Cry Me A Cardiocrinum

I could complain about the fact that we've been 10 degrees below normal in June so far with 2 inches of rainfall, already more than our monthly average, but I'm not going to.  That's not why you're here.  You're here to look at pictures like this:

Cardiocrinum giganteum

This lily is incredible, and thrives in our cool coastal climate.  It is 8 feet tall with a sturdy stalk.  It is fragrant like other Oriental liles, yet is in bloom right now in late spring vs. mid-summer for Oriental lilies.

The picture below shows just how tall it is, with the flowers higher than the top of the arbor.

Aloe 'Johnson's Hybrid'

I was noticing how closely this aloe resembples a kniphofia.  As it turns out, the two genuses are closely related, both being in the Asphodelaceae subfamily.

Kniphofia 'Shining Sceptre'

Speaking of Kniphofias, this is my favorite one called Kniphofia 'Shining Sceptre'.  I'm not sure if there are any truly fluorescent plants, but the two-toned orange and yellow flowers are about as fluorescent-looking as any I've ever seen.

I saw some ornamental millets at Furney's Nursery and bought two, not knowing where I was eventually going to plant them.  I decided to plant them in this island, but needed one more to balance it out, so I went back to Furney's and got one more.

 A couple days later, I found myself going back to Furney's for two more, filling in a couple areas by the pond.

Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Baron' & Solenostemon 'Trailing Burgundy'

Today marked the LAST time I went back to Furney's to buy an ornamental millet.  This coleus and millet make a nice duo.