Late Season Stress

Mother Nature was most benevolent today, allowing me to finish nearly all of my lingering outside duties in 65° weather before the rains hit later this afternoon. This gives me great relief, as there's nothing worse for a gardener than facing the doldrums of winter with chores left undone.

By my count, I planted something in the neighborhood of 115 bulbs (and a few other stragglers) today with the help of my trusty new auger. I'll never plant bulbs without it again. Here's the line-up of what hit the dirt today:

10 Tulip acuminata
16 Allium schubertii
10 Anemone coronaria bicolor
2 Dracunculus vulgaris (Dragon lily, Voodoo lily)
10 Dwarf iris histrioides 'George'
5 Dwarf iris winogradowii
10 Dutch iris 'Rosario'
20 Dutch iris Apollo
10 Ornithogalum nutans (Silverbells)
10 Chionodoxa 'Blue Giant' (Glory of the Snow)
12 Daffodil centannees

Other:
1 Eremurus Shelford Hybrids (Foxtail Lily, Desert Candle)
1 Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff'
1 Bearded Iris 'Wench'
1 Bearded Iris 'Anaconda Love'
1 Bearded Iris 'Aggressively Forward'
1 Japanese Iris 'Picotee Wonder'

I still have a few plants in pots on the patio that will most likely end up in either the greenhouse or the garage, but either way I'll find a comfortable temporary home for them.

Mulling Over Mulla Mulla

One of the new hot plants getting an awful lot of press in the last year has been Ptilotus exaltatus or, as it's known in its native Australia, Mulla Mulla.

Why all the attention? Well, it's a gorgeous plant, for one thing, and thrives in the harshest of conditions. Believe me, I know. I'm growing the 'Platinum Wallaby' variety in a container in my backyard now and, despite nearly a month of triple digit temperatures and very little rain, this plant is still blooming and still pretty.

According to a very informative article published last year in Sunset Magazine, the 'Platinum Wallaby' is an all-around better plant than a similar variety called 'Joey,' at least as far as North Texas gardens are concerned. 'Platinum Wallaby' prefers alkaline soil, which we have a lot of here, and as a perennial, it also appears to just be generally tougher.

Since Proven Winners is a supplier of 'Platinum Wallaby,' I'm hoping it will hop to our local nurseries faster than a bush kangaroo.

What Do You Get After Two Inches of Rain in Two Hours?

Hopefully, rain lilies. This is Zephyranthes sp. 'Labuffarosa'

Conflicting Reports

Everything seems to be "off" this year weather- and garden-wise, in one way or another.

I saw a hummingbird today - the earliest ever - yet the juncos are still here. Some of my Louisiana irises are swelling with buds...at the same time as their usually-earlier German bearded and Siberian iris cousins are blooming.

Nearly all of the tomatoes planted at the Community Garden perished in sub-zero, wind-whipped temperatures last week. Because of the presence of the aforementioned juncos, I continued to hold off on planting my half dozen or so tomato plants, and am trying not to be smug about my foresight. But watching the birds was something my mother taught me from a very young age; our feathered friends possess a sixth sense about weather conditions that we do not. At least, the winter birds have it, anyway. I'm not sure what that crazy hummingbird is doing here already.

Anyway, lots of plant orders are trickling in. I don't consider myself old enough to be even close to senile, but I can never seem to remember/envision what I ordered from these companies when they get around to finally shipping the order to me. I save invoices, make notes, etc., but by gosh I still find myself tearing open boxes like a kid at Christmas because I truly don't know exactly what's inside. A Salvia Pachyphylia 'Blue Flame'? Great! Thanks! (What the heck does that look like??)

I am expecting a 10 lb. box from Bluestone Perennials tomorrow. Ten pounds of plants sounds like a lot to me...! So I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend. Besides that order, I have six Agastaches and Salvias from High Country Gardens to plant, plus two daylilies and 30(!) Gladiolus bulbs from Dutch Gardens that need to taste soil pretty quick.

