Fall color in Austin? Yes, but not on trees
What honeybee shortage? The bees were a-buzzin’ on the ‘Carefree Beauty’ roses this morning.
After a hot and muggy week, a cool front moved through early this morning, lowering the temperature by only a few degrees but blissfully drying out the air. The fresh breeze enticed me out to see the fall color in the garden. You won’t find it on trees but in the roses, salvias, oregano, cupheas, and coppery grasses.
Another shot of a bee homing in on ‘Carefree Beauty.’
Salvia leucantha. Mexican bush sage’s fuzzy spires beg to be touched.
The hummingbird loves Salvia leucantha, but don’t bother looking for him. I didn’t catch him today.
Another plant from Mexico that grows well in Austin: Mexican oregano (Poliomintha longiflora ). This one has bloomed all summer and is still going strong.
The leaves are wonderfully fragrant, and of course they’re edible.
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’ adds its coppery feathers. All of the ornamental grasses are really starting to bloom. Next week I hope to do a follow-up post on the grasses in my garden.
Miscanthus ‘Yaku Jima’ fans out in front of orange cigar plant (Cuphea ignea ).
Little hymenoxys, or four-nerve daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa ), glows sunnily at the front of the beds.
A sculptural form surrounded by fine texture: ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave with Mexican oregano (behind) and cuphea (in front).
A trio of ‘Carefree Beauty’ says adieu to summer. Hello, carefree fall days.
Hi again, Pam
Great to see your grasses again. Love the photo of the Miscanthus ‘Yaku Jima’! Now really looking forward to seeing your follow-up post. Enjoy your the rest of your weekend 🙂
The follow-up is coming soon. Stay tuned, Shirl. —Pam
I love that salvia. Right now I don’t have salvia because several years ago I had some that mis-behaved, so I ripped it out. Perhaps that was short-sighted of me and I should try again with some Salvias hardy in my garden. We are in between colors right now. Flowers are fading but the trees are just barely starting to show some color. I put a link to a leaf webcam in Indiana on my blog, you should check it out sometime (in a few weeks, when we have some fall color).
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
Your salvia misbehaved? I’ve never known one to misbehave before. What did that naughty salvia do, I’m wondering? —Pam
Love that Salvia leucantha. Incredible!
Thanks for dropping by, Dirty Knees. —Pam
Pam: All the photos are incredible. I envy you the Salvia leucantha. I tried to grow it as an annual here but just as it started to bloom, the frost got it! Also the Whale’s Tongue agave is fabulous. Thanks!
I’ve read that it can be grown as an annual farther north. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, as it really is a beautiful salvia. But then again, I like them all. —Pam
I love that you’ve got agaves and carefrees – if not side by side, at least in the same general vicinity! (Agave and Cuphea are a genius combo) And as hard as it would be for me to give up a New England fall, I’m envious of your (much longer?) and lusciously colorful growing season! (That said, I do appreciate a weather enforced break…)
I love to pair old roses with cacti and agaves. They make a very unique pairing. I gave up a pretty nice North Carolina fall to move to Austin. I still miss it. So I’ll be leaf-peeping on all the northern blogs this month and next. However, fall and winter in Austin are so nice that it makes the trade-off easier. —Pam
Great shots! I really like the bee on the rose.
Thanks, Phillip. —Pam
The Mexican oregano looks so lush but neat in your closeups – mine definitely require a haircut!
That is a nice bee with rose photo, and I’m happy to see a few buds still forming on my ‘Julia Child”. [Maybe I should say “alleged” Julia Child just in case it’s another plant mismarked by the nursery.]
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
That’s just how I feel about my “alleged” Yaku Jima and Adagio miscanthuses. —Pam