TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Earlier this week we bid farewell to 2 large vitex trees. Today it was the turn of the Celosia spicata. Some of the plants were over 6' tall and, quite frankly, were getting in the way. It was time to bid farewell to them too. But not before I cut of the flowers and brought them into the house.

What I didn't realize was that several bees were overnighting on the flowers and in the morning cold were still dozy. That was, until they came into the house!

Celosia has been a regular visitor to my garden for the last few years. I always allow a few to grow because the flowers are so beautiful and the dried flowers make wonderful arrangements.

In Texas seedlings grow so quickly that just a month ago I cleaned out everything in this bed. The native orange cosmos are back again.

I couldn't garden without the zinnias.

Spilling over the pathway in the vegetable garden. The warm fall days have brought a myriad of bees, butterflies and moths into the garden.

You can see I haven't walked between these two beds in quite a while. Eventually when winter sets in only the mullein will remain. That event is probably not far away now, as we had frost on the roof earlier this week.

The ruby crystals grass is one of my favorites. Unlike the Mexican feather grass its pink seed heads blow away in the wind instead of forming a tangled mass. The plant stays green all summer without supplemental water but as soon as rain comes it starts growing and produces a new flush of plumes.

One trial Cleome X Senorita Rosalita this year. More next year. It's a Proven Winner!