And, in what must have been a lustful tropical plant haze, I also ordered several plants from Logee's, including one of those incredible-looking Diamond Head purple elephant ears. Not sure when that order will arrive. I'm trying my hand with a more common red Passiflora (other than Margaret, which didn't do well for me in the past for some reason) plus another round of Tarnok Sarrencia for the water barrel garden and a 'Chad' hibiscus just because it was stupifying.

Call me a multitasker, but I'm also managing several vegetable projects around the backyard. I have two new 3' x 3' beds by the driveway which now host radishes, peas, carrots and beets, and a couple of half whiskey barrels around the pool area with cabbage, bok choi and radicchio. All of these are doing well; the squirrels and/or rabbits are keeping their chewing to a minimum. I've planted nasturtiums around the containerized plants and the marauding rodents seem to be repelled by it. Amazing.

So there's a nice big, fat update about what's been going on with me in the outdoors arena. Spring might be here around Dallas...we're still not sure. But one thing is certain: I'm ready to plant!

Good Intentions Make Good Mulch

So I'm starting off 2009 with a few personal gardening resolutions that have been posted for all to see over at Dave's Garden.

Some are ambitious (like not killing any more orchids), while others are just plain necessary (like being more active at the Plano Community Garden). But I'm optimistic about the new year, and not just for good gardening.

After building two 2'x 2' raised beds and filling them with soil the other day, I felt 100 years old. Every part of me ached. So 2009 will be a year in which I also hope to become stronger physically by returning to regular weight training and elevated cardio routines...and lugging bags of compost doesn't count!

Finally, and as my Dave's Garden article mentions, I promise to post here more. Many times I considered shutting this site down since I almost never update it. But then I would hem and haw and never do that either, mostly because I don't want to. I like writing about gardening and I like reading about other people's gardens. So I hope there are a few of you out there who are still interested.

Riding the Rue

Found this little fella lounging on my blue rue this morning, even though the plant is small and still in a nursery container. I moved it under my patio rocking chair when the weather suddenly turned windy and chilly. Hopefully he'll hang around and pupate. I believe he is a 4th instar Black Swallowtail.

Late Summer's Glow

I like the glow of my backyard gardens in late summer. The white flowers of the autumn clematis on the back fence really sparkle, and in the morning light, the swaying brooms on the Zebra Grass catch the sun in a lovely manner.


And here's a look at the afore-mentioned woodpecker. Actually, there might be a pair of them; this looks like a female to me, and I know I've seen a male with the complete red "hood" on his head. It's possible this is an immature male, however. Anyway, I'm always glad to see some new and cool birds in my yard.

The Heat Is On

June has definitely brought summer to North Central Texas, along with lots of wind. The last week has seen my crank-out patio awning tucked safely away due to continuous gustiness. The wind doesn't seem to stop me from cooking steaks on the charcoal grill, however, albiet cautiously. Strangely we've not been under wind advisories.

Some spider-related news: I always try to park in the furthest of our uncovered parking lots at work. The five minute slightly uphill stroll is usually a pleasant way to start the day. But imagine my surprise yesterday when I stepped out of my vehicle and was confronted by one of these. He was really quite large, leggy and beautiful; unfortunately the photo I took with my phone-cam was pretty crappy. No one else was around to see him and I was glad, as most people's reflex would have been to stomp on him.

The Front Yard No-Grass Garden Project looks better every year. One of these days I'll have the whole thing filled in. I was pleased that the Bear's Breeches decided to finally bloom this year, after three seasons of patient waiting.





Our 12-year-old collie Alf had a seizure the other night and I fear his days are numbered. He still seems to have the energy to go digging and skulking behind the sumac shrub in the back corner of our yard, pretending he's a jungle dog, however.

That's Just Ducky

The mallards in our neighborhood have been pretty friendly lately. A trio of males seems to especially like our yard.

