It's a Cool, Cool Summer! GBBD

It's been awhile since I posted and it's not because I've been busy working in my garden. No, I haven't been doing much outside at all. This most amazing Texas summer (so far...knock on wood) has been taking care of my yard for me. Regular rain along with cloudy, breezy days makes me feel like I'm on vacation. The barometer bush, seen below seems to have been in constant purplidge (I think I just made that up.)

Leucophyllum frutescens, Texas Sage, Texas Ranger, Silver Leaf, Barometer Bush, Purple Sage, Silverado, Cenzio has more common names than 2222.

Two of my Cenzio's do this, the others just bloom a light lavender color, sometime after the rains. According to what I've read the trigger is either humidity level or soil moisture...and it seems to be true either way.

The mound is becoming less visible as the ground covers continue to spread. I've got purslane, fernleaf verbena and Santolina along with various grasses and the Ocotillo, which is shy this year...lots of leaves, no blooms.


Thryallis, Golden Shower

Mexican Petunia, ruellia gets a bad rap for being invasive, and it is...but knowing that nothing can kill it makes it a favorite around here. This 'pink island' will be waist high by October...guaranteed.

Canna Lily

Tobasco pepper, Capsicum frutescens

Gregg's Mistflower, Conoclinium greggi

Birdii dorkus
So, this is what has become of my homestead TV. Common sense drove me indoors, away from the mosquitoes and air thick enough to swim in. We were blessed to have my brother take my girls for a month and we happened upon a wonderful carpenter so years of planning took shape. The window seat I'm sitting on was one of 3 built-in projects that gobbled up the better part of June. The former "studio" which has been re-named "The Bird Blind Bar" has become our favorite roost.

And here is the West Wall, the actual 'bar.' 7 years ago my beloved husband built the studio out of the existing screened in porch...the window bar, favoring the little coffee bar in Amsterdam where we decided to marry was planned that long ago. The window seat was an obvious need.
Check out my carpenter Bryan Thomas' new blog: btcountry.wordpress.com

And here she is, Ursala, our little Black Chinned Hummingbird that has stolen our heart!

Last Sunday we spent 6 hours drinking Peach Margarita's and documenting her comings and goings. My teen aged daughters were mortified, proclaimed us 'the biggest dorks EVER.' I've been called worse. She goes from the back feeder, over the house to the front and I believe she's built a nest in the American Elm...though until winter, when the foliage is gone, I won't be sure.

Turks Cap, Malvaviscus arboreus is one of Ursula's favorites

To date, I've yet to put out the sprinkler. After the loss of our Sycamore, I decided to let the grass go...it's St. Augustine, shade grass. It's mid-calf now and due to the rain and clouds shows no signs of stress, if not for the chiggers I'd be rolling in it.

And the Green Goddess has decided to don a lovely dress rather than give up! It looks like a crazy Carnival Tango get-up!

There seems to be a lot going on here, but what I'm showing is the height of the bronze fennel, nearly 5 ft tall!

My neighbor feeds the doves sunflower seeds, spreading the joy throughout the hood!

Red Yucca, another hummingbird favorite!

The most profuse tomato in my garden is Early Girl, she's got a dozen or so green ones holding on. The first to stop putting on fruit were the heirlooms, Purple Cherokee and Oaxacan Stripe. But this one, Green Stripe is still going. It's very flavorful and the skin pulls off at the slightest tug, but she's suffering seam splits along her color changes. All of them have this brown scarring.

Great year for eggplant!

Tickseed, Coreopsis Lanceolata found her way into my yard via neighbors.

I'm going to guess that this is a Julia Heliconian caterpillar, let me know if I'm wrong! It's near the Passionflower Vine, its host. This is one of the shy Silverado bushes that waits for wet feet to bloom. The Crape Myrtle's are still going strong!

Butterfly Weed, Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica

We took a drive out to Fredericksburg this past Saturday and stopped in at Wildseed Farms
to pick up a hummingbird/butterfly mix and upon reading the label realized that there were just a few plants I was missing...according to them. So, I bought the mix and will put them out come October...we'll see how that goes. If you haven't been there, put it on your list. The hummingbirds were busy and butterflies amazing. They have a butterfly house, but we didn't drop the change to see what it was all about because the air was thick with them anyway.

I put in 3 bronze fennel plants last fall, this spring I ended up with 11. This one plant is the view outside my computer desk! I've been watching the swallowtails for nearly 2 months!

