better late...garden bloggers' bloom day

Vitex tree

Yep, I'm four days late posting for garden bloggers' bloom day, but I did shoot these photos on the 15th. Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites bloggers to share what's blooming in their gardens on the 15th of each month, so make sure to check her blog to see blooms from all over the place.

I thought these balloon flowers were annuals, but these came back from last spring!

gray santolina

returning Mexican bush sage with new salvias and "silver dragon" liriopes  planted  in the huge old rosemary's spot

old faithful plumbago

another old faithful, Turks Cap

I think this is a hybrid annual salvia. Such an unusual color.

ornamental black pearl pepper and lobelia

Clearly this packet of mixed-color zinnia seeds was mislabeled, because I'm not a pink zinnia person.

Also blooming now are purple and white ruellia, bougainvillea, white gaura, leadwort plumbago, verbena, zexmenia, torenia, blackfoot daisies, and society garlic.

front yard garden: always a work in progress

Sometimes these things just hit you. Why do we keep ignoring these overgrown, not-entirely-healthy rosemary plants? Suddenly, I'm almost blinded to the cheery larkspur and big pot of white bougainvillea because all I see are rosemary monsters.

Vitex tree is blooming and larkspur from MSS are hanging on.

I'm a big fan of rosemary, but not when it gets huge and woody and diseased. Although it's only 60 degrees (F) right now, it was 93 (F) this afternoon when DH and I removed the offending rosemaries.

before: huge rosemary in the middle on the left and mid-right in the sidewalk

after: both big rosemaries removed

Ahh! Full sun blank slate. I'm thinking I might just put a few Blackfoot Daisies on the right along the sidewalk to mask the ugly underbelly of that santolina. I'm not at all sure what to put on the left. Another plumbago? Something in a dark green?

Earlier this morning, I harvested several quarts of shallots and about a quart of "Tavera" delicate, (maybe) stringless green beans--yippee! Good thing we're big fans of both! I'll admit that washing and preparing the shallots is kind of a pain. The green beans, however, are easy.

shallots and "Tavera" green beans

Yesterday I harvested several quarts of "Contender" green beans, which are bigger than the Tavera, and sauteed them (in olive oil) with lots of chopped onions, some minced garlic, and canned diced tomatoes. I let that mixture simmer for close to an hour, adding a little honey, salt, and pepper. It turned out great, including today's leftovers.

I'd love to hear any suggestions for the new open spaces in the front yard garden. I don't mind putting a bit of trailing rosemary back in, but I don't want it to be the main focal point.