In its second year in the kids’ garden, the Lion’s Tail has really taken off this spring. Lots of orange, wheel-shaped flowers complement the xeric Texas natives planted nearby: blackfoot daisy and zexmenia.

The anole lizard might as well be my garden mascot. They’re everywhere—hanging out on the front-porch posts, sitting atop garden ornaments, leaping from leaf to leaf amid the grasses and irises—waiting patiently for insect prey or inflating their red dewlaps (pouches under their chins) to warn off other males or attract females. Like chameleons, they change their skin color from green to brown, depending on what they’re climbing on. I enjoy watching these little guys. I also enjoy the knowledge that they’re out there eating lots of bugs.

Katie’s dwarf ruellia

With apologies to Michele Owens at Sign of the Shovel (see her May 23rd post), here’s a pink variety of the purple Katie’s dwarf ruellia that I use as a summer-blooming groundcover. The purples aren’t blooming just yet, but the pink is. I have to say this ruellia looks a bit ratty close-up like this, but it’s a very low-growing plant, and from a regular distance its dark-green, spiky leaves look pretty interspersed with crepe-papery flowers.