HEADY FRAGRANCE ON HUMID DAYS

Twice this morning I was surprised by a new heady fragrance in the air and I think I know why. At 9:30am even though the thermometer said 82° it felt like 93° and that humidity is picking up the fragrance.

After many weeks without appreciable rain, 4 weeks ago we had over an inch. It seemed to wake everything up. We have moved into summer mode with daily temperatures in the high 90s and insufferable humidity. I'm sure it never used to be like this. Houston maybe but not Austin.

I can only bear to be outside for a short period of time before drowning in sweat. Very early I was out in the front courtyard, which has had little supplemental irrigation. The day lilies were going into a serious decline with brown withered leaves. A little hand watering was in order. That was when I noticed a fragrance and turning to look I realized it must be coming from the summer phlox, Phlox paniculata 'John Fanick'. I bent down to sniff and sure enough that was the source. I must get more of this plant next year.

A short time later I was crossing the driveway when another blast of fragrance hit me. There is only one plant blooming out there and that is the retama, Parkinsonia aculeate, which is in magnificent flower. The sound of bees along with that fragrance shouted 'Summer'.

In the vegetable garden I feel like I am in California with the fragrance of citrus. A long dry period followed by rain seems to have triggered a second bloom.
The same with the Meyer lemon. I could never have too many of those so I am hoping this will mean a bountiful crop. I hope it isn't too warm out there for the bees.

Calamondin orange tree with new blooms. I'm hoping for another marmalade making day in the winter.

Lots of plants have responded to the rain. The Texas sage, day lilies, California poppies and iris are all flowering for the second time. I'm wondering what the rest of the year holds in store for us all.

MY OWN GARDEN

Ah! The retama tree, Parkinsonia aculeata. flowering as though there is no tomorrow.

I hope that isn't the truth. That it is attempting to put on hundreds of flowers in order to make seed because there will be no tomorrow. It's true the leaves are much more stringy and tiny than in the past. I know they tend to drop their leaves under stress and photosynthesize through the green bark. It's a perfect tree for out in our native area which is just parched.

This tree needs plenty of room to grow. Consider that this one grew from a seed which fell upon a pile of rubble at the end of the driveway. By the time it came to remove the pile it was doing so well I just couldn't allow it to be pulled out. Hence the building of a dry stone wall around it. Now another retama has sprouted closer to the road. Wish I had more of them.

This is the Agave desmettiana that was in the pot by the side entry. It was really pot bound and clearly stressed because it never had produced a pup. After David built the new box bed, by the side entry, I still couldn't make my mind up about what I should plant in there. For the time being I planted the agave. It certainly seems a lot happier in there and I see a couple of pups. I had no water until I put the hose on it yesterday. It really needs more shade than it is getting here but for now it stays.

I planted a couple fo 4" pots of agastache in the spring. This one, in the front garden survived. The one in the back, where the watering system failed, died. Looks like it will be on my list for next year. I also said that about Senorita rosalita cleome. Bought 3 this year. All failed.
The Texas fish hook cactus is looking dehydrated but still managed to produce one bloom. I'm hoping that water will plump it up and encourage it to bloom again.

The purple skullcap, Scutellaria wrightii, along the edge of the dry creek is ready for its mid summer pruning. I have been spending the mornings pruning back all the salvias, skullcaps and many more in readiness for a fall blooming. That is, if we have a fall this year.