Foliage Follow-Up...May, 2012...

After a day of rain yesterday, today dawned sunny and cool.

Today is Foliage Follow-Up day.  The day we join
Pam at Digging,
to show off our foliage.

Let's start in front.  This is one of two Squid Agaves we have in containers,
at the front entrance.  They're doing quite well.

In the new Driveway Bed, the Mexican Feathergrass is growing fast.

Diamonds of moisture were shining in the early sunlight.
This is becoming one of my go-to plants for around here.
Last summer's awful heat and drought didn't faze the Feathergrasses we already had.
The deer don't touch it.
It's pretty.
What is there not to like?

The Unknown Agave is about to out grow it's protective covering.
I hope when I take this off, the deer will leave it alone.

Over in the Island Bed, two more of my favorites..
Lamb's Ear and Artemisia 'Powis Castle'.

We've had this Sago Palm for years.  It moved down with us from our old garden.
Last year, the hard, long freeze we had really stunted it.  This year, it's looking good.
That makes me smile, because this is the centerpiece of this bed.

Around the side to the Rock Bed.  This is a bed that gets no more than one watering a month, even in last year's hot, VERY dry summer.  You see why these are some of my favorites.
Mexican Feathergrass, Prickly Pear, Rosemary, Autumn Sage...

And, the agave I rescued from Elli's redo.  It's put on new growth.  These are tough plants.
And, that bed really needs some cleaning up and new mulch.

The Agave lophantha in the wheelbarrow is growing.

In the brand new Back Bed, the Candy Lily and Iris are adding interest next to the pot of Prickly Pear.
There are lots of 'Tunas' on the Prickly Pear.  I hope the deer let them ripen.

Up onto the deck, here's one of the three Hawthornia we have in the copper windowbox liner.
You can see why some people call this Zebra Plant.

My aim here was for a vignette of orbs.
Golden Barrel Cactus, Blue Fescue, and a hummingbird feeder that's pretty, but leaks.
So far, so good...

The Wall pocket with Liriope.
Notice the wren's nest.  She worked hard on this, then never came back.
We're leaving it for a while, just in case.

In the Fenced Yard, Liriope is a favorite.

Along with Aztec Grass.  I'd use them all over the whole place.  But, deer eat them, so they have to stay behind a fence.

The Cannas are beginning to take off.  I hope they bloom this year.  The burgundy one didn't bloom at all last summer.  It's supposed to be red.  The Striped leaf one did bloom, and it had some really nice blooms last year.

Purple Heart is a good performer, in sun or shade.

And, I like the Silver Ponyfoot, too.  It's a happy little ground cover that looks really good spilling over the sides of containers.  I'd love to have it out front, too.  But, the time I tried, the deer ate it all, but left the Holly Fern behind.

gratuitous picture of the view


We have a lot more foliage.
Foliage is a favorite around here.
It's always giving interest to the garden, even when there are no blooms.

What kind of foliage to you have?
Go over and join Pam, for more Fabulous Foliage.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Foliage Follow-Up....February, 2012

Agave Lophantha

Yesterday, I showed you the meager blooms we have here at 

Patchwork Garden.

Today, we join Pam, over at Digging, for 

Foliage Follow-Up.

You've seen a lot of these many times before.

I'm loving the Mexican Feathergrass, Nasella tenuissima.  That plant above performed well all during the 

awful summer we had...with a good drink about once a month.

Who wouldn't love that.  Freezes don't seem to bother it, either.

Lamb's Ear, Stachys byzantina, is always a good foliage plant.

That fuzzy leaf is not tasty to the deer.

The same goes for Jerusalem Sage, Phlomis fruitcosa.  

Although, I have seen the deer chomp on the blooms.  Not often, though.

They never touch the Rosemary.  

This is also in the same bed as the feathergrass...watered once a month or so last summer.  

I've never seen the deer mess with Dusty Miller, Senecio cineraria.

Or, this Artemisia 'Powis Castle'.

This Squid Agave, Agave bracteosa, is doing well.
There are two of these, in containers by the front porch...inspired by Pam's culvert planters.

We're still not sure what this agave is.  A friend of my daughter-in-law gave her two pups.  She shared one with us.  It's grown a lot.  I'm protecting from the deer, with my homemade screen....a cut down tomato cage, covered with deer mesh.

Anybody know what kind it is?

We have a new Yucca.  I need to do some research on what kind it is.  

The label was discriptive....'yucca'.  

It's pretty, huh?

There's pretty foliage in the Veggie Garden.

This Brussels Sprout is looking good.  Not sure we'll get sprouts, though.

I don't seem to be too good at growing Brussels Sprouts.  But, the leaves are pretty.

The Swiss Chard, 'Bright Lights', looks good, too.  These look good, even in the flower garden.

Oops!  How'd this bloom get in here?

I missed it yesterday.  It's on the Sugar Snap Peas.  Again, not many came up.  

I don't seem to have much luck with these, either.

OK...back to our regularly scheduled foliage report.

Cilantro...I planted one little pot of this, late last spring.  It didn't last long.  The heat set in early.

This year, there are several that just appeared.  They make a pretty plant.  And, of course, they're good to use in lots of dishes.

Last, but nowhere least....Celery.

Remember when I told you that Ally @ Garden Ally had shown how you can grow celery from the root end?
Well....it worked...and, in no time.  I just set this on top of the soil, about a week ago.
This fuzzy picture shows you what's happening.  How cool!

OK...I've shown you some of what I've got.
Head over to Pam's, and see what else is out there.

Happy Foliage Follow-Up...
~~Linda~~