Autumn comes in yellow and purple
The yellow spider lilies (Lycoris aurea) are up 3 weeks earlier than last year, perhaps due to our cooler than usual early fall, and I am here for it.
Each afternoon the sunlight slants under the live oaks and hits the lilies like a spotlight, an effect I enjoy even indoors from my office window.
Golden hour
I’ve also got purple power going on. ‘Rooguchi’ clematis rambles across red firecracker fern and foxtail fern, dangling bell-shaped flowers from shepherd’s-hook stems.
Philippine violet (Barleria cristata) opens more purple flowers every day.
One of my fall faves
And the dark-purple berries of Mexican beautyberry (Callicarpa acuminata) are fully ripe and on offer for the birds.
You can see the 7-foot-tall shrub in the background. Mexican beautyberries are nearly black in the shade. Birds seem to prefer American beautyberry though, devouring those berries as soon as they ripen. They work on these later in the fall and winter, giving me plenty of time to enjoy them too.
Fall also means that male deer with itchy velvet on battle-ready antlers are looking for rubbing posts. So I’ve encircled my biggest agaves, giant hesperaloes, and small trees with black coated fencing wire. It’s not a look I love, but it’s the only thing that really works to save my plants from major damage. The black wire is less noticeable than regular silver wire, but it can be harder to find. I just got a new roll at Lowe’s on Shoal Creek, if anyone in Austin is looking.
Another recent change is my bird-bathing fountain, which sits just off the back deck. I loved the blue disappearing fountain (click the link to see it all clean), but it needed scrubbing with a wire scouring pad at least once a week in summer or else it looked like this, completely covered in slimy algae.
I’m continually looking for ways to make my garden less work, so I recently replaced my old fountain with this free-standing, cast-stone fountain from Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery. The new fountain bubbles up and across a removeable lid that acts as a bathing platform for birds. Best of all, because water doesn’t flow down the outside of the fountain, there’s no algae to worry about.
I set it on a tamped base that supports a stack of 12×12-inch concrete pavers, topped with one 18×18-inch paver. I really like the more contemporary look. Nothing is maintenance free, of course, and unlike my earlier fountain, which drains into a hidden basin when unplugged, this one will have to be emptied before a freeze or risk hairline cracks developing.
I’ve got a bigger project in the works, a redesign of part of a side-yard garden, but I’m taking my time and thinking through what I want it to be. Fall is a perfect time for garden projects. I have an audience as I make the rounds in the garden — a Texas spiny lizard who lounges every day on a patio table and keeps an eye on things. Cute, isn’t he?
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Digging Deeper
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All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Do you have recommendations on how deep to plant spider lilies? My don’t bloom, I think because they’re too deep.
I just Googled it, Linda: https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/how-to-grow-lycoris
I love the yellow backlit blooms! A cooler than usual early fall sounds like heaven right now. I’m hoping to see Lycoris here – and Barleria (B. obtusa) as well – but given our temperatures that may be delayed another month.
I don’t know what we’ve done to deserve the blissfully cooler temps this September, but I’m very grateful. I hope you get a breath of autumn yourself soon, Kris.
Great shot of the lizard. It is easy to see why they make so much noise climbing up trees with claws like those.
True — he’s got built-in grappling hooks.
I would love to add a fountain, but I already struggle with algae on the inside of my birdbaths, I don’t want another scrubbing job. I live in a high humidity area, don’t know if that makes it worse. Your new fountain looks great, cool how you stacked the pavers. Your yard looks fabulous, and has looked that way all summer long, you have really mastered what will thrive in your area. The Phillipine violet is stunning, love that shade of purple. Thanks for your pics of visits to other gardens recently and can’t wait to see what you do in your side garden!
Water + sun = algae. I think it’s unavoidable. But choosing a fountain that doesn’t spill over the sides at least keeps algae from forming there. Maybe on the lid, but that hasn’t happened yet with my new one. Or you could do like my friend Cat, and choose a spilling fountain that’s dark brown, so the algae just blends right in!
And thanks for your kind words about the garden! In the interest of keeping it real, I must point out that I generally only show the stuff that’s making me happy by looking good, and like any gardener I have areas that aren’t working for me and plants that aren’t happy. It’s a continual process! But my goal is to keep planting more of what wants to grow here. 🙂
Those golden yellow spider lilies are just exquisite, especially in that light with the dark background! I’m envious! The deer polished off my callicarpa berries in one night’s visit, grrrr. Love the simple, inexpensive base you designed for your charming new fountain. Very effective, well done!
Thanks, Ginny. The sun lights them up each afternoon, as the rest of the garden remains in shadow, creating that spotlit effect. It’s wonderful! Bummer about the deer eating all your beautyberries in one night. Grrr indeed.
I have the worst of all worlds with Barleria. It’s a species that reproduces like crazy but hardly blooms at all. I don’t know how it pulls this off, but I can’t get rid of it.
That IS the worst of all worlds. Well, I don’t know. I kind of like the foliage all summer. It could have ugly leaves!
Pam, what is the groundcover under the giant agave? Thanks.
It’s woolly stemodia, Stemodia lanata. You’ll find more info about it by clicking on Get Growing (in my menu), Plants I’m Growing, and then scrolling down to groundcovers until you find it listed.
Oh the spider lilies, I was given some last year and they are Now popping up too. Mine are Red. Did not know came in such golden colors too. They are such a Happy flower! And continue to Love Beautyberry. enjoying your photos of the lizard too! happy fall! Enjoying your photos immensely.
Thanks for your kind comment, Nicola. Enjoy your spider lilies!