2nd garden–2009

August 20, 2009 First, the screaming yellow of Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’. My son sowed these from seed at the end of March. They’ve been blooming for several weeks. While these are nice for a change, I still prefer the classic (not boring, no siree) black-eyed Susan from my old ...

August 20, 2009 Pollinating and making honey must be thirsty work. Every day the bees belly up to the cattle-trough container pond to quench their thirst. This one found a convenient pollen source in the pond. The goldfish must be wondering why the bees are staring in their windows. All ...

August 19, 2009 Pink phlox with pink-edged Aloe striata in the background If you’re a central Texas gardener, the title of this post will either give you hope or drive you insane. If you aren’t already. We’re hanging on by the skin of our teeth here, waiting for the heat ...

August 17, 2009 When you grow agaves, mangaves, and aloes—which love our Texas summers—you often get pups. That’s what you call the baby plants that grow up under or beside the mother plant’s leaves. Not all agaves produce pups (the ‘Whale’s Tongue’ does not), and that can be a plus ...

August 15, 2009 The stock-tank container pond is looking good It’s all doom and gloom in Austin right now because of the drought and ongoing heat wave. More severe watering restrictions will go into effect on the 24th (thanks, Iris, for the heads-up). But I didn’t feel gloomy in my ...

August 14, 2009 I thought about posting only the pretty flowers blooming in my drought-baked garden this Bloom Day, like the lovely passalong phlox from Dee at Red Dirt Ramblings. It looks so fresh and summery, doesn’t it? Dead ‘Summer Glow’ agastache But soul-weary from extended heat and drought, this ...

August 13, 2009 Here we are, checking in on the Proven Winners plants that were sent to me in late March for a seasonal trial in my garden. Poor plants. This summer has been a trial by fire as Austin suffers under exceptional drought conditions and marks its 53rd day ...

August 08, 2009 When the Death Star trains its energy-sapping, plant-frying beam on central Texas each summer, I find inspiration in succulent gardens, which use heat-loving, water-thrifty agaves, aloes, cacti, and groundcover succulents to create a tapestry of colorful foliage. This summer I’ve been devouring the images and design ideas ...

August 03, 2009 I can’t resist showing off some more pond beauty on this Monday. Here’s ‘Colorado’ water lily, as lovely as a sunrise in her namesake state. And here’s our blue dragonfly again, standing out against the blurred background of lawn grass. Another look. Thanks for stopping by, dragonfly, ...

August 02, 2009 Have the drought and heat wilted your enthusiasm for gardening, Austinites? May I suggest two things to renew your gardening joy? Water plants and cacti. I’ve gone on lately about my new water garden, but long-time readers know that I also love agaves, yuccas, and other plants ...

August 01, 2009 The floating flowers of ‘Helvola’ Nymphaea shine like pale yellow stars with buttery centers. A constellation of them have opened recently. A hardy dwarf water lily, ‘Helvola’ is the perfect size for small container ponds. Its diminutive flowers are about 2 inches across, and the cloven leaves, ...

July 31, 2009 ‘Senorita Rosalita’, a cleome I rhapsodized about just a few days ago, which was so full and fluffy despite our ongoing drought… …split in half like a wimpy Bradford pear under the weight of a brief burst of rain yesterday. Gee, Senorita, I know you’d hardly ever ...

July 31, 2009 Two weeks after installing my new 717-gallon stock-tank pond, the water has cleared to a soft green, which I actually quite like. I can see the fish clearly, but the water is not so crystalline that the underwater pots and cinderblocks stand out. If I’d waited another ...

July 30, 2009 Many xeric, or drought-tolerant, plants have tiny, spiny, or prickly foliage. But our native Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii ) is the exception with lush, large leaves, plus red flowers that go all summer and attract hummingbirds. This Turk’s cap, silhouetted in morning light against the ...

July 30, 2009 Many xeric, or drought-tolerant, plants have tiny, spiny, or prickly foliage. But our native Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii ) is the exception with lush, large leaves, plus red flowers that go all summer and attract hummingbirds. This Turk’s cap, silhouetted in morning light against the ...

July 29, 2009 Unfortunately, it’s a squatter. This squirrel moved in a couple of weeks ago, we think, and has taken to hanging her head out the door for long periods, trying to stay cool, I imagine. Or, seeing as she overlooks the new stock-tank pond from that vantage point, ...