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The brainless party in question isn't the flower here, It's the gardener.
Here are three of the hardiest and showiest survivors of this recent heat wave...again, with little or no thanks to me. The prolific re-seeders and prarie relatives are the happiest bloomers in the garden. I've been delighted by the surprises of those flowers which have made a show of themselves despite the limited water available this season. CLEOME , considered unlovely by some, has literally risen to the occasion of dry weather blight. We used to call it Cat's Whiskers, or spider flower, but the adults called it That Stinky Weed. It sets seeds before paint dries, and will settle in tiny cracks in the driveway as easily as fancy imported top soil. Thankfully, it is also very shallow-rooted and it's effortlessly pulled up when it shows up in some stray spot. It makes a decent cut flower, but it has prickles all over it and it smells---well, odd. This year it is the star of my sunny spots, instead of keeping its' ususal place at the back of a planting...all the showy stuff in the front is toast. It has saved the appearance of the garden with its' height and texture. It's flashy, and has good bones. HYACINTH BEAN (below)
This tropical vine blooms late in the season in my Zone 7, and I tried to jump start some indoors without success. Fortunately I found a voluteer survivor from last summers' vine, when I was cleaning out a bed early in the spring, so I got a slightly earlier start than usual. The funny Latin name for this specimen is "dolichos lablab." 'Doliform' is Latin for barrel-shaped; 'labitus' means large lipped, (shocking pink, here)...do you think "big barrel-shaped lips" about covers the description? This ornamental vine is not a bean, although the fruits resemble purple bean pods. It isn't poisonous, but I am told it isn't delicious, either. For the sake of your nutrition, stick to the true legumes.
The handsome green and red foliage is interesting in itself, but once the blossoms appear, you really have a star. Combine it with the evening blooming Moon Vine and dusk will become your favorite time of day, with day-glow pinks and exotic, fragrant whites.
MOON VINE (Ipomoea alba) Shown here at right, in this photo by noted gardener Ken Druse, this Moon Vine blossom appears to be about thirty seconds away from fully opening. Each bloom lasts only one night, but the chance to sit and watch the tightly furled buds open at twilight is a reminder of creations' glory in the garden. (And it's a great way to entertain small chidren.)
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The copyright of the article Brainless Blooms in Gardening in Southern U.S. is owned by Emily Levitt. Permission to republish Brainless Blooms in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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