How will that plant look in the heat of August? That's a question I often ask when selecting new plants. August is not typically a great bloom season in my garden and it's a time when the foliage itself needs to shine.
That doesn't mean blooming plants are out of the picture.
The scene this morning in my front yard. Many of these plants produce blooms throughout the year but are not blooming now yet they still add to the landscape and I enjoy the subdued colors in this part of the garden. Earlier this week I trimmed the last fading flowers from the Salvia greggii (in the foreground) and gently shaped them into mounds so they will look good through the next few weeks before being covered with blooms again this fall. I've also trimmed the lantana (farther back along the driveway island and walk) to prepare for fall blooms.
In other news, Yucca 'Color Guard' is getting big enough to bloom next spring while holding its own in the summer heat.
The Bismarck Palm (Nobilis bismarckia) by the garage is putting out new fronds.
Bismarckia 2 across the yard is recovering from its encounter with deer antlers last fall and has two new fronds coming out. We added rocks around it to discourage future deer attacks.
This tropical yucca is looking good in the heat too. I don't know the name of this one as it came from a friend as a small start.
The fence post cactus I received at a plant swap in the spring is getting its first arm. The arms will continue to grow taller and look sculptural when filled in all around the top.
Along the front walk is "Schefflera ex houseplant" since it grew too large to keep indoors and kept getting scale so I planted it outside. A few months later we got down to 15F and it died to the ground. That was four years ago and it has recovered nicely now.
African hosta (Drimiopsis maculata) grows nearby. It's not a hosta at all but hosta will not grow here so this is as close as we can get and I enjoy its foliage in the shady bed along the walk.
That's the August report on foliage in my garden. To see more foliage from blogger's gardens head over to Digging and follow the links in the comments section. This month Pam features a special preview of her stunning new sedge lawn so don't miss it!
Wow...you could have fooled me...that Drimiopsis looks so much like a Hosta!
ReplyDeleteThere's almost always an option for those things we can't grow wherever we live.
DeleteWow, I can't believe the scheffelera came back! I'm not overtly fond of them and grew to not like them much when I lived in Florida.
ReplyDeleteLove the fence post cactus---what species is it?
The plant was originally a gift and I got the idea of planting it out from a visit to central Florida where the weather is similar.
DeleteI am not certain on the name of the cactus, a friend's neighbor uses it as a fence and when he cuts it back she picks up the pieces to share. I'll try to research it though.
Absolutely!!! No flowers....nada. It's the month of Agave and Cacti love. That's when they really stick out from the rest:)
ReplyDeleteWe do need structure for our summer garden.
DeleteI love the look of your garden! There's so much texture and variety even during August when blooms are in short supply. I hope your rock fortress holds up against the deer. Those little guys can be real pesky sometimes.
ReplyDeleteWe keep coming up with ways to convince them to stay in the woods.
DeleteNice report, since I didn't do one...again! Your tropical yucca looks like Spanish Bayonet / Y. aloifolia...but I'll defer to whomever on that one. In another month, those damianitas will be flowering again, I bet!
ReplyDeleteThe leaf is very soft and flexible, Spanish Bayonet is much less so. It might be Y. guatemalensis.
DeleteThe flowers are taking a respite from the August heat but will be back blooming away very soon.
I've never seen that Drimiopsis before but I really like it. The nurseries here sell Hostas but they're really not suited to our climate either.
ReplyDeleteHosta is a lost cause it dry heat. Look for this one, it's not too rare as long as you know what to look for.
DeleteWho needs flowers when you can have all that texture and variety? Your garden looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteIt's part of the overall plan for getting through the dog days.
DeleteThat "African Hosta" is nifty. I have way too many Hostas, so I take them for granted. I guess there are some benefits to living in the north (except in the winter). That Cactus is fun! I don't think I've ever seen that kind before--fascinating how the "arms" form at the top. Yucca "Color Guard" is lovely with the wispy grasses behind it. Your garden looks great--even in the deep heat of August!
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at gardens this time of year, it's mostly at beautifully blooming gardens in the north. There are trade-offs with any choice and we get mild winters with ours.
DeleteI love the overview of your garden/driveway area. I like to see overall designs as well as close ups.
ReplyDeleteWhen I began this blog I decided up front that it would be best to show as many larger landscape photos as possible to help readers understand my process. There are plenty of blogs focusing on single plants and flowers.
DeleteThat fence post cactus is cool! And I love the spots on the hosta look-alike.
ReplyDeleteThe cactus is a fun addition to the garden as long as we have a mild winter.
DeleteSeriously?! I love it, a houseplant Schefflera outside and growing. My.hat off to you!
ReplyDeleteYou could probably get away with it too, the plant has endured numerous freezes and even a bit of snow.
DeleteI always learn something from you Shirley! Who knew that shefflera would grow outside here. I have a varigated variety that I was about to give away but now I'm thinking about planting it in the ground. And I have an African "hosta" that is in a pot and love the leaves and the spotted bulbs. Thanks for a tour of your landscape in August. Your knowledge of what works in this San Antonio heat has paid off!
ReplyDeleteJust stick it out there against a wall or protected area. Mine went through both big freeze winters complete with snow a few years ago.
DeleteYour xeric garden looks great even without flowers. Hostas grow here but so do a lot of pesky herbaceous weeds. And you can look forward to fall blooms. A lot of gardening really winds down here when fall hits, though there are a few plants that like to bloom in fall.
ReplyDeleteFall is our second season and sometimes we don't get a frost until late December and occasionally we go without one entirely which will be just fine for some of my new plants.
DeleteLookin' good! Hope you got some rain this past week or will get some this week. We've been the lucky ones this week with 5 different rains. My garden is actually green for the first time in this summer.
ReplyDeleteDavid/:0)
We had just a fraction of rain twice, not enough to help the plants. More chances on the way.
DeleteI love coming to your blog to see the many foliage plants that grace your TX garden...fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI like all the options we have for structural plants in the garden here. We're relaxing now and getting ready for the big fall gardening season in a few weeks.
DeleteVery nice Shirley! To have Bismarckia nobilis growing out in the garden is fab!
ReplyDeleteEverything is looking wonderful - every time I see pictures of your garden it is a breath of sunny fresh air!
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks nice even in the hottest season, Shirley! As you mentiond, making an observation on your garden layout with foliages is perfect in midsummer, because there are few flowers. Looking forward to see how the arm of the cactus is growing. You always give me some inspiration! Thank you for sharing:)
ReplyDeleteYour Bismarck is still the star of the show, but those Color Guards are pretty fab too, aren't they? I just keep adding more and more to my garden! Your post reminds me that I need to get out there and cut back my Autumn sage too.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
ReplyDelete