Monday, October 22, 2012

New plants for fall



The fall weather has me in a planting frenzy. Here are a couple of new plants in the garden:

Coral Nymph Salvia

Love the pale pink blooms on the Coral Nymph Salvia. The blooms resemble hummingbirds in flight. This plant is known to reseed itself. I wouldn't mind having a couple of these around the garden. 

Bear's Breeches

This is my favorite new plant. It is called Bear's Breeches. The large glossy leaves provide some structural element to the garden. It also sends up a large bloom spike with pinkish white blooms on it in the Spring.  Per Wikipedia, the leaves of this plant are considered by historians to have been the design inspiration for the Corinthian column capitals of Greco-Roman architecture. Interesting!

Smooth Leaf Salvia

Smooth Leaf Salvia was added in a partly shade part of the garden. It doesn't have many blooms, but it has large glossy leaves. It is suppose to be a fantastic hummingbird plant. If anyone has any experience growing this plant, please let me know.

Philippine Violet

Philippine Violet is an excellent part shade plant. Although it mostly blooms in the Fall, the round glossy leaves are beautiful. This one fits in nicely in a corner of the garden. Can't wait to see it fill out.

Jewels of Opar



Although this is not a new plant to the garden, it has reseeded itself in a new spot. This is a pass along plant from my Grandmother.


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Lavender Lady Passionflower

“The Earth laughs in flowers.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson


“I must have flowers, always, and always.”
Claude Monet


Sunday, October 7, 2012

I see Red



When I added a couple of plants to the garden this fall I realized that most of them had red blooms or berries.
I prefer cooler colors like pink and blues, however lately I seem to be trending towards red. Maybe because it is the color hummingbirds prefer. 

Pigeonberry

This pigeonberry plant was added in a shady spot in our garden. Love the bright and shiny red berries. The birds had picked off all the berries within 24 hours of planting it. At first I was disappointed, however my husband pointed out that was the reason I picked this plant in the first place. Point taken!

Pigeonberry

This plant is very hardy, a great ground cover and provides fall color. The little red berries are prized by birds including mockingbirds and doves.

Turk's Cap

Three Turk's caps were added in the back garden. The migrating hummingbirds had found these plants within 5 minutes and were fighting over them.

Firebush

This Firebush was added for the hummingbirds as well.



Monday, October 1, 2012

Fall in the Garden


It is the most wonderful time of year to be a gardener in Texas. The 100 degree temps are gone for now and fall rains are very welcomed. The plants seem grateful that summer is over. 

The Lavender Lady Passionflower Vine has put out a couple of blooms.
Lavender Lady Passionflower

The Gulf Fritillaries are still doing their thing.


 The Eyelash leaved sage or Salvia blepharophylla has a couple of blooms on it.

Eyelash leaved sage

The Blackfoot Daisy is still blooming like crazy. It has bloomed continually since I planted it. 

Blackfoot Daisy

The bat faced cuphea looks pretty paired with the potato vine.

Bat faced cuphea

The Blue Mistflower is really putting on a show. 

Blue Mistflower