Annie's Annuals doesn't have Silverleaf Sunflower after all. Seeds of Change used to carry it but doesn't anymore.

Cameron the poppies will probably bloom about a month. This is the first year I've had Shirley poppies so I'll have to see.

Cameron- that's the Smooth beardtongue. I like it because it gives me a big flush and then can be trimmed back to evergreen rosettes similar to Husker's Red's growth habit.
I have a Hibiscus grandiflora right next to those in the picture that you can't see yet but will gain height pretty quickly after it gets hot.

I ran across one of those electric blue penstemons after your post and bought one gallon sized plant. Glad you shared that about the drainage as I haven't planted it yet.

Alicia did you broadcast the poppy seeds in the fall?

Yes.

I believe the Shirley mix was Angel's Choir. I'm going to sow that and Cedric Morris again this fall.

Carolina Bush Pea{{gwi:572443}}
{{gwi:572444}}

Carolina rose{{gwi:572447}}

{{gwi:572450}}
{{gwi:572453}}

A few of mine this past week

rain lily
{{gwi:572636}}

ice plant
{{gwi:572637}}

gerber daisy
{{gwi:572638}}

lilies
{{gwi:572639}}

Million bells
{{gwi:572640}}

gazania
{{gwi:572641}}

yellow lilies and larkspur
{{gwi:572642}}

Lynne

Lynne I have always enjoyed your pictures. Beautiful shots!

I so love rain lilies and I haven't had one to bloom yet this year. My yard help thought that my largest clump- candidas- was a weed evidently:(. It will be clearly marked before his return.

I forgot to downsize my photos today so I'll give you the link to today's album.

Here is a link that might be useful: today's photo album

Thanks to all of you for the info and offer of seeds.
I really love these photo threads - such glorious pictures and color combo ideas!
Here are 3 different pictures of plants I need help ID'ing. I know the first is a rose. It is currently growing in a somewhat shady ditch along my property line. It's actually a pale pink. Is this the same Carolina Rose in an earlier pic posted by Alicia?
{{gwi:572643}}
This next is growing in my woodsy area. Its leaves are glossy green forming a rosette at the base. The leaf shape is skinny near the base, becoming fatter and then ending with a point, if that makes sense.
{{gwi:572644}}
This one also grows in my woodsy area. It's cute, but I fear you'll all tell me it is some kind of Carolina nuisance.
{{gwi:572645}}

More from my yard:
My cat decided to get in on this one. This is the newer Heuchera 'Hollywood'. I love Coral Bells when the bells are actually pretty, and I like the purple-leafed ones, too, so I was quite happy when I discovered a purple one with pretty bells. The color of the bells is a nice compliment to 'Fanal' Astible - they are almost the same color.
{{gwi:572646}}
Brackens Brown Beauty Magnolia. It was the first thing I bought upon moving to SC.
{{gwi:572647}}
A close up of Gaillardia 'Golden Goblin'. I've decided I rather like this plant but mine seems to be in sprawl mode. Does anyone else have Gaillardia and does it sprawl for you, too?
{{gwi:572648}}
Not much flowering in this next one but I just love the look of an unmurdered Crepe Myrtle. What a pretty tree.
{{gwi:572649}}
Sandi

Sandi, that is a beautiful Crepe myrtle- looks very tall. I'm afraid I'm no help with the plant i.d.

Shari your blue oak sage looks very happy! When I tried that plant in the past I have killed it and it's one I have always thought was beautiful. Those spider daylilies are wild! Normally I'm not a huge fan of spiders but the vivid colors really make a difference. They're gorgeous.

Sandi your rose does look like Carolina rose. The blooms when new are strongly fragrant of rose and lemon and is frequently found along the edge of woods. Is the second plant blooming now? Can you get a closer view of it? The third plant looks to me like Goat's Rue, Tephrosia virginiana. I love an unpruned Crepe Myrtle too. Yours has a beautiful form.

Alicia, the blue oak sage is exceedingly happy in that bed. It has started spreading pretty rapidly in the last year or so. I haven't gotten it to take hold any where else but I'm gonna keep trying. I'll pot you some up soon and give it some time to develop some roots before transplant.

I'm so excited that daylily bloom season is starting! I took pictures of five new ones this morning and I think another will be open when I get home from work.

Shari, i love that second spider! I love all of the spidery ones, though. :) I've tried the blue oak a couple times, too, with no luck. I gave it my best sun, but it never thrived or made it through the winter. Maybe when i begin really planting in the back, i'll try it there. It's hot & dry in a portion.

