Another Volunteer

It's early summer in the front yard display flower garden. For the third year in a row, the portulaca came back from seeds by itself. But just a few plants came back this year. This is a low growing plant that has succulent-type leaves, and requires little water. The flowers only open in full sun, though.

Thankfully the white color characteristics stayed with the plant and seeds. Once the seedlings were discovered growing in the spring, I was afraid that they would have some of the psychedelic colors that portulaca are known for. Plants that produce seeds can sometimes create seeds with characteristics different from the parent.

Early Summer

The front flower garden is finally getting into full swing. The purple coneflowers are looking good after lots of rains this spring. There is a 'dead time' in the garden between the spring bulbs and the time the perennials start up when nothing is blooming; the purple coneflowers are the first plant that begins the summer bloom season.

These were started from seed about two years ago. After admiring a neighbor's plants, I was later given some seeds from them. They were planted and nothing grew that year. So, some seeds were purchased form the store and planted the following year. About four plants survived infancy, and the rest of the seed packet was thrown out. These resulting plants lived through the summer and never bloomed or grew much.

All that changed the following year (last year), when they came up after the spring and bloomed, then started spreading throughout the summer. This is the second year of blossoms, and the plants are very healthy and happy from the looks of the abundant flowers. I will need to thin them out now, probably in time for the neighborhood Fall Plant Swap Brunch.