The front garden looks very English-cottage right now, full of pink roses, tall coneflowers, sweeps of yellow, and a blue agave. Wait, that’s not very English. Well, it works for Austin. Here are several images from this evening.

The Belinda’s Dream rosebush is attracting the neighbors’ attention this year, as fat, pink blossoms poke through the wire fence along the sidewalk.

This is the view from the driveway toward the middle of the entry garden.

Along the curb, the Mexican feathergrass and damianita are in full flower and make a great pairing.

Whale’s Tongue agave with white skullcap (not blooming yet) behind

Carefree Beauty rosebush

More Carefree Beauty

The first Duchess of Albany clematis flower has opened. This delicate, twining vine grows in semi-shade under the Anacacho orchid tree, next to the American beautyberry bush. It will bloom for a month or two, then shut down for the hottest part of the summer before reblooming in September. This clematis is featured in the current issue of Taunton’s Fine Gardening magazine (June 2006).

The bees are intent on visiting every flower on the Anacacho orchid tree, now just beginning to fade as the temperatures rise.