The Blues of June...

Summer is almost here, but things are looking positively cool in my garden. The California Poppies are gone, and the new kid in town is Spanish Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella hispanica 'Curiosity') growing where the Cerinthe used to be; must be center stage for camera hogs or something! Annie's Annuals plants are trained from birth to steal the show.
~click any photo to enlarge~

Here's the first bloom from last week, morphing into this nifty jester's hat of a seed pod. With no other Nigellas to cross-pollinate, I'm going to have a nice stash of seed before the season is over!

Just gorgeous! Seems very happy with morning sun and regular water.

I love the soft colors of Purple Sage (Salvia oficinalis purpurascens), so elegantly subtle. I know they won't last too many years, but what a lovely time we have now!

Now this is crazy! Check out that perfect bicolor leaf...that was NOT done in Photoshop!

Priscilla, Queen of the Redbuds, is looking spectacular this year; I had a feeling she would be happy in this spot. She's doubled in size since winter, and doesn't seem to be slowing down. And she does exactly what I wanted her to do, perfectly blocking the street and my neighbor's driveway. And that leaf color with the blue fence? Oh, yes...

Some of her leaves are six inches across, and more are coming. I love the zig-zag way the branches elongate.

Sea Lavender (Limonium perezii) and Blue Senecio (Senecio mandraliscae) look cool and watery but are actually tough, drought tolerant plants that will keep going all summer long with little attention.

Limonium also looks great with Senecio vitalis, and I have to say, the Stipa arundinacea (um, um, Anemanthele lessoniana) is knocking my socks off. So it isn't all cool and blue in my garden...

In fact, there are bits that are downright fiery. By now you've figured out that when I have a plant crush their picture will keep showing up, so here's another blazing shot of Moroccan Poppy (Papaver atlanticum). This plant is in the perfect spot to catch the morning sun, and for their short life, the blooms are perfect.

And then there's the very first Lantana blossom since being hacked to nubs in February (it's either this or battle him for possession of the porch ALL summer!) He appears with the Solstice and lights the way until winter. Not to mention the smorgasbord he provides to all manner of critters along the food chain. He earns every square inch he covers.

Speaking of critters, I caught MantisThree drinking water from a leaf...so take note, if you have a mantis in a hot, dry spot, they will appreciate a sprinkle of water now and then. They pop right out of hiding when the water comes too, a good way to keep mantis inventory!

Loved how this pretty Mylitta Crescent butterfly looked on the soft leaves of Stachys 'Primrose Heron." I liked finding its name, and knowing that they breed on thistles...

And then a ruckus up on the power pole that used to dominate my back yard (before bamboo). A trio of crows shouting out. I liked their energy, a good talisman for the summer! Thanks for visiting...