It's been a few months since I joined in the monthly GBBD, as inspired by Carol of May Dreams Gardens. The summer, for those of us in the heart of Texas was miserable. I am on the Master Gardener "Inside Austin Garden Tour" in 9 days. This has been a year long project that has kicked my ass. We had a record-breaking drought--more over 100 degree days (not consecutively mind you) than ever on record--as if that matters to a rose. I spent my days fretting over my garden, and the two I manage here in Austin, the Green Green garden at Zilker Botanical Gardens and the other demonstration garden in town, Howson Library. You could find me, disgruntled, miserable, holding a hose and cursing like the Bukowski fan that I am. I was ready to quit, until...the rains came.
Randy's RoseI don't' know her real name. She was a gift from my friend and fellow blogger, Randy Case who is also on the tour. She is stunning in the morning light...isn't she?
The bees were amazing this morning. I didn't' get stung but was warned several times to stay clear of the flowers. This is "Old Blush" the tried and true "Earth Kind" rose of Texas.
Hello Martha, Martha Gonzales...my favorite tough as nails bloomin' lady.
And the marvelous Cecil Brunner, she smells as a rose should. I have her on a huge trellis going into my backyard and if you pause beneath, it's like being in a rose yourself!
The come back gal, Peggy Martin...they are thinking of changing her name to the New Orleans Rose, as she was the first to return after Katrina. I have two of these beauties!
Knock out! A gift from my friend Tom, who took a snipping at a Mall and propagated the stick.
I had so hoped Belinda's Dream would be pretty for the tour...but she's pooped out.
Mexican Mint Marigold
The lasting blooms of Red Yucca.
Mexican Sage, foreground and David...something? Cuphea in the back
Obedient Plant
Thryallis
Plumbago, Bulbine and the Artichoke is back!
Trailing Rosemary with bees, always.
Pink Skullcap
It really is a Batface Cuphea.
There's a little bee on this Bulbine, in the background the Russian Sage is blooming.
I planted Nasturtium seed, and they didn't come up. So I planted some Viola's then the Nasturtium decided to come up.
Blackfoot Daisy
Giant Pumpkin blossom...we'll see what Autumn brings.
Butterfly Weed getting ready to flower.
Four O'Clocks...too early to show off, and Gregg's Mistflower.
Autumn Mums
Datura Metal bud.
Kolanchoe
The white flower is Philippine Violet and the fuzzy blue...I don't know why my camera can't focus on blue...is a Morning Glory.
Mexican Sage with all kinds of stuff around it!
I just had to show some of the wacky mushroom colonies growing!
Magic beans, well...they look magic.
Okra!
Some Bridal Wreath in a bag...from my friend Ila, I need to plant these....
Sweet Pea
Look up in the tree...that's Desert Willow Vine climbing up the Possumhaw Holly. Below are the blossoms up close.
Fall Aster
Lantana, confetti I think?
Turnera with some happy bees.
This is a wild corner...Pavonia, gone to seed, Turnera, Esperanza, Mealy Blue Sage, a little St. Johns Wort and a volunteer Butternut Squash.
Garden Phlox
Wild Cosmos, I don't know where they're coming from. I plant pink ones between myself and my east-side neighbor yearly in honor of our cat, that died on the spot...the yellow ones are a mystery.
Pigeon Berry, for the birds.
It may be hard to see in this image, but what I'm trying to show is the sole Purple Hyacinth Bean plant that grew out of 20 some beans that I planted. I had hoped to cover the ugly cyclone fence at the back of my property in lovely blossoms...only one lived through the summer of hell and it grew over the fence up through the neighbors Legustrom to the light.
Shrimp Plant
Butterfly Bush with Tropical Sage in the background.
Vitex
Several pepper plants are blooming right now, this is a Tobasco chilli.
Autumn Mums
This is one of the Canna's in the back that has allready bloomed and gone to seed, which I think is very interesting and textural.
Salvia Greggi, or Autumn Sage blooming around the bird bath.
Fringe Flower
Canna
Desert Rose 
The bees were amazing this morning. I didn't' get stung but was warned several times to stay clear of the flowers. This is "Old Blush" the tried and true "Earth Kind" rose of Texas.
Hello Martha, Martha Gonzales...my favorite tough as nails bloomin' lady.
And the marvelous Cecil Brunner, she smells as a rose should. I have her on a huge trellis going into my backyard and if you pause beneath, it's like being in a rose yourself!
The come back gal, Peggy Martin...they are thinking of changing her name to the New Orleans Rose, as she was the first to return after Katrina. I have two of these beauties!
Knock out! A gift from my friend Tom, who took a snipping at a Mall and propagated the stick.
I had so hoped Belinda's Dream would be pretty for the tour...but she's pooped out.
Mexican Mint Marigold
The lasting blooms of Red Yucca.
Mexican Sage, foreground and David...something? Cuphea in the back
Obedient Plant
Thryallis
Plumbago, Bulbine and the Artichoke is back!
Trailing Rosemary with bees, always.
Pink Skullcap
It really is a Batface Cuphea.
There's a little bee on this Bulbine, in the background the Russian Sage is blooming.
I planted Nasturtium seed, and they didn't come up. So I planted some Viola's then the Nasturtium decided to come up.
Blackfoot Daisy
Giant Pumpkin blossom...we'll see what Autumn brings.Purple Cone Flower, with some funky Dog Vomit fungi on the Aloe Vera in the back.
Butterfly Weed getting ready to flower.
