15 July 2016

celosia and then some

This plant has surprised me. I didn't know it would get so large- it's a decent height and no sign of blooming yet so maybe it will get even taller.
It looks nice and lush, and had red stems which I always find attractive.
It's doing best in the mailbox spot. I am pretty sure I will start more from seed next year and put it in the same location. Flanked here by coleus, which has improved a lot lately, too. Also it is not at all fazed by the heat- we've had some oppressively hot days this week and I've been watering certain areas of the garden twice a day- especially the potted plants. My sweet potato vine, which is supposed to love the heat, gets droopy in the late afternoon. Celosia? it doesn't wilt the slightest bit.
Overall this space has turned out a lot better than I hoped for its first year.
Dianthus looks small now compared to everything else. Flowering purslane is prettier than I'd expected, and it even seems to have self-seeded. I found two tiny purslane growing in a crack right off the curb and transplanted them back into the bed.
Purslane by the stump looking great, too. It seems to glow. It laughs in the heat.
Sunpatients have turned out to be rather attractive, and the darker leaves make nice contrast.
Several times I've seen people on their daily walks stop to examine my flowering echeveria and point them out to each other. I'm thinking of moving more of the babies from indoors out here- but maybe I should wait and see who survives the winter, first.
The one inside, I turned it around so that it will lean the other way and grow straight. It makes it look as if my crassula is wearing a succulent crown.

Just wait until the celosia blooms! I think it will get way more attention than echeveria attracts now. I've looked them up and those are some crazy-looking flowers.

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