MORNING COFFEE

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

XERANTHEMUM

Xeranthemum annuum (immortelle; everlasting) is an annual herb with an erect and branched stem, 20–50 cm high. The leaves are alternate, sessile, linear, densely white downy, the flower-heads are solitary, petal-like involucral bracts are spreading, pink, lilac, rarely white, tubular florets are purple. The fruit is an achene.

It is a native of Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Western Asia (Iran, Lebanon, Syria). It grows on sunny slopes, in vineyards, on river and lake banks, from lowlands to foothills. Flowers from May to August. A very popular garden plant, may be used as a cut or dried flower.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

VERVAIN

Verbena rigida, known as slender vervain or tuberous vervain, is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Verbenaceae. It is native to Brazil and Argentina, and is not fully hardy in temperate climates, where consequently it is grown from seed as an annual. Growing to 60 centimetres, it has a spreading habit, with stalkless toothed leaves and bright purple or magenta, scented flowers in summer. Numerous cultivars have been selected for garden use. The species has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

HIBISCUS

A double, pink hibiscus hybrid in a neighbour's yard. I am not overly fond of the double forms, but this one was looking at its best and the day was a perfect Summer's day, so I relented and took the photo.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

POPPY

Flanders poppy in our garden.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme