Garden Pic Wednesday: Limelight 4 O'clock & Hardy Hibiscus

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 It is soooo hot out right now! In recent days I've waited until 7pm to mow and then only a section at a time; 20-30 minutes max. 
Today I rehung my Chickadee nesting house. I had it inside, gluing a portal protector on to keep the Downy Woodpeckers from drilling on the entry. Come fall, I plan on getting a Downy nest box, so they can have their own space, though I've read they primarily want a cool weather roost. And I pick up a few sticks tossed about by recent thunderstorms. It's that rainy time of year with nearly daily storms. I have plenty of firewood now for when the weather cools off. I've read we're expecting an "arctic summer," though here that may be 88 next week instead of 98, but anything is better.

Garden Photos Today:

Limelight 4 O'Clocks:
Really this color. Bright lime leaves with magenta flowers. There's a story about these: I bought it as seed once, but never have more. I had one and saved seed from it and got 2 with the second more prosperous and healthy. It made seed. So I saved every one of them and this year planted those all sorts of places because I like how the bright greens breaks up all the dark green that is everything else! This plant in the photo is from that saved seed. There's actually 3 in this bed; more scattered other places. And I have around 25 new seeds already for next season.
Good thing about 4 O'Clock's here is they are perennial and come back every year once established!



My Hardy Hibiscus:
Hardy Hibiscus differs from Tropical Hibiscus because Tropical Hibiscus is a branching shrub, but won't necessary survive winter cold. Hardy Hibiscus puts up a grouping of tall single stems ranging in height from 4 to 8 feet that bloom toward the top, then dies back in fall, and comes back every spring with more and more stems. This particular one ranges to 7 feet in height and I gently tie it up so it's not laying on the ground where it will get mowed. It's around 15 years old maybe.


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