off some gorgeous, old-fashioned blooms from the hibiscus family.
Three different Abutilons, a great choice for my part-shade garden, are in bloom right now:
Marilyn's Choice Abutilon
Simply named "Pink" Abutilon
Patrick's Abutilon
Below, this Indigofera, or False Indigo, loves mostly shade, which makes me love it right back. It blooms off and on through the summer, is drought tolerant, and deciduous. My only minor complaint is that it is aggressive after it reaches 3 years old or so, but the runners are easily removed.
For the first time in my youthful gardening journey, I have enough going on to take a distance photo rather than a closeup of a bed. And interestingly, this sunny bed was only planted 3 months ago. What a difference the sunshine makes for our native plants! I can’t wait for another year’s growth to see what it will do!
Mystic Spires, Salvia Greggii, Canna, Bog Sage, Sunny Yellow Knockout Rose, Senorita Rosalita Cleome in part shade, dwarf Pomegranite, Society Garlic
I can’t live without Cat’s Whiskers!
A favorite for mostly shade: Cat's Whiskers. Lost last year due to freeze, so I had to buy a new one. Had to, yes!
A small garden vignette I created that expresses my cottage style that I’m aiming for. I know they aren’t for everyone, but I love Geraniums in my garden. They bloom on neglect and very little sun.
My previous several posts have been showing off (yes, I admit it) the various daylilies I’ve enjoyed this year in my part-shade daylily bed. Here’s the last varieties:
2 dwarf daylilies; Stella d'Oro and Little Grapette
A very cool daylily that I don't remember purchasing.
Mango Mango daylily, a pretty double bloom
Senorita Rosalita Cleome, a large, lovely Proven Winners annual, is in 4 spots in my garden. My previous longshot of the bed shows the afternoon-shade plant. Planted at the same time is the full sun plant below. Much larger, fuller and lusher. We’ll see how it looks in August, when the Death Star has burned everything to a crisp.
This lovely annual, Senorita Rosalita Cleome, gets full sun. Others in part sun aren't nearly as full.
Texas Bluebell, purchased at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Native Plant sale
Blooming "non hardy" ice plant. It froze last year in our record low temps. Fortunately I had kept a cutting protected.
Blackfoot Daisy, a sweet plant I'm trying to get established with the Mexican Feathergrass
Newly purchased Shrimp Plant for my afternoon sun only bed. I hope it works.
When my 10 year old, 12 foot tall Bottlebrush Tree died in the freeze this past winter, I was initially heartbroken. Optimist that I am, I trimmed it back severely to see if it might recover. It didn’t. It is now a lovely branched natural trellis in the midst of my new bed in the front yard. The Hyacinth Bean vine (I hate to admit that I planted 4 of them around this tree, I think I might have created a monster) is the first to bloom. I also planted Moonvines with it, because I thought the white flower would be lovely with the purple hyacinth bean flower. So far the Moonvine is above the ground, but not growing much. My first blooms on the Hyacinth Bean is below:
And I know I planted the seeds belatedly, but can you believe in this heat that I still have larkspur in mid June? I finally pulled a few out yesterday that were beginning to go brown, but these aren’t near that point.
Seeds passed along from MSS, Zanthan Gardens
I leave you with more bloom day images. Other blooms not pictured are several varieties of lantana, salvia greggii, salvia coccinea, cedar sage, portulaca, tropical hibiscus, rainlilies, yarrow, guara, verbena, Yellow Knockout Rose, Bog Sage, bicolor Iris, Agapanthus, Mexican Oregano, Heartleaf Skullcap, and Clerodendrum Butterfly Bush.
Clerodendrum Bleeding Heart vine in my acid-soil trough
I'm surprised to get more Coral Honeysuckle blooms. I guess our recent rain fooled it.
Pink Double Knockout Rose just won't stop. The hotter it gets, it seems the hotter pink the color of the blooms.
Old fashioned Crape Myrtles have started and are blooming better than they have in years. The autumn rains must have revived them.
Lookie, Diana and Lori, I actually have plumbago blooming in my yard!
Texas tough narrowleaf Zinnia has been on my wishlist for a while. I finally have a spot for it.
Society Garlic is blooming in several places in my garden. It's so light and pretty.
Getting Grounded 
So many beautiful things in your garden, Robin. LOVE that Rose of Sharon. I may have to go get one tomorrow. It is so stunning. I think you bought that day lily at the day lily show we went to together. And yes, I see you have Plumbago — are you taunting me?? That Geranium vignette is very sweet, and I see why you were wanting that Narrowleaf Zinnia – it’s so striking. Happy GBBD.
Diana, I’m chuckling to note that you read my “aside” about the Plumbago – believe me, I’m as surprised as you to see it. And yes, Rose of Sharon is a winner in my book, I have purple ones in baby form that might give me blooms next year alongside this one. This one only gets about 4-5 hours of sun and seems to be fine – in fact it is morning sun so it might work in your “spot” that troubles you. Glad you remembered that daylily purchase, cause I sure didn’t!
Very vibrant post, Robin and your flowers sure look happy to be with you! The larkspur may be late but sure are pretty and so are the abutilons. You also make me wish hyacinths were blooming here. My garden green beans did nothing so they may be ousted for the ornamental kind next year!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Thanks for dropping by, Annie. With our rains over the past many months (thank goodness), it’s nice to have blooms again, isn’t it?
These are beautiful blooms!! I love that abutilon and must have some! That false indigo flower is quite amazing. You have really unique plants. Need to go double check where you’re located…
Hi Wendy, I’m in Austin, zone 8b. A very hot zone 8b! Abutilon is a recent adapted native for our area that seems to be handling our climate and part shade, which is perfect for my yard. Thanks for dropping in!
Robin, visiting your blog for the first time. What beautiful pictures of your garden. Will put a smile on any one’s face. Thank you.
You have as many different flowers as I do. I am always trying new plants. I absolutely love the white rose of sharon. I had single and double purple ones. This year I planted some white ones that I started from some cuttings. I hope they look as gorgeous as yours.
Great pictures, Robin! Lots of wows in your garden … I think I NEED that Pink Abutilon! I’ve moved both Patrick’s and Marilyn’s Choice Abutilons a couple of times since I bought them. I hope they’ll settle in where I planted them and bloom as nicely as yours do! Thanks for reminding me that I could use some Indigofera in a couple of places.
Cindy, My MC and Patrick’s Abutilons have both doubled in size in this first year – they love morning sun and afternoon shade! And the pink is really pretty, the pink color doesn’t fade. And wish you were here, I could passalong some indigofera to you – mine is bloomng up a storm still, in this heat.
Absolutely magnificent! Where did you get the cat’s whiskers? I must have more! And the bluebells; will add to my Wildflower fall sale list. What a great idea to turn the dead bottlebrush into a trellis. Very artsy! All of it looks just amazing.
Hi, Linda! I found the cat’s whiskers at It’s About Thyme this spring. If you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods, I’ll be happy to give you a baby from mine. And you should see the bluebells now! I need to take a current pic, they are stunning. Thanks for dropping by.
thanks for your comment today. I don’t know that neighborhood you mentioned, but i will go look it up. i love redos. they are my favorite!!!! thanks again so much.
Joni
Joni, it’s just south of downtown, near Zilker Park. It still has all the Austin funk! Thanks for dropping by.