Love-in-a-Mist

Also known as Devil in the Bush or Persian Jewel.

Nigella damascena is a pretty blue flower that I had never seen before until I purchased my home. I inherited this drought tolerant gem! Blue flowers are rare to find, and this one is a jewel with it's ferny, fennel foliage, fluffy straw-flower, and distinctive, balloon shape seed pod. Nigella seeds, known also as Black Cumin, are easily scattered around by the winds for self-sow. Although I totally neglect this plant, each spring this delicate looking plant surprises me by returning in abundance. My side yard becomes a field of blue and green for a  month, then the pretty blue fades into a sea of green with the seed pods taking on the appearance of buoys until the summer heat withers the plant into the ground.

My Field of Flowers

This is just one small area of my yard that is in full bloom. The roses are carpet roses, which I love since they are so easy to maintain and are drought tolerant. They thrive on neglect.

Bottlebrush And Bees

Callistemon which looks like a bottle brush is a hardy plant with very pretty flowers that attracts bees. I'm happy to see swarms of black bees and honey bees frequenting these trees to collect nectar since there are reports of a decline in the population of bees throughout the world. There are many folks that shy away from planting bottlebrush because of bees swarming the plants when in bloom. I'm not afraid of bees. I love these plants for the fact that bees enjoy the nectar from the bottlebrush, and bees are such captivating workers.