Foliage Follow-Up, September, 2011...

Ground Orchid

This has been the most challenging summer ever, in my memory.  

Record heat....Record drought.

Not the easiest time to garden.

Sweet Potato

So, we depend on foliage to pull us through.

I replaced quite a few freeze-dried plants this spring, hoping to protect the new ones better.

This Daniella will need some freeze protection...assuming we cool off sometime.

It's supposed to have little sun.
It's gotten more than expected, because the trees canopy has been more sparse this year, with the drought.

I don't know what the vine is.  But, it's pretty, so it stayed.

Lamb's ear is supposed to be able to take the heat and dryness.  But, this is the last piece I have left.

This Chrysanthemum Pacifica holds up to everything.
It's leggy, but stays green, heat or cold.  The bloom is not much to get excited about.  But, the foliage is nice.

We still have one coleus hanging in there.  They take too much water to be a return plant, next year.

Cuban Oregano is one I really like.  It holds up to the fierce sun really well.  Last year's froze.  I need to take some cuttings soon.  They root easily.

Although they haven't bloomed in a while, the bronze and green stripe-leaf cannas still are good for their foliage.  That pretty stripe has bleached out some.  Hopefully, it will show back up.

They'll die down in the winter.  And, who knows which spot they'll show up next spring.  My experience with cannas is that they like to come up around the last spot, no AT the last spot.  

Over in the Rock Bed, the Mexican Feather grass is still looking good.  The Prickly Pear is holding it's own.  The ones in the Deer Grove have withered a bit.  They'll perk back up, if we ever get rain again.

The Rosemary is growing nicely.  The agaves that I rescued from neighbor Elli's clean-out haven't done anything.  But, they don't look dead.

This bed gets a good soaking about once a month.  And, it's in the hottest, sunniest part of the yard.

In front, the asparagus fern is putting on new growth.  It lived in the garage, on and off last winter.

This container with Soft Leaf Yucca in the Island Bed, is a tough plant.

This whole bed is going to be redone.  The ground cover hasn't perked up, even with occasional soakings......mostly for the tree roots.

The Nandina has put on some berries.  

It's hard to tell from this photo, but the deer have chomped the Nandina leaves as high up as they can reach.  They've never touched it before.  But, this is an extreme year.

Back around to the Porch, this Oyster plant, a ground cover, is doing well in a pot.

I don't know how we could garden, without all the beautiful foliage out there.

If you want to see more foliage, go visit Pam at Digging.
She's hosting Foliage Follow-Up.

Stay safe...pray for rain.

Happy Gardening
~~Linda~~