In these dog days of summer,  Butter and Peppercorn appreciate a little air conditioning.  I freeze water in 2-liter bottles and they like to snuggle up against the frozen bottles.  I am about ready to snuggle up with a bottle myself!!  WHEW!

 Lycoris aurea (Golden Spider Lily) is another of my "Naked Ladies."

 

 Euonymus americanus (aka Hearts-a-Bustin' or Strawberry Bush) has a reddish, pink, ivory to yellow capsule which splits to reveal orange-red seeds.  Fruits and seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals.

 Seed Capsule of Euonymus americanus

Seed capsule "a bustin"

 In August when the garden is tired (and the gardeners!), there are some plants I look forward to having bloom ... like zephyranthes, lycoris, and angel trumpets.  Anxiously awaiting the blooming of the angel trumpets ... won't be much longer!

Zephyranthes x drummondii 'Big Dude'

Unfortunately, I don't have the name of this zephyranthes, but it's the only double bloom I've seen

Lycoris x albiflora 'Buttermint'  is a cross between Lycoris aurea and Lycoris radiata var. pumila.  The flower stalks are topped with ruffled-petalled, light creamy yellow flowers which mature with a pink blush. Very nice!

Lycoris x albiflora 'Buttermint'

This was a first for me to see "Dudley," our downy woodpecker, sharing our finch feeder with  "Gina," our goldfinch!  What was Dudley doing on a finch feeder of all things!!  Maybe he was showing off for Gina to show her ... "Hey, I can eat Nyjer seed just like you!"

Liriope muscari 'Monroe White'  is a white-flowered monkey grass which begins blooming in mid August and is blooming now.  It gets about one foot tall and has evergreen dark green foliage.  It's a nice change from the typical purple-flowered Liriope.  I have both in our backyard with a section of white, then a section of purple, and ending with another section of white.  

Liriope muscari 'Monroe White'

 Clerodendrum trichotomum (Harlequin Glorybower) is an open, unkempt, multi-stemmed shrub.  The plant has fragrant white flowers on 6-9 inch racemes in summer.  The blossoms are followed by small bright blue fruits adorned with contrasting star-shaped red calyces.  When bruised, the leaves produce a unique aroma reminiscent of peanut butter hence the common name "Peanut Butter Tree."

 

Can one ever have too many Begonia grandis?  Well, maybe, but they are super easy to pull out or transplant and I have done both of these things!  Begonia grandis 'Heron's Pirouette' is an introduction made from wild-collected seed from Dan Hinkley's 1997 expedition to Japan.  The flower clusters are excessively large and flowering begins in July and continues non-stop until fall.

I have a small xeriscape area in our garden.  Here are some of the plants who find this area to be home:

Manfreda undulata 'Cherry Chocolate Chip'

Agave lophantha 'Multigreen'

Zephyranthes 'Rose Colored Glasses'

Corphantha recurvata

Agave victoriae-reginae (Queen Victoria Agave)

Does this look like a turtle head to you?  Chelone lyonii is commonly called turtlehead.  Flowers purportedly resemble the heads of open mouthed turtles ... hmm ... maybe. 

Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips'

Platycodon grandiflorus 'Sentimental Blue' (Balloon flower) is a fun plant to share with children.   It gets its name  from the unopened buds which swell up prior to opening and resemble  little hot air balloons.  Children enjoy squeezing the flower buds and making them "pop!'

Platycodon grandiflorus 'Sentimental Blue'

 Serissa foetida 'Kyoto' is often a bonsai plant; however, I am using it as a low growing evergreen shrub in an area around our sunporch.  It rarely grows over a foot tall, and flowers off and on from spring until fall.  

Serissa foetida 'Kyoto'