With roses on the brain, it was hard to resist focusing this next post on a close cousin - portulaca, better known as moss rose.
Channeling a rose, these annuals have soft stems with need shaped (think rosemary) succulent leaves and flowers that bloom into multi-petaled beauties. While a rose is the older sister - the serious and classic beauty, portulaca is the younger sister - the fun loving cutie.
I've grown them before, but not with the success I've experienced this year. I think it has something to do with the high temperatures and dry conditions. Portulaca love desert like conditions, which makes sense -- they look the offspring of a bad boy succulent and an adventurous rose bush that took a walk on the wild side. Hence the name, moss rose.
Apparently, moss rose has been popular since the late 1800s. It's hard to resist with its bright colors -- its flowers range from happy orange, neon pink, bright yellow and hot red. They seem to lighten up a little bit before or after first blooming (I haven't figured out which yet) so you have a rainbow of salmons, neons and fire living in perfect harmony. They absolutely adore the sun and the flowers actually only open when the sun shines upon them. I like to think of them as California girls - fun loving, bright and always ready for a good time. Not unlike my real life sister. 
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