not to be deterred

star of india

Not everything in the yards has been deterred by the hot dry weather.  This small tree (large shrub?) is about 7’ tall and covered with blooms.  It was very hard to get a good picture of the flowers because they are so white and the sun is so bright.  I finally had to settle for a close up instead of a larger view.

mexican petunia 

I love these wild petunias but they are extremely invasive.  Right now, after the neglect my yard in the city has received the past two years, they have spread everywhere.  In the morning it is a sea of purple.  These delicate flowers only last til about noon when they fall off and are replaced the next day by hundreds more.  These were also hard to photograph and still the color is not exactly right.

hummingbird bush

This large shrub is taller than the eaves of my house and is covered with these small blooms.  Come fall, when the hummingbirds migrate through it will be the scene of many a pitched battle.

plumeria

This particular small tree was a gift from a friend and it is a profuse bloomer.  I have other plumerias but none are matched by this one.  It probably has 20 clusters on it.

yellowbells

Another of my favorites, these shrubs can also get fairly large and can be pruned into small trees forms.

mexican bird of paradise

This one is actually in my sister’s yard and is as tall as the eaves of her house.  They love the hot dry weather.