Except for this one, which I take all the time.
It's hard to grow plants in this kind of exposed space, but we've got some nice things going on right now.
I sprinkled some Phacelia campanularia seed in a potted cork oak (Quercus suber) and got flowers on little two-inch plants.
I had a lot of this wildflower on the blog this last spring.
Herbaceous perennials struggle up here in the wind and occasionally (very occasionally) high temperatures, but Annie's Annuals' description of Dicliptera suberecta made me want to give it a shot.
The website says:
A deservedly popular & reliable perennial! By late summer hummingbirds & butterflies are buzzing all around the clusters of orangey-red flowers of this plant. The blue grey leaves & stems are splendidly covered in fuzz, & very touchable. Dies back to the ground in winter (sometimes) & returns a little late in the Spring – it seems to really like the heat! In fact, it is reported to thrive in Texas & through much of the south, where the summers are really hot & humid. Does great here in the Bay area, too! Spreads over time, but is easily controlled, & grows about 2’ high. Drought tolerant too! Such a catch.
Thrives in Texas! Well, if that doesn't convince me to try it on my roof, nothing will.
It's been blooming non-stop for several weeks.
I'm also impressed with Gladiolus callianthus. It's done very well, even with haphazard watering.
I don't step out to inhale the fragrance much, tho' it's nice.
Sunlight bleaches the dahlia petals as they age.
This one has very dark foliage. I'm going to move it down to the garden next year. In general I don't "do" dark foliage. But I will make an exception.
Also blooming up here: cuphea and agastache.
9 comments:
Beautiful! I like the hillside view of the houses very much. But you've added so much with those interesting--and Texas tough--flowers.
Your view is simply beautiful! And the plants even if conditions are tough, are doing very well.
Such view from bedroom is very inspiring.
/Ewa
Wow something I need to try here. Its hot here but dry so not sure it would do as well as there but I might have to give it a go.(-:
You have some cool things growing up there. What kind of succulents do you have growing in the two pots? They are very pretty.
Great view. I love the fact that tere aren't any tall apartment buidings on sight.
I also Have Gladiolus callianthus (though I call them Acidanthera) but they just don't do very well for me, I only had 2 blooms from a total of 40 bulbs. Agastache does very well in my garden too and sure would like to find one of those Cupheas.
Lovely flowers & the view is great. Must be nice to wake up to that view every morning.
I seeded Phacelia this year as well. It's one of the best blues for the garden and native to California I understand? It's nice to have a little bit of Cali in my Northern garden!
They were Acidanthera when I grew them, too...but they look much cooler on the rooftop, Chuck.
The Dicliptera suberecta looks a lot like a plant that I've known as Mexican Honeysuckle/Justicia spicigera. Some sites say that Dicliptera, Jacobina and Justicia are used as synonyms so your plant is probably closely related to the one I grow (which is NOT blooming, darn it).
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Your view photos make me miss SF - we used to live on Duboce, no space to garden. Seattle lets us stretch out a bit more, although I'm always craving more space. Gardening in the parking strip (on the street) is kind of an adventure. Thanks for the LED/mason jar tip, I may try that! Cheers, Karen
http://greenwalks.wordpress.com
Dig that view, and I just love how you can find a spot to grow flowers ANYwhere...awesome! I definately want to try some of the dicliptera next year as an annual.
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