Lilium Oriental-trumpet hybrid ‘Scheherezade’

Well, it’s that time of year and even though I’m late again for GBBD I should lead off with the lilies.  Many of already come and gone, but there are still some to gaze upon.

Lilium ‘Stargazer’

Lilium henryi hybrid ‘Madame Butterfly’

We still have many continuing showpieces like the Cestrum and the Hydrangeas and the Princess Flower.

Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’

Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana)

But the first of Crepe Myrtles are starting to bloom as well.

Crepe Myrtle white

The annual flowers in the vegetable garden are also starting to dominate.

Annuals in the vegetable garden

Cosmos

Next to them amidst the corn are some lovely sunflowers.

Sunflowers mixed in with the corn

Sunflowers in peak form

The Alpine bed around the greenhouse is mostly done flowering but I did see some daphne still trying to bloom.

Daphne collina x cneorum flowering out of season

I was also struck by the beauty of the bark on the Chamaecyparis.  

Chamaecyparis obtusa

This particular tree is forty years old now and one of the bigger trees in the back yard.  It’s a beauty.

One last thing to share is a discovery at the local Costco.  I’d never seen these tropical plants from the Far East before and was delighted with the form and color.

Curcuma alismatifolia ‘Siam Shadow’

They are zone 8 so they will need to go into the basement or greenhouse for the winter but I think that will be worth it…