Sunday....and Sunny...and warm

Got a few 100 bulbs planted. Also planted some gerbera daisies, a Salvia Greggii, and cleaned up. Dh pruned the peach trees. Really can't believe HOW fast they have grown. Then Puppy almost destroyed the Greggii.... I don't know for SURE it was him, but he has a history.

Sitting on Rain lily I was taking pictures off, Sitting in Flower bed, Walking on newly planted Alyssum... Yes he's cute, but.....

It's funny how having multiple dogs, you instantly "know" who did what. Normally I am right, but there is an element of doubt. Greggis are harder to assess. I can ALWAYS tell who was in the Plumbago... Those sticky flowers, SCREAMS I am the one the sat there. It's hard to make me believe that when he has a blue flower stuck to his behind....and no, I don't think the other two are smart enough to "frame" him.

October Garden stroll

I just can't get enough of the palm/black ornamental pepper look. I just LOVE the contrast. Mix it with Milkweed, white lantana, and Zinnias ant I think its a winning look. The orange next to the dark purple foliage is just stunning. Why haven't I thought of that before???

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The next one is some type of petunia if I am not mistaken. Think it's an Asian type, but right now I cant id it. Does really well, and I like it. A late bloomer, didn't start til mid summer to get blooms.
The next one I thought had died. It looked so sad as it withered away this summer, browning and I was sure dying. A few drops of rain and this baby is back. Bought it an Oct many years ago. I don't know it's real name, but it was a breast cancer awareness plant, and I renamed it Debbie. So here we go... Debbie Dahlia. Blooms are about 4in across, and it grows less than 1ft tall

Then we get to lemons. There is no better fragrance than lemon flowers. They are beautiful, and must be tasty as well. Bees are bumming alomg, moving from blossom to blossom. IT really perfumes the air nicely.

Bulbs part deux

Got 12 of these Indian lily's or Camassia leichtlinii- 18-24in tall, 8-12 in spread, supposed to naturalise well. we'll see, but it does look funky






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Just because they were on special, I got 10 of these checkered lilies, Fritillaria meleagris...I think they'll probably be annuals for me, but we'll see. They are hardy Zone 3-8

Then I got Anemones. Singles and doubles, multicolor. 110 of them.. Pink Ranunculus (40)
Daffodils, yellow ones, (100), Paperwhites, (40)

Lots of these I ordered from Michigan Bulb Co, and I am impressed at the speed of delivery, from the shipping notice, until they were at my house, didn't take more than 24hrs. They all looked great. Have read some not so great reviews on Dave's garden. But so far I like what I see. Also ordered some Red Fox Veronica's (6plants) came very healthy in a funky plant holder thing that kept everything in place.

Most of the allium came from New Holland Bulb, also super fast shipping, and all the bulbs seem to be healthy.

Got my bulbs..part one

All 5 gazillion...slightly exaggerated, but close. Sitting in front of the computer, daydreaming about my garden this past August, I got the BRILLIANT idea of ordering bulbs. I wanted SWEEPING displays in the garden... so I ordered in multiples of 100.

Drumstick Allium, or Allium Sphaerocephalon...purple 20-24in tall 1in flower head, and should do well in Z4-10. Got 100 of these

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Nectaroscodum siculum

24-48in tall, with 4-6in blooms.

Large nodding umbels of white or cream flowers, flushed pink or purplish red, and tinted green at the base

Got 100 of these

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Allium Roseum,

12-14 in tall, probably great towards the front of the border.

Got 100 of these

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Allium Caeruleum-18-22 in tall , got a 100 of these

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Allium Aflatunense "Purple Sensation"

One of the best for adding variety of form and color to borders and mixed beds. Purple Sensation blooms in late spring or early summer, producing 4” lilac purple pompom blooms atop 3’ to 3-1/2’ stalks that soar up from a base of broad-leaved foliage. Use them for bouquets fresh or dried. They grow best in partial shade, zones 3-11

Got 50 of these

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Allium oreophilum, Alpine Rosy Bells:

10 in tall, got 80 of these

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Sterling Star lily, 24-36 in tall, flowers 5-6in across, 8-12in spread. Plant 5-6in deep, 9-12 in apart. Ooops, I planted all of these, and might have spaced them a smidgen to close. Got 12 of these

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Lavender Mountain Lily.

Got two different kinds, a bluish one and a purplish one. 15 in tall. Got 120 of these

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Plants To achieve a Cottage Garden Look...

in my Z9 garden.

Texas Rock Rose: (Pavonia lasiopetala): Small shrubb. 3ft*3ft. In the mornig these small shrubs/woody perennails and covered in 1in wide pink hibiscus like blooms. THe flowers close in the afternoon. TX native that's EXTREMELY drought tolerant. Z8 and up. Short lived, but self seeds easily.>

Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata): White or blue varieties. Small shrub. Can be grown as a tender perennial in Z8, fully hardy Z9 and up, annual elswhere. Very Drought tolerant, doesn't miss abeat in the heat. Blooms on new wood. In z8 it will die back to the ground.

