Garden curiosities
After a holiday weekend with a surprise one-inch rainfall, much swimming in the pool, and a few extra kids hanging out with us, I poked around the garden yesterday to see what was new and found this interesting bloom on the sparkler sedge (Carex phyllocephala ‘Sparkler’). Cool, huh? This plant really lights up a shady spot.
After the rain, an Alice-in-Wonderland fungus popped up in a container planting of ‘Angelina’ sedum and barrel cactus.
The first of the prize agastaches, A. neomexicana , has started to flower. The plant itself is still tiny, but I think I read somewhere that it can take up to three seasons for them to reach their mature size. Or did I make that up?
I keep buying plants. Must. Stop. Summer is nigh, and it’s crazy to still be planting anything but cacti in late May. Well, I do love the lime-green foliage of the pineapple sage (Salvia elegans ) I bought recently.
This elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta ), tall, dark, and handsome, has popped up poolside. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see a thirsty plant appear in the garden (in fact, I’d pulled out a bunch of corms last winter when I was planting other things), but the leaves are quite lovely. How long it will last on a reduced watering regimen will be this summer’s experiment.
The daylilies are flowering, so it must be time for a trip away from the garden (I often miss daylily season). This is ‘Wilson’s Yellow.’ The trip happens this Thursday—a flight to Chicago for the 2nd annual Garden Bloggers Spring Fling. During last year’s Fling in Austin I met so many wonderful garden-blogging friends.
One of them was Frances of Fairegarden. Later that year she kindly sent me seeds from her Datura metel after I admired it on her blog. I sowed them directly into the new-baby garden, and here is one of four seedlings left after much thinning. Thanks, Frances, and see you in Chicago later this week!
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Pam, Carex flowers are so often under appreciated! I like Sparkler and wonder if it would tolerate the heavy clay here? It’s also too late to plant them in Nashville. Yet, the best perennials are in the nurseries…tempting us! Which is how I end up with a plant collection that sits by the driveway, close to the hose until they go in the garden in November and December! I can totally relate to missing daylilies in bloom! They are just starting to open here, just in time for me to be gone. See you in Chicago! gail
‘Sparkler’ tolerated heavy clay in my old garden, Gail. No problem there. But it does need shade to avoid being burned by Austin’s searing sun. See you soon! —Pam
That sedge looks very nice! I love grasses and variegated things…I might have to get one of those. The mushrooms are surreal, I’ve never gotten any that look cool like that. Last year I missed out on Daylilies too. Not this year I have many blooming right now. With our new yard and no beds made I will be planting things when it is too hot. There is no way I will be able to fight the urge after I make a garden bed! Good luck with your datura. I have one from a swap and have noticed that leafminers are a common issue here in San Antonio. Austin will probably be the same. Have fun at the Spring Fling
Thanks for the heads-up about leaf miners. Datura grows well all over Austin, but I’ve never tried it myself. —Pam
You must have had good rain to see a mushroom and a barrel cactus become part of a mixed planter.
It’s weird, isn’t it? That planter is a very sharp-draining mix of soil and decomposed granite. Still. there’s a fungus among us. —Pam
My sparkler died! 🙁 I want another, though think I will wait until we move now. Have a great time in Chicago… will be thinking of all my blogging buddies (we are going to see Emmylou, couldn’t pass it up!)
Have fun at the show! —Pam
I hope to come home from the SF to a garden full of blooming daylilies. Looking forward to meeting you and everyone else for that matter. The mushroom is interesting. It is so white. You must have caught it just as it opened.
Lisa, I look forward to meeting you at SF. See you then! —Pam
Daylilies already? Wow! I guess I do have one Stella blooming and the season marches on so quickly with something new blooming each day. Spring Fling is on the mind and thanks for reminding me that I actually have to think of packing…hmmm.
Oh yes, daylilies start in early May in Austin. One variety I have has already finished blooming. Start packing, Layanee, and I’ll see you on Thursday! —Pam
Pam, my sparkler sedge is struggling a bit – brown leaves on the bottom of the stalks. I hope it makes it, because it is quite the fun plant. Have fun in Chicago, and I can’t wait to read about it here.
I noticed a few brown leaves on mine too, Robin, but I chalked it up to my having divided it aggressively when I transplanted it from my old garden. I cut those off, and the new leaves are filling in. —Pam
The sedge looks really fun–I like it in bloom. Re: those elephant ears, do you think that if you dug out multiple corms that it must be doing just fine where it is in spite of drought? (Or did they do a sprinkler system that you don’t intend to use, etc?) Just thinking that if they are doing well enough to multiply in the ground, you might not have as much trouble with them as you think… ?
