On this August 15th, we’ve had rain showers for two straight days with more rain headed our way. As Oklahoma gardeners, it seems our fate to always have too much of everything. August usually brings that in the form of too much heat and sun, but after Pam’s lovely visit, she took the heat with her, and we’ve had unseasonably, cool (for Oklahoma) weather ever since; not that I’m complaining. Now, we’re also getting rain. If the plants don’t drown, we should have a beautiful September. My latest blooming daylily is H. ‘Autumn Minaret’ (Stout 1951;) an oldie, but one I truly admire for its height. At six feet tall, it towers over me. ‘Autumn Minaret’ resides at the very end of the garden where its height commands attention. It is also fragrant.
At right, is ‘Mardi Gras’ a Floribunda rose and an AARS 2008 winner. The bloom is a bit faded from the sun, but it retains a quiet beauty against the brighter Gaillardia. They are planted in the tiered borders on the left side of the deck. ‘Mardi Gras’ stays in bloom most of the gardening season. During this, its first year, it is a winner in all ways.
This is ‘Señorita Rosalitaâ„¢ Cleome (a/k/a Spider Flower.) I wanted to try this Proven Winners selection because it is relatively low growing and compact compared to regular Cleome hasslerana. I also hoped it wouldn’t have the normal sticky (as in sap and thorns) stems of the Spider Flowers I’d grown before. I searched for it throughout Oklahoma City and came up empty handed. Since I sometimes test and review plants for Proven Winners, I contacted them and asked where it could be found. They were nice enough to send me three plants. ‘Señorita Rosalitaâ„¢ is good choice for small gardens because it only grows three to four feet tall instead of five to six feet. It also has sturdy stems which don’t require staking. It doesn’t lose its bottom leaves. It sets no seed and is thornless. It is a great plant. I only wish it also came in pink or white instead of just lavender, but I suspect the folks at Proven Winners are already working on that.
The Salvias are still going strong. You can’t beat Salvias for their ability to bloom in good or adverse conditions. As with all pictures on this blog, if you let your mouse hover over each photo you can identify the plant.
Moving on to the Gaillardias. I wrote an article for the Oklahoma Horticulture Society’s newsletter yesterday, and it featured Blanket Flower a/k/a Indian Blanket. Gaillardias are another summer blooming species we should all have in our gardens, especially those of us with dry conditions. I especially liked this combination of Gaillardia x grandiflora ‘Fanfare,’ Eranthemum nigrum Black Leaved Sky Flower and Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam’ Feather Reed Grass.
That’s my contribution for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for once again being our fabulous cruise director. If you visit her blog, you’ll see even more bloom day posts. I hope to see you Sunday for another Sunday Stroll.
I love that cleome…good thing you persevered and came up with it! I’m glad I finally am catching up on my reader so I didn’t miss that…tempting to look into for next year!
Leslies last blog post..Teeming With Tomatoes
I am green with envy over your Gaillardias! I have both of those types, and they do not grow nearly so gorgeous for me. Sigh. Ah, but so nice to be able to see them in your photos. Inspires me to try, try again.
Love ya’
CurtissAnns last blog post..Monday’s Fair Light– The Second Blooming
Hmmm . . . wonder why, CA? Maybe they needed a little water?~~Dee
I like the blanket flower against the dark foliage.
Kathys last blog post..Enter the Gardening Olympics
Thanks, Kathy. Me too.~~Dee
Oh, how I yearn for your summer showers, Dee! The raindrops on ‘Autumn Minaret’ look like diamonds to my eyes….enjoy every drop. They make your flowers sparkle!
from your dry-garden friend, Debra
debras last blog post..Elegant, Stylish . . . and Prefabricated
Thanks, Debra. Hope you get showers soon too.~~Dee
Hi Dee,
Just wanted to thank you for all this beauty! Its nice to be able to sit here in China and peek in back home. I love the extreme weather of Oklahoma but have to admit I am not missing the urgent weather play by play of Gary England and his likes!
I hope all the rain makes for a spectacular September.
TRs last blog post..Cool Running, Mango Betty and the Lightening Bolt
Hi TR, I’ve really enjoyed reading your China posts. You have a truly exciting job. Thank you for coming here & commenting. No severe weather right now. Just softly falling rain.~~Dee
Your flowers, rain and cooler temperatures give us Austin gardeners hope that the loop will drop down and give us some too, Dee! Even my salvias crapped out on me this month.
Ooooieee- that ‘Mardi Gras’ is a sweet rose. I’ve seen other tall daylilies at a city park in Illinois – seems like it was called ‘Altissima’. They’re fun.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie in Austins last blog post..Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – August 2008
Annie, I don’t know Altissima, but it makes sense because of the name. ‘Mardi Gras’ is ever changing colorwise, and it is beautiful. I saw you finally got some rain. You guys have had a yucky summer.~~Dee
I was intrigured to read about the Cleome from Proven Winners. I hope I can find some next year. The Autumn Maniret daylily is a delightful one. Your Salvias are impressive! They are always such reliable plants. I’d love to read your piece on the Gaillardia.
