Friday Fabulous Flower - rose mallow

TPP may have done the rose mallow before, but these flower merit a repeat. Quite honestly TPP doesn't know what species of mallow this cultivar comes from because there are several large flowered wild mallows and rose mallow (either one word or two) is a common name applied to at least 3 species in two genera, so there you go. These are one of the largest, showiest flowers you can easily grow; these are just over 20 cm in diameter. And of course they flower in the mid-summer garden. This image was captured early in the morning just after the buds opened; a few hours later the Japanese beetles had riddled the petals with holes. They love members of the rose family and mallow family. Groan.

Friday Fabulous Flower - Scarlet Cups

Wow! What a color! Pictures never do it justice. My first encounter with this species Callirhoe involucrata, a member of the Mallow family, was made while driving along a highway with one of my best friends and colleagues. Me: What's that fuchsia (also an honorific genus) flower? He: What flower? Quite a difference in perspective, but he's never really seen them because he's red-green color blind, so to him this flower does not stand out against a green background rather defeating its purpose. As beautiful as this flower is, the Phactor has to admit that he can't grow it. The reason for this is this plant is a favorite food of rabbits, and the result on both occasions when this cheerful native was planted is that it was eaten into oblivion.