Summer Winding Down....

Well...

we haven't had anymore rain,

since a couple weeks ago,

when we had the six inches.

But, things are still happy.

The back, which is mostly Horse Herb, 

is greening up.

The Lantana is finally blooming.

The Ruellia is finally blooming, too.

I was beginning to think they'd just skip this summer.

And, the Plumbago is putting on a show.

The heat has returned.

There have been a lot of triple digit days here.

But, the forecast is for cooler and wetter days ahead.

We just cross our fingers, when we hear these forecasts.

But our Texas Sage, which is always reluctant to bloom,

is putting on a blooming show.

It's suppose to be a good omen for rain.

Let's hope the sage, and the weather guys,

are right.

We're certainly ready for some rain again.

And, cooler weather would be even more welcome.

Hope all is good in your garden.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

It Rained!...

We FINALLY had some rain.

Six inches of rain!

We really, really needed it.

It made everybody happy.

The planter we made in this old fountain,

was happy.  

The Periwinkle loved the rain.

It loves the heat, too.

The Plumbago is beginning to really bloom.

They love the heat, too.

And, a little water from heaven doesn't hurt.

Even the Prickly Pear loved the rain.

We're heating back up,

and we have a whole lot of sun.

But, it was nice while it lasted.

Hope you're having good weather,

wherever you are.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

This and That for Monday....

Happy Monday.

We had more rain, over the weekend.

Not much...but, every bit is welcome....especially, the soft, gentle kind.

The sun was out, too.

So, I took a few photos.

Finally got some pretty good light on the Firecracker Fern.

I like it's airiness and those little red flowers.

This was all brown and crispy, before the rain.

It's Horse Herb.  It's amazing how fast it gets green again, with a little drink.

The Plumbago had all it's blooms beaten off, right before Bloomday.

But, it's made up for it.

This one, sticking trough the wire on the deck, is still there.

Maybe the deer do leave this plant alone.

Hmmm....might plant a trial one outside the fence, next year.

The burgundy leaf canna, planted in a pot, is finally putting on a bud.

The ones planted in the ground, don't look half as good.

That's another one of the mysteries, to me.

I was going to trim back the Knockout Rose, to let it bush out more.

I didn't....now, look at that pretty new growth.

I just can't trim it off.

I do need to trim this boxwood, though.

Some people say take it out.  But, I think I like it.

The deer never touch it.  That makes it a favorite.

The Ruellia is blooming.

The dwarf purple....

...and, pink.

I moved this Mexican Oregano outside the fence.  The deer don't seem to bother it.

It's finally putting on some blooms.

The Echeveria are blooming.

It's an interesting little bloom.

The rain may be over for a while.  They're giving us a slight chance.

We'll have to see.

There's plenty to catch up on here, in the mean time.

Hope you're having a great Monday, wherever you are.

'Til next time...

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Wordless Wednesday....Summer Cool Aid...

You Can't Always Get What You Want.....

It's really hot here.  As I write this, our thermometers here at Patchwork Garden read 108F...actual temperature.  The heat index has to be more.  We won't think about that.

And, NO rain......

We've moved up to stage 3 water restrictions.  

That means no watering with automatic irrigation systems or hose-end sprinklers.  We can still use hose-end watering and "hose filled buckets", but only on designated days, at designated times.  Our days are Tuesdays and Fridays, up to 8:00 am, and after 8:00 pm.  

Luckily, we can use soaker hoses any day...but, only at certain times.  And, there is still a small amount left in the rain barrels.

If you look in the right place, things don't look so bad.  The golf course waters every night.  They have an exemption, because they have a business that requires it.  

But, turn to the right, and this is what reality looks like.  

The only thing alive in the creek is the Euphorbia 'Snow on the Mountain' (what a great sounding name.)

The deer gather in Elli's Meadow, looking for whatever they can find.

That is last year's grass.  And, turns out grass is something deer don't really eat.  That was a surprise to me.  I thought living on a golf course would mean they'd have plenty to eat and would not bother the landscaping quite as much.  Boy, was I wrong.

The deer wander into our yard.  Note the lovely lawn....dead grass, trampled by deer hoofs.

We make sure the birdbaths are filled.  

And, a bucket filled, for the babies, too short to reach the water in the bowl.  

This is i-Lean.  Notice her right front leg.  It was broken last year.  Mr. P named her.  He's a funny guy.

This photo is not zoomed.  She really does come that close.  And, she's looking pretty bad.

There's nothing much we can do for the deer.  Even if it wasn't a stiff fine to feed them, there are so many.  We'd never be able to feed them all.  

We're worried what the winter will bring for them.

On a brighter note....the few containers I have are loving the heat.

Thankfully, they don't require much water.

I think this little guy has the right idea. 

He lives on the porch...which isn't that easy, with Willow (who thinks this is his house), and Maggie chasing after him when he hops out of his hiding place.

Mr P filled the porch water bowl last night, with cool, fresh water...as soon as he set it down, this little frog jumped right in....dirt and all.

Too bad we don't have a bowl big enough for us.

Stay cool...pray for rain.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~