This and That...

Well...the roller coaster weather is still here.

The last week, it’s been warm enough to sit

on the porch, in the evening. 

Even with the drizzle and fog, it’s been nice. 

And, the frogs are out and singing their songs. 

This could be some of the reason. 

We finally had some real rain. 

The runoff put some water in the pond,

behind the house. 

A lot of things are as happy as the frogs. 

The rosemary...which is picky about blooming here..

has some blooms. 

Pretty...

And, even an iris is blooming. 

And, Primrose Jasmine. 

And, weeds. They love the gravel...and the rain. 

Oh well...

You can’t have everything. 

We’re promised more rain. 

But, who knows WHAT the weather will do. 

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

A Little of This, and A Little of That...

Hot and humid have set in here.

We've had a lot of sunshine, with a few quick showers,

the last few days.

We do need some more rain, though.

We have so many trees, sometimes those quick showers don't

put much water on the plants.

The Great Prickly Pear Wars continue.

I've sprayed so much soapy water,

I keep expecting foam to cover the ground,

when we do have a shower.

They've spread to other prickly pears, though.

So, next up is something stronger.

I hate to lose these larger plants.

 Salvia guaranitica

Things are blooming.

 Impatiens

Yarrow

And, the Oleander, that has seldom bloomed, since we planted it.

Something woke it up.

Not sure I ever showed you the olla our grandson gave us for Christmas.

Too cute to bury. 

I decided on the vine for the AC screen trellis.

A Scarlet Passion Vine.

I went to the garden center where our daughter lives,

to get a purple one...Incense Passion vine...

but, they were out...and, we were there..

and, I needed a vine.

Ergo...Scarlet. 

It might be an annual. It's not as hardy as the purple kind.

Among other things I've potted up...

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora...or luciae.

Not sure which it is.  Label just said Kalanchoe.

Another succulent and strawflower cactus.

Even cleaned up the potting table.

That's so unusual, I decided to document it.

Tomatoes are setting.

I know a lot of you have harvested some already.

I was late getting mine in.

   

My best crop, is the grass coming back up in the Veggie Garden.

Need to get out there and get it out...again.

The compost bed seems to be doing pretty well with plants.

Already took out the cucumbers...now, we have cantaloupe.

Before I go out to work...

or, just pick up the newspaper...

I need to don my arsenal of mosquito repellents.

The Avon one seems to work well, and it doesn't warn not

to get it on automobiles. 

In a couple days, I'm off to Camp...

the annual get together of Buttercups.

I didn't make it last year, because of health reasons.

Linda Lieu was my stand-in.

This year, the Buttercup on the far left won't make it.

She fell and broke her jaw, just a few days ago.

She's doing a bit better, but

she could use your good thoughts, and some prayers.

I missed the concert in the park, last year.

And, we'll be too early for it this year.

But, we always have a good time.

Have a great weekend.

See you when I get back.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

This is Fall?....

The calendar says Fall.

But here in Central Texas, 

the thermometer still says Summer.

We're still hot...upper 90s...

and SO dry.

Still no rain here....

for almost FOUR months!

 across the Grove to Elli's Meadow

All the rain we had in the spring caused the

grasses to really grow.

The Grove

Now, all that grass is just fuel for fire.

It's a bit scary.

The Texas Sage keeps on blooming.

As the story goes, when the sage is in bloom, rain is close behind.

Well...as a friend says...we should rename it

Liar's Bush!

But, a few other things are blooming, too.

A few of my favorites....

Lion's Tail.

Leonotis leonurus

Mexican Bush Sage

Salvia leucantha

Big Muhly

Muhlenberia lindheimeri

And, I've been doing some more clean-up.

Here's a before, during and after.

Yes...I finally got the Veggie Garden cleaned up.

I'll be fighting those grass seeds for the rest of my life.

But, for now, it's good.

I hope you're having a beautiful Fall.

We're hoping for cool, WET weather here, soon.

Maybe the Liar's Bush will come through, after all.

Now, I have to go sweep up leaves.

Yes....it's that season....again.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Blooms and Foliage...May, 2015...

I've been neglecting this blog for a while.  

Travel and weed pulling, have gotten in the way.

The middle of each month, though, is when we join 

Carol at May Dreams Garden

and

Pam at Digging.
for Bloomday and Foliage Follow-Up.

We've been having a lot of rain.
So, I got out between rains, for some of these photos.

Not much is blooming here.
My garden is way behind some others due to a late freeze.

But, this prickly pear has been showing off a little...one bloom at a time.

This one is in the Drive Bed.
And, it's really been growing.

The Feverfew bloomed this year, too.
The flowers are on long stems, and I'm not too crazy about that.
But, the blooms are pretty.

The Verbena Bonariensis is blooming.
Another one with pretty flowers on long stems.

I tried a Mexican Honeysuckle this year.
I really like it and so do Hummingbirds.

It seems the deer like it, too.
I'll be moving it to the Fenced Yard.

What we have most of here, is foliage.

The Japanese Aralia is finally taking off. Mr. Rooster might get covered up.

Lophantha

and Quadracolor agave are doing well.

The Inland Seaoats are finally filling in the way I planned.
They're loving all this rain.

This Japanese Holly Fern is coming back from the dead.

We got the weeds out of the front beds,
and put down new mulch.

I think some cutting back is in store for the fig tree....
which is in a very wrong spot.
It was here when we got here.

In the veggie garden, the grapes are putting on clusters of grapes.

And, even though they got a very late start, the tomatoes are putting on fruit.

There's more going on here.
But, the sun is out and there's gardening that needs doing...
before it rains again.

Be sure to check out the Blooms and Foliage this month.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Bloomday, for June 2014.....

Here I go again....a day late.

But, I wanted to join
Carol at May Dreams Garden
for Bloomday.

There are several things blooming here.
I'll show you a few pictures, with few words.

 Daylily...'Chicago Star'

New Zealand Impatiens

 Jerusalem Sage/plomis fruticosa

 Lantana

 Monarda 'Peter's Purple' and Lantana

 Periwinkle/ vinca

 Impatiens

 Pink Turk's Cap

 Marigold

 Autumn Sage/salvia greggii

 Mealy Blue Sage/salvia farinacea

Purple Heart Bloom/setcreasea pallida

There are a few more.
But, this will do for now.

What's blooming in your garden?
Go over to Carol's, and see what's blooming, around the world.

www.maydreamsgardens.com

Blogger is being squirrely....again.


***********
'Til later...
Take care...
~~Linda~~