Hope

Sometimes, living in Central Texas is like riding a weather roller coaster.  One day, you're in shorts....then a 'cold front' comes through.  There's a freeze, or a frost and ZAP!....there goes your plants.  Then, you're back in shorts again.

  The Castor Bean was finally really blooming.  I was hoping for some seeds.

I want more of these next year....even taller and fuller.  I bought these as transplants, at a garden show.  I just don't remember which booth.

The above picture was taken the day before Thanksgiving....80 degrees Fahrenheit.  On Thanksgiving Day, as we drove to our son's home, the temperature dropped 25 degrees in 15 miles! 

 The next morning was 20F....and, this is how the Castor Bean looks now.

The pretty red pom poms are brown.

I saved them.  I'm hoping they have some good seeds inside.  I'm not too sure what to do with them.  Do you know?

I just might have to remember where I got the ones this year.

HOPE, is what keeps gardeners coming back for more.

Happy Gardening...

 ~~Linda~~

Leaves…

Fall is here.  

We don’t get the fall color here in Central Texas, that other parts of the country do.  But, we’ll take what we can get.

So, for Foliage Follow-Up this month, I though I’d show you our leaves.

Most of our color, here at Patchwork Garden, comes from the Cedar Elms.

We do have oaks, other than the Live Oaks.

I’m not sure what kind this is.  But, it turns are beautiful rust in the fall.

The Crepe Myrtles, along the cart path, turn a bright ruby red.

And, so does the Virginia Creeper.

Looking back to the house from the creek, the color is mostly yellow and gold.

But, looking from the house to the creek, you see all the colors of our fall.

Then, there are these leaves.  Piles and piles of Cedar Elm leaves.  Keeping things neat is a full time job, this time of year.  But, leaves make good compost.

Hope your fall is as lovely as ours.

For more Foliage Follow-up, be sure to visit Pam at Digging.

Happy Gardening…

~~Linda~~

What a Difference a Day Makes....

Recently, I met up with some good friends for a couple days.  We stayed at a house on the Colorado River, between Inks Lake and Lake LBJ, in the Hill Country.

The first day dawned rainy and cold.  Fall had 'fallen'.  A brisk breeze made it a bit uncomfortable to sit on the dock.  So, we decided we'd just have to go shopping.



The morning we left, the day dawned bright and crisp.

Still a bit chilly, the misty rain of the day before had blown away.

The morning sun reflected on the water, what passes for fall here in the hills of Central Texas.

What a difference a day makes.

Rain or shine, it's always good to spend time with friends. 

Hope you're having a great fall.

~~Linda~~

Salvia....

Red Salvia coccinea and Indigo Spires

What would Central Texas gardeners do without the many salvias we have?  They're a mainstay in my garden.  Blues and purples, coral and reds.....they're all welcome here.  And....the always important asset....the DEER DON'T LIKE THEM!



The Salvia 'indigo spires' above, came with us from our old garden.  It's about ten years old, and still going strong.  It should have been cut back hard at the end of July.  I'd cut it back in June, and that was too early. 

It's a bit too leggy...needs more sun that it gets where it is.  It'll be moving soon.

I've been pleased with the Salvia coccinea I planted this year.  Sometimes called Scarlet Sage, it's a texas native.  It reseeds itself.  That's fine with me.  I spread them around.

I also have Salvia coccinea coral.  It hasn't reseeded like the red....unfortunately.

Mealy Blue Sage, Salvia farinacea, is another native....in blue...

....and white.

Salvia greggii, also known as Atumn sage or Cherry sage, is a great performer.

Evergreen and very drought tolerant. 

This red came with us from the old garden.

The pink came with the house.

For fall blooms, Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans, is a good one.

I really like the spikey red blooms.  It makes a nice bush all summer....even though, this is another one I should have pruned back midsummer.

View from master bath window.

Another great fall bloomer, is Mexican Bush Sage, Salvia leucantha.

I like the fuzzy purple spikes.

I have the solid purple, and the purple with white tips.  I think I like the all purple best. 

It should have been pruned back, too.  I think I need to do a better job, next summer.

There will be more of this one planted.

There are many more salvias, and I plan to add more to my garden. 

Salvias are dependable bloomers.  The bees and hummingbirds love them.  And, again...

THE DEER DON'T LIKE THEM!!

What more could you ask.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~