This is all giving me a really bad case of the 'I wants'. As in I want Shari's first spider, and I want gerber daisies, and I want my rain lilies to hurry up and bloom.

Iris 'Gerald Darby'
{{gwi:572650}}

Lilium 'Mrs. R O Backhouse'
{{gwi:572651}}

Sisyrinchium striatum, which I killed repeatedly until it finally picked it's own spot and seeded in.
{{gwi:572652}}

Iris fulva
{{gwi:572653}}

{{gwi:572654}}

Dietes
{{gwi:572657}}

LA iris
{{gwi:572659}}

Spirea
{{gwi:572661}}

{{gwi:572663}}

More allium
{{gwi:572665}}

{{gwi:572666}}

Clematis integrifolia
{{gwi:572669}}

Dyckia 'Snaggletooth'
{{gwi:572672}}

Nature's contributions to the meadow garden.
{{gwi:572675}}

{{gwi:572678}}

Karen, lovely pictures, especially of the Clematis integrifolia and Iris fulva. Sadly my I. fulva did not bloom this year. Which one is the pink allium? Your lily pictures make me want more of them, although I'll have to make special arrangements for them because of the voles. Mrs. RO Backhouse is beautiful.

Sour Grapes? penstemon
{{gwi:572681}}
{{gwi:572684}}

{{gwi:572687}}

View over azalea bed toward Rosa palustris and pasture{{gwi:572494}}

More Rosa palustris scandens{{gwi:572496}}
{{gwi:572499}}

Mermaid{{gwi:572502}}

Penstemon with Oak Leaf Hydrangea{{gwi:572504}}{{gwi:572507}}

Dutchman's Pipe. Grown from seed
from a fellow GardenWebber{{gwi:572510}}
White foxglove still blooming{{gwi:572513}}

Alicia, which aristolochia is that? I bought one, i'll have to go ck, i think it's tomentosum from the bot garden last fall and still need to decide where to put it. It's one of the big, big ones that grow up in the mtns. I want lots of aristolochia because i adore pipevine swallowtails. I also bought one from BB's last year, but it turned out to be one that doesn't get that big. Clematifolia maybe? again, i'd have to look at the tag. I love the little ground hugging native one, and have some of those i started from seed. I also love grandiflorum that i keep in the greenhouse overwinter for its flowers.

I'm curious if that's a sour grapes penstemon, too, since that's the one i have flowering now and i know i got it from one of the swaps. i love that combo of blue purple & pink purple. Makes my mouth water! Seeing Mermaid makes me sad that mine's dying.

Karen, that dykia is amazingly pretty! Are they hard to grow? What is the yellow wildflower below it? I have one of those that seeded in and i love the foliage. I've had it for about 3 years, and am always happy to see it's not dead, though it was smaller this year than last i guess because of the drought. Mine's gone to seed right now, and i may collect some to spread it around. I like the clematis, too. Mine should be blooming soon, i hope.

The yellow flower reminds me of one of the Senecio's that bloomed on the prairies (not sure if it's a native or not). The odd thing was that it proved to be toxic to livestock. It blooms in the spring. Animals confinded to small lots often run out of fresh plants to nibble on so they taste everything they can reach. This weed grows in just such a place and then disappears later in the summer. Horses, cattle, sheep etc would come down with liver problems late in the year - like 6 months later. Ranchers, pissed off at losing a valuable animal would spray herbicides like crazy to kill all of the fall blooming yellow daisy flowers which of course were not the enemy.

Tammy my Dutchman's Pipe is Aristolochia durior, or supposed to be. I got the seed in a trade with the fellow GardenWebber on the Seed Exchange Forum. I've got 3 branches of Mermaid layering now, which should have roots and be ready to move this fall or next spring.

The Senecio is native -- it's Senecio aureus. My two fields in the floodway are covered with it. The NC Botanical Gardens has a lot of it in their mountain section. It's basically a weed. It seeds in like crazy and grows everywhere.

Such wonderful flowers and photos. I'm really enjoying these photo threads.

Cameron

I'll share my penstemon story since I'm the one who has spread it around. Johnston Community College has a greenhouse that sells to the public in the Fall & Spring. Outside under the pines they have perennials for sale at bargain prices but they aren't marked very well. When I bought my plant it was marked as purple salvia. I was a relative newbie but didn't think the leaves were right for a salvia so I called until I got the head of the hort dept out there. By then I had guessed penstemon because it had bloomed. She said that all they knew about it was that the person who donated the plant for propogation said that she bought it from Plant Delights. It has been a vigorous grower for me and I love the blooms.

