August!?!!......

Since last we met, we've been busy.

We did some traveling.

Back to Mississippi, to visit friends.

We go through Luling, TX, to get to I-10.

This time we stopped, so I could stand in the street and take a picture of this sign.

It's hard to tell in the photo, but it's 3 dimensional.

One of our friends retired, and he wanted to celebrate in Biloxi.

So, we went....again.

Back home, you can see we have been missed by the summer rains,

that have hit other areas around us.

The Grass Bed is doing ok.

Not as much growth as I'd like.

The Hyacinth Bean and zinnias are doing good.

The Pride of Barbados is finally blooming.

Love those blooms.  And, inside the fence, the deer can't get to them.

The tomatoes are blooming.

But, not setting fruit.  There are some that set earlier.  

Taking their time getting ripe.

For the first time, we had ripe figs.

Not many, and not big....but, they tasted good.

This Agave Lophantha had been chomped by the deer.

I took it out of the planter it was in, and put it in the ground.

Then, it started developing two crowns.  Very interesting.

We turned this firepit into a planter.

We put in a Soft-leaf Yucca.

Looks better than a bunch of limbs piled in there.

It's being protected by this resin Horned Toad.

So far, so good.

We'll soon put some wire up.  The bucks have lots of velvet to rub of their antlers.

And, last but not least.

Yesterday, my daughter and I went to Market Day, here 

in Wimberley.

I got two plants.

 A Dyckia 'Burgundy Ice'

And, a variegated agave.  I think Agave American 'Mediopicta Alba'.

There were no labels.  The seller just knew they were an agave and a dyckia.

Hope my research is right.

Now to find containers for them.

So...that's what I've been up to.

How about you?

Hope your summer is going well.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

This and That....First Tuesday in June....

Welcome to June.

Seems we've fallen right into Summer.

Hot and Humid.

We did have some more rain, a few days ago.

Three quarters of an inch in the rain barrels.

It would be nice, if this rain every week or so would keep up.

I'm not going to count on it, though.

But, the plants are really loving it.

The Fenced Yard is doing better and better.

Things are beginning to fill in.

I'm hoping this combination lives up to my vision.

My plan is a lush FULL bed.

A lot of these plants are 'Deer Resistant'.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Not here!!!

At least they can't get to them through the fence.

This Lantana is in the front Island Bed.

So far, there are still blooms on it.

The deer don't seem to like the gold-colored blooms.

They do eat other colors.  At least the do in MY garden.

Other people in the neighborhood don't seem to have that problem.

The daylilies are beginning to bloom.

They're a little slower here.  I've always had evergreen daylilies before.

These are not.  Maybe that's the reason they're slower to bloom.

I'm liking this old, leaking fountain/planter.  It's taking off nicely.

I got two new Talavera pots, for Mother's Day.

My collection is growing.

In fact, I 'need' another one.  A dish size, for some small succulents.

I ran in to King's Feed, looking for one.

They didn't have what I want.  But, I did find a Peter's Purple Monarda.

It's a bit gangly.  But, some little new plants are there, too.

I bought two of these pots.  Now, I have to figure where to put them.

One will go here, where the Philippine Violet didn't make it.

The other one....I don't know yet. 

Now...what do I do with that two foot long stem?  Cut it back?

Yes, I got the joy of doing my civic duty.

See the summons no.?  That gave me good odds for NOT being chosen.

I came home early.

And, finally....everybody's got to believe in something.

I believe in OVER PLANTING pots.

But, hey...you don't have to wait as long to get that FULL look.

'Til next time....

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Holding Patterns....

This container is a copper liner for a window box.  I found it years ago, at a flea market.  

It's had many incarnations.  Right now, it's holding some dusty miller, 

that was used on the Christmas dinner table.   I know these will get too large for this, but for now, 

they're looking good.

Also looking good, are the pansies.  This one is in a nice container my friend Jann gave us.

This pot held plumbago, purslane, and a lantana last summer.

The pansies took over, when everything froze.

Pansies have such pretty faces.

Even the white ones have cute faces.  They're just a bit quieter.

This pink one is quiet, too.  Such a delicate little thing.

Violas are probably my favorite.  They have a lot of personality in a smaller face.

These are in a wooden planter box.

This was that planter last winter.  None of these plants made it through the hot, hot summer.

This blue water globe...a Christmas gift from our daughter's family...really pops in the lettuce bowl.

This pot has had several different things planted in it.

But, none have done as well as this lettuce.  

As you see, I like containers.  They can add some color, even when there are no blooms.

Anything that will hold soil can hold a plant.  This old wheelbarrow holds some agave lophantha.

That little one on the left is constantly being pulled up by the deer.  I just keep sticking it back in.

Here's another A. lophantha in this lovely planter.  This planter's first life was as a firepit.

As with the wheelbarrow...holes were punched in the bottom for drainage.

 Some people find containers too hard to keep watered.

I find them to be extra interest in the garden...no matter what season it is.

We have them all around the place.  If I had to guess...there will be more.

Do you like containers? 

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Sunny Days...

We've had lots of sunny days here at Patchwork Garden, lately.  And, there has been a lot of work going on.

This is what the Rio looks like, outside the fence....full of leaves and dirt.  Still needs to be cleaned out.

But, inside the fence, I've cleaned all that out.  That means, remove rocks, remove dirt and leaves, return rocks....Whew!

I've hauled a few loads of rocks up from the creek.

And, lined the reworked flower beds.

 We remodeled the Deck Bed.  We went for one of those bubbling pot fountains, for our 'focal point'.

And, we came home with this.  Not quite what we were thinking...but, it's working out.

There's been lots of container planting.

I like geraniums....

...and, the frilliness of Diamond Frost Euphorbia.

Calibracoa...

...in two colors.

African Daisies, Osteosperum, look good in my birthday Mexican pot.

They have such happy, sunny faces.

Impatiens of several different types and colors.

For containers, and the beds, some soft coral verbena.

A replacement Coral Nymph salvia coccinea.  One came back from last year, one didn't.

Coleus...which seems ok, even though I forgot to cover it last night...it got down to 30 degrees....ugh

Daniella, that still needs to go in the ground.

We're trying a Knockout Rose this year, in the deck bed.  This was what it looked like before yesterday's high winds.

A new Gold Dust Acuba

Japanese Holly Fern...

It's dusted with gold, too.....oak pollen.

Mr. P. keeps telling me I'm always in too big a hurry.  Well...I grabbed this, thinking it was Palm Grass...one didn't make it through winter, in the front bed.  There was no tag...but, there on the side, I noticed a small label....it turns out it's Ground Orchid (Spathoglottis plicata).  How lucky!..I've been wanting one of those.  Paid off this time.

Speaking of lucky...remember last year when my sweet neighbor, Elli, had some yard work done?  She gave me a bunch of Agave Lophantha.  Well...she's at it again.  This time, I rescued the trimmed off part of a Yucca...I think Soft Leaf.

And, winter damaged Agave....

Two!..I don't know what kind they are.  I need to do some research.  I hope it all makes it.

The Atumn Sage, salvia greggii, is beginning to bloom.  I was late trimming them, so they're a little late getting going.

I've been late with the veggie garden, too.  But, the tomatoes are in and living in their little ghost houses.  Lots more work needs to be done here.

Things are moving along, in the Deer Grove. These haven't bloomed, in our three springs here.  But, there are more pads on the Prickly Pear. 

Does this remind you of anyone?

We've been busy with other Spring activities, too.  More on that later.

Hope you're having some happy, sunny days. 

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~