Pam’s blog post about her visit to your garden was great fun to read. Your garden looks amazing – and so do you!!
kates last blog post..Cherished flowers and a Secret Garden Tour
Katie, me too on being able to find some. I’m going to ask for it early at the local nursery. I’ll post the Gaillardia article after it’s published in the newsletter. I’m thrilled you want to read it.~~Dee
Dee, What delightful surprise to find Minaret! I have often admired this daylily and have even put it on the wish/to get some day list! It is truly stately! My goal has been to have more natives then exotics at clay and limestone but there are so many fabulous plants that exert a siren call when I visit the nursery…I am lucky this one would have to be an internet order! Your gardens looks wonderful and refreshed from the rain! We aren’t having any luck with rain or cooler temps! Have a lovely weekend! Gail
Gails last blog post..Pink, Lavender and Gold for Bloom Day
Hi Gail, once natives are established, they do really well in our weather. However, daylilies are almost native by now don’t you think? 🙂 ~~Dee
Dee –
Your gardens look wonderful as always.
Great cleome, too. Thanks for letting us know about it.
Martha/All the Dirt on Gardenings last blog post..Bittersweet Fall Approaching and Diane Beresford-Kroeger Offers Bioplans for Gardeners
Thank you, Martha. I hope you’ll get to come visit sometime. I may just take a day and come see you now that the kids are in school.~~Dee
The ‘Mardi Gras’ rose is just beautiuful. Everything is so fresh looking. Mine is all looking a little worn out looking. We have had plenty of rain but the heat does hurt them. I know annuals have to die but I am always a little sad when they do.
Eves last blog post..LATE GARDEN AND MY DOG SOLO
Thank you, Eve. Remember that in photos I can show you the best I have. After you get a little more rain, yours will perk up.~~Dee
Wow, a 6 ft. daylily! I didn’t know there were any that tall. What a fabulous plant Dee.
Your blooms are lovely. Wish I had a little more sun here, I’d love to grow blanket flowers.
Our August has been unseasonably cool so far, with plenty of rain. Seems that will be changing next week with temps back up near 90 degrees. I’ve been really enjoying the cool temps, and the garden’s been loving the rain.
lindas last blog post..August Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day
Hi Linda, there are several hybridizers working toward tall dayliles. Margo Reed and her partner have been very successful. The trick is to have scapes strong enough to hold up in the wind. We’re unseasonably cool this August too. Yum.
I’m another person who didn’t realize Daylilies could get that tall. That’s an impressive plant. While I’m not a Gaillardia fan, they look very attractive in the combinations you’ve got for them. I’m glad you finally got a break from the heat.
Mr. McGregor’s Daughters last blog post..A Bloom Day Blogaversary
Thank MMD. Me too on the heat. It’s now 67 degrees.~~Dee
I think I’ll add that cleome to my list. I’ve gotten one the last few years that only grows to 18 inches – 24 inches and I use it in containers. I am too lazy to look up the name, but it has a purplish flower and looks great combined with the dark-purple leaves of a sweet potato vine.
And that daylily looks like one I should get, too!
Thanks for joining in for bloom day from your wet and cool Oklahoma gardens!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens’s last blog post..Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – August 2008
Hi Carol, I’m going to get you into daylilies yet!~~Dee
I didn’t know daylilies could grow that tall! Impressive!
Your Salvias are beautiful and I immediately fell in love with your floribunda Mardi Gras. I wonder if it’s available here.. I’ll try and find out.
/Katarina
Hi Katarina, mine is an old variety, but some of the hybridizers are breeding for height too. Several of Margo Reed’s cultivars are really tall.~~Dee
I like that cleome! It all looks great and your pathway too. Red dirt indeed.
Thank you, Tina and thanks for commenting.~~Dee
Six feet tall! Didn’t know that little fact, Dee. You continue to enlighten me! We’ve been getting rain too. Now everything that looked fried just looks moist and fried!
Brenda
Brenda Kulas last blog post..Renewing The Spirit
Brenda, we’ve had our moist and fried years too. We all enlighten each other.~~Dee
I love that Rosalita Senorita Cleome!!! I had it last year but didn’t get it in my gardens this time. I will next year though cause it blooms non stop. Your blooms are looking just awesome as usual. I’m going to bet they will love this cooler weather and I’m glad to see it too. I’ve been on vacation and missed ya but the nice waves washing over my feet made it a little easier to be away.
Anna, you deserved the rest, girl! I can’t say enough nice things about that Cleome. It’s wonderful.~~Dee
I enjoyed a few days of that unseasonably cool weather before I left OK for Texas, so I don’t think I took it with me. 😉 Your garden looks happy to have some rain and relief. I too love the salvias and gaillardias.
Pam/Diggings last blog post..Dude, it’s a totally tubular Bloom Day
Thanks for stopping by Pam. Happy Bloom Day!~~Dee
Great blooms for a rainy day. Sometimes the plants look better after a nice shower, don’t you think. Refreshes their spirits. I love that ‘Señorita Rosalitaâ„¢ Cleome . I will have to keep an eye for that. Lavender would be a nice selection after all that pink & white of the Cleome hasslerana. Your ‘Autumn Minaret’ is a nice color as summer starts to fade away. I like the height of it too.
perennialgardenlovers last blog post..August Blooms (GBBD)
Thanks, PG, I couldn’t agree with you more.~~Dee
Lovely. Supposedly some of that rain and cooler weather is headed our way. And not a moment too soon. Your garden seems to have responded well to the change of weather. It gives the rest of us hope.
mss @ Zanthan Gardenss last blog post..Can a Prickly Garden Be Inviting?
Thank you, MSS. I see from the weather map that you’re also getting rain. Woo-hoo!~~Dee