Gone but soon to be replaced

The cool weather plants I enjoyed from Fall through Spring are sadly gone now, but thanks to the latest weather "cool down" we enjoyed today, I was able to head out into the garden and remove all the grass and dead plants from the planter and the pots. 

The Sunflowers and Morning Glories that I planted several weeks ago are working their way up in the planter.  I plan to put in Zinnia seeds later today.  Perhaps I will add in Vinca Rosea and more Iceplant too.  Sounds like a trip to Home Depot so it many not end with just these plants going into the ground.

The pots that were once overflowing with Violas and Stock are nearly empty.  There is 1 lone Stock plant still in the pot with the Lemon Tree.  Earlier in the Spring, as an experiment, I prunned the Stock way back because it became too leggy.  They rebounded and bloomed all over again.  With the really hot temps we had over the past few weeks, it is amazing that this plant still looks good. 

My Mexican Bird of Paradise is looking really good.  It underwent a major prunning this past winter and I am very happy to see that it is already blooming. 

Don't you think the blossoms are outstandingly pretty?

“The summer's flower is to the summer sweet,though to itself it only live and die.” William Shakespeare