Appreciating Foliage, Anticipating Blooms

We've had perfect weather the last few days.   

A nice slow soaking rain.  

What's so perfect about a rainy day in December?

Well, for one, the rain is helping to replenish our drought-stricken Texas gardens, although I know we have a long ways to go.

And secondly, this wonderful rain is exactly what my spring wildflowers need in order germinate this winter.

Yesterday as I strolled through my garden in the misty rain,  I was so excited to see the tiny leaves of the poppies, larkspur, and bluebonnets emerging from the dampened soil.

What starts out as this....

California Poppy

Bluebonnet

Somnifera Poppy

Larkspur

Will soon become this....

 

  

Awaiting the day when winter foliage becomes spring blooms

Join Pam @ Digging for this month's Foliage Follow-up

Toni :-)

What's Bloomin' - December 2011

It's been a few months since I have participated in Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, so I was excited to have a little extra time to join in this month.

Since we have been hit with a couple of hard freezes in the last few weeks, blooms are in short supply in my perennial gardens, but my containers are full of cool season annuals with colorful blooms.

Instead of just the usual snapshot of pansies growing in containers, I thought I'd fire up the ol' scanner again and show you my blooms from a different perspective.

Here are a couple of scans showing a collection of my 

pansies, violas, cyclamen, and kale.

The pansies and kale can take just about anything our usually moderate winters dish out here in north Texas, so I have cheerful pansy faces smiling at me all winter long and well into spring.   The cyclamen is a little more cold tender, so it needs to be protected when we dip down into the low 20s and teens.  I also use dianthus, parsley, cilantro, lettuce, bok choy, and dusty miller in my winter containers.

If you'd like to see other garden scans I've created, click here.   And if you'd like to learn how you can create some beautiful scans of your own, click here.

Lastly, if you'd like to see what's bloomin' in other parts of the world, visit May Dreams Gardens as Carol graciously hosts Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day each month for gardeners 'round the world who want to share their blooms.

I am also linking with Guest Heart Thursday 

because these pansies have stolen my heart :-)

Join me tomorrow as I look forward to spring blooms through winter foliage...

Toni :-)

December's Alphabet (V-W)

Continuing to work my way through the garden alphabet...

"V"

is for Violet

Last January for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, 

I wrote a poem about this little African violet.  

Back then she was just a wee little thing, 

the offspring of a violet I got from my grandmother many years ago.

But now my little violet is all grown up and blooming :-)

"W"

is for Worms

Did you know these interesting little facts about our friends of the soil...

Worms have five hearts, but they have no lungs.  They breathe through their skin, which is why the soil must remain moist in order for them to survive.  They prefer cool, moist soil in the range of 60 to 80 degrees.

Worms need lots of oxygen, too.  Have you ever seen a bunch of worms on the sidewalk after a hard rain?   They are drowning down in the water-logged soil, so they are coming up for air.  The only problem with that is UV light can be deadly to a worm if exposed for more than a minute or two.

Worms have little bristles on their segments to help them move through the soil or to grip the soil when a predator is trying to yank them out of the soil for a tasty meal.  Worms also have a gizzard, so they need grit in their environment.

Worms are hermaphrodites, which means they are both male and female in each worm.  They lay eggs, but two worms are needed to fertilize the eggs.

You know that pinkish band toward the end of a worm?  

That is called the clitellum.

This band, or clitellum, is found toward the head end of the worm.    Two worms will lie head to head and secrete mucus and exchange sperm through their clitellums.  The worm then backs out of the band, and as it does so, it injects its own eggs and the other worm's sperm into it. When this band slips over the head of the worm, it forms a cocoon from which the new worms emerge.

In the picture below do you see the little yellowish spot toward the end of the worm to the right of center?  This is the clitellum about to slip off the head of the worm!

These little yellowish BB-sized ovals in the picture below show a couple of worm cocoons. 

Each worm will produce about four cocoons per week. 

  

Worms live four to five years!

If a worm is cut in half, 

only the part of the body that has the head will survive.

Worms neutralize the soil and get rid of pathogens in the soil.  Worms are so beneficial to our soil.  And all they ask for in return is a little moisture, a little oxygen, and some food -- a/k/a garbage.   Worms can eat a couple pounds of kitchen scraps per week!

There are different types of worms: 

Night crawlers live in permanent vertical burrows that reach 6 to 12 feet underground!  They are great bait worms.   

Field worms or true earthworms live in the top 18 inches of soil and make complex horizontal burrows working the top layer of soil.  These are the type of worms that we most likely will find in our backyard compost piles.   

Red worms or "red wigglers" live in the top 6 to 8 inches of leaf litter on top of the soil. They break down organic matter and produce wonderful earthworm castings that are great for fertilizing our plants.  Red wigglers are the worms used for vermicomposting.

If you'd like to learn more about vermicomposting, click here.

Stay tuned for the Alphabet's End @ Year's End...

Toni :-)

With Thanksgiving

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
 

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving
and extol Him with music and song.

  For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods. 

 In His hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to Him. 

The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hands formed the dry land. 

   

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker

Psalm 95:1-6

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours...

