Late Monsoon Bounty

Now for something a little less controversial....
This year the monsoon was bountiful. After a good July and August -- on track for a good monsoon, September blessed us with another 5+ inches of rain.  My garden went berserk. Plants that usually bloom once in a summer bloomed again. Here are some snaps of the spectacle:

 
 

This is a Chaste tree (vitex) with either Monarch or Viceroy butterflies. Where we live, vitex usually blooms in late June. Some branches that are visible have already set seeds from the earlier blooms.








These beauties include a Maximilian daisy that was so top-heavy from blooms that it fell over! The morning glories are a freebee from some bird or Johnny-glory-seed that passed by. Salvia greggii paints the background red.



I thought these purple cone flowers (Echinacea) had died. Glad I was wrong!

The green leafy stuff behind them is Jerusalem artichoke. The deer mowed them down last spring, so they are about  a month behind on their bright yellow blossoms. I anticipate lots of edible tubers in about a month!

Last, the view from the porch. (We did a little more weeding after the photo)   Hose is from the rain barrel to the new apricot tree. Shrubby tree on the right is a Mexican Elder, which this year actually produced elderberries!  How nice!