Rain lilies rejoicing
The rain lilies are rejoicing, as I am, over the definite shift in our weather pattern. And I know you are too, dear reader, if you’ve stuck with me through this summer, after I’ve droned on and on about the tiresome Dr – – ght and H – – twave. No! Don’t speak their names! I won’t mention them again. At least not until next summer.
Annie in Austin passed along these Zephryanthes ‘Labuffarosea’ bulbs to me, and am I glad she did. They’ve bloomed off and on all summer, brightening up the bed by the Pride Rock boulder when everything else was sulking.
However, that is not entirely true, for this ‘Ava’ agastache—one of my prize plants from High Country Gardens—is also growing here, its deep-pink blooms echoing the color of the rain lilies at its feet. The agastache collection performed very well during our recent trial by fire. I’ll be posting more about them soon.
I recently added this Wheeler’s sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) to the Pride Rock bed—one of the many xeric plants gardeners all over Austin are planting right now in response to the recent Season That Shall Not Be Named. It rhymes with “bummer.” And it’s almost over.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
This year I’ve had great luck with a couple of agastache plants from High Country, Acapulco orange & rupetris. They’re planted in an area that gets sun up until mid afternoon, so they’ve been shielded from the worse of that killer sun that we’ve had this summer. They’ve stayed happy, and the hummingbirds love them. I’m curious about what you have to say about yours because I want to order more!
I just got a new catalogue from High Country Gardens. What fun. YOur rain lilies are very sweet, such a delicate pink.
Funny girl. I think it is that time of year when everyone is happy that _ummer is over.
Glad the weather has turned for you, Annie has been less fortunate uptill now but she lives in hope I think. 😉
Love those rain lilies they look very healthy, you see them in the Netherlands too (not often) but they look miserable here. Not the right climate, I guess. 😉
Pam your Dasylirion wheeleri looks so much more happy than mine, it’s gorgeous. They are such fabulous plants! I am happy for you that _ummer is drawing to a close. And I am VERY happy that they are predicting 90 degrees here for Friday and Saturday!
Rainlilies and blooming cenizos- always a welcome sight.
Love the Season that shall not be Named! And I am hoping it is over. It is actually raining REAL rain at my house, not mist like yesterday, and I can HEAR it from inside — it’s like a symphony. Love that Sotol — so different from the linear ones.
Nice to see rain lilies! Also, I’m looking forward to meeting you on the 26th!! 🙂
Ours are so late this year. The Z. candida is finally starting.
Congrats on the rain. Your garden looks so interesting. We will have to wait until November for rain here in Southern California.
Rhymes with bummer, good one Pam! What a pretty shade those rain lilies are. I can’t wait to see your new prize plants too. We cannot grow the agastaches here for some reason. Maybe too acidic. Our HCG catalog came today too. Dreamy photos, but yours are better! 🙂
Frances
I think everyone around us has gotten rain but me! I was so sure today would be the day–but it did sprinkle for about 5 minutes this afternoon! It has been a bummer and I have been moaning for months! I will be replacing many plants that have not survived the season with natives–I am finally convinced!
Just wondering how much time you will spend weeding the gravel around the sotol? she asks, gazing mournfully at kikuyu-overrun garden beds. (And the kikuyu hasn’t really started growing vigorously yet!)
Probably about 50 hours a week, Chookie. Seriously though, I limit the amount of gravel mulch I use for exactly that reason. For xeric plants like the Dasylirion, I spread decomposed granite in a ring around them, but for most of my plants I rely on wood mulches, which are more weed resistant. —Pam
I just stood out there in the rain and enjoyed! It seemed that the leaves of my many plants in their pots lifted to welcome it as I watched. I am just starting to think about my new garden and with the joy of seeing the rain lilies on your site I’ll make them a part of the garden where I can enjoy them as I have the rain today. Thank you for the lovely pictures and for giving me hope for what can be there in the future. I brought much of my Georgia garden when I moved but have yet to put them in the ground. Soon, the fall is finally here.
So glad the weather has turned for you, Pam; we’ve had such a cool and rainy season the past few months, it almost feels as if we didn’t have a ….you-know-what. Looking forward to seeing your post on the agastaches; I’ve been wanting to add some of these to my garden.
I’m happy that you & the Rain Lilies are happy. The live-giving, renewing power of rain is so easy to take for granted around here after the last couple of years, but I do remember what drought is like, so you are excused for having talked about it all summer.
Ooooh! Those Zephryanthes ‘Labuffarosea’ blooms are delicious, Pam. It is a relief to have garden color during the…em…weather that dare not speak its name. 😉 Hope all of us get more rain this weekend.
Yeah for the rain~~Pam, we are all glad for you and our other Austin friends. You’ve been more then patient! My college friends have decided to move to the North East! I think the summer really got to them. gail
All of them are so gorgeous, and you are such a good photographer my friend. You know how to capture the light. Good-bye Bummer, hello Fall. ~~Dee