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Comment by Grant Meyer USDA zone 9 17 hours ago

Good morning everyone, glad folks enjoyed the chocolate flower.  It smells really nice this morning!  A real favorite, AND it doesn't need life support (drip irrigation) either.  What's not to love? 

Just for fun, here's a quick pic of a Huernia zebrina ssp insigniflora (sometimes just called Huernia insigniflora, the species name coming from "insignia" not from "insignificant") blooming on the east side of the house.  It stays there all year and has made good steady progress over the years.  It blooms off and on May through early September.  Hope you take a quick peek and enjoy.  Keep your pics, posts and updates coming too.  Happy gardening everyone!

Comment by Kirsten Carter (9a) yesterday

I've been keeping up on everyone's posts through the weekend. I have another project I'm working on that's keeping me busy — a mosaic table for the back patio. I did get some deadheading and weeding done this weekend. It was just beautiful weather to sit back and enjoy all the hard work done this spring. Happy Tuesday everyone. 

Comment by Nancy Mumpton - Phoenix AZ (Z 9) yesterday

I have lots of chocolate flowers because I love chocolate and the smell in the warm mornings just starts my day off right!

Comment by Grant Meyer USDA zone 9 yesterday

Fun updates everyone!  Good tips on your hoyas, Deborah, plus fun to hear about memories of plants too.  Nancy, I've seen Hoya bella in the Logee's catalog and on Ebay now and then, so maybe I'll give it a try, thanks for suggesting it.  Love yours!  My hoyas do grow and seem happy, but I wouldn't mind a bloom every now and then, LOL.  Speaking of blooms, here's the first bloom on one of several chocolate flowers (Berlandiera lyrata), which anyone who has grown it knows, really DOES smell like chocolate on a warm day.  Enjoy this weather, all! 

Comment by Deborah Hamel (Z9a-9b Arizona) on Tuesday

I keep my Hoyas on the north, covered porch. My mother loved Hoyas when I was a child, so our home always smelled like their blossom clusters. I was fascinated by the velvet star, wax star combination on a single blossom. Hers were always inside except on bath days during the summer. She would remove them to the yard setting on some kind of stand so they were not touching the ground and in the shade of our oak tree. She had the hose on a light spray and would water each one for 5+ minutes. The plants loved it. I recall her explaining that in order to bloom, the root system needs to fill the pot, or stressed for space. So, I don't transplant them when I would normally any other plant, and they bloom. I hope that helps.

Comment by Nancy Mumpton - Phoenix AZ (Z 9) on Monday

Try Hoya bella. You can't stop it from blooming. It is small leaved too so doesn't take up much space.

Comment by Grant Meyer USDA zone 9 on Monday

Thanks for the tips about borage and tomatoes, Deborah, I haven't heard that before.  I'll keep an eye on mine and will rip it out if it becomes too aggressive, good information, thanks!  I love your hoya blooms!  I've grown hoyas for so many years, but none have ever bloomed for me, grumble grumble, LOL.  Yours looks really neat and I bet it was a wonderful sight to see a hummer feeding at the blooms!  Thanks for the pic and fun update.  Happy gardening all!

Comment by Nancy Mumpton - Phoenix AZ (Z 9) on Monday

Is yours in the shade Deborah? I have one inside because I wasn't sure it would do well outside.

Comment by Deborah Hamel (Z9a-9b Arizona) on Monday

Nice photos, Grant.

I have a new-found respect for Borage. I planted one plant next to a tomato plant last spring, and let it grow and flower at will. Borage is reported to enhance the vigor of tomato plants and flavor of the fruits when companion planted.  Big mistake!!! This spring, the original plant had stalks over an inch in diameter and a root system almost as invasive and massive as artichoke roots. It reseeded, so I transplanted one of the seedlings to a separate pot and will enjoy the flowers while restraining the plant.

Yesterday, I noticed a female humming bird perched on a leaf of the Hoya sampling flowers. While I couldn't get my camera in time to snap that shot, I thought I could at least show the blooms. I love the sweet fragrance of the Hoya. I'm not certain which variety this one is.

Enjoy the beautiful weather and all that goes with it.

Comment by Grant Meyer USDA zone 9 on Monday

Another beautiful morning!  Here are a few blooms that greeted me this morning:  an "amaryllis" (Hippeastrum) on the east side of the house, a typical blue borage bloom (out in full sun, great spring/early summer annuals), and a clump of 'Divine' plumerias.  Today's garden plan:  weed, Weed, WEED!  Happy Memorial Day, let's all remember the reason for the holiday.  Happy gardening!

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