society garlic

Bloom Day showcases late summer blooms in the garden…

Even though the thermometer hit 97 today, summer is beginning to wane here in Central Texas for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  Carol of May Dreams Gardens invites us to share what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month, so here’s a stroll through my landscape.

Some of the heat-loving perennials are on their second set of blooms this summer.  Plants like lantana, salvia, sage, are putting on a dog days show while the sun is still high in the sky.

I recently made a return trip to the Arbor Gate Nursery in Tomball to collect some of their wonderful garden art.  I came home with two ceramic fish and two blue/green glass ribbons to add to the one I bought on my original visit. Now I need to plant just the right things to create an appropriate vignette for them to “swim” around in.  But I had to put them in the garden somewhere until then, so here they are.

I also ordered some clever pieces online — these three faucet flowers are guaranteed to be ever-blooming varieties!

 The seem to feel right at home with the blooming Turk’s cap.

These monstrous salvias that are dwarfing the fully mature bright edge yucca are Amistad salvias that I transplanted last fall after they were under performing in another spot with too much sun. Here they get morning sun and evening sun and they seem to be thrilled with the switch.  Had I known they would get THAT happy, I’d have found them a spot further back in the bed!

One little surviving bat-faced cuphea.  I planted them amongst many other things that are deer resistant, hoping to hide them.  But alas, the deer are smarter than I am, and I almost never get to see an actual bloom before it becomes a snack.

This curve around the bend of the front bed is lined with society garlic – something the deer never eat!

These Salvia leucantha, or Mexican bush sage, love the hot, dry sun of late summer here in Central Texas.

 The society garlic border confetti lantana and one of my bird baths.

A few new additions to the front walkway bed this year, the foxtail ferns and zinnias have done well.  But the rock rose in the upper left corner has been rudely stripped of its pretty pink blooms by you-know-who.

The front bed, or the Hideous Bed, as we call it, is definitely not hideous.  These plants thrive in hot, dry conditions so they can take it here.  But last weekend’s rain did help them with an extra boost. Here you see thryallis, santolina, a variegated yucca and homestead verbena.

And a different angle that also includes damianita and a salvia greggii.

To the right of these photos is a swath of blackfoot daisies — they’re natives that grow in rocky outcroppings of the Hill Country.

Across the drive is another dry bed that enjoys a little shade.  Here is new gold lantana, salvia greggii, a sago palm, and in the pot — a variegated false agave.

Stunning liatris is a riot of lavender color. 

Large pots in the back by the pool have orange narrow-leaf zinnias and potato vine.

 …And homestead verbena.

The Duranta erecta (lavender color) is full of blooms – below – and fruit — above.  Though all parts of the plant are poisonous, so don’t be tempted to eat the fruit.

 I have 3 different colors of Duranta – this one, the deep purple ‘sapphire showers’ and a white one.

This pitcher sage came from a 4′ pot I bought at the semi-annual Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center sale.

Another shot of the Amistad salvias on steroids.

 One of my Turk’s caps — ‘Pam’s pink.’

 Some pots on the back patio that I rolled out into the rain for a drink.

Even though they are delicate and hard to see, I love adding Euphorbia ‘diamond frost’ into pots for filler.

And again, a supremely hardy lantana – cherry bandana — perky all the time.

Happy garden bloggers bloom day.  What’s blooming in your garden?

Pretty purples are my passion…

My garden is awakening.

Warm days have coaxed many plants into beautiful blooms.

Among the best performers in the garden right now are the purple plants.

Can you tell I have a passion for purple?

Many of my favorites are salvias.

Did you know that there are more than 900 species of salvias in the world? How amazing.

I’m lucky to have a nice collection of them in my garden. Indigo spires, Mystic Spires, Mesa, May Night and several more, but I’d have to go digging through previous posts because they are unusual and I don’t have them committed to memory





























The wounded in my garden…


Last week’s unseasonably cold temperatures — down to 17 here at my house — left their mark on the garden.

I think most of these plants are simply damaged and not actually dead.

But I’m going to cross my fingers for a little good luck, anyway.

I didn’t cover anything this year. Too many years of running around on dark and blustery nights with sheets and blankets and rocks, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to cover plants.

First of all, the freezes this week were to hard and too prolonged to benefit from any covering.

And, frankly, I’m tired of running around on dark and blustery nights with sheets and blankets and rocks, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to cover plants!

So, come on a tour with me — and send some good karma my way as you look at my sad specimens.

The first one is an umbrella plant, (Cyperus alternifolius). Like many more tropical plants, like Sagos (cycads), the cold weather turns it pale and papery.

This big blue Agave is sad on the bottom, but the firm and standing center is an excellent sign.
This variegated agave will be getting a haircut for sure.
For the first time, the Society Garlics are all looking miserable. I know they will revive, but expect to sheer them after the danger of frost has passed.
This Mangave looks pretty squishy to me…
See, here’s a Sago (Cycad) that’s lost almost all of its pigment. It’s a pale version of its former self.
Two more squishy Agaves (that’s the technical term). The top one is a passalong – variety unknown.
This Agave celsii took a hard pruning last winter, but eventually came back. And now, it’s back to square one. Do you think they are tired of this? I sure am.

But I know my garden blogging friends anywhere north of here have it far worse in the winter. And, this is not our official whining season, it’s theirs. Ours is reserved for August and September.

How squishy is your garden these days?

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!

Sneaky…

Sometimes our plants are just sneaky.  This is my Saucer Hibiscus, foolishly planted in the front walkway bed, where the deer and the antelope play!  (Just kidding – but only about the antelope part!)

I periodically walk out front to find that all the new buds have been stolen and all that I have left are green stems, hastily chomped off in the search for a tasty green entree.
But today, my hibiscus was sneaky.  Somehow, she evaded those does, and burst forth with a bloom unequalled anywhere in my garden.  The sheer size of these just makes me shake my head in awe.  They are just stunning.  And even though they are few and far between, I love seeing them there, towering above the Lantana and the Euonymous and the Skullcap.
The Indigo Spires are very happy in the back yard – full of tall purple…well… spires!

And then, of course, are the reliable Crepe Myrtles with all their beautiful colors.  
Surprisingly, this exotic little bloom is a Morning Glory.
This trio is white Echinacea.
I realized that I totally ignore this Buddleia, because the deep purple color on my other two is just so amazing.  But this bush is tall and hearty and very pretty in its own right.
In spite of its strong aroma, the society garlics are all in bloom, though most of mine are lavender.
And this is a close-up of the Plumeria bloom.  Can’t you just smell it?  There, put your nose right up next to the monitor there…smell?   
We know what’s blooming all over — what smells good in YOUR garden today?
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