Today America celebrates its 246th birthday. My less than patriotic color scheme reflects my feelings on our current state of affairs. Pink for women and green for the environment. Blech, I have always detested politics and even more so today. My brain is still processing our backwards slide.
I am, however, quite pleased with my flowers. My quest to have flowers that survive the summer heat is continuing. Zinnias and Salvia are thriving. I have grown all from seed and will continue to do so as long as I know what to grow and when. This is usually a trickier subject than it appears. The Dahlias I started in March, flowered and fried. I started some a few weeks later and have high hopes for flowers from the few Cactus Dahlia tubers roasting in the garden. Leonitis leonurus, seemingly a good choice from South Africa, is slowly burning up in the front garden it seems, time will tell if it survives the heat.
The vase:
The vase is a retired pasta storage container. The plant palette begins with Zinnias; the peachy toned smaller Zinnias in front are ‘Profusion Apricot’; behind is my go to flower this summer ‘Green Envy’ Zinnia; the red flower draped over the rim is Coral Plant (Jatropha multifida); the orange one behind is Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera).
The view from above:
In coral and grey, Soap Aloe (Aloe saponaria); white spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); burgundy leafy foliage is ‘Purple Prince’ Alternanthera; ferns are Asian Sword Ferns.
It is hot and dry here. The only pyrotechnics I am hoping to see today involve thunder, lightning and water falling from the sky.
Thanks to Cathy at http://www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com for hosting, follow the link to find more vases from around the world.
Happy Gardening!!!
The Shrub Queen 
Ditto on the political news. Always love seeing what you do.
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Thank you, Janet. Good to hear from you. Can’t imagine what the gov is going to do next.
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I am so pleased you have become so enthused about seed sowing – there is no going back now!! Your vase is a delight and the two shades of zinnia are the stars of it. After the collapse of my zinnias this year I am in two minds about growing so many different varieties next year when the there are some lovely mixes around. This time last year I had zinnias in flower…🙄
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Thank you, Cathy. I am hooked on growing from seed. The Zinnias seem to enjoy the heat and sun. It continues to fascinate me about what I can grow in the winter and for cutting. Why did your Zinnias collapse?
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I am thinking it must have been weather connected – they can be prone to damping off but these were outside. Perhaps it was a bit cooler this year when they were planted out. 3 plants out of 30 survived!! My very late sowing has done well though and was planted out within a month of sowing – will be interested to see how quickly they flower…
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Seeds can be tricky, I cannot grow Cosmos here at all. This seems weird to me, the spider mites destroy them and nothing else. Looking forward to seeing Zinnias.
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We have just work out what will worl for us I suppose. Strangely, most of my cosmos are retarded this year…Oh, and I now have my first zinnia (one of the few survivors)!
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That is true, congrats on the zinnia. Cosmos are not so easy.
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I love your color scheme, Amelia. I think a lot of us in the US are having difficulty getting into a patriotic mood this 4th of July but your display provides just the right emphasis. My own Zinnias are only just beginning to bloom. Ditto for the dahlias, although I lost several of my tubers this year – a couple rotted but others just failed to produce roots much less shoots.
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Thank you, Kris. The dahlias are a work in progress. I may need to dig up and store the tubers..especially if yours are rotting – I think you grow them the same way I do.
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It’s hard to feel the Spirit of ’76 these days. I often wonder what the heck the founding fathers would think of what has become of their republic. But let’s focus on the good stuff, starting with your beautiful arrangement! Hope you get some cloudbursts soon to quench your thirsty garden.
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Indeed! Rain would be a wonderful thing. So far – no go!
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As always, I envy you those wonderful zinnias…. I am still waiting to see which of my seedlings withstand the nightly slug visits. 😉 It’s a beautiful arrangement Amy. 😃
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Thank you, Cathy. You may have unearthed my secret – I have never seen a slug here and rarely see snails.
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But you do have other creatures to contend with which I would rather not have in my garden! LOL!
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Is it the voracious gigantic orange grasshoppers? I would trade them for slugs.
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Gorgeous arrangement and colours – a tropical cocktail would look quite at home next to your bunch this week, Amelia. Your arrangements are often educational too – there’s usually a tropical flower tucked into your bunch that I am not familiar with.
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It would look good with a Mai Tai with fresh fruit! Thank you, I enjoy seeing your Australian natives.
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Politics are getting crazy and I don’t know how we got here. I don’t agree with most things happening in my state. Zinnias again? Yours are doing really well. I need to do better with seed starting as I tend to just throw them in the garden.
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I agree, Texas is getting downright scary. I am interested to see what our gov is going to say about Roe. He had done nothing so far. I have to start the zinnias in pots, throwing seeds doesn’t work well here. They are surviving the heat so far. Fingers crossed, I am enjoying the Green envy and pink cactus zinnias. Things are starting to burn out.
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My zinnias are about six inches tall right now – which is pretty good considering I direct sowed them in the garden at the beginning of June and we’ve had next to no rain since then. Love your colours and love the photography, especially the first shot – it looks more like a watercolour!
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Thanks, Chris. I think your Zinnias are doing pretty good, too! I have tried direct sowing and end up with dwarfed Zinnias..not pretty. We are lacking rain, too.
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Lily of the Nile would fit that theme perfectly. If only there were a cultivar of lily of the Nile that bloomed red! Spray paint would do. They look like fireworks.
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They do! I have two in the garden, they have never flowered.
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Are they new?! Mine only miss bloom after relocation, but then bloom for the following year.
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No..8 years maybe. Hope springs eternal
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Gee! Well, at least the foliage is nice. I just featured it in the gardening column. It is already in the Canyon News.
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