Bottle Brush tree Archives | Page 2 of 2

Barely in time bloom day!

The blooms were all out there, waiting for their photo session…each of them thinking, pick me, pick me!

And there were so many of them from which to choose, each one eager to join in Carol of May Dreams Gardens‘ Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

But it’s June here in Central Texas, and if I brought all the pretty girls to the dance I would have had to spend all day posting, instead of squeezing in quickly right under the wire tonight like I am!
So I decided today to only invite the newest or most interesting blooms. (Shhh – don’t tell them, but if you want to see the rest you can just look at June 1999!)

So, I lead with my White Echinacea, which just started blooming. I love its structure — it’s less formal-looking that the standard pink, rather ecclectic, don’t you think?

And no one can hold a candle to the Moy Grande Hibiscus. She bloomed on the 14th, but I’m sneaking her in anyway. This was her first bloom of the year. But there are many more to come soon.
To give you a sense of scale, the whole Hibiscus plant is 5 feet tall, so you can see how enormous this bloom really is.
The two Plumerias are happy as can be out on the back porch. And the Dessert Willow on the ground below them has just started to bloom, as well.
This little vignette by the cutting garden is so delicate-looking. The Crape Myrtle just started blooming, the Katy Road Rose is on bloom #2 and the Lambs Ears blooms are just finishing and peeking in from the bottom of the photo.
I think instead of Autumn Joy, this Sedum is Year-round Joy!
My new plantings in the giant pots by the pool are getting lush. In here I have Sapphire Showers Duranta, Silver Pony Foot, Bandana Cherry Lantana and Sharskin Agave. I know this will require pruning, but I was so enamored with the idea of these plants together that I decided I was willing to work at it. (Remind me of this in August, will you?!) P.S. See the dog tails in the background? Thought I’d throw in a hidden picture game along with the blooms!
This is the right side of the pool, with the lovely new Pindo Palm, flanked my Esperanza and white Datura.
The is the left side of the pool, with the other Pindo, a cluster of Echinacea, Taro Elephant Ears that are so relieved to have some shade so they will thrive this year, and in the foreground, some Tropicana Cannas (otherwise known as caterpillar food.)
The Plumeria blooms up close and personal. Wish you could smell their lemony goodness!
My replacement Bottle Brush tree seems to be thriving and is showing it with lots of wispy, yet spiky blooms.
Below the Bottle Brush, the cluster of Mai Nacht Salvia are looking particularly blue — and that’s a good thing!

Happy Garden Bloggers Blue-m Day. (I know, I know — it’s late & I’m punchy. But it’s only 10:330 p.m. CST, so it’s still bloom day and I made it!)

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:26-06:00June 15th, 2010|Blog, Bottle Brush tree, Coneflower, echinacea, GBBD, Moy Grande hibiscus, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Lemon tree, very pretty…hmmm hmm, hmmm…

So, today was a big garden clean-up and planting day.

I was assuming (yes, I know the old adage about people who ‘assume’) that my variegated Eureka Lemon tree was a goner. Every branch I cut or scraped was dry and brittle. They snapped with that ugly dead sound that confirms your worst fears.

So, as I was giving instructions to my ‘guy’ about digging it up, we gave it one last look. And all the branches were still dead.

But far, far down at the base of the trunk there was the tiniest sliver of green.

Amazing.

It was no bigger than the white tip of your pinky fingernail. And there — just above it, another speck of green, the size of a pin head.

Unbelieveable.

See it? Right there, next to that wound. A sign of glorious life.

Of all the plants at risk this harsh winter, I was most concerned about this tree. It is my prized possession – the lemons are amazing and I just love it. And I was very sad when I thought I’d lost it.

But, many of my garden friends encouraged me to have hope, and they were right. It was a long, slow and late winter, and recovery for established plants will also be long, slow and late this year. I know that in my head, and now I understand the reality. I guess I shouldn’t try to rush Mother Nature!

I did, however, lose my little Bottlebrush tree in the front yard to last winter’s cold temperatures. Nothing alive left anywhere on that one. I planted it late and it was small and just too tender and not established enough to survive. Today, a new (and bigger) Bottlebrush – “Hanna Ray” went into the extension of the front bed.

It will soon by joined by a large blue Agave and some deep blue-colored salvias. Not sure which salvias, but I do know I want them to be the color of the Indigo Spires – just not that tall.
My first Wine Cup bloom opened today. Lancashire Rose was here this weekend and said hers were blooming all over the place, so I am glad to see mine aren’t too far behind. I love the way they look spilling about the rock path.
These could be yours! These two photos are all of the Society Garlic that I’ll be sharing with Austin Garden Bloggers who come over this Saturday for our design/brainstorming/swap meet-up. My neighbor dug them all up and shared with our neighborhood, then let me offer them to garden bloggers. This is what’s left after 3 neighbors and 4 garden bloggers have already taken bunches of them!
And it smells delightfully like an Italian restaurant outside of my garage!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:32-06:00March 23rd, 2010|Blog, Bottle Brush tree, eureka lemon tree, Sharing Nature's Garden, society garlic|0 Comments

Blooming beauties on bloom day

Most of my summer bloomers are all still blooming this Bloom Day. Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, encourages us to share our blooms on the 15th of each month, and mine are thrilled to be enjoying a reprieve from the summer’s heat and drought.

The rain has revived them all and they are blooming to their hearts’ content. Because they are the same plants that were barely blooming in September, I’m just going to highlight a few interesting things in the garden today.

Above is a fabulous bloom from my brand-new Bottle Brush tree. It’s a new addition to the bed where I removed an ugly cedar tree earlier this year.
The Turk’s Caps are all standing at attention with the rain renewal. And the cooler temps have really helped, too. Even though it was 92 and sticky today, we have had rain and cooler temps with nights into the high 50s. Fall is trying to show itself here.
I know this does’t qualify because it’s not blooming, but it makes me happy as a bloom would. It is new growth on the 3 new Heucheras I planted this spring. In just a few short months it will have beautiful blooms. So, today, I am celebrating the anticipation of blooms!
And the heady scent of blooms and the sweet rains must have brought romance to our garden toads, because I have hundreds of itty-bitty, teeny-weeny toad babies hopping all over my yard, garden, driveway, pathways … you name it, there are toads there!
I was trying to give you perspective — I failed! he’s about as big as my index fingernail, if that.
Isn’t he cute? Wanna adopt some?