Tina’s purple iris

A friend gave me this iris two springs ago. This is its first bloom in my garden, so I wasn’t sure what color it would be. I love purple and yellow, so this is perfect for me. The stalks are tall, and the ruffled, lilac flowers are pretty rising over yellow damianita in front and the early blooms of zexmenia behind.

Salvia greggii

Pink autumn sage, or Salvia greggii , explodes into bloom at this time of year. This patch lies just inside the front garden gate. Blue mealy sage and the yellow blooms of Jerusalem sage can be spotted in the background.

Yellow columbine

Coral honeysuckle

This beautiful, deep-pink and orange flowering vine is a non-agressive, but also nonfragrant, honeysuckle. It’s very well-mannered and easy to control. It’s also semi-evergreen, losing only some of its leaves in the winter. With its small, neat green leaves, it makes an excellent screening or shading vine.

Gulf Coast penstemon

The dainty, lilac flowers of the Gulf Coast penstemon make a delicate display under the Mexican plum in the back garden. Unlike most penstemons, this one can take some shade and thrives in my heavy, clay soil.

Red and purple garden

In the back garden, I’ve been experimenting with a red-and-purple theme in the shade of the cedar elm. Visible here are Texas betony, smoke tree, and spiderwort. Purple heart, purple oxalis, and Salvia guaranitica , not visible here, add more purple. Later in the season, yellow daylilies and red Turk’s cap will join in.

Close-up of the Texas betony

Texas betony, purple heart, and spiderwort