It has been so hot in our area, and we have had very little rain. I have drip hoses in place to try and help with this lack of rainfall. Today, I am sharing blooms from flowers and bushes growing around our yard, in flower beds and in pots.

Blooms in the Yard

The Red Rocket Crepe Myrtles in our front yard have just started flowering this week. They are just about my favorite summer bush. The crepes in our yard start blooming in mid-July into August.

In the first pic below, you can see the buds on the crepe myrtle. Each bud will open and become a flower in the cluster.

They love the sun and are heat tolerant.

Red Knock-Out Roses

Our Knock-Outs are several years old and need very little care and provide gorgeous red roses. They bloomed around Mother's Day and then again for the 4th of July. They will continue blooming all summer. I have drip hoses around them to give them lots of water.

Blooms in the Orange Flower Bed

A few years ago, my husband asked if we could have a bed that was all orange flowers. He helped me make the bed and we planted orange lilies. This bed isn't irrigated, so I'm surprised there are still blooms with our dry summer.

There are a few lilies still blooming in another bed in the front yard.

Canas are blooming and more Black-Eyed Susan blooms in yet another bed in the front yard.

Blooms in the Garden Wall Bed

There is a 2–3-foot brick wall along our driveway before you go in the garage. The picture below was taken in May, I just wanted you to get the idea of the Garden Wall. There are two benches on the drive-way side of the wall.

On the other side of the wall is the flower bed I refer to as the Garden Wall Bed. Let's look at the flowers in this 15-foot flower bed.

There is one lone dahlia in my Garden Wall Bed, it has been a good bloomer. I bought it at a garden show, but it was only labeled as a dahlia. I am thinking it may be an Alfred Grille dahlia. If you know, please leave me a message and let me know. It is a beautiful pink color with yellow in the center. I hope to grow more dahlias next year.

Black-Eyed Susans (rudbeckia) are in both ends of the bed. They will take over the bed if I don't try to keep them under control. The pot on the wall is an upright white verbena with only a few blooms this week. The pink blooms below the birdhouse are Cleome (spider flowers).

A close-up of the Cleome flower.

A close-up of the verbena.

There are a couple of Garden Phlox Flame Lilac (Tall Phlox) in the Garden Wall Bed. They started blooming in the late Spring and are still blooming.

There are a few Cone Flowers in the Garden Wall Bed. I dug so many Cone Flowers and gave them to friends in the Spring.

A Dill Plant flowering in the bed.

Candytuff (I think) growing along the edge of the Garden Wall Bed.

Flowers growing in a few pots on the Garden Wall Bed

There are several pots along the Garden Wall, the purple flowers are Calibrachoa, the pink and white are Supertunias.

This pot is a mix of flowers, the red are Supertunias, the white spiky flowers are Angelonia which is pretty drought resistant.

These are dwarf zinnias.

Blooms in the Shade Garden

Hostas are flowering in the shade garden.

There you have it for July. I would love to know what is blooming in your yard - Judy.

Linking to:

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day on the 15th of the month

Monday Morning Blog Walk

MET Monday @ BNOTP

OMHG Wonderful Wednesday on Monday

You're the Star @ God's Growing Garden on Monday

Image-in-ing on Monday

Through My Lens on Monday

All About Home @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home and Common Ground on Monday at 6 pm

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Beautifully Made Link Party @ Across the Blvd. on Tuesday 7am

Tuesdays With A Twist @ Stone Cottage Adventures on Tuesday

Tuesday Turn About @ My Wee Abode at 5 pm

Wonderful Wednesday @ Ducks in a Row on Tuesday evening

Karins Kottage Linky Party @ Karins Kottage on Wednesday am

My Corner of the World @ Photographing New Zealand on Wednesday

Fabulous Link Party @ Peacock Ridge Farm, Living Large in a Small House, South House Designs, & Vintage Home Designs on Friday

Friendship Friday Blog Hop @ Create With Joy on Thursday

Floral Bliss on Friday

Friday Features Link Party @ Penny's Passion

Fabulous Friday Link Party @ South House Designs

A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market on Friday

Farm House Friday @ County Road 407

Friday With Friends @ My Hubbard Home

Saturday Sparks @ Pieced Pastimes on Friday

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Dare to Share @ Pam's Party

Garden Affair @ Jaipur Garden

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Sunday Sunshine Blog @ Ridge Haven Homestead on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Sundays on Silverado @ The House on Silverado

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Have you ever been to a crawfish boil? Well, come on over to the crawfish boil at the lake.

Friends on the dock hosted a crawfish boil and it was awesome. We were delighted to attend. Take a look and enjoy the boil!

Meet Veteran Mike, the owner of Crawfish Willy's. Mike says he takes great pride in hand selecting only the best crawfish, alligator products, frog legs and shrimp which is straight from the southern docks of Louisiana. You can find Mike on Facebook, just search for Crawfish Willy's.

Mike brings in his set up and cooks the food right on the dock at Cypress Springs. He just has to "boil up" some crawfish, corn cobs, potatoes, sausages and seasonings. I'm sure Mike "turns-up" the flavor with delicious add-ins.

All this deliciousness and more goes into the crawfish boil. Mike travels around the area for his boils. I am not affiliated with Crawfish Willy's but just want to see him be successful.

The tables were decorated in a Mardi Gras theme with Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold.

Now it's time to get in line and fill your plate.

That my hubby filling his plate at the boil. He absolutely loved the food.

Who could resist a plate full of crawfish, corn on the cob, potatoes, and sausages? This guy has his plate filled to the brim and may go back for seconds. I didn't know him, but he was kind enough to let me snap his pic.