Shari, how lucky for us that you picked up that mislabelled plant! :) It's my favorite penstemon.

mmm hmm! I haven't had penstemmons do that well for me in the past, but that one and husker's red are happy happy! Is it easy to multiply?

Alicia, thanks for the mermaid and senecio ID. I think when you were over you told me what it was and i forgot. Maybe if your aristolochia sets seed you would save some for me? Or, do they do OK from cuttings? If so, i'd be happy to share mine once they get going. I know the one i got from the bot garden gets huge 12+" leaves.

Tammy this penstemon is very easy to multiply. It sends out sprawling stems that root as they go.

Yes, I'll collect seeds from the Dutchman's Pipe if it produces any this year. I don't think they're easy to grow from cuttings; I've never tried it.

I got some of the newer hybrid penstemons last year during the big drought sale at Campbell Road. I'm at work now and they are at home but I believe the tag says something like 'Appleblossom'. They are tall with white flowers that have an appleblossom pinkness to them while in bud. Very pretty. Very easy to grow. Very hardy.

I have started penstamons from seed from both Parks and Thompson/Morgan and they germinate very easy. I have one blooming right now that is red w/white center - very very pretty - I have Lilac Frost but it is not big enough to be blooming yet. They are one of my new favorite plants along with the veronicas

I am really enjoying seeing everyones gardens - keep the pictures coming.....

Lynne

After seeing the photos, I'm very happy to report that I picked up one of Shari's purple penstemons at the swap this spring. I tried 'Sour Grapes' years ago and the dang thing grew and spread but would never bloom. But Shari's is budded out quite nicely, so either it's a different one or I've made progress as a gardener since my last attempt. I also got Penstemon 'Ruby' this spring -- one of those 'I know I shouldn't do this but I can't help myself' purchases. If I don't kill it I'll see if I can bring some next year.

Alicia, the pink allium is A. oreophilum. I try to go through the Brent and Becky's catalog after things go 50% off and buy whatever alliums they have left. The little alliums are small bulbs and easy to plant, and that's pretty important to me by Dec when I'm looking at all those bags of bulbs. I stick them everywhere, especially any place the deer and rabbits frequent.

Tammy, I love bromeliads, probably my Florida roots there. Dyckias and Hechtias are pretty easy, although they're drought tolerant they actually prefer more water than you would think during the growing season. In the winter I bring them into the cool garage under grow lights and hardly ever water them until they come back out and start growth again in the spring. Most of these are only rated hardy to zone 8 or 9, but I've seen Puya planted out in the display gardens at Plant Delights Nursery. I haven't been daring enough to try it myself. I've only got about a half dozen different species of the dyckia/hechtias, but the bromeliad forum on GW has posters with some truly beautiful collections.

As noted, the yellow wildflower is Senecio. I never seem to have all that much of it, just enough to make a cheerful note in the garden.

Karen, I need to follow your lead on the alliums. I've been wanting to try them forever.

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the purple penstemon. Tammy, you'll have plenty in no time.

Here's one from yesterday.

Helix ffo
{{gwi:572706}}

Here is a link that might be useful: More daylily pics

These two would make a nice combination:{{gwi:572518}}
{{gwi:572520}}

Carolina rose{{gwi:572522}}

R. plaustris scandens and a native
meadow rue that grows wild on my farm{{gwi:572524}}
{{gwi:572526}}

Gulf Coast Penstemon{{gwi:572528}}
{{gwi:572529}}

Verbena bonariensis{{gwi:572535}}

I really, really like that meadow rue. It's gorgeous with the rose.

Shari, i really like that 'waiting in the wings' daylily. Lovely color & form. I liked seeing pix of your garden, just wish they were bigger so i could see the details. How come the daylily pix are nice and big, but the garden shots are small?

Thanks for the tip about the penstemon layering, Alicia- mine did flop last fall, but i think i trimmed some of that away. I'll know to leave it now. The penstemon and asclepias would look great together! I think i got that same meadow rue from Betty, though mine's rangier since it's in mostly shade.

Karen, thanks for the info on the dykia nd senecio. Nice to know if i let it seed around it won't be a regret. The color does sparkle, and i love the spring leaf form.

Karen there's lots of the meadow rue growing in one of the sloughs and in the floodway fields. I just dug some more of it and will hold one for you for the fall swap.

Tammy, evidently I loaded them to photobucket at different sizes? I'm new to this picture hosting thing. I'd be happy to email you any of the garden shots although I don't have your good email addy anymore due to computer crash:(

Shari, you should be able to click on my name and do 'send me an email' from that page. Let me know if it doesn't work. I'd love to see them and appreciate the offer!