Toni :-)

Survivor: Texas (Garden Edition)

Now that the record-breaking summer of 2011 is safely behind us, I got to thinking....if gardening during a Texas summer were a TV reality show, could you bear to watch?   Oh, there would be plenty of drama, that's for sure, with lots of whining and crying and pouting.  Sadly, though, there wouldn't be much singing or dancing.  In fact, most episodes would seem rather dry.  Everything would be in need of an Extreme Makeover, and you'd end up feeling like the Biggest Loser. But one thing you could count on is that it would be very hot and steamy.   So tune in, you may even find a new Idol and a few Survivors.

Seriously, though, the reality of a Texas summer is that it is just plain HOT.   And the Summer of 2011 was the hottest of 'em all.  Yes, Dallas/Fort Worth is now officially in the record books as the summer with the most 100-degree days.  70 days.  I finally feel vindicated for all of that whining, crying, and pouting!

1980 still holds the record for the most consecutive 100-degree days (42), but 2011 missed it by just two days and a few degrees. Hopefully that torch has been extinguished, never to be lit again.

Needless to say, this hot and dry summer episode took its toll on our gardens.   Yet in spite of it all, there are SURVIVORS.

The words “water restrictions” seem to strike fear in the heart of every gardener.    Don’t spend the next summer season battling the elements.   Turn the challenges of this summer into opportunities to make your garden better by choosing more drought-tolerant plants that have proven their worth.

Let's take a look at some of the players, marooned in the seemingly desolate locale otherwise known as...my garden.   My “tribes” of plants faced daily endurance challenges and overcame many obstacles, yet some seemed immune to elimination.

Since I am the sole member of my garden's “Tribal Council” and “jury,” here’s a list of the plants that were star performers in my garden this summer and are deserving of my vote.

Salvias are the workhorses of my garden!

'Henry’ and ‘Augusta’ Duelberg (Salvia farinacea)

Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)

Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)

Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

  Zexmenia (Wedelia hispida) is extremely drought tolerant

'Azure Skies' Heliotrope blooms all summer and attracts bees

Purple Heart

(Tradescantia or Setcreasea pallida) 

is tough as nails!

 Ornamental grasses are must-haves!

Mexican Feathergrass (Nasella tenuissima)

Hameln Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’

Lindheimer’s Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri)

Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’ (Dwarf Maiden Grass)

Black Fountain Grass (Pennisetum ‘Moudry’)

Fountain grass ‘Karley Rose’ (Pennisetum orientale 'Karely Rose')

 'Karley Rose' beat the heat with ease!

More great plants for SUN:

Pink Skullcap (Scutellaria suffrutescens)
Dwarf Mexican Petunia (Katie’s Ruellia)
‘Powis Castle’ Artemisia
Mexican Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)
Lantana camara
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)
Gray Creeping Germander
Canna
Datura
Thyme
Rosemary
Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)
Rudbeckia ‘Triloba’
Flame Acanthus (Anisacaths wrightii)
Texas Star Hibiscus
‘Bath’s Pink’ Dianthus
Four Nerve Daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa)
Variegated Liriope ‘Silvery Sunproof’ (with afternoon shade)
Sedum
Pink Rain Lily (Zephyranthes grandiflora)
Yaupon Holly
Burford Holly
‘Gulfstream,’ ‘Nana,’ and ‘Harbor Dwarf’ Nandina
Yaupon Holly tree
Crape Myrtles
Redbuds: ‘Burgundy Heart,’ ‘The Rising Sun,’ and ‘Oklahoma’
Rose of Sharon (Althea)

Lots of shady characters were star performers as well

Native Turk’s Cap

(Malvaviscus arboreus) 

attracts hummingbirds

Another native, American Beautyberry 

(Callicarpa americana), 

attracts our feathered friends

Hostas absolutely fried, but Leopard Plant (Ligularia/Farfugium) survived with no special care

African Hosta
(Drimiopsis maculata) 

is not bothered by slugs, snails, or heat

 More great plants for SHADE:

Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra)

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Chocolate plant (Pseuderanthemum alatum)

Purple Shamrock (Oxalis triangularis)

Forsythia Sage (Salvia Madrensis)

Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum)

Purple Heart (green variety)

'Tropical Giant' Spider Lily (Hymenocallis)

Horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis)

Ajuga ('Giant,' 'Chocolate Chip')

Cherry Laurel

Heat Loving Annuals

 Melampodium

Vinca (periwinkles)

Angelonia ‘Serena’ series

Blue Daze (Evolvulus glomeratus) loved the heat!

Variegated Tapioca (Manihot esculenta) was still going strong in mid-August!

Caladiums can't be beat
for a shady spot.

More great annuals for sun and shade:

Cosmos

Salvia coccinea (red and ‘Coral Nymph’)

Malabar Spinach (vine)

Esperanza (Tecoma stans)

Lantana

‘African Blue’ Basil

Holy Basil

Lemon Verbena

Sweet Potato Vine

Perilla magilla

Hyacinth Bean Vine

Ornamental peppers

Pentas (in afternoon shade)

Begonias (shade)

Some of my plants got sent to Redemption Island.   They started out strong, but then quickly burned out when the heat was intense.   After a disappointing debut, they have redeemed themselves this fall showing some recovery now that cooler temperatures and some rains have returned.

Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’)
Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Black & Blue Salvia (Salvia guaranitica )
Lamb’s Ear ‘Helen von Stein’
Wood Fern (Dryopteris)
'Texas Gold' Colubmine (Aquilegia chrysantha hinckleyana)
‘Gold Dust’ Aucuba
Autumn Joy Sedum
Knock-Out Rose 'Rosa Radrazz'

Unfortunately some plants went to Dead Man’s Island:

Eupatorium ‘Chocolate’

Hostas

Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum)

‘Endless Summer’ Hydrangea is on its last legs

Thankfully the list of winners is much longer than the list of losers (hence this ridiculously long post).  If any plant survived the Winter and Summer of 2011, it is a keeper in my book.  If this challenging summer (and winter) has wreaked havoc in your garden, incorporate some of these well-adapted plants into your garden. Fall is a great time to get new plantings established before we have a re-run of this season’s fiery episodes next summer.   Make some changes to your garden now and you will be rewarded next year with a garden that not only survives; it thrives!

All indications are that this drought in Texas may persist for another two years. Don't let that news make you wish you could escape to Exile Island.  A few wise choices can make a drought-tolerant and heat-loving garden a beautiful reality.

If you are still reading up to this point, you deserve some bonus points!   Here is a list of some other survivors recommended by a few of my garden friends:

Duranta erecta (Brazillian Sky Flower)
Aggie Cotton
Texas Sage (Cenizo)
Zinnias
Day Lilies
Thai Basil
Moss rose and purselane
Abelia
Okra
Gregg’s Blue Mistflower
Fall Aster (Aster oblongifolius)
Candle Tree
Purple Coneflower
Alternanthera
Passion Vine
Woolly Stemodia (Stemodia tomentosa)

Pidgeon Berry

Inland Sea Oats (Casmanthium latifolium)

Congratulations on surviving through the Summer of 2011 and this long post!

Toni :-)

Eleven-Eleven-Eleven

A curious date on the calendar

Month, day, and year the same

Surely a date to remember

and one to warrant fame

A similar phenomenon occurred

One year ago it's been

October of last year

the date was Ten-Ten-Ten 

It's been 100 years

since this date has come to be

I wonder if anyone born back then

is still alive to see

The Great Blue Norther blew 

one century ago

With temps of record high that day

as well as record low

They say cesarean births will rise

and wedding bells will ring

I wonder what other milestones

this unique day will bring

The end of World War I

is recognized this day
We honor all our veterans
for the price they had to pay

So is there special significance

to this 11th of November?

Will 2011 be a year

that history will remember?

I hope wherever you garden

it's a little slice of heaven

Enjoy this momentous day

of Eleven-Eleven-Eleven

Happy 11-11-11...

Toni :-)

Regal Muhly on a Misty Morning

Last week when I looked outside early one morning I was surprised to see that I couldn't really see very far at all.   It seemed a "cloud" had descended to earth.  Fog you say?  Or was it mist?   Did you know there is a technical difference between fog and mist?

Since there are no unanswered questions anymore with the invention of Google and Wikipedia, I got my head out of the clouds and learned that "fog is distinguished from mist only by its density, as expressed in the resulting decrease in visibility."   Basically you can see farther in mist than in fog.  

"Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface.  While fog is a type of a cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated locally (such as from a nearby body of water, like a lake or the ocean, or from nearby moist ground or marshes)."

 Since "moist ground" has been a little scarce this summer, let's just say it has been a very long time since I have seen fog (or mist) in these parts.   And since I did not measure the visibility, I am not technically sure whether it was fog or mist that I was seeing, but it was beautiful, nonetheless.

With the drought we have had this year, resulting in the lack of moist ground, my Pink Muhly Grass is not quite as spectacular as it has been in years past.  But on this misty/foggy morning, it had a positively ethereal beauty to it.

Muhlenbergia capillaris  'Regal Mist'

The variety of pink muhly grass that I have is called 'Regal Mist.'   Quite fitting for this misty (or foggy) morning, don't you think?

Below is a shot of the pink muhly after the mist of the morning had dissipated.

Another muhly in the mist below is Lindheimer's Muhly  

(Muhlenbergia lindheimeri)

Here's another shot of it on a drier day.

Lindheimer's Muhly grows much taller than its misty pink cousin, but it has a regal beauty all its own.   It is extremely drought tolerant and pairs nicely with salvias.

These muhly grasses are just a couple of my favorite ornamental grasses.  

Fog can also mean "a state of mental vagueness or bewilderment, a state of confusion or lack of clarity."   While I must admit I can certainly relate to that state of mind at times, I have no "fog" over ornamental grasses.   I clearly have a fondness for them.  They are so easy and have so much impact in a garden  -- lots of "bang for the buck!"  I cannot imagine my garden without them.

If you're in a fog about what to add to your garden, you might try a muhly or two.

Toni :-)