Thursday, May 1, 2014

End of Month View April 2014

I look forward to looking back.  What?  I mean looking back at changes in the garden over the past month which why I'm joining Helen at The Patient Gardener for the End of Month View for April.

We haven't had much rain yet this year but spring has brought a nice green-up and most plants have recovered from the exceptionally cold winter by now.

The Color Guard Yuccas are still working on those bloom stalks which should be impressive when they open their creamy bell-shaped blossoms.  There are three yuccas in the bed and the third one is also pushing up a bloom.



Bright yellow Damianita now blooms around the Agave ovatifolia in the gravel garden in place of New Gold Lantana.  Most of the New Gold Lantana plants in the front garden are being replaced with Damianita.  Even though Lantana are considered waterwise they required too much water in the summer to keep them blooming. Texas native Damianita not only requires less water, they have the added the advantage of being evergreen and practically everblooming.  No more brown stubs in prominent spots all winter.  These are just planted but will spread to fill in the space over the summer.  The Hesperaloe send up pretty coral blooms in the background.


A matching set of Damianita have been planted in the nose of the island bed across the walk.  The Damianita should thrive where the Lantana struggled.


Next to the Vitex on the corner where the shortest plant with the tallest bloom, Manfreda maculosa, sends up a six foot green stalk which will soon be topped with delicate lily blossoms.


The recently reworked bed at the junction of the front walk and driveway is filling in with silvery plants and looking much more pulled-together these days.


Even though it doesn't get enough sun, Spanish Lavender is blooming just behind the Yaupon along the walk.  This is the best it has looked in three years but this doesn't change my mind about moving it soon to a sunnier spot in the back garden.  Lavender plants don't look that great when not in bloom so I'm putting in something new here.


The "organic" weed removal on the buffalo grass lawn progresses slowly.  One advantage of digging weeds by hand is that it has the effect of aerating the lawn at the same time.  Once this is done we will top dress and fill in the bare spots with more buffalo grass while making a note to apply a pre-emergent in the future. The tall plants are Mexican Hat wildflowers which will be blooming soon.


The tank garden has been planted with Nasella tenuissima, Verbena Bonariensis and Woolly Stemodia.  These are all plants which can take plenty of summer heat and direct sun.  Clammyweed has seeded itself and I've decided to leave it this year as things fill in.  Ruby Crystals grass rings the base.


The Bluebonnets are going to seed.  I include photos like this from time to time to illustrate that wildflower meadows are not always full of colorful flowers waving prettily in the breeze.  We are collecting the seeds just as the pods turn barely brown so we can prepare them for sowing in the fall.


Not the prettiest photo but the tropical Guava planted last year has survived one of the coldest winters on record.  We probably won't get fruit this year but this is still good to see.


Planting has progressed along the stone path in the side yard.  Some gentle terracing has been done with rocks to keep the soil on the slope and so far one section of Texas Sedge (Carex texensis) has been planted.  I like the effect.




We've had great weather this week and I've missed some of it by having to spend the last few days down with a virus of some sort.  My husband snapped this photo of me on the sofa making good use of the downtime by reading up on gardening ideas.  Even with a tablet for research and outside communication I still like having a good glossy magazine in hand.



My friend Melody dropped off this pretty cactus in bloom to help cheer me up.  So sweet, the blooms worked like a charm because I'm feeling much better now and preparing to head up to Austin for a round of garden tours and nursery hopping with friends on Saturday.



Given the harsh winter and very dry spring here in San Antonio, things are looking up in the garden.

17 comments:

  1. Your garden is indeed looking very good, Shirley! I'll be interested to see how the Damianita performs - I have a similar problem with Lantana so it'd be nice to find a substitute, although I can't say I've seen Damianita here.

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    1. It's a great problem solver for those hot, dry spots. You might try a nursery specializing in desert plants. I looked at some nursery listings but didn't find any in CA. They are popular in Phoenix if you head that way sometime.

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  2. I love the dramatic shapes and textures you have in your planting, great contrasts.

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  3. You garden is as beautiful as always! I love seeing your agave ovatifolia. I dream of the day mine look like that (if that day comes). And I love the composition of everything. It looks like the bizmarkia survived which is super happy!

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  4. Oh, it's rotten to be sick when you'd rather be outside gardening. It's looking very nice. What a kind friend to bring you a flowering cactus to make you feel better. Have fun garden touring!

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  5. Everything looks great! I love that stone path. Sorry you've got the crud. I hope you're feeling better soon. :o) I added some of the Mexican feather grass to 2 of my containers. I'm looking forward to an easy, low maintenance planting.

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  6. Good to hear you are feeling better in time to enjoy the Austin garden tours! What are your thoughts on your Vitex? I just planted one in my front rock garden, even though it is considered an invasive. I'm looking forward to spears of purple blooms to attract the butterflies but hope I don't regret planting this non-native.

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  7. It does look very impressive, Shirley. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better, and what a nice friend to bring you such a pretty plant to cheer you up! By the way, is that Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia) in front of the Yuccas in that second photo? I adore that plant and have grown it several times as an annual. It performed quite well in the sun in my previous garden, but I have too much shade here. I miss it. It looks lovely in your front garden!

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    1. Those are Salvia greggii or Autumn Sage in the photo. They are a great Texas native plant which is both cold hardy and drought tolerant. It needs trimmed once or twice a year and an occasional drink in the summer to keep it looking good.

      Mexican Heather is an annual here too and I grow it once in a while.

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  8. The garden looks great, Shirley. I can't wait to see the Color Guard bloom. I like the cactus in the last photo. Do you think you will plant it in the ground?

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    1. The cactus is Wilcoxia schmollii and is hardy only to zone 9b and temperatures below 50F are not recommended so it will be inside with the begonias all winter.

      Those blooms are still forming. I'll post as soon as they open.

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  9. Glad you are better! Hope you enjoy your trip to Austin - I look forward to seeing your photos.

    Your spaces are looking great, especially considering all the insults we've been handed by the weather this past year. The wisdom of using natives is there in plain sight. I've got damianita in some curbside beds but it sure gets scrawny in the summer unless it gets supplemental water. I might try hand watering it a bit more to see if that will encourage a longer show of blooms. I mostly try not to keep plants in play that require that, but a few are worth it!

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    1. I plan to maintain the damianita similar to the Salvia greggii with a trim and deep watering as needed to look its best. It's planted at the entrance to a nearby resort hotel and looks great all year.

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  10. Shirley, hope you are better now, dear!
    Love your photo of your driveway and front walk, the silver plants are wonderful. Also I love the stony path! This winter was very cold for your place and now you have no rains---what a weather.
    The cactus bouquet is very pretty!

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  11. I am indeed blessed. This Diamanita is a native on my ranch in the Hill Country. I will transplant some to my home here in the Helotes area soon, to the front drive where there is limited water. Get well soon! Thanks for being diligent in providing scientific names for each plant you discuss.. Cheers!

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  12. I love that little cactus flower...and your oaks are gorgeous in leaf...such beauty in your spring garden....it appears we are getting all the rain.

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  13. Glad to hear you have recovered, no time to be fighting viruses when the garden is waiting :-)
    Love your stone path and the long shots of your garden, it looks all very nice and tidy, I like that.
    Hope you have a great week!

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