Since we've been enjoying the HBO series of "John Adams" so much in our household, I was inspired to name them Adams, Jefferson and Franklin.

Ready to Graduate

Next weekend, all of my little veggie seedlings will graduate to the garden. The varieties I had to restart have come along well.

Even though I usually avoid annuals like the plague (I always think of the Plant Delights t-shirt: "Friends don't let friends buy annuals"), I did start some annual flower seeds, including Calendula 'Oktoberfest' and Gentian Sage 'Cambridge Blue'.

The tomatoes are ready for planting too. This year, I'm trying a couple of hybrids for hotter climates: Orange King and Sun Leaper, plus returning to some old favorites: Early Girl, Black Pearl, and Red Lightning.

Fit for a Toad

I knew there were open pockets deep inside my compost bin, but I guess they were a little bigger and more cave-like than I thought...

After opening one of the ground-level sidedoors of the bin and scraping out some finished compost, I noticed several odd, white shapes deep in the hole. Sticking my shovel inside and knocking it around produced several of these gorgeous, portbello-sized mushrooms.

They sure looked tasty, but I wouldn't dare take that risk. So back into the bin they went.

The weather forecast finally allowed me to plant the four heirloom roses that have been languishing in containers in my sunroom all winter. They started leafing out weeks ago (I know, I know...not good), so I had to keep them inside until temperatures improved. Hopefully we'll be done with this snow stuff until next year.

The four roses, ordered from Heirloom Roses, were:

Midnight Blue

Julia's Rose

Remember Me

Scentimental

Jungle Fever

Yeah, I'm in Texas.

For awhile there, I was in doubt. Now...no. It's been 100° for a week, and we've got at least another week more to go.

That's all right, though. Everybody was expecting the heat to come. Sure as Karl Rove's resignation, we knew it would happen eventually.

Ok, here's a picture that begs a question similar to "do these pants make my butt look big?"

I'm wondering: does my backyard look jungle-y? I think it kind of does. (Although it's still not as obnoxious as it was a couple of years ago.)



The crossvine has gone crazy. The coleus are out of control. And I went a little nuts when I saw Home Depot finally got their Plumerias in.

Again, I'm pretty much fine with it. The drought is officially over in North Texas and I seriously doubt we will experience this kind of lush growth again for awhile. So, jungle-looking backyard? C'mon down.

New Nepenthes

Well, I might actually get some gardening in today...once the rain stops. Yes, more showers graced the Northern areas of the Dallas metroplex this morning. Temperatures had started creeping into the more August-like 90's lately, making for a bit of wilting among the smaller container plants, so a little drink from Mother Nature was welcome.

Since I start my new bigtime high-paying job on Monday (yey!), I allowed myself to splurge on this magnificent Nepenthes 'Miranda' that I spotted in Calloways. Actually, $26 wasn't a bad price for such a big specimen.



I always see the 'Alata' pitcher plants in stores and, being me, I wanted something a little different, especially after visiting Dotty Woodson's greenhouses recently and seeing her absolutely HUGE pitcher plants dangling spookily from the roof.

My Texas Star Hibiscus is doing pretty well despite being in a big pot. Once it's done blooming, I think it'll need to go in the ground. A few things in the Front Yard Garden Project have perished due to...wait for it...too much rain. Can you believe that? My 3'x3' rosemary bush is now a crisp brown. Two artemisias, an echinops and a kniphofia are gone too. Dang.



Of course, next year we'll probably return to our regularly scheduled drought and triple digit temps. But for now, I'm thinking swamp plants like the hibiscus might be appropriate.



Speaking of hibiscus, I have neglected to publicly thank my friend and fellow gardener Larry in NC (aka 'Daturapod') for sending me some lovely tropical and perennial hibiscus cuttings back in June. Larry was most generous in sharing these with me. I've got a cutting of that Hurricane Lily Hibiscus going for you now, Lar!

Sweet Potato, Sweet Boy

Here's a nice shot of my sweet potato vines and my second best boy...Alf the collie.

