The mystery plant with the bowl-shaped yellow flowers is an Evening Primrose, also called a Sundrop (Oenothera fruticosa, var. Youngii).
It’s been tough to ID because it’s a different variety of Evening Primrose than most nurseries sell – it flowers in the day, and it has long stems, as opposed to the short, woody type that only grows about six inches high.
For the first time this season, I did a serious nursery run yesterday and found only one Sundrop like mine. It was in tough shape, but priced well, so I planted it, along with a very sturdy brown-eyed Susan and a leggy but otherwise healthy yellow false lupine.
Spent the morning working on CM’s window boxes and found some nice ivy later on at a bargain, 16 plants for a little under $10. Finished the day by mowing the front and side yard lawn.
Plants are sky-high this year, and some nurseries haven’t started discounting their perennials. For the most part, the workers were uncharacteristically grouchy and unpleasant, maybe the result of a very tough season with too much rain.
I did learn that I can – and in fact, should – divide my Sundrops, which I will do next Spring.
The heartbreaking news is that I managed to destroy two of my beautiful Nasturtiums, disturbing their delicate roots in an ill-advised attempt to transplant the petunias that I’d foolishly seeded in the same pot. I put the Nasturtiums in water, hoping against hope that the roots will grow so that I can repot them.
I divided the lemon thyme, again, to make their planter more symmetrical, and it seems to be doing just fine.
The Coreopsis that I rescued from Dan’s yard two years ago are spectacular, with their bright yellow flowers and dill-like leaves.
The beach grass that I transplanted earlier this season has come back, its foliage green and healthy again. Thank goodness.