Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - July 2020

July has been a tough month for the garden and the gardener so far here in zone 9a in Southeast Texas. Our daytime temperatures have hovered in the high 90s Fahrenheit while the daily heat index has been closer to 110. There has been little rain and it's been a challenge for my sprinklers to keep up. My plants are showing the strain.

In spite of all that, I do have a few blooms to show you from some of my tough plants that laugh at the heat. 

(Full disclosure: Some of these pictures are from my archives, but all are images of plants currently blooming in the garden.) 


 Crape myrtle (of course).


 And more crape myrtle.


 'Laura Bush' petunia.


 Summer phlox.


Hamelia patens, aka Mexican firebush. 


The Anisacanthus wrightii is beginning to bloom which makes the bumblebees happy. 


Lantana.

 Crocosmia.


 Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum,' aka black-eyed Susan.


 Echinacea, purple coneflower.


 Joe Pye weed. It isn't a weed at all but a very useful native wildflower.


 Portulaca.


 Milk and wine lilies (crinums).


 More crinums.


 Native sunflowers.


 Buttonbush.


 Justicia 'Orange Flame.'


 Evolvulous 'Blue Daze.'


 Almond verbena.



 Duranta erecta.


I have never had any luck with buddleias. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, they don't seem to like my garden. The soil or climate? My brown thumbs? Anyway, I decided to try again this year with 'Miss Molly.' So far, she's alive and even putting out a few blooms. Hope is alive.


The datura 'Purple Ballerina' is almost done but still putting out a few blooms.


 The blossoms of 'Pride of Barbados' are just as hot as the weather.


And, of course, the hot, dry conditions don't bother the water lilies at all.

How are conditions where you are this July? I hope you and your garden are flourishing. Thank you for visiting mine and I look forward to visiting you in turn.

Thank you, Carol of May Dreams Gardens, for hosting us this month and every month. 

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