Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - September 2009

I'm out of town this week for a work-related seminar, but I took a few photos before I left so that I could put up a quick GBBD post.  So here, without further ado, are a few snapshots of what's blooming in my garden--including a BIG September surprise:

Portulaca blooming alongside lavender, hens and chicks, and bronze carex buchanii

Variegated sedum in bud at the base of sorghastrum nutens 'Sioux Blue,' which is currently in bloom

Sun Parasol, a bright crimson mandevilla

(very cool, but not the surprise)

Spent flowerheads on red groundcover sedum are still showy against my 'Golden Sword' yucca

The first blue caryopteris flowers emerge amongst the bottlebrush flowers of a pennisetum that I bought as 'Hameln'--but which I think flowers too darkly to be that cultivar.

'Albury Purple' hypericum, which has sported berries for months now, is again throwing out occasional buttery yellow blooms

(Again, cool... but not the surprise!)

Purple Heart, Purple Tradescantia, Setcreasea Pallida... no matter what you want to call it, this lilac-flowering beauty always reminds me of my lovely sister-in-law Amanda

(A story too long to explain right now)

Some annuals still beating the heat with blooms: 'Yubi Red' portulaca and a dark blue angelonia in the tile planter

'Sweet Kate' spiderwort putting up a second wave of color

The twisty onion: allium senescens subspecies glaucum

HERE is the surprise:  A pot-planted Christmas amaryllis bulb in rebloom!

Magenta snapdragons, seen through a veil of 'Black & Blue' salvia. The feathery plant on the left is 'Golden Rain' rosemary

And to close this post?  Not a bloom at all, but instead a rather gratuitous photo of the puppy I've been missing so much this week. (I am also surprised at how many times I have thought that "I wish Steve was here to see..." or do something with me during this trip. Interesting...)  In a few days, I'll be back in town to see whether the next few tomatoes have managed to escape her notice... or whether she's been picking up the "harvesting" duties while I've been gone. Expect a full report!

In the meantime:  Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is one of the many brainchilds of Carol over at May Dreams Gardens.  To see what else is blooming around the world on the 15th of September, check out Carol's latest GBBD Post here.