This is today's view of the Oriental poppy seen in my last post.We're now on day 5 of rainy weather, for which I am truly grateful and appreciative ... it could continue for another five days and I'd still feel that way! There's a lot blooming on my corner of Katy but many of those blooms are indeed bedraggled. What's a gardener to do when the rainy day coincides with Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day (hosted on the 15th of each month by Carol of May Dreams Gardens)? Well, if you're this gardener, you invite your fellow gardeners to commiserate with you on the soggy state of affairs! So I'm starting off by sharing pictures of some of the dampened darlings on my corner of Katy.
None is more pitiable than the Spiderwort below. I call this cultivar Zapped, since I dug my original start of the plant from beside Zapp Hall in Warrenton, Texas. The name certainly fits its current condition.
The roses are feeling the weight of the rain and holding their heads up is impossible . Doesn't Old Blush look sad?
Laura Bush petunias are blooming prolifically but most of those blooms look like the one below:
The delphiniums are singing the blues:
Earl Grey larkspur are a delicate shade of mauve which does not hold up well to repeated dowsings.
Lobelia 'Candy Corn', however, is loving the moisture!
Bluebonnets and toadflax intermingle happily in the rose bed.
Toadflax and verbena are blooming throughout the back garden. 
The rain hasn't deterred the monarch caterpillars from continuing to munch.
I think of Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea) as one of the more xeric plants so I'm pleased to see it continuing to bloom enthusiastically. True confessions time: that is indeed Laura Bush Petunia hiding amongst the orange Betony blooms. Why I planted the Texas Betony there when it's not compatible with the color scheme, I don't remember. I meant to move it but I don't have the heart when it's doing so well. I just have to find the right companion plants to tie the colors together. It could happen!
I think next year I'm going to plant bluebonnet seeds all along the side wall of the house in the granite path since they seem to thrive there. The Head Gardener is threatening to try sowing bluebonnet seeds in the St. Augustine grass out front as well, just to see what happens. The Head Gardener does a lot of that kind of thing.
Right now, however, the Head Gardener needs to stretch her back, which has been giving her fits since she dug up and moved a sizeable Bridal Wreath Spirea just before the rains started. If only that new shovel she ordered from Gardener's Supply had gotten here sooner ...Happy Bloom Day, y'all!
Comments
Rain, rain, rain, rain,
I love rain!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Anyway, great blooms and congrats on the rain.
We've gotten a lot of rain too. The garden will jump once the sun comes back out. Old Blush won't be hanging her head for long!
MMD, the delphiniums were purchased in 4 inch pots and I must have held my mouth just right when I planted them!
Carol, I'm always happy to brave the elements for Bloom Day!
EAL, this is a perennial lobelia. It's a very assertive spreader but not too hard to remove/contain. It does get funky looking in hot weather but responds well to cutting back. I'd be happy to send you some. Mine was a division from a plant a friend bought at the old Heronswood.
Sweet Bay, I do plan to plant more toadflax and bluebonnets together next fall. I ordered the linaria seeds late, then kept forgetting to plant them till it was too late!
Bluestem, I will definitely check up on your progress. Glad you came by my blogspot!
QBC, thanks for stopping by! RED delphiniums? Tell us more!
Pam, choosing what to include in Bloom Day photographs is always tough here at Wit's End.
Leslie, the rain revived both the plants' spirits and my own :-)
Jean, I think sowing bluebonnet seeds in the gravel should yield great results since they seem to like it lean and mean.
Your garden is beautiful, drenched and all! Glad you all are finally getting the rain you need.