Hello yellow
Sunny yellows brighten up a late-winter day, so I thought I’d share a few with you. Here’s a bud on a hymenoxys (Tetraneuris scaposa ) —as fuzzy and yellow as a spring chick.
Its yellow faces stand out among the somber browns of winter.
In the afternoon sunlight, bamboo muhly grass (Muhlenbergia dumosa ), pictured at bottom right, takes on a yellow hue, complementing the yellow-and-green variegated agave behind it. Serendipitously, it plays off the yellow-green glazed pot farther along the walk. Colorful containers are a great source of winter color in my garden.
The feathery, yellow-green foliage of the bamboo muhly contrasts wonderfully with the thick, curling arms of the agave. To the left, the plant with pointy, yellow-green leaves edged in white is a Jerusalem sage (Phlomis lanata ), which flowers bright yellow in spring. I have high hopes for its pairing with the variegated agave.
Here’s a closer look at the Jerusalem sage. Its fuzzy, evergreen leaves have a silvery cast, marking it as a tough, xeric plant. Against all odds, considering my poor track record with Jerusalem sage, I kept this one alive last year—by ignoring it. I’ve just transplanted it in my redesigned foundation bed, and I hope that by ignoring it again it’ll grow beautifully.
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
In my previous garden the Tetraneuris scaposa bloomed 12 months of the year. I need to plant one here so that I won’t ever be embarrassed on bloom day again.
Isn’t it a great little plant? And it never seems to get thirsty in summer. The trade-off on ever-blooming plants is that they don’t last very long. The clump in my garden has begun to peter out after two or three years. I need to buy a few new ones to rejuvenate the front border. —Pam
Somtimes I think that you easerly can “nurse” a plant to death.
Ken
So true, Ken. –Pam
Beautiful shot of the bamboo muehly, Pam.
Thanks, Bonnie. I don’t think this plant has a bad side. It’s always gorgeous looking. —Pam
Pam, you touched on something here that most gardeners figure out eventually. Sometimes ignoring a plant is the best way to take care of it.
Carol, May Dreams Gardens (where we had some sun today!)
We both had sun today. I sure enjoyed it, and I’m sure you did too. Thanks for commenting, Carol. —Pam
Yes, I don’t know how many plants I have loved to death. I have a friend that always tells me I am too nice to my plants when I can’t grow something that she can grow.
Killing with kindness. We’ve got to watch that, don’t we? —Pam
“Colorful containers are a great source of winter color” winter color? That looks like spring to me!
I suppose to a cold climate gardener, Austin’s winters would always look like fall or spring. —Pam
The yellow blooms are so cheering at this time of year. So is the Bamboo Muhly Grass. I like the way it looks along with the Jerusalem Sage and the Agave!
Thanks, Kate. I find yellow very cheering too. —Pam
The yellow blooms are wonderfully sunny on this winter day. I can see signs of spring though and yesterday, I heard the birds singing.~~Dee
Spring isn’t far off, is it? Will you have daffodils soon? —Pam
Hi again, Pam 🙂
Oh… its hard to believe it is winter in your garden. The yellows look great and I love the yellow grass too. Ah… it’s like the gardening season has started already looking at your garden 😀
By Austin standards, this is the early beginning of spring. Some of the ornamental fruit trees have already bloomed and leafed out, and daffodils and quince aren’t far behind. While our spring can be as warm as some regions’ summers (it’s in the 80s F today), it does last a good while, from February to early May. The Texas wildflowers like bluebonnets and Indian blankets finish out the season. —Pam