Another cool, wet morning. It’s been misting for hours, which made for interesting close-ups of some of my plants. I’d like to see a deep, soaking rain, but for now droplets of rain will have to do.

The fuchsia berries of coralberry

In a previous garden I paired our native coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) with shrimp plant and enjoyed the interplay of color and texture. I’ve had only moderate success growing coralberry in my current garden. After two years, it berries very minimally in the fall, and it looks a little thin. Still, the few berries that do appear are quite pretty, so it stays for now.

If you look closely, you can see rain pooled inside this hymenoxys flower

Hymenoxys “teacup”

Raindrops on Gulf muhly grass imitate tiny glass beads

The first roses of Marie Pavie. These dainty roses have a wonderful scent.

Another thorny but beautiful plant—a purple prickly pear (Opuntia macrocentra). I love how this prickly pear turns pink in cooler weather.

As winter blusters through a final time (perhaps) here in Austin, the Blue Elf aloe pushes up its asparagus-like bloom stalks, and the tips of the plant glow rosily.

Bloom stalks on Blue Elf aloe

In a few days—unless another freeze gets them (I covered this plant earlier this week when it dipped below freezing)—the red, tubular flowers will open above the blue-green “foliage” of the aloe.

Blue Elf in bud

A few last images of more succulents. These two varieties share a pot on a sunny step.

Here in Austin, succulents need a bit of shade during the hottest part of the day. The key to keeping them happy is planting them in cactus mix, not regular potting soil, and watering deeply but sparingly. Also, cover them during freezes or bring them inside. (Our freezes are few and far between. Moreover, my garden seems to be located in one of the warmest spots in Austin, so I don’t worry about it unless the forecast calls for 28 or 29 degrees elsewhere in the city.)