GARDEN BLOGGERS' BLOOM DAY OCTOBER 2013

There are some plants that are the stars of the fall garden by virtue of their enjoying shorter days and cooler nights. Among these fall bloomers one of my favorites is the Philippine violet, Barleria christata. It has been a faithful return bloomer in my garden for many years. Dying back down to the ground in all but the mildest of winters it seems to harbor no pests staying green all summer long and then blooming throughout October. I was surprised to see a seedling in the sunken garden. Along the edge of the pathway I will be removing in when dormant and sharing with one of my gardening friends. My garden could not support more than one of these bushes.

Mexican marigold mint, Tagetes lucida, our substitute for tarragon is another late bloomer seen here in the potager.

Careful trimming earlier on in the season will give maintain a more rounded shape as it can get quite large.

My Japanese anemones are just beginning to bloom. They are not as prolific this year because of lack of rainfall.

The tree senna, Cassia corymbosa, is the fourth major bloomer in the fall, although a little battered by the rainfall this weekend. It is a fast growing, short-lived tree but always makes more seedlings than you care for. I usually select one to replace the old tree.

Clouds of golden-eye, Viguiera dentata outside my gate. Scatter the seeds after they ripen and they will come.

And pink clouds of ruby crystal grass, Melinis nerviglumis, inside the gate. My love affair with this grass may soon be over!
There are pink flowers in the back gardens too. Gomphrena 'firecracker'

And the sweetest smelling rose, Felica. She has been blooming non-stop for weeks.

Amaranth, here again for another year despite my having pulled out as many seedlings as I could find. This one was growing by the gate and is now 5' tall. I saw a hummingbird there one day which really surprised me. The flowers are so dry and papery you couldn't imagine there being any nectar.

and pink gaura which the bees adore.

There are lots more blooms out there but these are the stars of my fall garden. If you would like to share your fall bloomers then please join Carol at May Dreams for Garden Bloggers' Bloom day.

ANOTHER ROUND OF SUMMER

The garden has been fooled into thinking it is fall. Color began returning to my plants when we began to experience a cooling in evenings and mornings.

Gomphrena never seem to mind the hot days, continuing to bloom through even the most miserably hot of days. I have been pruning them back, especially these new firecrackers. Unlike the globe amaranth they tend to elongate with age and shed the bracts. Cutting the stem back to the last leaf node results in new flowers forming.

Even the alyssum is blooming again and one morning I detected that sweet honey fragrance on the air.
I just wish there weren't so many white ones. I may have to refresh with a packet of Royal Purple seeds.

I still love the globe amaranth saving the seeds from year to year.

Having struggled for years to have success with wall planters I decided to plant agaves and grasses this year. The grasses died, the agave lived and so did the native Portulaca pilosa.

Earlier this week I moved the A. desmettiana from its morning sun location in the front garden where it had spent the summer, back into its pot in the back. Yesterday, with another 103 degree day expected I moved it back into the shade along with the 'sticks of fire' euphorbia.

Should I go into business! I saw them selling bunches of the pink globe amaranth for $9.99 at the grocery store.

Another amaranth or celosia has grown in the corner of this bed. Tucked out of sight behind the potting shed this is probably a good place for it. Two more growing in the path are looking decidedly lanky although starting to produce flower heads.

FOLIAGE FOLLOW UP SEPTEMBER 2010

Pam, at Digging, reminds us that the garden isn't just about the flowers. Without foliage there would be no flowers. Some plants only flower after many years so if we are going to enjoy them in the garden then we must be happy with their leaves. Here are a few of my favorites.

My Agave,Bloodspot. I picked this one up in California last year and grow it in a pot just to be sure of controlling its growing conditions.

This is the Manfreda maculosa. If you see something in common between it and 'blood spot' it is because 'bloodspot' is a likely cross between maculosa and A. macroacantha.

Flowering of pink ruby grass will be late this year. This one plant is a hang over from last year but most of the plants are weeks away from flowering. Their foliage is one of the best of the small grasses remaining green with no additional watering.

Grandfather's pipe, Callisia fragrans, was a passalong from Diana, at Sharingnnature's Garden. It was going great guns in the spring and early summer until a wren decided to build its nest in the pot. It was the largest wren nest I have ever seen and resulted in several branches dying and the plant being stunted. when we came home I moved out the nest, watered the plant and it is now on its way to better health. It hangs on the front gate.

This is something that has never happened before. The sago palm is putting on a new set of leaves. It normally puts out only one ring in the spring. It was late this year and now, after the rain, it is putting out more! Strange year.

A combination of sweet potato vines and ornamental pepper in a pot. I'm nt noted for my pot culture but this one has worked well.

A few graptopetalum survived the winter and are now in a hanging planter in a shady spot. They will come inside for the winter. Austin weather is not to be trusted.

My wonderful Agave desmettiana X variegata. It wouldn't be my garden without them. My treasures.

Agave augustofolia x variegata, will probably have to come in for the winter.

Finally, what color on the lower leaves of the amaranth. A sure sign that fall is on the way. Please!

MAKING USE OF NATURE'S TRELLIS

While Central Texas is being hammered by the effects of tropical storm Hermine there is no chance to get out in the garden. The rain is welcome to our dry parched gardens, but I'd rather be out there working. In the meantime here's an idea for an easy grow it yourself trellis.

Morning glories show up every year in my garden and so does the amaranth, which can easily attain a height of 6'. This year the accidental happy marriage of these plants.

I might just use this combination in other places next year. In fact I can see they might make a good arbor. These two have joined together at the top. Where will they go now?

I COULDN'T DO IT BETTER

I couldn't do it by myself. Mother nature had a helping hand in the profusion of color in my garden. Now, well into July the flowers are still coming.

Alyssum, skullcaps, blanket flowers and black eyed Susans manage to find the perfect spot to grow making a tapestry of color. Gomphrenas are moved from unsuitable spots in the gravel to fill in any spaces.

Of course some of them can be a bit pesky, like this amaranth. Several are growing in a not so perfect spot at the foot of the steps to the herb garden, but who can resist their gorgeous pink, bristly plumes in the fall. The birds love them too. That's a Russian sage, Perovskia, which is growing at the foot of the amaranth.

This morning two rain lilies opened. Sometimes they are hard to spot, buried among the other flowers, but these ones are growing out of a clump of creeping thyme.

I certainly love the cleome which seeded right at the front of the bed behind the pool. The long, snaking stems with deep pink flowers. I even like the seed heads. I'll be saving some of those for next year.

As long as this morning glory stays on the fence then it can stay, but I know it's not going to do that.

A SPLASH OF COLOR

Although the amaranth is back in my garden by accident this year I must admit to enjoying the splash of color that the feather like flower heads add to the whole picture. A had a vase of the dried flower heads on the table and inevitably seeds dropped onto the path and were washed by rains to the edge of the sunken garden.

I have been watching the hummingbirds through the window and to my surprise they seem to be like visiting the flower for nectar.

The leaves of this plant are also attractive as the cooler weather brings out their multicolored hues.

They also form a nice backdrop to the medley of narrow leaf zinnia and cosmos.