This is my new "wildflower corner".  It needed some color so this weekend I put in some Cape Leadwort, Verbena, Angelonia and more Asters.

I love this color blue.  This is Cape Leadwort Plumbago Auriculata

Verbena is so pretty and the butterflies love it.

More Angelonia "Serena Lavender Pink"

White Cosmos - I love these.

I couldn't help myself.  I got even more Cosmos this weekend.

I planted some Chamomile in the ground back by the vegetable beds.  The soil quality back there is terrible.  I hope it does oaky.

Ivy Geranium.  I've had this for so long.  I have about 6 or 7 different Geranium plants scattered about. Not sure why I don't photograph them more.  Maybe I take them for granted because they seem to grow so easily.  Need to remember to take more pictures of these.

Pineapple Sage making flowers.

Roses are in bloom cycle #3.  Here is Passionate Kisses.

Ketchup and Mustard slowed down for a month or two.  Here is it's first bloom of cycle #3.

New Agastache - Acapulco Deluxe Rose with a Sheila's Perfume rose blooming in the background.  I can't get enough Agastache.  It smells so good and it's fun to watch the hummingbirds and the butterflies and the moths taking the nectar.

Sheila's Perfume

My Asters.  I found most of my Asters laying over on their sides at the Garden Center.  They were just throw about or laying in the aisle on the ground.  I don't know why people wouldn't buy these.  The are just lovely and the critters seem to enjoy them as well.

Just some random flowers and plants on the front porch.

A painting of a Hummingbird Moth I did a few weeks ago:

It was a month or so ago when I was searching the internet and randomly stumbled upon a species of moth called a Hummingbird moth.  I went on to read about this family of moths called Sphingidae.  These moths are easily mistaken for Hummingbirds in the way they flutter about and hover over flowers collecting nectar.  I thought they were so beautiful, and I’ve since become a little obsessed with this species which also includes the Sphinx moth.  Up until now I had never seen one of these beautiful creatures, even when I lived in Pennsylvania.  I’d also never imagined I’d ever have the honor of having one visit my own garden.  It was Sunday evening.  They day had been unusually cloudy and overcast but it was warm.  Around 8:30 pm I was standing at the front door looking out admiring the garden as I often do when the neighborhood is quiet….  then there it was.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing – this moth that I’d been obsessing over flitting about my own flowers.  It went back and forth with its long tongue taking the nectar from the Agastache and onto the Asters and then the Lantana.  I was astonished.  I had to call my boyfriend to the door to confirm I wasn’t imaging it.  The moment was magical.  I watched the moth for as long as he stayed.  The experience made my entire weekend!  Needless to say I have spent the past several evenings glancing out the door every few minutes around 8:30 pm in the hopes my new friend will return.  So far I have not seen him again, but I am grateful for that one magical moment.

It seems my house has become a haven for Skippers, Gulf Fritillary and Hummingbirds. This weekend I didn't do much to the garden.  It was very gray outside and I sat back to take it all in and enjoyed it.

Gulf Fritillary 

Sparkle and Shine

 

This one is new to the garden this week:  Gillardia "Arizona Sun"

Skipper

I love these Echinacea and Black eyed Susans

Hummingbird out my window

Last weekend I had a dream that I filled up this half barrel with Cosmos.  Yes, I actually dream about flowers.  I obsessed all week long until I could get to the garden center Saturday morning and pick some up and plant them.  This is exactly how I had imagined it.

Butterfly Milkweed is seeding all over the place.  Hope the neighbors don't mind a lot of fuzzies floating around.

Mr. Cat overseeing the garden antics.

Picked up more Aster along with the Cosmos.  They are so inexpensive and beautiful.

Today I ended up going to 2 different Armstrong Garden Centers.  I'd spend under $5 at my local store this morning, and as I was working at my computer and watching the Hummingbirds, I noticed some new butterflies on the Echinacea just outside my window.  Of course this made me want to get more Echinacea to see what other butterflies I could draw to the garden.  Well it just so happened that we had an errand to run near a different Armstrong.  So we went to check it out.  I picked up a beautiful Echinacea mix called Cheyenne Spirit.  The moment I placed it in the garden, this Skipper was a busy little bug.

Here are some photos of how the garden is doing in the Summer heat.

Aster

Echinacea "Pow Wow White"

Blue Hyssop is blooming

Anise Hyssop

Pincushion Flower

Yeah so the grasshoppers are eating my baby Angel Trumpet Trees.

The Moonflower is climbing and putting out tendrils trying to wrap around the wall.

This Moonflower wants to keep climbing down for some reason.

Various herbs.

I took an extra day off from the holiday so of course I went to one of the gardens to photograph.  These were shot at the Huntington Botanical Gardens.  The sun was hot and the light very harsh this morning at around 10:30 am.