Four O'Clocks...too early to show off, and Gregg's Mistflower.
Autumn Mums
Datura Metal bud.
Kolanchoe
The white flower is Philippine Violet and the fuzzy blue...I don't know why my camera can't focus on blue...is a Morning Glory.
Mexican Sage with all kinds of stuff around it!I just had to show some of the wacky mushroom colonies growing!
Magic beans, well...they look magic.
Okra!
Some Bridal Wreath in a bag...from my friend Ila, I need to plant these....
Sweet Pea
Look up in the tree...that's Desert Willow Vine climbing up the Possumhaw Holly. Below are the blossoms up close.
Fall AsterBelow:Majestic Sage, I think...I keep getting different names. Whatever it is, it's a Sage and the color is in fact Majestic...also it's about 4 feet wide and 3 feet tall, in one season from 3 4" pots.
Lantana, confetti I think?
Turnera with some happy bees.
This is a wild corner...Pavonia, gone to seed, Turnera, Esperanza, Mealy Blue Sage, a little St. Johns Wort and a volunteer Butternut Squash.
Garden Phlox
Wild Cosmos, I don't know where they're coming from. I plant pink ones between myself and my east-side neighbor yearly in honor of our cat, that died on the spot...the yellow ones are a mystery.
Pigeon Berry, for the birds.
It may be hard to see in this image, but what I'm trying to show is the sole Purple Hyacinth Bean plant that grew out of 20 some beans that I planted. I had hoped to cover the ugly cyclone fence at the back of my property in lovely blossoms...only one lived through the summer of hell and it grew over the fence up through the neighbors Legustrom to the light.
Shrimp Plant
Butterfly Bush with Tropical Sage in the background.
Vitex
Several pepper plants are blooming right now, this is a Tobasco chilli.
Autumn Mums
This is one of the Canna's in the back that has allready bloomed and gone to seed, which I think is very interesting and textural.
Salvia Greggi, or Autumn Sage blooming around the bird bath.
Fringe Flower
Canna
Desert Rose For the record (well, my records) here are the things that are blooming now, but didn't smile for their picture:
White Lantana
Mexican Oregano
Golden Lantana
Firecracker Fern
Brugmansia (actually, she lost her last bloom this morning...but has buds)
Oxalis
Lavender
Purple Lantana (becuase I'm sick of photographing it...)
Tropical Sage
Lions Tail
Patricks Abultilon (it was too dark in that corner)
Chocolate Plant
Lariope
This last shot is of my front door. Happy Halloween everyone, notice the blooming purslane in the planter!
Happy Gardening!
13 comments:
AWESOME blooms! But, those "bees" look suspiciously like yellow jackets.
Some yellow-jackets, most are solitary bees...and one, which is out of focus, is a soldier bee.
The garden is looking beautiful. I can't wait to come see it on the tour next weekend!
Laura
Lots of pretties in your garden. Server problems here, not everything opened, but enough to know it's gorgeous all over. Thanks.
Now that I have seen all the blooms in your garden I can't wait for the tour. I bet Belinda will be back for the big day. Cooler weather is on the way.
Hi Cheryl, wow, you have so much in bloom! I love the old roses and especially old blush. We moved ours from Texas, The Woodlands, to Tennessee and it has never failed to bloom and tickle our fancy. So many beauties you have. :-)
Frances
Wow! Quite some blooms there! Very nice! I have to say that you are one of the only other gardeners that I have seen with a batface plant. I have 3 of them and LOVE them. However, I can't seem to get a good picture of them. So apparently I need a camera like you have! I am so glad you stopped by to visit me! Your blog is great! I will be back! You should sign up for the seed swap!
We have what began as two of those Desert Willow Vines (aka St. John's Creeper aka pink trumpet vine around here) and wow! They are beautiful in bloom, especially about now, but they are in the process of swallowing and digesting our carport/workshop. Each time a vine tip touches the ground, it sprouts instant roots. And each time I think about getting the how to dig the new ones out, they sprout those flowers and all is forgiven.
I wish I could package the energy these plants possess.
Just gorgeous, Cheryl. I am SO excited to see your garden this coming week. I'll be there for the preview on Friday. I know how hard you have worked and I am sure it will be a great success. And then a well-deserved margarita for you and Randy after it is all over. Congrats!
Can't wait to see you Bonnie!
Cheryl, I wish I could make it to Austin this weekend to do the tour! I know your visitors (and Randy's) will be wowed. Hope it all goes splendidly and that the after-tour margaritas are deelish!
I hear the September landscape design course was really excellent so I'm bummed to have missed it. September and October have been crazy months for me. I'm hoping to make it to January's course.
I LOVED seeing your garden today, Cheryl! It was actually the one I was looking forward to the most, and it did not disappoint. My friend I dragged along on tour with me was raving about it afterwards. I just wished that I'd had more time to wander around and take pictures!
I did wonder one thing, though. You know those succulents in the paint cans? How do you water those? Looking at the angle of the cans, it seems like the water should run right back out?
Thank you for coming Lori, I wish you would have tracked me down...it was an honor to have the Austin Bloggers in my yard!
I use a narrow necked watering can, and if you looked at the bottom I nailed about 5 holes in each for drainage. I just water them slow! It's a new project that I planned a long time ago, I don't think they'll last through the winter because the metal will conduct cold and probably freeze the roots quite quickly...but it was fun! When the snap dragons bite it, I want to plant climbing herbs at the base=)
Post a Comment