Mexican Petunias(Ruellia brittoniana): 2-3ft tall and wide evergreen perennial. Loves the heat, very drounght tolerant in ground, in areas with enough moisture it can be a bit invasive(or so I have read).That's not a problem for me (annual rainfall about 25in a year). Wilts frequently without plenty of water in containers. Comes in purple, pink and white. Also comes in a dwarf variety that's only 8-10 in tall and white. Perfect border plant Hardy Z8-10, marginal with protection in Z7

Passion Flower: Distinctive Flowers and floiage. Some varieties are evergreen and bloom year round. Excellent substitute for Clematis. My favorite variety is Lavender Lady. A sterile variety. Best blooms are in Sept-December, but will bloom throughout the year. Flowers are about 5 in wide. No pest or desease issues. Takes the heat EXTREMELY well (not all passion wines likes heat) and is VERY drought tolerant.

Datura/Moonflower Bush/Jimsonweed: *Poisonus* 2-ft tall and wide. Enormeous white flowers open at dusk, and dies in the late morning. Very heat and drought tolerant. Owerwinters for me in Z9. Probably an annual most elsewhere. A good similar plant is Angels Trumpets. Datura, flowers pint up, Angel T. flowers point down. Angel Trumpets also comes in different colors beside white. Pale yellow, peach, pink and purple. Double flowers also available.

Pentas (Digitalis Pentas lanceolata): Z9 and up, annual elsewhere. Might come back with good mulch cower in Z8. Many varieties from short (<12in)>

Purple Mist Flower. Easy going perennial. Partial shade, sperads, but is easily confined. I like to let it ramble around other plants. Can withstand heat and drought. Colors range from bluish~purple~white

Salvia.... Salvias are the BACKBONE of my garden. From evergreen shrubby perennials to fast growing annuals. I personally divide Salvias in 2 Groups. The Blues, and the Red-Pink-White

Salvia Greggii. Shrubby evergreen perennial. Should be chopped back hard in early spring, and cut back by 1/3 3 times a year to prevent them from becoming woody and leggy, and to encourage a new flush of blooms. Tolerates heat and drought. Comes in Whites, Pinks, Corals and Reds. 2-4ft tall and wide.

Tropical Sage: Tender perennial Z9, Red-White-Pink. Cut back spent blooms to encourage bushiness and flowers. Self seeds easily, and grows EXTREMELY fast.

Mealy Cup Sage 12in*12in. Blue-silvery/blue-white Great little reliable, don't really have to give it much attention. EXCEPT. Humid weather encourages POWDERY Mildew. Easy to take care of preventative. Blooms sun-shade.

Indigo Spires: Purple flowers 5ft tall*3ft wide. A "dwarf" variety is also out that gets to be 3ft*3ft. Cut back by 1/3 after every flush of flowers to encourage bushiness and flowers. Very drought tolerant. Does in my experience not self seed.
I have many other salvias...I think salvias will work for any garden any style, depending on how they are used.

WINDY.....

Hot and muggy this morning. Garden thermometer was at 82degrees at 8am. It is really amazing how fast grass can grow. Yep, MOWED again. That's twice so far this week. The mugginess was awful. camera lens fogged up, and took for forever to aclimatize. Made a really nice picture though...at some point today a coldfront is going to sweep by, and its supposed to bring our temps down to high 70's for the weekend.

After mowing, walked around the yard just to enjoy. A mum is blooming its head off next to a white lantana. Actually all of the lantanas are blooming. I guess they don't appreciate 100+ temps either.

Something has eaten all the leaves of my Penta, and the Lavender Gomphrena are doing well. They really are a tough annual. Gerbera daisies are blooming... it's really like a second spring. Speaking of Spring, Lemon tree is blooming, and a new bloomstalk formed on my Yucca. Yep... In October. Foliage color is starting to turn on the peach and crape myrtles. soom the canopty will be bare.

Cold Front Came through...

...didn't bring a lot of rain, just thunder and lightning. That means Puppy entered the complete panicked dog mode, broke the fence, and somehow, squeezed through and out. GREAT... Another thing to fix. Living with dogs can be a challenge, trying to have a nice, or rather decent garden and large dogs, that's frustrating. Here are some examples of our daily struggles.... HOLES...the best ones are made where you don't want them. Under a tree, in your flowerbed, that's a favorite spot to dig. Sitting on, peeing on or ripping plants out of the ground, also something we are dealing with.

All of this are destructive Puppy Examples. Though Kaos and Raven also provides destruction, the little one is the worst. Here you can see some evidence, that the little angel really doesn't care about my flower beds, or my plants for that matter. With his goose (toy of the moment) in between and on, Purple Fountain Grass, Calendula seedlings. Him walking on a Salvia greggi and Canna, and what's left of my newest daylily.

WOW, October already...

I guess the fall blues will arrive shortly. The shorter days sure are depressing. Still warmish, and lots of rain lately. I am not complaining, I know we need it, doesn't mean I like it.
Garden is really responding. Paper whites are sprouting, Calla lilies are breaking ground, the lizards are fighting and falling from trees. Fall is here, for good or bad. Got 4 new citrus trees, planted 2, got 2 to go, but also may get a few more. I need a Tangelo...they are delicious!!


