July

July....the point of no return.  I gave up watering annuals, and the vegetable garden.  Only took 2 days for all the tomato plants to die.  The peppers hung in there a few more days.  Stopped watering the lawn, and using my gardening time inside in the ac checking out different agaves, cacti and other succulents. 

You know it's hot when the dogs don't want to go for a walk.  You woke up it was 90+  and at midnight it was still 90+... By now, my interest in gardening had gone to despair.  Didn't want to go outside or look outside.   Mostly took pics of birds....and lizzie... (all the TX Spiny lizards are named lizzie, anoles are annies)

June

It's time for JUNE...  a month when I was still hopeful this would be a great summer. Started out Great.   When our Temps rose to the 100+ I kept telling myself, we'll get some rain next week...  we never got any, and towards the end the heat, and lack of water started taking its toll.  In early June, the banana peppers were happy.  I picked and picked, and they were delicious...but there was no break from the heat...and no water...

June claimed some victims.  Most notably, Gaura, Salvia Greggii, and NZ Flax

Towards the end, the previously green grass turned to brown...and more residents were lost 

May...

Next is MAY....at the time I didn't know doomsday(also known as 68, 100+ days were ahead with no rain) was near.  Dahlias were blooming, and at the end of the month I got my IMPROVED camera with ZOOOM.  I became mostly focused with trying to capture birds and butterflies.  Still not very good at it, just as I focus on them, get ready to shoot, they move.  Gardenias were blooming, they like warm days and kinda cool nights, and the smell is heavenly. 

Daylilies started their annual show.  Couldn't wait to get out of bed and check out what was blooming that morning.  Birds chirping, lizzards tanning themselves, and the joys of discovering a new bloom.  One more beautiful than the next.

Peruvian daffodils, with the white S.greggii in thebackground.  I just love that picture.  I need more of those, absolutely fantastic bulb for my south/southwestern garden.  They multiply, just not as fast as I want   Plumbago....Love them White or blue...who doesn't?

April

I guess APRIL is next.  Last April was amazing in the yard,  Clematis blooming....not just this purple one, also my Nelly Moser,Lantanas, Prickly pears, Amaryllis, Nastrium, Snaps,everything so fresh and Green..... Spring really is the best time of year. Salvia Greggii under a peach tree. 

Every fall I walk around and randomly plant about 100 daffodils.  They are sooo cute and Cheerful, LOVE them...April is probably the nicest month of the year.  Most everything is bloomin, leaves are out, green and fresh as far as the eye can see

A year in Review... Jan -March

 The year Started out GREAT, then came the summer from Hell, and now things are starting to get better in Fall.

 January started off with Paperwhites, 4o'clocks, Stock, Dianthus, Gaura (sadly passed away in July 09) and Cheerful Pink Gerbera Daisy

February was blooming up a storm the Amaryllis started, as well as Petunias, Calendula, Barbados Cherry, Salvia Greggii, Geranium, Daffodils, Paperwhites, Stock, Dienthus, Gerbera Daisy.  The only part I don't like about winter gardening is that the rest of the yard looks bare.  none of the deciduous trees have gotten their foliage yet.

March... March and April are some of my Favorite months, with May being the probably best.  March is great, Fruit trees are blooming, bees are humming, sun is shining....aaaahhh  you get the picture.  March is great.  The Lavender Lady Passion even is blooming, it always blooms.  Year round.  Perfect beautiful vine.

March  and spring is great... So much possibilities, new plants sprouting every day...definately a rush...

Rain Rain Rain GO AWAY!!!!

6 months ago I was praying for rain, now I am praying it'll STOP. Enough already. The ground is saturated and has been for a while, and I can hear the painful screams of my plants as they slowly rot away. The worst part is the false hope the weather men always gives me.... There's always sun and mid to high 60's in their forecast. Just doesn't happen. AAAARGH!!!!!!! I want to be able to go outside and start my seeds. Calendulas, Snaps, Stock, poppies, I really want to attempt once again to Lakespur. Tomatoes and other veggies should be started soon....All I want for Christmas is SUN, SUN, SUN, and NORMAL temperatures.





In two weeks 2009 comes to an end. A whole new decade is approaching. Hopefully one that will provide great gardening seasons for me and everyone else.

Mid December Blues

Yeppers, I've got the blues.  Can you blame me???  This has so far been a VERY unusual December.  Temperatures WAY below average, Cloudy, Rainy, Cold and Foggy.  Nobody likes that, my garden included.We've in 2009 had an exeptional drought, our lake levels are still way lower than normal, but this drizzle doesn't help at all.  Many plants have surcombed to the elements.  Surprisingly, most of the casualties, and oldies.  Not new garden aquisitions, but plants that's even lived through the Icestorms of '05 and '07.
I don't think it was caused by our brief dip below freezing, no.  I think 2 weeks worth of 40's no sun and constant drizzle has caused these to die.  My fairly large Blue agave, no longer have firm branches, they are sluggish, as if filled with liquid. 
There's always next year, and until we get normal weather and sun, there's not much I can do except take my daily walk out to the orange trees, and pick me some yummys.

