Sunday, May 3, 2015

Late Spring Garden Walk-Through

This has been a most amazing spring.  After several years of drought we've had plenty of rain and cooler than average temperatures.  Everything looks so good it's time for another tour before it all fades in summer's heat.

We'll start out at the street where the Salvia greggii are beginning to fade and the Yucca 'Color Guard' will bloom soon with the skeletons of Yucca recurvifolia bloom stalks in the background.  Last year each plant had only one stalk this year there are three on one, two on another and just one on the front plant which seems to be struggling to bloom again this year.



Three to five years after planting most of the structural plants are beginning to mature and fill in.


Yuccas on the north side of the drive get more shade so it's a surprise to see they might be setting blooms.  Opuntia Santa-rita picks up the yellow in the landscape.


Hedgehog cactus bloomed along with Hesperaloe parviflora in front of the garage.


Now to the shade garden up by the house.



These trellises are in stock at Hobby Lobby again this year for those who asked about them.


Back along the walk, a different view of the trees than I typically show.


It's hard for me to find words to describe all these flowers in the circle garden.  After so many peripatetic years of small city gardens and containers it's wonderful to walk through a garden full of flowers planted by me.


With the plentiful rains and moderate temperatures so far I often go outside just to sit and enjoy.  The tank garden will get its own post next--it's that special.


It's National Wildflower Week, great way to celebrate with a view of wildflowers in the back garden.



Flowers are everywhere, including the pathways.


We've added a galvanized barrel ring sphere to the oval tank garden back by the fence.


Pomegranates are blooming away with all the rain.


The first plant shared with me when I started gardening here in 2009 was this Iris Dietes.  It's been moved around at least four times and has finally bloomed in a spot where it gets solidly drenched with rainwater.


The Dyckia 'Nickel Silver' is blooming tall orange stalks.  I like these easy-care plants until they need moving or repotting.



Hardy Amaryllis


Hesperaloe parviflora 'Brakelights' was on sale last fall so I finally have one and it bloomed against the south side of the house.


New this week is Pink Globe Mallow near the fence in the courtyard.  Foreground is Agave Angustifolia which dies back most winters and pops up somewhere in the garden just when I think it's gone for good.


I'll leave you with the view of those arching trees in the south side courtyard.


I hope your garden is growing well too.

17 comments:

  1. Oh, your garden is soooo exotic to someone like me! Flowering cacti and pomegranates and those arching trees of yours are just gorgeous. Enjoy your spring, hope the cool weather is holding on, I am waiting for a bit warmer weather :-)

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  2. Your pathways and hardscapes are something special, Shirley! Seeing those blooming Opuntias makes me smile--they're so gorgeous. I'm glad your part of Texas had such a great spring. We're having a decent one here in S. Wisconsin, too, believe it or not. Sometimes it seems winter hangs on through April, and suddenly it's summer. But this year, spring started earlier and is taking its time. Enjoy your gorgeous garden--it looks like such a welcoming place!

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  3. Thanks for taking us along Shirley, your garden is fabulous and is a treat to see! Great to hear that spring has been wonderful and have put your garden to a great start this year :)

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  4. Shirley, I really love the way you planted that left side of the drive. Do you know the eventual size of the Color Guard yuccas? Also, the picture of the Brakelights yucca appears to be more of a true blue red than the regular ones. Is that true or is it just the way the camera picks up the reds?

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    1. They get to about 3' wide according to most information and these are about that size. They are beginning to add pups at the base so could get wider. Brakelights is a bright red variety of hesperaloe which is in the agave family.

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  5. Shirley, what fun to see how your garden looks now! I love the blooming cactus and especially the tank garden! The Mexican feather grass looks like water flowing up and out! And all of the native flowers just makes me smile! Thank God for all the wonderful rain! What a difference it makes to our landscapess!

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    1. A way to have a pond without the maintenance!

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  6. So so lovely. I can see why you'd be content to spend hours out and about, just soaking in all the wonderful blooms this time of year. I'm still a patsy for that side area under the trees and now the north side of your drive as well. Both areas speak to me of that other Texas, the non-wildflower Texas, certainly shown at its best and most iconic. Honestly, as these spaces attest, there's nothing you don't do well!

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  7. What a pleasure Shirley to see your garden blooming in spring...I adore blooming cactus and yours are lovely....of course your trees always take my breath away, but oh my your back garden with all the plants is just stunning....I can see why you are in such high spirits...the Iris Dietes held my fascination...I have never seen anything like it. That last shot is a favorite of mine as the trees dip to greet you and form an arbor. I look forward to seeing your tank garden up close.

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  8. It's wonderful to hear you've had such a great Spring, your garden is certainly reaping the rewards. How amazing that you've got an agave that dies back and then regrows...is all that growth you show just from this years reappearance?

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    1. We had a mild winter and that one is protected so that one didn't die back. There are several smaller ones popping up on the less protected north side that did die back. The roots have survived much lower than the advertised 20F, including ice storms and light snow.

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  9. The view north of the driveway is filling in nicely; my favorite is the stock tank w/ grasses in it, plus the agave poking out of the wildflowers. Rain does wonders that drip irrigation just can't!

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  10. Your garden looks to be leaping for joy in response to all that rain, Shirley. It's beautiful and a testimony to the hard work you've put into it. The fact that you've received relief from your long drought also gives me hope that Mother Nature will cut California some slack one of these years.

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  11. Your garden looks so good. I love how different the front is from the back, with all those flowers. My garden has a bit of a split personality too. Glad you've had rain this spring.

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  12. The maturing process continues. Excellent!

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  13. Fantastic walk through! I really loved the wild flowers in the back.

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  14. Your garden has always been a wonder, but it is really coming into its own.

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