This Week in the Garden

The front walk is looking very blonde these days with all the Mexican feathergrass and pale yellow firecracker fern. My cat, on the other hand, is not looking blonde at all End of the artichoke days I read here that you can cut the plant back to the ground in June and it will put out new stalks in the fall. So cool, especially as I was thinking of it as an annual! I've put some burgundy okra seeds at the base of the plant, and hopefully they'll fill in the spot while it's dormant. On the more vibrant side, golden thryallis and coral bean are kicking into gear against the front of the house. Cigar plant is looking its best along the side of the house. And while the copper canyon behind it has finished blooming, the foliage makes a lovely backdrop. Trimmed up the possumhaw this week. And while I was at it, I noticed some nice, soft (sedge?) grass clumps along the drip irrigation line (hoping they'll multiply). Still brainstorming landscape ideas for this side yard. Only one more fennel bulb left (last one harvested was sauteed with butter and white wine and mussels), and that one's just for seed. The neighboring plants are appreciating the space the fennel harvesting freed up. The other plants on Friday: red okra, a couple of basils, shallots, japanese eggplant...and a Cherokee purple tomato, with two full-size green tomatoes on it. You can see one resting on the stone border. Protected by bird netting. Which does absolutely nothing to stop a determined squirrel. I've learned my lesson: only cherry tomatoes from now on. Next to the veggie bed in the decomposed granite is a volunteer watermelon...guess that's the silver lining in having raccoons or squirrels break into a couple last summer. Volunteer angel's trumpet has taken over this bed, and I'm slowly cutting it back...which is hard because the blooms are gorgeous. Gotta give the lemongrass, mint and shrimp plant I planted last fall a chance, though. The same bed from the other direction: loving the bronze fennel, but I wish I had planted it behind the shorter Blue Beard Caryopteris right behind it...again, I was thinking it was an annual. Surprise! Some non-orange cosmos came up from seed I threw out last year. Another surprise! Some daylilies survived the renovation on the garage apartment two summers ago. So much happening in the garden these days before full summer...enjoying everything but the mosquitos.

Snacking in the Summer Veggie Bed

Summer's coming The veggie beds are shaded in the morning by Natchez crepe myrtle in full bloom. Crepe myrtle is buzzing with dozens of bees. The fruit is so dense on this patio tomato that I missed the fact that there was a tomato ripening. Now, this is just rude! Somebody took a couple of bites and left the rest for the ants. Time to pull up the dill! Might try to transfer the ladybug larvae to other aphid-y areas (like the mojito mint). The fennel has been a great host To swallowtail caterpillars like these (a couple of months back) Yesterday was the first time to harvest the bulbs (my sister cooked them with lentils and sausage: delicious!), and they had multiplied. A lot. The bulb on the left is actually 6 inches high (the white part), but most of the others are small. And it looks like there's a least one more round of caterpillars before summer sets in. Cherokee Purple tomatoes are a little easier to spot...hoping I get one before the bandit gets them. A new potted arrangement: dwarf beans from seed, dwarf blue corn, purple basil & an exotic version of bachelor button (not blooming at the moment).

A watched artichoke never blooms

Dec 1 Mar 2 Mar 18 Mar 27 Apr 15 April 28 May 6

End of the summer vegetable garden

Today's harvest:

The beginnings of fall are in the air (cool mornings, rain, less reliance on A/C throughout the day). And I love the fall vegetable garden: all that chard and broccoli and herbs. But just when I'm planning to put in the cool weather veggies, the eggplant and okra are producing better than ever due to rain and sun and milder temps. Vegetable bed space is at a premium, though, and their days are numbered...

Friday's harvest included the biggest Japanese eggplant I've ever seen.
I pulled up the light pink zinnias today (below is a before shot from 2 weeks ago) and tried to corral & stake the others (can't give up my weekly bouquets quite yet). One of the stems I pulled up was over 6 feet tall; it would get too tall, flop over, change direction of growth, flop over again and repeat. Next year I will have a strategy to keep giant zinnias pointed upward and stable.
Stopped by Barton Springs Nursery today, and the almond verbena was in full bloom and smelled amazing. Lots of good things in stock, too.

Front Garden: Month Three

Hard to remember that my wild and woolly front landscape was a blank slate three months ago. It's fun to do the monthly photo and compare to week one (that may lose its appeal as we head into full summer). See below how everything has the appropriate growing and breathing room back in the first week of April:

Now: Oops! Burgundy hibiscus just keeps growing, crowding over the gulf muhly grasses. I suppose this is what can happen when you buy a plant with unknown size requirements. Thank goodness the foliage is gorgeous and it's an annual.
Behind the hibiscus, the fig's much more slow growing, but it's looking fuller. And the fireworks ferns are doing fine.

Here's the front garden on the other side of the path, back in early April (clockwise from top left: gaura, firebush, blackie sweet potato, gregg's mist, artemesia, rosemary, Mexican feathergrass)

Far corner of that area, also early April (note that the sweet potato vine is behind the gregg's mist):
Today: everything's filled out to the point that some plants probably need to be cut back. The sweet potato vine made its way through the gregg's mist on its way to the sidewalk.

Back view of that same area: watermelon vine has run amok!

The veggie garden is still productive (tomatoes, eggplants, watermelon, zinnias, occasional green bean), but not very pretty!

Next time, I will have a strategy for tomato sprawl...

And to end on a more lovely landscape note, yesterday's rain brought the butterflies out this morning. Here's one on the gaura (also called, I believe, "whirling butterflies").