Passionflower Vine, host plant to the Gulf Fritillary finally bloomed. Randy gave me 3 babies last summer and I didn't think they'd make it. They not only made it, but they are popping up all over! The 'pillars have made skeletons out of several of the vines, but a few have survived into bloomage!

That's the update...there are lots more blooming things though:

Lavender

Hymenoxis

all of the Sage and Fennel

Indian Blanket

Skullcap

Buddleia

Plumbago

Second round of blooms on the Pride of Barbados

Rock Rose

Lambs Ear

Katrina Rose

Knock Out Rose

Belinda's Dream

Parsley

Oregano, and Mexican Oregano

Thyme

Society Garlic

Trailing Lantana

Chaste Tree

OOPS...forgot these:

Yarrow

coreopsis

Patrick's Abutilon

Curry

Cuphea (not the bat faced, but the "David" one...?)

Almond Verbena

New Golden Lantana

Next months Bloom Day will find me in the Davis Mountains counting hummingbirds with a group of Naturalists! I'm finding that my gardening interests are leaning farther toward sustenance and ecology and away from 'pretty plant' mindedness. I looove a gorgeous bloom but it's ever more precious when I learn how she fits into the greater web and I'm more impressed with strength and flexibility than ever.

Thank you Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting bloggers around the world! Check out her sight to see what's blooming anyplace on earth! And always,

Happy Gardening!

What's Left to Survive...BloomDay July '09

I got married the second time in my backyard, 8 years ago it was a very small private ceremony with just family and close friends. We rented 7 round tables and for centerpiece decorations we put terra-cotta pots with hot peppers and wrapped some twisted hay in a bow around the pot. We were barefoot and my old college friend John and his buddies, "The Waller Creek Boys" played bluegrass and I think it was a lovely day with peek-a-boo showers and saturated color. Peppers always remind me of my wedding and this year I decided to repeat the overwhelming pepper parade and it's added some lovely spice to our cooking and in this dire hot as hell summer is bringing me much joy.

I must give a shout out to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for her terrific idea of doing GBBD, over the next few days I'll be browsing the list of participants, as it seems to get longer all the time.

Tabasco

Thai Pepper

Ornamental Pequin

Crown of Thorns

Flame Acanthus

Datura Metel, Double Purple Frill

A gift from my girlfriend Elizabeth before she moved away...I've never been much of a Geranium fan but I must admit they are much hardier than they look, and I really enjoy the fragrance of the leaves.

Yellow Bells or Esperanza, the orange variety is twice the size as this one but doesn't bloom so regularly. Seems that this is a perpetual bloomer no matter how hot it gets.

First time I tried growing these babies...Lions Tail and they are doing great. I planted a whole bunch of them out at Zilker and they've grown together in one lovely mass.

This is one of 3 Plumaria stems that my dear friend Randy brought back from Hawaii! They smell like the old Island Tropic Tan Lotion I used to douse myself with in the 70's!

As you can see the monarch has won the battle here. This morning there were 7 on this single Butterfly Weed plant...they don't seem to be bothered by the aphids but wish the Lady Beetles would come soon.

Purple Cone Flower, still blooming away!

Red Yucca

Thyrallis, my first bloom! I planted this gal last fall and she's been unremarkable until now.

This was a gift from my friend Linda and I can never remember her name! I was surprised that she came back this year though, after almost dieing back completely.

Kumquat

This is quite a surprise blooming because there is partially ripe fruit on other parts of the little tree. The blossoms are so sweet and delicious, unlike the tart fruit.

Phlox

Mexican Honeysuckle

The Turks Cap

Such a sweet and hardy wildflower that was here when we moved in and it's spread to several areas of the yard. I'm not sure about the terms invasive vs. aggressive...but either way, it's a welcome little treat. Now that I've uploaded some of the stuff in my yard that's blooming I guess things aren't as bad as I thought...the carnage is so discouraging that it's a good thing to take the time to photograph what's right.

Hope you're staying well hydrated, Happy Gardening!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day May 2009

There are so many blooms to document and I have so much work to do in the garden that as I was rushing through the morning photo session I decided to snap one shot and just go with what works! I'll follow up later with the complete list, but seriously...some of these gal's have been blooming all year and how many shot's of Hymenoxis can one take? It's a DYF(Damn Yellow Flower,) and though I'm trying to know mine...the story is always the same...she's a hardy girl...movin' on. Welcome to Bloom Day in North Central Austin, the Crestview Neighborhood to be specific and to my "show" of blooms this muggy, overcast May day. Bloom Day, the brainchild of Carol at May Dreams Comes must be bursting with her blogs namesake and as soon as I'm finished I'll be popping over to her zone to see what that's all about!

