I'm Still Standing. (Plants along the road in the summer heat)

It was hot today and so there was no option: Hubby had to give in and go swimming with me.
But while the saddle under my butt melted from the heat I noticed a couple of couragous plants still alive and kicking amidst the arid vegetation. Thus I decided to take an impression. Let's begin with my brightly flowering bougainvillea in front of our house:


Bougainvillea spectabilis

But this one doesn't count, as it's watered regularly, of course. I used it as an excuse to show off my house ;)...well, house - it's the former stable we're sleeping in:


Anyway, off to the road. Diagonally opposite of our house are the ruins of my neighbour's barn:

Campsis radicans - Trumpet Vine
NOT watered. Hence a must-plant-soon for my garden.


Allium (giganteum?) - a kind of wild onion


Echinops spinosissimus - Spiny Globe Thistle

These always grow in hordes alongside the road...

Verbascum speciosum - Showy Mullein

...as does the hollyhock.

Alcea pallida subsp. cretica - Hollyhock

And the last one is for lord_whimsy to prove that we do have them here:

Dracunculus vulgaris - Voodoo Lily, a small one, though the spathe still measures about 40cm.
This specimen is amazingly late in bloom, all the others have withered a month ago already.

And then we finally arrived at our destination:

Yes, this is my swimming spot. And no, it's not photoshopped. :)

Splash.