Hi, Kim. Yes, I should have mentioned that the previous owners had the sprinkler system set to go off twice a week when we moved in. I turned it off and use it now only when I think things are getting dry. Still, those elephant ears are coming up just fine, so maybe they’ll turn out to be more drought-tolerant than I expect. —Pam
It is still raining here in North Florida…….mushrooms everywhere. Love your photos, if you haven’t grown pineapple sage before, you are going to love it. Prune it, take cuttings that easily root, even pull from the bottom for roots……….Do not cut on it after July 1 or you will not have fall blooms. (You probably already know all of this)
Hi, Darla. No, I haven’t grown it before, but it’s been on my list for a very long time. Thanks for the growing tips. —Pam
I’ve had one pineapple sage (very tender here) plant survive through two winters now, so I’d think in your zone, it would come back just fine. If you like the leaves of your colocasia, I’ve seen great examples where gardeners took a leaf and made a casting of one for a shallow butterfly/birdbath or garden art. Love the sedum ‘Angelina’ – mine is growing underneath the sunny edges of a Japanese maple. I’m finding ‘Angelina’ babies popping up everywhere in my garden. Do you think Brad has been here? 🙂
Cameron
Yes, pineapple sage is hardy in Austin. I don’t know why I’ve waited so long to grow it. And hey, if Brad has been visiting your garden, Cameron, I’m coming for a visit too. 😉 —Pam
I haven’t been plant hunting in weeks. I’ve wanted a pineapple sage, but have been waiting till I can get to Blue Moon to buy it. The ones I’ve seen in town at Home Depot didn’t look so good. But now my yard is one big mess. Seems that before Robert could get more deck done, he had to check the underground drainage. And it was all torn up. So have to carve out much of my existing yard to replace it. Hopefully no plant will end up getting trampled. But I’m afraid to bring anything else in at this juncture.
Brenda
I’m sorry to hear about the drainage problems, Brenda. But I know Robert will have it all fixed up for you soon. I can’t wait to see your finished deck in your garden. —Pam
That sedge photo is wonderful. Hope you have a nice trip.
Thanks, Sande. —Pam
Hi Pam, thanks for the link love and I am thrilled your seedlings are doing so well. They will get to over five feet tall in good soil, so give him room! You will plenty of seeds to share too. I am leaving for Gail’s in the morning to spend a day in Nashville before flying the next day. The Liliums are just beginning to open. Hope they hang on until my return! Love your fungi! 🙂
Frances
Five feet is bigger than I had anticipated! That’ll help the new-baby garden look more established, won’t it? Have fun with Gail, and see you on Thursday in the Windy City! —Pam
Love the mushroom image! Would you ever consider digging the Colocasia and putting it in a pot where you could easily control the moisture? That way you could still enjoy the beautiful leaf but not have to water as much (or watch it shrivel from no water)…here’s hoping you are going on several garden tours while you are in Chicago, so we can all enjoy the photo’s
If I were in a cooler climate, maybe. But once the Death Star starts cooking us, I can’t stand having to water thirsty containers. I have a few pots but only plant them with very xeric plants like cactus, nolina, and Mexican feathergrass.
The Chicago organizers have lined up some nice garden tours for us, and you can bet I’ll be taking pictures. See you next week, Loree. —Pam
Cool blooms on the Sparkler! I think I noticed something odd on mine the other day, maybe what I saw was incipient buds. I hope we both get rain while we’re in Chicago … our gardens won’t miss us quite as much that way!
Yes, I’m hoping for rain in Texas and dry, cool weather in Chicago. Let’s keep our fingers crossed, shall we? —Pam
The sedge is too cool, will have to try it. Loved your comment to must stop buying plants……such an addiction!
It really is. And now, the cusp of summer, is not the time to be buying. I know this and yet…. —Pam
I can attest from personal experience that agastaches kinda sit there the first year and then double in size the next. I need to move mine farther back in the border, in fact. 🙂
The leaves on Francis’ datura look different from the ones I’ve seen. Do you know the variety? I’m really curious about their flower form and scent now.
Thanks for the confirmation about the agastaches, Lori. Look for an image of Frances’s Datura metal on this link. I think it’s commonly called purple datura, and I saw it for sale recently at the Great Outdoors. —Pam
That mushroom looks like one of the deadly kind! And really, must you stop buying plants? It is so fun to do so!
I really must, Carol. Planting time in Austin is O-V-E-R until October rolls around. —Pam
That Alice-in-Wonderland fungus is the most beautiful thing! I would love to grow a pot of them.
Aiyana