Flower pop! Hope blooms with the promise of fall
Another 100-degree day (37.7 C), and still no rain. But over the past couple of weeks we’ve heard actual thunder, spotted clouds (clouds!) in the sky, and occasionally seen temps dip into the lower 90s. A “cold” front tonight is supposed to bring us 90-degree days through next week. The oxblood lilies are even up. Yes, indeed, the promise of fall is in the air, or at least what passes for fall here in central Texas.
Embers of hope are fanning to life in this gardener’s heart. The garden too seems to be lifting its drooping head. Late summer and early fall flowers are blooming, not with abandon but, hey, with more cheer than I’ve seen in a long time. The jewels of the summer garden, the water lilies, are still going strong. ‘Madame Ganna Walska’, a tropical passalong from ESP at East Side Patch, sings her siren song to various pollinators, and those that didn’t stop their ears have drowned in a few teaspoons of water cupped in her violet blossom.
‘Colorado’ dazzles with her rosy blush.
Glowing in the morning light
I haven’t blogged about this plant before: lemon yellow rosemallow (Hibiscus calyphyllus). Austin treasure Lucinda Hutson gave it to me in the spring, and I confess I looked at its large leaves and fat buds and thought, It’ll dry up and blow away in my garden. But it didn’t! In morning sun and afternoon shade and on our city’s restricted watering schedule, it has grown and bloomed (just one or two flowers at a time) all summer. And what blooms they are! Huge, luscious, lemon-pie flowers with a chocolate eye. Yummy!
Oxblood lilies (Rhodophiala bifida), the iconic passalong bulb from Zanthan Gardens, are finally blaring their ruddy trumpets in my garden. A little stunted from the trials of this summer, they’re still putting on a nice show and proclaiming that fall is almost here.
The orange-red of globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), a sun and heat lover, flowers anew in the gravelly hillside garden. I cut it back after each big flush of flowering, and it rewards me with several good showings spring through fall.
Our native Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) continues to bloom well, although it gets a little wilted by mid-afternoon. Still, it perks back up by morning.
Garlic chives, a passalong from Bonnie at Kiss of Sun, are fending off deer and attracting bees in the streetside garden bed.
I’m really quite pleased with their performance this summer. The grassy little leaves have stayed green and lush, and they’ve been blooming for weeks.
Hymenoxys, or four-nerve daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa), is a tiny tuft of green leaves with sunny flowers on long, wiry stems. It almost never stops blooming—a great little native plant for hot, sunny locations. Be warned though: deer found them tasty in my front garden.
When I visited Lake Austin Spa’s gardens last fall, I remember thinking that Turk’s cap ‘Pam Puryear’ and Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’ would make a good combo for shade. They do.
After holding out on me all summer, one of my softleaf yuccas (Y. recurvifolia) is finally getting ready to bloom. And look—it’s putting up two bloom stalks. I can’t wait to see these open up.
And out front in the island bed, the lavender and white flowers of Mexican oregano (Poliomintha longiflora) complement the mellow-yellow striped ‘Color Guard’ yuccas and the spineless Opuntia passed along from Jean at Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog. This post is reminding me how many great plants I’ve received from gardening friends over the years.
With fall hinted at in the garden and the weather forecasts, I’m going to need to get out there soon and start digging.
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I am always so envious of your beautiful water lilies, wishing I had a spot for a little tank of bloomers. Is that the same mallow as the orange one you had along the fence or a different variety. I love it. BSN this weekend I think.
This globe mallow may be a little redder than the ones along the fence that you’re thinking of, Jenny. It’s growing in sharp drainage in nearly full sun, which it loves. And I’m sure you have room for a tank of water lilies. If you set one up, I can give you divisions of my lilies in the spring. —Pam
Well not too bad at all for all that dry heat. The bloom colors are just luscious.
They seem to sense that fall is nearly here. Must be the shortening days, because the temps are still so high. —Pam
My water lilies either don’t get enough sun (it reaches them late in the morning) or not enough fertilizer because they sure don’t put on a show like yours do. They bloom a couple of times in the spring and that’s it. Your flowers are amazing considering your drought! Sending fall rains wishes to you~
They do like a lot of sun, Cheryl, and a once-a-month fertilizer tab is recommended during the warm months. They also like to be divided each spring. But mine get less than full-day sun and bloom regularly. You might seek out varieties that are able to take less sun. —Pam
Pam,
Your water lilies are gorgeous!! The blooms have such an amazing color. They have an ethereal quality about them.
They really are spectacular, Steph. The only downside is that they open during the hot part of day and close up in morning and evening—the times when the gardener is more willing to be outside. —Pam
Gosh Pam your garden has some color even if the weather isn’t cooperating. I hope you get some rain soon. Love the water lilies. They seem like something exotic to me since I never see them or grow them.
Thanks, Lisa. The water lilies are really very easy, at least in my climate. They only need dividing once a year and fertilizing once a month in the growing season. Couldn’t be easier! —Pam
Looks great for all the heat you have had. The Turk’s Cap and the Coral Salvia are in full sun here. Both are troopers in the garden! What a gorgeous hibiscus, reminds me of Ornamental Okra.
Turk’s cap can grow in full sun here in Austin too, but it needs more water and wilts more often. It seems happier when it gets some shade. Yep, it and the coral salvia are definitely troopers, and hummingbirds love them. —Pam
Good grief, Pam! One would never know how hideous our weather has been by looking at these photos. In particular, the water lilies and lemon yellow rosemallow have just made my morning–thanks!
The beauty of close-ups, Iris. There are flowers, but they’re not going to stand out in the long view. Good thing we can do macro views on the blog. —Pam
I hope you enjoy the cooling temperatures like your plants are – fall weather should be there consistently by Thanksgiving. I’ll enjoy it for you! Great color and variety, and all looks great to me – I am planning on trying Oxblood Lily.
I’d be interested to know how it does for you in the desert, David. It’s very reliable here in central Texas, but this year’s drought has definitely had an adverse effect on it. —Pam
Hey Pam, I was thinking of you and my other Texas friends as I wrote today’s post. Sheesh, what a summer. Fall has arrived here too. We had a very hot day yesterday, but better today. The garlic chives spread with abandon in my garden and have escaped outside the fence. I’m not saying they’re bad, but I’d deadhead those blooms if I were you. However, they may react differently further south.
Love your water lilies. I need a pond. No, stop me.~~Dee
I wouldn’t dream of stopping you, Dee. You’d love a pond. I’ve had the garlic chives in my garden for a couple of years. They haven’t seeded out at all, but then I’m a heavy mulcher and the garden is pretty dry. —Pam
great photos! I especially like the first one and the composition of the pink “glowing in the morning light” image.
Are stock pond containers really as easy and rewarding as you make them seem?
They’ve been very easy for me, Cyndi. I’m on my second one, and it adds so much to the garden. —Pam
Think I’m going to have to copy you….again. : )
Go for it, Cyndi! —Pam
Cool pics, Pam. I especially like the lilies. I just linked to your post from my twitter account (@lochnessponds).
Thanks!
Thanks, Scot. I’m glad you enjoyed them. —Pam