What's Bloomin' Edition 16

Lantana - Lantana camara. This plant always makes me think of the toxic plant notebook I had to make in vet school. It was the only houseplant I included in the book (it causes extreme sensitivity to the sun and gastrointestinal upset). I bought this just this spring, and it's doing well in the container.

Balloon Flower - Platycodon grandiflorus. I bought this 4 years ago at Home Depot, mainly because I thought it was just a neat looking plant. Not only are the flowers pretty in full bloom, but they look awesome before they open up, too (like a balloon). I didn't expect it to come back because it's such a delicate looking little plant, but it's really hardy and doesn't even require much watering. I have a white variety in the front yard that blooms a little later.

Easter Lily - Lilium longiflorum. J's mother gave us an Easter lily about 3 years ago. It was in a pot and after it bloomed and died back I kept the bulb, planting it in the fall. They come up every year, and every year there are more. I think we had 6 or 7 flowers this year. Unfortunately, the deer wiped them out the day after I took this picture.

Nandina - Nandina domestica. This plant was here when we moved in, and there are several growing on one side of the house. The berries are always so bright in the early summer before the birds come along and clear them out. The leaves turn a red-purple color in the fall. I hadn't really noticed the tiny white flowers it gets until this year. It can be a little invasive, but it's a nice shrub.