It’s a bleak bloom day report this month from Del Diablo Lane. Last month I said the flowering season was starting its wind-down: well, I was right. The record heat wave just after the 4th of July left so many things — even natives — just utterly fried. The hottest part of the summer is usually when my garden is at its least showy point, but this year the transition has been uncharacteristically drastic.

There are few surprises. The native palo verde is seeing a second flush of blooming. I suspect its due to my neighbor, Dennis, turning up his irrigation.

Close by, Sumac (Malosma laurina) is blooming.

The Eriogonum grande var. rubescens is pretty much finished: not much left but ripening seeds.

Common buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum is still at it.

I seem to have 2 forms of it: this one has tidier umbells.

The hesperaloe parviflora is a bright spot along the north fence, keeping the hummingbirds fed.

And alone among the citrus, the Mexican lime seems fairly unfazed by the heat wave and is flowering.

In the main garden beds, Gomphrena fireworks is proving its worth (and then some).

Verbena bonariensis is still showing up, even while fighting off an emerging case of powdery mildew. Achillea “moon glow” adds a splash of yellow in the background.

NOID echeveria (possibly After Glow but it seems too… “robust”).

And here’s one that I think is After Glow:

The Kangaroo paws Anigozanthos NOID are fading, but still proving some color framing the patio.

Elsewhere in the back, the echinacea is still hanging on (but is that anther smut I see developing?), the NOID globe Gomphrena is looking fabulous, and I’m loving the flowers on the cushion bush (Leucophyta brownii syn. Calocephalus brownii).

The Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ has one (last?) flower open.

On in the front garden, the big news this month is that Zauschneria cana “Hollywood Flame” is already flowering! It seems early but the hummingbirds and I are happy to see it. I absolutely love this plant. It has a lovely draping shape and is tough as nails. This picture doesn’t do it justice.

Another species of Zauschneria (shown here in front of and taller than “Hollywood Flame”) also just started to bloom.

The Oregon fleabane is happy with its mostly shade setting and drip line watering.

Also flowering is statice,

And Eriogonum giganteum.

Along with a NOID Eriogonum I got a few years ago at Tree of Life nursery.

The island bush mallow Lavatera assurgentiflora is blooming (blurry picture warning):

… and a drawf oleander I thought was a goner a few months back:

And a Big Box hibiscus that I also thought I was going to lose.

The front garden NOID Anigozanthos are still flowering.

Plus here’s a NOID Salvia I got years ago at a big box store. (Does that make it, Big Box Salvia?)

A NOID echeveria and a NOID aeonium are both flowering in the front window box.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted by May Dreams Gardening. Check out Carol’s June update: it gave me Zinnia envy!