Bayse's Purple. This is one of
the most purple roses I have seen,
a velvety royal purple. Very fragrant.{{gwi:572536}}
{{gwi:572538}}

Small's Penstemon{{gwi:572540}}

Butterfly Weed{{gwi:572542}}

More Hansa{{gwi:572544}}
{{gwi:572547}}
{{gwi:572550}}

OOOh, that Bayse's Purple rose is scrumptious!! I have a thing for purple roses. The Prince is a nice old rose that is deep purpley-plum, but black spot can be an issue. I still love it! Thanks for all you wonderful pics!

My baysey's is even darker than those pix- it really is more striking in person! The stamens contrast really nicely. Mine is grown in a good bit of shade so that may be why it seems darker, or it could just be the light. I always think of luscious deep colored plums when i see it.

Amy, if you like purple, you need to get some of the Dehlia's purple i've been digging suckers of from time to time. It's not as deep colored, but is amazingly fragrant. I'll try to post some pix sometime.... famous last words...

This is a penstamon that I started from seed last year - I think Parks Espirit series. I have about 10 that I started this year but they are not blooming size yet - I hope they are different colors - have no idea where I am going to plant them all - they may end up at the fall swap....

Lynne

{{gwi:572739}}

{{gwi:572741}}

Lynne - I bought some of that penstemon last year at Campbell Road Nursery in south Raleigh. This year the white (appleblossom) ones are blooming their heads off and I don't see any of the red and white ones... wonder where they went.

Tammy the difference in the Bayse's Purple probably is due to the light -- not only from possible fading but sunlight really does lighten up colors as it shines through the petals.

That's what i was thinking, too, Alicia. Mine probably doesn't get as much bloom as yours and i'm sure it's leggier, too. It's so thorny, and i just don't have a good spot in the light. Since it limps by where it is, it'll stay put. It did have some nice new growth this spring. I think it's kind of neat that even the canes have deep purple running in them if you cut them.

I bought that same penstemmon from campbell rd last year and it melted in record time! I suppose b/c of the drought. Fortunately it was clearance. Glad someone's made it! It's so pretty.

Wondering- you guys said the sour grapes one prop's easily... would it be possible to have it blooming again fair time if i got some babies off soon? It's such a luscious color that i'd love to use it in the plot. I'm fairly new to penstemmon success (plenty of failures, tho!) and not sure if they bloom well/rebloom in fall.

Tammy, I would be thrilled to get a baby of your Dehlia's purple, picture or no! I hate to say this, but I am heartened that a gardener of your experience and wisdom has had issues with penstemon. Mine just melt or drown. That sour grapes may be the next one I try.
I need to get out to Campbell Road. Used to go on shopping field trips there for Fearrington, and hit Fairview on the same trip. Haven't been to either in, lordy, almost 15 years!!! Gotta get out more!

Tammy the purple penstemon does re-bloom a little through the summer, but not the big show like in spring. At least that's been my experience with it.

Thanks for the compliment Amy, but if you've been gardening for 15 years, you are about the same as me experience wise! Don't sell yourself short. I've probably killed 3 plants for every one i have alive today. LOL. Campbell rd is really cool, esp during their sales. The only other penstemmon i've done well with is husker's red. I have 3 of those that have been happy for a while now. So far Alicia's small and smooth beardtongues look good, but they've only been in a month or so. Since they're native i have high hopes. I'll set aside the next dehlia's i can dig for you. Probably next spring. I still have some seed set aside for you from when you were going to come to the swap & didn't (larkspur, poppy and nigella), but will have to give you fresh next time i get down to bb's instead.

Good to know Alicia, thanks for posting. Maybe i'll pot up some and if it decides to be showy pop it in, and if it's just dribbling i can leave it out. That's how a lot of it works anyhow. I know the ones i got from campbell rd last fall were gorgeous, but you never know if something's potted if it'll really bloom that way/time in nature or if they fiddled with it to sell it.

Tammy the Small's Beardtongue is short-lived; I treat it as a biennial. It's worth it though because it's a great performer in dry shade. It produces a ton of seed that doesn't require pretreatment. Smooth beardtongue is relatively long-lived. I have some that are at least 5 years old now.

Good to know. I got some seed of all three of yours at the seed swap, so i'll try to get some going to replace it. Maybe i'll be organized enough to get it going 2 years running so i can just let it seed itself and have it in perpetuity. Trying to do that with foxgloves- but they didn't cooperate and bloom this spring. Guess they were too stressed from the drought last year.

Tammy, I think you must have brought the seed to me at some point, because I am enjoying the blossoms of all those right now!!! Thanks!

Oh, good! Glad to hear it.