Witch hazel fall colors

Hamamelis × intermedia (H. japonica × H. mollis)

After the rain - TS Hanna

Silene maritima, Robin White Breast calyces

Flowering Purslane

We have tons of weedy Purslane growing in our yard. They have very small yellow flowers, grow vigorously and are a pest. I was surprised to see flowering Purslane sold in a local nursery. I have to grudgingly admit these are quite pretty. I guess I need to change my thinking that they are Portulacas rather than the weedy association I have when I see the word Purslane.

Scarlet Red Malope

Malopes are closely related to Althaea, Abutilon, Gossypium, Kitaibelia, Malva and Sidalcea. They are all in the Malvacea family which also includes, cocoa, cotton, okra, baobab and durian the stinky but delicious Southeast Asian fruit.

We planted annual wildflower seeds to cover a newly created bank and the malope was included in the mixture.

Hibiscus trionum, Flower-of-an-Hour

A weed but a nice weed so we let it grow. Funny but it only grows in our yard. I never see them in the neighbors' weed filled beds or in other waste areas. The flower is short lived - only a day but the plant has numerous buds so several are blooming at any one day. The flower is small not more than a couple of inches in diameter.

The two bottom pictures are of the seedpod which is as interesting as the flower in my opinion.

2 poppies

This is a field poppy we bought in a wild flower seed mix. Of the original flowers in the mix this is the only one that reseeded every year for 5 years.






The first of the California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) to bloom this year. Of the two flowers blooming now they both look like the common yellow orange California poppies despite my buying a mixed color 'Thai Silk' seed packet. I guess the crenelated folding of the petals is supposed to resemble silk cloth?

Styrax japonicus

Japanese Snowbell