Things are looking pretty crispy

September 09, 2019
Junker planted with cactus and agaves behind Planet K (long story) in north Austin.

It’s endless summer in Austin, and things are looking pretty crispy. The garden (and gardener) gasps for rain, and I’m seeing browned-out trees all over town. Enough is enough, Death Star!

One of my ‘Alphonse Karr’ bamboos starting giving up the ghost a month ago. Fed up with the pruning maintenance it required, I took the browning canes as a sign. Out it came, and now a native Anacacho orchid tree (Bauhinia lunarioides) is growing in its place.

A sadder loss is in process with my next-door neighbor’s whale’s tongue agave (A. ovatifolia), which is succumbing to rot caused by over-mulching by an overzealous yard crew, and possibly weevil damage. This was the most beautiful whale’s tongue I’d ever seen, prettier in form and toothiness than even my old beloved Moby. Farewell, lovely agave!

Who’s ready for some rain in central Texas? Let’s commiserate, Austin-area friends.

__________________________

Digging Deeper

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17 responses to “Things are looking pretty crispy”

  1. Julie Hryszko says:

    Hi Pam, I’m wondering if my prickly pears are in trouble? They flowered a lot last year but not much this. I’m in Fredericksburg, near Stonewall, and it’s been very dry. Can you recommend someone in the area who might be able to give them a look and advise me on what’s going on? They have new growth but the older parts just don’t look as good as last year. I’ve got 5 in my front landscape that are at least 10 years old. Looking for guidance.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Hi Julie. Even dry-loving plants suffer if there’s no rain for a long time, and I can easily imagine that your prickly pears are looking a little puny and just holding out for rain. But if you think there’s something else going on, it would be smart to have someone take a look. Have you checked with your local master gardener group to see if they can recommend someone? Or ask at your local nursery or even at Wildseed Farms if they know of anyone who could help. Good luck, and here’s hoping for rain soon!

  2. Laura says:

    It’s sad to lose plants to lack of rain/high temps, but I think this kind of weather will only be more frequent in years to come. While many of my plants are natives (Turk’s caps, pavonia, lantana, sea oats) and drought tolerant, they still require occasional water. Where I live, in east Texas, we went a full month without rain and now were on to another rain-less 11 days and counting. This, after a wet spring and early summer. My plants don’t know what to think, and I’m watering by hand every 4 days as recommended by the local extension agency.–I’m worn out.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      We’re in for more weather extremes, they say, and yes, that means drought and extreme heat (broken by the occasional massive flood) here in Texas. We had a very wet spring and early summer here in Austin too, and the garden put on so much lush growth. And now we’re having a very dry and hot end of summer, which is painful. Ugh. Gardening in Texas isn’t for sissies, as they say. I cannot remember the last time it rained in my part of town — 2 months ago, I think — but they say there’s a chance this week. Fingers crossed!

  3. Maggie C says:

    I’m with you, Pam! I moved out to Dripping Springs at the end of March and waited three months for some landscaping work to be done, so I could plant all the treasures I took from my Austin yard. I must have been crazy. Once I finally got the rainwater system installed and plants in the ground (in July-ugh!), the rain stopped. Of course, I truly am happy to have my favorite plants with me, but they and I would greatly appreciate some soaking rains. I am SO looking forward to that first stormy fall cool front! And then I can hit the nurseries and buy more plants for my spacious new yard ;-). I’ll be curious to see how your Anacacho orchid works in the space by your front door – it should be a great location for catching that wonderful fragrance. That’s one I want to plant this fall, too. Fingers crossed we all get some rain this week!

    • Pam/Digging says:

      It’s so challenging to get new plants started in a summer like this one. I hope your plants make it! I’ve got a number of spring-planted plants that I’m struggling to keep watered too.

  4. Tracy Perez says:

    It’s dry here in my corner of Northern Virginia. I’ve started watering as I am worried about loosing 2 & 3 year old plants & shrubs. I just bought your dry gardening book, lots of good information.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Thanks for buying my book, Tracy! I’m so glad to hear you’re finding it useful. Fingers crossed for rain for both of us!

  5. Lori says:

    Give me rain. Even just an inch of it. The house next door that I landscaped sold back in May, and the new owner is letting all the trees and thousands of dollars of one year old plants die and straight up unhooked the irrigation system we put in. It all would have been established by next year if he’d just have freaking watered it once a week this summer! I’m just averting my eyes and hoping we get some serious rain before even the native trees we planted are completely toast.

    On the bright side, his Narihira mahonia is looking fantastic, so that one’s going on the “black thumb plants for for shade” list I’ve been making.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      An inch would be heaven, wouldn’t it? As you saw on my IG or FB, my garden did get a little thunderstorm today — so grateful! — but it amounted to only a trace in the rain gauge. Still, I’m hopeful that maybe tonight or tomorrow there will be more. We gardeners are ever hopeful, aren’t we?

      But what a bummer about your new neighbor letting everything die! I’m sure you planted Texas-tough plants too, and it hurts to know that those beautiful baby plants are drying up with no irrigation.

      And ooh, that’s a beautiful mahonia. A bigger version of ‘Soft Caress’, it looks like?

    • Kate S. says:

      Ugh, I am grieved reading that and knowing you have to see the cause of anguish every day! I am so secondhand-frustrated for you!

  6. Laurel says:

    Even that SHORT shower we just had was reason for a happy dance at my house!

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Oh my gosh, yes! It wasn’t measurable in my rain gauge (was yours measurable?), but I was thrilled anyway.

  7. hb says:

    Only two more months of dry here. Or three. Hope you get some rain. My Moby 2.0s are doing good! Moby lives on! :^)

  8. Janelle says:

    Who knew we would get two really nice rains here in Brenham the past two days?!? You just never know when and where the heavy clouds are going to drop water from heaven! My plants, trees and St. Augustine are loving it 🙂

    • Pam/Digging says:

      So lucky, Janelle! I’m happy for Brenham. Now if we could only get a nice sustained rain here in Austin. We so desperately need it.