The cruelest month has arrived, but I managed to get into the garden anyway by planting a desert plant. Impressed by local gardener and public TV personality Tom Spencer’s website (Soul of the Garden; check out his Agave Page), in which he fairly gushes over agaves and shows off his beautiful photographs of them, I decided that I had to have another one. I already have a couple of agaves in pots, including a Parry’s, visible in the green glazed pot.

At Barton Springs Nursery I found this beautiful, blue-green agave called ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave, or Agave ovatifolia. I planted the 5-gallon agave in the sunny front garden, where a Jerusalem sage had been crisping up each summer. This agave is supposed to be cold hardy and only about 2 or 3 feet tall at maturity. My only concern is that it might not be as heat-tolerant as our local agaves, as it comes from the mountain states. Despite my misgivings, I decided to take a chance on it. It looks nice with the white skullcap and lavender Mexican oregano. However, the black-eyed Susans will have to be moved. They relied on the shade of the Jerusalem sage, and now that it’s gone, they’re getting baked in the afternoon.

Another view of the ‘Whale’s Tongue’ and a sun person

An early sign of approaching autumn: purpling berries on the American beautyberry. Halleluiah! The end of summer isn’t too far off. By early October we should feel the difference in drier, cooler air and highs in the 80s instead of the 90s and 100s.

American beautyberry

Seed heads of ‘Duchess of Albany’ clematis

The heat wraps itself around you, even in the morning, like a wet, wool blanket. If I putter even a few minutes in the morning, I’m soon dripping with sweat. Summer in Austin. I’m not sure I’ll ever make peace with it.

These hombres don’t mind the heat. I found this mariachi trio in Fredericksburg, Texas, earlier this summer. They make me smile—even when it’s 100 degrees outside.

‘Goldsturm’ rudbeckia and mariachis

Accordian player

Trumpet player with audience of black-eyed Susans

The container pond is flourishing, although I made the mistake of adding a water poppy (I think it was called) on the recommendation of an employee at a local water-garden nursery. While its leaves are pretty, the plant was extremely aggressive in my pond, sending out rootlets that took hold of my other potted plants and even the filter in the fountain’s pump. As soon as I realized what was happening, I ripped it and its demon spawn out of the pond and threw them away.

Container pond with offending water poppy—not long for this world

Patio seating with container pond in background

At this time of year, the patio is a place to see but not sit—too hot and mosquitoey. The wasps like to strip pieces of wood off these chairs, which is beginning to worry me ; we have a LOT of wasps, and I can look at the chairs and see where wood has been stripped. How much wood does a single wasp use to make its nest each year? At this rate, will these Adirondacks hold up? I may have to become nasty with the wasps.

Container planting with flying pig

This half-barrel planter may wilt after a long period with no rain, but typically it survives our brutal summer on scant rainfall and maybe three hand waterings. Growing under the flying pig are a spineless prickly pear, Texas nolina, purple trailing lantana, and purple skullcap. That is a tough bunch of plants, and pretty to boot.

Playscape and trampoline in kids’ area

Looking toward the back of the yard, you can see the new trampoline we got for the kids. We took out half the playscape to make room for it. To the left of the playscape are the garden shed and the flying pig planter.

Here are some spring photos of the front garden.

Purple coneflowers, artemesia, and four-nerve daisy

‘Carefree Beauty’ rose

View across front garden from driveway

Kids’ garden: Mexican feathergrass, zexmenia, and Blackfoot daisy

‘Belinda’s Dream’ rose

And from the back garden, the first daylily to bloom . . .

‘Gertrude Condon’ daylilies

By the end of May, nearly all the daylilies are blooming, and the black-eyed Susans have begun as well. Shown above is banana-yellow ‘Gertrude Condon.’ I am also fond of ‘Wilson’s Yellow,’ with its red band of color shading into the bright yellow. Set against the blues of the back garden, it really pops out at you.

‘Wilson’s Yellow’ daylily

‘Wilson’s Yellow’ daylily, heart-leaf skullcap, Salvia guaranitica, and garden orb

‘Best of Friends’ daylily

More ‘Friends’

The onset of summer brings out the vitex’s purple blooms. In a mere 3 years, this small tree has grown from a height of no more than 2 feet. It now provides welcome shade for our front room, which faces due west. Below it flower white guara and purple coneflower.

Vitex in bloom