Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-February 2011

I almost forgot to do my GBBD post today.  Here it is, 2:30 PM, and I'm sitting around perusing the Internet, reading blogs, checking Twitter and Facebook, when all of a sudden I realized I needed to get my butt outside and take some pictures.  My fans need me!  Hahahahaha-yeah, right!  Anyway, here's what's blooming in my yard today.

After an unusual time away, my orchid (Den. Pam Tajima (atroviolaceum 'Pygmy' x eximium)) is finally blooming again.

Holding onto a little rain from earlier today is my Blue Daze (Evolvus glomeratus).

Hiding from the paparazzi is my giant bird of paradise.  I know the angle on this is not great, but if you'd seen where I had to stand just to get this, you'd understand.  

Spilling over our rock wall is the ever-blooming lantana.  I didn't notice until now that some have a white -and-yellow middle and some don't.  I wonder if this is an age thing-lantana has very distinctive stages of blooming-or if it's something else.  I'll have to do some research!

Very similar in color are my volunteer snapdragons.  I'm not sure where these came from-I'm thinking that I had snapdragons a couple years ago; I wonder if these are seeds that have been lying dormant since then?

In a neighboring pot is my African daisy (Osteospermum).  I love all the subtle colors on this.

In another pot, I have a lobelia making a determined stand against the invading sweet alyssum.

In December, I showed you a picture of my variegated hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus/Talipariti tiliaceum) in bloom and told you that by the end of the day, the bright yellow flower would turn a dusty burnt orange color and fall off the shrub.  Now, as part of my newly-dubbed Progression Obsession category, I will show you!

  

11:35 AM

2:50PM

10:29 AM the next day

The first three pictures were taken of a cut-flower arrangement on my table a few days ago.  The last picture is a flower that was on the ground today when I was taking the rest of my pictures.  The cut flowers never made it to this stage of red, but this is eventually how they end up in the wild. 

I know a lot of the world is wicked cold and covered in snow right now, so if you're hankering for some more flowers to brighten up your day or want to submit your own bits of color, please visit our Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host, Carol, at May Dreams Gardens to see what else is blooming today.

**Edited 2/17-In visiting other gardeners around the web, I found a post at Good to Grow which would make for a great addition to my Progression Obsession club (maybe I can make it an honorary member?).  Anyway, here is a great look at how a hyacinth goes from nothing but leaves to all those grewat-smelling flowers.