Thyme has been blooming for over a month, and in my own life it seems as though time has expanded as well. I love the minute softness and luscious smell.

This is a volunteer Vitex that came up probably about 6 or 7 years ago and I protected it until now I have to control it. It had vibrant purple blooms that over the years have faded...I've heard of other people saying theirs did the same...just haven't taken the time to research it properly...I still love it's strong smell and dependable flowers.

This is the lowly Indian Blanket that came up from a wildflower mix I put down probably 10 years ago. I love this photo because it looks a bit like my hair today. In the background you can see my Red Yucca gone wild.

The little succulent was covered with buds but this one alone opened up for the camera.

Gregg Dalea

A new addition to my backyard space is White Avens, the horticulturist at ZBGardens called it a weed...for shame. I brought her home and put her in my wild scape, then found her being propagated at the plant exchange earlier this month! I call her Lady of Avens!

Hard to see all the blooms, but the Purple Heart is blooming, the Mexican Sage, the little purple ground cover that I can never remember the name...basically I wanted to show my onions...document their signal: get me out of the ground! Can't you see I'm laying here dying!

Not yet opened is my baby Desert Willow tree that was given to me by TreeFolks when I completed the Citizen Forrester program. That's my purple Crock at the bottom...just ignore it!

The only rose still blooming.

The first blossom to open on my new Wonderful Pomegranate!

Cosmos...I never get tired of it and I don't have that many annuals!

There were probably 35 buds on my spineless Prickly Pear...I can't wait for the fruit, I'm going to make jelly this year since I think the Peach tree has dropped all her fruit!

There aren't buds yet on this Amaranth, it's the first year I've tried planting it and the response is so funny...everyone thinks it's a poinsettia!

Simple, and often overlooked Lambs Quater. I occasionally throw it in a stir fry, but it's mostly for the birds...my hens that is.

My cat Daikini Bob...if I sit on the ground he won't leave me alone...thanks for the Raspberry Bob!...Behind him is my blooming Heart Leaf Skullcap...crazy aggressive thing that she is!

I just love the Onion blossom!

Sky flower or Duranta catching the morning rays.

Lavender

I hate cyclone fences and was climbing around my wild corner in the back and found this hanging on the fence! I love little discoveries like this...

The tomato's are looking lovely...yea!

Lettuce gone to flower.

Purple Mexican Petunia, Ruellia

and the pink variety...

Can someone identify this DYF, it's not in my Texas Wildflower Book! The bloom opened facing downward and then the next day straightened her neck out! She's pretty and I'll keep her I just want to know her name!

Oleander

Confederate Jasmine

Lovely Turks Cap bud

Dagnabbit Bob! New Gold Lantana and Silver Pony's Foot, I should have taken some cuddle time with him before I got started.

Another Heartleaf Scullcap because the blasted thing jumped the fence and is blooming in the front and back yard! Oh, ignore purple Crock...again!

Here's the rest of the list:

Hymenoxis

Prairie Verbena,

Blue Plumbago,

Russian Sage

Black and Blue Sage

Mealy Blue Sage

Butterfly Weed

Firecracker Fern

Coreopsis

Clematis

Shrimp Plant

Squash

Black berries

Kumquat

Mexican Mint Marigold

Culinary Sage

Cedar Sage

Lantana

Oxalis

Bulbine

Nasturtium

Crown of Thorns

Fall Obedient Plant (yes! early)

Lions Tail

Guara

Mexican Oregano

Cherry Sage

Blackfoot Daisy

Fuschia

Petunia

Peruvian Lilly

Four O'Clocks

Apricot Sunrise Agastache

Nandina (I know, she's an invasive...I keep yanking yer up and she keeps on coming)

Oh, and inside my Peace Lilly is blooming :)

What's disappointing is that my artichoke doesn't look like it's doing much, my Datura is big and beautiful but has no buds, as is my Brugmansia, and none of my gigantic Sunflowers are up...though I'm seeing them all over town. I think that's it. Now, I've got to get out and do some work! I hope your world is filled with blooms!

Happy Gardening!