Right now, the horrors of summer is forgotten, and I think 1/2acre is too small...What happened??? I went from, how can we fill this, to how can I squeeze something else in. Bought a few new plants, Black and blue Salvia. Wanted one for years, and there it was, waiting for me to bring it home. Also picked up some fall bulbs. Amaryllis ( belladonna) calla lilies, and Rauluncocus(sp).

Passion For Passionflowers

This Purple passion flower, could be Lavender Lady, though it seems more purple. I don't know if that's it's proper name. Is a dependable cheerful addition to the garden. Grows and flowers well in partial shade, though it rambles towards the sky. Here you can see it 15-20 ft up in a mesquite tree. It's evergreen, flowers on and off throughout the year, but mostly in the cooler half. It's loaded whit blooms now, a bit earlier than usual. It's best shows are usually in Dec. Though vigorous, its not as invasive as the native, May-pop variety(small pic. above),which pops up literally EVERYWHERE. I need to get more well behaved passionflowers, and have my eye on some red and white ones.

Tropicals

Got a couple of tropicals last year that's still doing good. The first one is Heliconia Psittacorum. Kinda looks like a cross between a birds of paradise and a canna. Slow to sprout in spring. Really slow, if I hadn't been such a procrastinator, I would have thrown it out, thinking it was dead. Didn't really get going til June.

The other is a Curcuma Ginger. Lush foliage, and gorgeous pale lavender blooms. The color in the pic is not true to the color of the plant. It's much paler. The flower last a long time. It's still slower than many similar plants (cannas) to get going in spring, but not as slow as the Heliconia.

They have both multiplied, and I need to divide and spread them around the yard. Even when not in bloom the 3-4ft tall foliage will be a nice backdrop to shorter plants.

The Heliconia can take more sun than the Ginger. Ginger gets a little sunburned when exposed to afternoon sun.

Despite our almost record breaking hot summer, they have been doing good. A sure sign they are keepers.

Rain....Rain... Rain...

.....and did I mention rain. I so wish this would have been spread over the summer, but there's always next year. My 1 week tally is close to 7inches. This weeks rainstorms have also brought a cool front, we have temps in the 70's brrrrrr... feels so cool and fall/wintery. Brought out my big jackets for this.

Even the Yuccas are appreciating the cooler temps and sending up flower stalks

Still bummed that the official tally of 100+ days has ended at 68. That's 2 shy of a record and seems like a waste... and no, we don't have to go for a repeat performance next year. I would appreciate a summer where I can go out in the garden for more than 5min intervals.

Back to the rain....its been slow and steady, and the ground is soaking up every drop. Trees that looked half dead a month ago, is now getting fresh foliage. Its like a new beginning.

Since the plumbago had been doing very well despite our deplorable conditions this summer I have spread some babies around. this new rain is helping them adjust to their new homes quickly. I have been thinking and looking for inspiration, browsing the net for cool new plants to add. Have only made some bulb purchases. Daffodils and Alliums...when we get closer to the holiday season, I'll check the stores for some amaryllis. They are really wonderful in the yard.

One thing the summer heat and drought hasn't hurt is the pomegranates. The tree is almost flat to the ground COVERED in fruits. Even had new flowers on one of the trees, wonder if we'll get any fruits from them.

End of August doesn't mean end of Summer

This is looking like a record breaking year. Just not a record I wanted Central TX to attempt. We are in severe drought conditions, Stage 2 Water restrictions and Currently we've had 66 days over 100 degrees. In essence this means, no gardening, no going outside and no energy to even think about possibly doing something. Trees are loosing leaves, plants dying back and what used to be called a lawn, is now dry dirt between what used to be garden beds. For months I've been in denial, thinking surely, we're gonna get some rain....but no. Looks like we're not.

So this has been a summer filled of firsts.

First summer I haven't mowed the lawn
First summer I haven't wanted to go out in the yard
First summer I haven't brought new and exciting loot home from the nursery.
First summer I haven't been near a nursery, or wanted to go to one.

I have also learned that plants I thought were drought tolerant in fact can and will die in high heat/low water situations. Most notably:

Salvia greggii
Gauras
Lavender
Cone flowers
4 o'clocks
assortment of evergreen shrubs
assortment of ornamental grasses
assortment of palm trees.

I have till now been depressed about gardening. Anybody would, brown is usually NOT the color we strive to have in the garden. I have however gotten a boost. Looking at the beautiful garden pictures from my garden buddies, especially Sherry and Sue, has brought the drive back. For good or bad, and time will only tell if this will lead into disappointment or glee.

I have ordered some fall bulbs, and I have been looking at replacements for my dahlias. I have also been looking at highcountrygradens.com for pretty plants that loves excruciating heat and no water. I have already mostly used native and adapted plants in my garden, but this year that doesn't seem to be enough. There's only SO many Agave's you can have in a yard without looking weird, even if you have a large space.