Air Traffic Control

Bumblebee Moth Hemaris diffinis

The air is abuzz with life these days. I sit on our patio and watch the activity in rapt fascination...until the mosquitoes find me.

Because of all the rain, the dragonflies are out in record numbers. So, it seems, are the butterflies and moths. The cicadas have started their chainsaw song, which brings the gigantic cicada killers out, swooping through the air with macho aplomb.

We have a particularly precocious hummingbird coming to the backyard this year. If you're anywhere near the feeder, she will hover for a moment, then slowly edge toward you, as if to say "Hello! How are ya? I'm getting a drink, is that ok?"

Miss Hummer and my old collie were practically nose-to-nose this morning as she said her hello's. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a camera in moments like that.

Bite Me

The mosquitoes are horrible around DFW at the moment. Heavy, continuous rains have saturated the ground, thus creating the perfect environment for the little beasts.

I have been diligent in putting BT dunks in the birdbaths and emptying plant trays. I even sprinkled some BT crystals around the foundation of our house, where the skeeters really seem to congregate. But the BT takes awhile to work, and I want these bastards gone now.

I'm surprised the organic business hasn't come up with more to kill adult mosquitoes. Most are just repellents, like the awful-smelling garlic spray. I like the clove oil mixture, but it can hurt beneficial insects.

Bioganic is offering a peppermint oil-based flying insect spray at select Wal-Marts...but I imagine it is toxic to beneficials as well.

Double Trouble

I apologize for my absence here. Job hunting has taken precedence over blogging and gardening, unfortunately. My goal is to be a paid gardening Web writer...so hey, online editors? Email me.

We are continuing to get more rain than usual here in DFW, which is keeping the mosquitoes fat and happy. I unwisely went out to the community garden unprotected after a recent rain and was mercilessly chewed. It was nearly as bad as September in Belize at dusk. And let me tell you, that's bad.

Lots of huge hummingbird moths are active at night now (think of Buffalo Bill's collection in Silence of the Lambs). However, I've only seen one actual hummingbird. A large female suddenly appeared over the patio a couple of weeks ago, alternately dive-bombing our bewildered collie and sniffing the hot pink Salvia Greggii.

The second Dracunculus Vulgaris is blooming in the backyard at present - and thankfully, it's not nearly as stinky as the first one was. Not quite as big either. The first quickly shriveled after blooming and now the entire plant is going. Someone asked if this plant dies back to the ground each year and I'm guessing the answer to that is yes. I do hope they return next season!



And here is a Double Tiger Lily (Lilium lancifolium 'Florepleno') that's going strong in the backyard now. Besides the gorgeous orange double flowers, this heirloom offers bulbils in the leaf axis along the stem. I'm going to try to harvest them and plant some for next year once these guys are done showing off.

Lord of the Flies

Isn't this spectacular? I don't know who's more agog, me or the flies. They are swarming around this thing, and it's no wonder. The stench is gag-inducing. Even my dogs won't go near it.

But my heavens, I've been waiting years for this. The flower itself is over 18" long.

I am squelching the urge to show it to my husband. He might get a complex.

Worshiping the Devil

Seems that the Louisiana Iris show is over for now. I expect more will bloom next spring, and I remain pleasantly surprised at how many emerged for me this year.

Pictured below is a plant I've been trying to grow for a long time without success, until now. It is Dracunculus vulgaris, commonly known as Devil's Tongue, Dragon Arum, Voodoo Lily, and a host of other colorful common names.

I estimate that the spathe is still about a week from opening. When it does unfurl, the first day's stench is supposed to be comparable to sewage...! (This flower is pollinated by flies rather than bees, so that makes sense.)

Unlike all the times I tried to grow it before, the two Dracunculus in this bed are getting complete shade and are in the richest of yummy, rich soils. And, like everything this spring, they're receiving plenty of rain.

More pics to come as the Grand Opening approachs...