December Shock!

December has brought this seasons first frost.  Just barely, and hopefully things will recover.  A lot of plants turned to mush, surprisingly since my lows ended up beeing 31.6 degrees.  Did get colder than that last winter, but not with the same devestating effect. 

The beautiful pink Pentas are goners.  The Duranta, Canna, South African Honeysuckle, Tropical Sage, Plumbago, Nastriums, Geraneums, 4o'clocks, Peppers, Tomatoes.....Some are really surprising.  I have 3 Agaves that turned into MUSH.  I don't understand WHY?????  Foliage on the Lemon trees look sad as well....

Last winter we had lows down to 28, with all of the plants above (except tomatoes and 4 o'clocks) not missing a beat.  Could this be residual damage caused by severelyt stressed plants after the horrid summer???  Who knows.  Winter blooms are not missing a beat.  Calendula, Violas, Pansies, Snapdragons, Dianthus, Alyssum are all going strong.  Once the drizzle stops, and the temperatures warm up to tolerable, I will make a survey of the plants. 

December Snow!!!!

Snow day, snow day... at least that's what the meteorologist want us to believe. Possible 1-4 in of snow. The anticipation was great, and by mid day I did see a flurry.... then a few minutes later another one. I excitingly waited by the window, concentrating , looking , thinking how much fun. It's gonna SNOW, but to no prevail. That was it. 2 snow flurries and it was gone. On the news they reported snow, to the north and south of us. Even Houston got snow. I saw to 2 snow flurries. Does that even count as snow? Probably not. Wouldn't even be able to make the worlds smallest snowman out of that. The rest of the day was chilly, yet sunny and nice. Tried to go outside, dressed in my warmest gear. Picked some Oranges, and went back in. No use to be outside when its THIS cold

December Stroll...

December is here, its a beautiful sunny day.  Let's see what's blooming...
The Pink Jasmine covering the arbor over the gate to the back, back part doesn't look that interesting yet.  I can see what I think is itty bitty flower buds starting to form.  It will be a sight in spring, govered in white flowers and pink buds.
mmmmmm not to mention the smell.  The fragrance of Jasmine is absolutely delightful.  Really need to get a larger structure there to let it ramble along. 

Salvia Greggii, Majestic sage and Lemons, frame a hidden path, while the yellow/orange bulbine nicely interacts with Mexian Bush Sage. 

I think if I could only choose flowers from one genous, it would be Salvia.  There are so many diffener varieties, blooms practically year round, and is relative pest free.   A sunny border, flanked by an Agave in a container, Paperwhites, Zinnias, Dianthus and Ornamental Pepper. 

Forgotten

First Paperwhite to bloom for the 09/10 winter.  I just think they are so cute.  Smells nice as well.  They are a cheerful hello, telling me winter is almost here.  Later in the season their cousins the Daffodils bloom.  Cheerful yellow trumpets, staring at the sun as if they are singing Spring is here, spring is here....

I like most bulbs.  Ok, I like effortless bulbs.  Stick-em-in-the ground and forget about them.  Then on their own time, when they choose, they surprise you with a stunningly beautiful flower.

Potato Vine Solanum laxum, is a vine I kinda forget I have.  Beautiful clusters of white flowers from fall into spring, occasional flowers throughout the year.  The dark evergreen foliage is pest free.  All I did with this plant, is planting it.  It's done everything else on its own.  No disease problem, never seen any pests (exept those bees that has a nest in it), never watered it or fertilized it...You could say it thrives on neglect.  The only thing I do to it is take photograps of it.  There is something so delicate about it, and I am terrified about pruning it.   This year I might get over my fear and trim it a bit...

This is ...I really don't know it's name.  Impulse buy. Like I am the ONLY gardener to take home a funky looking plant.  Got 3 of them, this is the only one still alive.  I thought this one was a goner this summer as well, though it managed to escape me ripping out dead plants.  Now I am wondering if the other two were really dead....

Stop and Smell the Roses....

oh...Guess I ment Salvias.  My partner in Crime and Garden "buddy"  follows me on my daily morning walk around the garden.  Early morning is a peaceful time to see if anything "new" is happening.  My buddy Puppy is always right next to me.  Today, however I looked down and the dog wasn't there.  I called him, to no prevail.  Then I noticed him, next to a patch of Tropical Sage, nose buried within the flowerstalks, sniffing and looking very happy. 

Managed to snap a few pictures, and realized, I don't stop to smell the roses nearly as often as I should.  Now that I am aware of his sniffing prefrences, I notice him stealing sniffs every day...not just from Salvias, but roses as well.