Rain-grateful garden
Only a couple of the oxblood lilies are up and blooming. I thought more would have popped up by now, but perhaps the rest are holding out for another good rain shower. I’d be happy to see another inch or two. Last week’s three inches was a welcome relief, but it didn’t make up for our many rainless, baking months.
Still, the garden has responded gratefully to the rain. The roses are rebudding, the salvias are bursting with color again, and some of the summer perennials, which had been sulking, are finally putting on a show, like the pale pavonia (Pavonia hastata ) above.
The ‘Incense’ passionflower vine is a tumble of great, green leaves, studded here and there with these wild and crazy flowers.
The hairy “legs” of the seedheads of ‘Duchess of Albany’ clematis always intrigue me. I’m almost as happy to have a fence smothered by these as by the dainty, tulip-shaped flowers.
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Hi Pam, it is so gratifying to see you and your garden happy again. We got some much needed rain also and are hoping for the flowers to be more generous with their blooms. More rain coming your way? Good news again!
We have slight chances of rain this week, and I hope we do get some. But I can feel the cycle shifting. The days are shorter, the heat not quite so intense, and the garden feels it too. —Pam
I love passionvine. There is just so much going on in one flower. Did you see the little teeny bug on the lily?
Yes, on the pavonia, you mean? I don’t know what it is though, do you? —Pam
On the pavonia, sorry. I had your oxblood lilies on my mind. : )
They’re on my mind too, Eve. I’m ready for more to pop up! —Pam
Your garden is looking quite happy about the rain. Mine could do with some rain now. Only a half inch of rain this month. We usually get 3+ inches in August. WHINE… I know don’t whine to you about heat and drought. It is just that our area isn’t used to being treated this way. Even Fay was being stingy with her rain. Maybe Gustav will be more generous to us.
Wow, 3 inches in August is wonderful. I bet it helps keep the late summer garden looking fresh. Don’t worry, I do my share of whining. I hope you get your rainfall from Gustav. My fingers are crossed for you. —Pam
Beautiful photos! We also got some rain the other night, but I’m concerned I may lose a few cacti because of it. I did my watering just three days before, and then with the soaking they got with the rain, I may have some root rot. Seems to happen about this time of year.
Aiyana
If it’s not one thing, it’s another, right? We had an unusually wet summer last year that took out some agaves and other drought-tolerant plants around town. This year, until just recently, it’s been bone dry. —Pam
Pam, I am glad the rain revived your garden! The seed head of the Duchess is another good reason to grow her and the passion flower is lovely. I have many passion flower vines but not enough sun to give me flowers.
Gail, even though several of my passionflowers are in full sun, they’re not prolific bloomers. Maybe it’s the soil or something else. Still, I get enough of these incredible flowers to keep me trying. —Pam
Lovely blooms you have there, Pam. Everyone did like the rain, didn’t they? Is your Passiflora invasive? I’m wondering if different varieties are more or less invasive. I love them, but my last one was too much work – always trying to choke everything else in the bed… climbing the desert willow, going where it wasn’t meant to be!
I have three different kinds of Passiflora, Diana, and so far only the ‘Incense’ is trying to take over. Naturally, that’s the one I love the best. Argh. —Pam
Hi Pam,
Thanks for sharing that link. It was fun to take the tour(-: I posted the link with a link back to you too(-:
You’re welcome, Cindee. The Living Desert is a fun place to visit. I’ve bought some glass there too. —Pam
I’m so glad you finally got some rain. I’m in the same boat as Lisa, now my garden is flagging from lack of rain. I love the Passionflower, it’s so beautiful.
I hope you get some rain soon too, MMD. There’s nothing sadder than watching a garden wilt and crisp. —Pam
How strange for me who has had so much rain this summer to read about your lack of it! Your garden looks beautiful though. Love the passionflower Love the passionflower. thanks for visiting mine.
It was my pleasure, Elizabeth. I wish we could trade a little sunshine for some of your rain. —Pam
What a beautiful garden and how exotic everything seems – especially compared with a Zone 5B garden north of Lake Ontario. It has been a year of record rainfall and slugs the size of small chipmunks here. Was interested to read about the influence of Lady Bird Johnson and her passion for native and wild flowers on your garden design. While people may want to have native plants in their gardens, finding them in local nurseries is still exceptionally difficult. Looking forward to reading and seeing your lovely photographs in the days ahead.
Thank you for your comment, Barbara. We in Austin are blessed with two really good nurseries that specialize in plants native to central Texas. A number of other local nurseries carry a selection too.
I would like to virtually visit your garden too. However, the link you provided led to a commercial site, so I took down the link. If you typed in the wrong URL by mistake, I’d love to have the correct address so I can see what’s going on in Zone 5B. Cheers! —Pam
Hi Pam,
The oxblood lily has the appearance of paper thin petals like the california poppy. Looks like a bigger bloom though. Your passion flower has a cool bloom, I’ll have to try to grow that one.
Oops, I think I’ve confused you, Phil. The top photo is of the pale pavonia, related to the hibiscus. It is rather tissuey, like a poppy. Though I mention oxblood lilies in my first paragraph, I don’t have a photo of one in this post. Click on the link to see a photo.
And if you can grow ‘Incense’ passionflower, you should. The flower is out of this world. But do watch out for its monopolizing tendencies. —Pam