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.