From Balmy to Brrrr

The first week of December in North Central Texas was a very interesting week of weather.

We started out the week quite balmy, with temperatures in the 70s.  Early Monday morning a light fog had rolled in and created a beautiful photo op as the sun was rising.

We have had a couple freezes this fall already, but only down to about 30 degrees.   Some of the most tender perennials were burned, but other perennials were not even fazed.    Some of the trees had already lost their leaves, some were at peak color, and some were just beginning to turn.

As the fog burned off later Monday morning, the Japanese maples in my garden were showing off their finest fall color.

Tuesday was a sunny and warm day, my kind of December :-)  I went with a client to my favorite Japanese maple nursery, Metro Maples, with the intention of purchasing some maples for her garden, but I just couldn't resist the urge to buy another maple for my garden, as well!

I came home with a new maple is called 'Koto No Ito,' which means "String of Old Harp."  It has an upright form with narrow strap leaves that have green spring color and yellow/orange/red fall colors.
  

I planted the new maple on Wednesday when it was sunny and 78 degrees! 

I originally had a 'Peaches & Cream' maple in this spot, but I transplanted it across the bed where I thought its highly variegated summer leaves would brighten a dark spot.

The 'Peaches & Cream' maple was added to my garden in December of 2010, and this is the first year I have seen good fall color on it.

Thursday morning the temperatures had dropped to the 40s (tolerable), but the forecast was calling for the temps to continue to drop throughout the day, with freezing rain and sleet arriving late afternoon and evening (not so tolerable).   

I knew this was probably going to be my last opportunity to get some good pictures of the fall color in my garden, so I grabbed my camera and headed outside to memorialize this beautiful season.

      In the picture below you can see the new orange 'Koto No Ito' to the right front, and the similarly fall colored 'Peaches & Cream' is behind the bench now on the other side of the bed.

 'Sango Kaku' (Coral Bark) Maple (below - center) has been more yellow in years past, but this year it is showing lots of red color.

I think this is one of the prettiest fall color seasons I have seen in the 27 years I have lived in Texas.  A little bit of rain this fall, cool nights, and sunny days have created the perfect environment for a spectacular fall show.

'Fireglow'

'Orange Dream'

'Tamukeyama' (foreground)  -  'Viridis' (background)

'Sango Kaku'

By late Thursday afternoon the temperatures had dropped into the 20s and the precipitation started falling...and freezing.  

On Friday morning my garden looked like this...brrrrr!

Thankfully I had drained and cleaned the fountain on Wednesday when it was nice and warm outside.   

The front hellstrip perennials are now under a covering of ice.  

 The Yaupon Holly tree in the front is splayed open from the weight of the ice.   Back in the winter of 2011 we lost several feet out of the top of this tree from the weight of about a foot of snow that fell in February.  

 

I am hoping once the ice melts it will be okay.

In the backyard, the arbor cover over the patio is dripping with tiny icicles.

The ornamental grasses near the pond that usually sway in the breeze are frozen stiff.

The maples that were so beautiful just one day earlier are now covered in ice and droop from the weight of the ice.

 

"He gives snow like wool;

He scatters the frost like ashes.

He casts forth His ice as fragments;

Who can stand before His cold?

He sends forth His word and melts them;

He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow."

Psalm 147:16-18

So until God sends a few warm breezes to thaw the ice that blankets our area, I guess I will just hunker down under a cozier type of blanket in my nice warm house, and treasure a few quiet days.

Take care....and stay warm!

Toni :-)

What's Bloomin' - October 2013

 Welcome to my garden...

It's Garden Bloggers 
Bloom Day!

Let's see what's bloomin'

October is one of my favorite months in my garden.  It is like a second spring in Texas.  The blooms intensify in color in response to the cooler temps and a little bit of rain.

Here are a few wide shots of the front perennial garden to get us started.

 Above is my favorite view off my front porch.

Moving in a little closer...

Annual 'Cora' vincas in the hellstrip are still going strong across the sidewalk from the perennials... salvias, lantana, canna, purple heart, zexmenia, 'Lindheimer's' muhly grass, 'Katie's' Ruellia.

The blue Salvia 'May Night' in the foreground really seems to appreciate the milder temps of spring and fall.   The zexmenia, purple heart, salvias, and lantana behind could care less about the triple digits of summer.

My garden would not be complete without my favorite Salvia greggii 

exploding with hot pink blooms in the fall.   

 Leading up to the entry, more zexmenia and salvia greggii, along with 'Karley Rose' Fountaingrass, 'King Humbert' Canna, annual melampodium, and 'Henry Duelberg' salvia

At the entryway, the 'John Fanick' Phlox puts out the last of its blooms, Wood Ferns are hugging the fountain, and the 'Carolyn Wharton' Caladiums do surprisingly well in this area that gets more sun than I would think the caladiums would like. 

The 'Lindheimer's' Muhly Grass raises its tall plumes in praise of fall :-)

 Mexican Bush Sage has just started blooming this month.  I just planted another one in my garden this week because I just love these velvety purple spikes next to the bright pink salvia greggii.

I just transplanted a deep red Salvia darcyi (Salvia oresbia) near the Lindheimer's Muhly grass and Mexican Bush Sage.   I hope it survives the transplant!   I love the punch of red next to the purple blooms and gray/green foliage.

 Last fall I tried a little experiment and transplanted some garlic chives in spots where I grow daylilies.    I thought since the foliage is similar, I would try growing the two together to extend the bloom in these daylily areas.

I'm happy to report that the experiment worked!    

The daylilies bloomed during the summer, and the garlic chives put on a good show this fall.    I just recently cut off the blooms of the garlic chives as they were going to seed, and I don't want garlic chives all over the place.

Summer daylilies

Garlic Chives in the fall

I just could not be more pleased with the progress on the hellstrip plantings.

 

  

Fall aster is in full bloom this month.    

Such a shame that this plant does not bloom longer! 

The golden oregano is starting to increase in size.

 Earlier in the summer the 'Elfin' Thyme was suffering as it was trying to get established, but it has made a rebound this fall and has really started spreading around the flagstones at the curb.

The 'Helen von Stein' Lamb's Ear and 'Hameln' Fountaingrass 

add nice texture to the plantings

 In the backyard, a few red spider lilies popped up this fall.   I transplanted about 20 bulbs a couple years ago, so I was hoping for a better show.  

Maybe next year?

I have always grown Turk's Cap in my shady backyard, but I have started adding more of it to my front perennial beds as the trees are creating more part sun/part shade areas.    It certainly blooms better with a little more sun. 

 Another bulb, the Oxblood Lily blooms are short lived 

but cheerfully announce the arrival of fall.  

Another sure sign that fall is here 

is when the Mexican Mint Marigold begins to bloom.

The green beans I planted last month are blooming and have just started producing tiny beans.   I missed planting my spring crop of beans, so I am really looking forward to having fresh green beans for dinner soon!

The Cubanelle peppers produced like gangbusters this summer

 and are still going strong!  

How's that for some fall color :-)

Water lilies...

floating on the water below 

and sprinkled with water from the heavens today :-)

I am so grateful for the wonderful slow soaking rains we've had for the last couple days here in North Texas.   Should make for a nice wildflower show next spring!

To enjoy more blooms around the world, visit Carol @ May Dreams Gardens.

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

Toni :-)