It's true!!!

Frogs really do sit on lily pads!

Hi Freddie! (or is it Freda?)

The Pond

Believe it or not, there are some plants that thrive in this heat. Number one--pond plants. I quit trying to grow water lilies years ago because of all the shade from the Bradford Pears. After losing the trees, I watched how the plants in and around the pond started to flourish. This past spring I decided to try my luck one more time with water lilies. I bought this 1 plant- Mayle Rose. Mayle Rose has not disappointed me. Not only has the foliage been beautiful and lush, the blooms just keep on coming. I was lucky if I ever saw a flower before with the shade. Now I look forward to checking for blooms each morning.
Really the entire pond looks good. I am trying very hard to keep the water poppy cut back as it will take over the surface, but I still have quite a few buttery yellow blooms. The sedge grass has been in this pond since the beginning, some 12 years ago! And, it is evergreen!
These hot days (and nights!) are just about to drive hubby and I crazy, but I try and find bright spots in each day. This morning it was walking out to feed the fish and seeing not one, but four water lilies in bloom! Ahhh..hot summer heaven!

"Broad water-lilies lay tremulously, and starry river-buds glimmered by. And around them the soft stream did glide and dance, with a motion of sweet sound and radiance."
Percy Bysshe Shelley

Texas Star Hibiscus - In the Pond!

Here is the plant I told you about in the last post. It is a Texas Star Hibiscus, and it is indeed in the pond! After doing our big pond clean out and getting rid of all the plants, I went to the pond store to buy a new water poppy and a lily. The guy helping me said "oh, you gotta get one of these-they are my favorites." I couldn't believe he wanted me to get a TS Hibiscus and put it in the pond. I kept thinking how drought tolerant I always thought hibiscus were--but when he told me about the flowers, he convinced me to give it a try. The buds start out large like this one..and stay in bud form..it seemed like forever, but guess it was several weeks.

This weekend I noticed it had split and I could see the color---RED!

Yesterday it opened a bit more..

And this morning it was all the way open-big and gorgeous! Well worth the wait I think.

But of course, you know hibiscus--here today, gone tomorrow. Oh well...there are lots more flowers to come judging by all the buds I see!

She's a Beauty!

This is my new water lily--isn't she pretty? Her name is "Mayle Rose Pink." About 2 months ago we did a big pond clean up. We scraped the bottom of the pond and got rid of all but 1 of our old plants. They had just about taken over the little pond and made it impossible to clean--or see the fish!
Because water lilies need so much sun I couldn't have them when we had the Bradford Pear trees, but now that the back is in full sun all day I decided to give them a try..one more time. I have been thrilled with the results! When I bought this plant, it was small and...well, not very pretty. But once it warmed up a bit and the sun started hitting the pond again, I have been rewarded with bloom after bloom. The leaves are large as well. I couldn't be more pleased.
My picture doesn't really show the true pink color--but I can you it is yummy! I think it goes well with the yellow water poppy. The plant you can barely see to the left is a water "Texas Star Hibiscus." Cannot wait to tell you about that one!
Happy June everyone!