You know how you worry you lost a plant over the winter, and everyone tells you to give it until June before you consider it gone? Let’s make that July. My favorite colocasia with the glossy leaves and black stem and leaf veins (and lost plant tag, no ID just yet) spent the winter in the ground, not even mulch to protect it, and I just assumed it was toast. I already bought a replacement. Buying a replacement is the trick, that makes your old plant break dormancy. What do you know, I just noticed new leaves poking up. That, and news from two other gardeners: one has a colocasia gigantea that has started to peek out of the ground, and another who has a presumably lost acanthus reappearing. Now if my tree fern would just follow suit, the trend would be complete.

This was it at the end of July last year, it has some catching up to do if it’s going to get there this year.

It seemed too early to me, but I guess the crocosmia lucifer is right on schedule. Same time last year, I have pictures of this same stage of tri-colored bud. Some red flowers have already hit the garden, so I guess summer is truly here.

I got this ornamental purple millet in a moment of weakness, when I just wanted to buy something, anything, from a table of annuals. I since decided it was kind of goofy, at least as a single plant sitting there in the middle of a garden bed, but as long as it’s blooming, I’ll give it credit for an interesting looking flower spike. Everything’s hot colors and big leaves now, which makes it seem way too late for brand new growth, but it’s kind of fun, it’s like having a second spring. Happy July everybody.