Twilight garden stroll
Tender green leaves, new buds and flowers, balmy air, June bugs flying around crazily, rain dripping from the eaves—yup, it’s springtime. Join me for a twilight stroll around my garden.
Pictured above, left to right: ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave (A. ovatifolia); iris and dianthus foliage; potted ‘Angelina’ sedum, golden barrel cactus, opuntia, and variegated Agave americana; daylily foliage, Aloe saponaria, and bamboo muhly.
A freshened succulent dish (it’s an old chip-and-dip set), with gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida) in the background.
Mystery succulent in bloom, with Agave parryi truncata in background
Agave victoriae-reginae in ground and Agave americana mediopicta ‘Alba’ in tin pot
Tulipa clusiana ‘Cynthia’—a naturalizing tulip, even in mild-winter regions, no refrigeration necessary.
Trailing ‘Candy Corn’ abutilon and ‘Amethyst Flame’ iris
Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis) with squid agave (A. bracteosa)
‘Blue Elf’ aloe in bloom, with softleaf yucca (Y. recurvifolia) and photinia hedge in background
It lives! After nearly croaking during our January cold snap, with half its leaves turning to mush, the Aloe striata is awake and blooming.
Linda’s passalong poppies, their heads drooping under the weight of raindrops. Arizona cypress ‘Blue Ice’ foliage is visible at right.
A closer look
In the shade of live oaks, white oxalis, lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy’), and ‘Winter Gem’ boxwood
Here’s a peek at my new sunburst path around the stock-tank pond. I’m still working on the “doorsteps” at the four entrances to this space. I elected not to make the pathway step down to accommodate the change in level but rather to ramp it for mobility purposes with a wheelbarrow, etc. The radiating-spokes design really draws your eye toward the pond.
Directly behind the pond from our former vantage point, Mexican buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) is in soft-pink bloom. Texas nolina spills out of the large pot; I call him Cousin Itt. To the left, frost-bitten ‘Sparkler’ sedge, with evergreen aspidistra in the background.
The soft light of twilight is failing and the rain is beginning to splatter, so I’m heading inside. I hope you enjoyed the evening stroll!
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
What a delightful stroll Pam. You have the ability to bring your garden alive with your camera for us so far away. I can’t believe you have June bugs already. That is a summer bug for us. That is a great way to use a chip and dip set. Much less fattening. 😉 The sun rays around your stock tank are marvelous. It truly does draw you to the pond. Everything looks so good. You should be quite happy about how this new garden has come along.
Thanks so much, Lisa. Yes, June bugs should be called March bugs here in central Texas. —Pam
Just beautiful around your gardens Pam. You have done an incredible job on your sunburst pattern!
Thanks, Darla. I appreciate your kind words. —Pam
I really like the close up shot of the poppies. I have always liked the look of them, but was never sure they would work here, experimentation is in order. Your design solution for the slope around the stock tank was good. A high priced landscape architect would not of thought of the gardener pushing a wheelbarrow. When one of my landscape design teachers saw a slight flaw on the paper, she would often tell the student to get out the imaginary lawn mower and try to cut the grass.
Being a low-priced designer has its advantages. 😉 Not to mention being the homeowner, who knows she needs to be able to push a wheelbarrow around. Your teacher’s tip is a good one. —Pam
A wonderful treat this morning! Thank you! Pamie G.
My pleasure. I’m glad you could stroll with me. —Pam
I absolutely love the stock pond and sunburst. What a great stroll through the garden. You’ve got very interesting plants, many of which I can’t grow. My poppies are just starting to grow. Many were sown last fall, but decided not to germinate until this spring.
Thanks, and good luck with your poppies, Tom. I was surprised how easy they were to grow from seed. I must have found just the right spot for them. —Pam
Boy that unknown succulent in bloom sure is pretty. I like the Cousin It grass, and the live oaks(?) in the pond picture. Your trees have character.
They do, Bloominrs. The live oaks around here are all twisty and kind of gnarly. Thanks for visiting. —Pam
Lovely light and drops of rain on everything. I particularly love all your pots and your Texas nolina is a winner!
Thanks, Carol. I am so glad I brought the nolina with me in the move. It seemed just right in my old courtyard garden, but I love it under the live oaks here. —Pam
Pam,
Amethyst Flame is gorgeous! I love the way the pond is coming along, great design!
I appreciate it, Randy. Happy spring to you. —Pam
So lovely a stroll~I do like the way you use containers and how the shape, color or texture all work together. The poppies look great with the Cypress…and the pond sunburst is fantastic. It reminds me of the path you showed us from your visit to Chanticleer. gail
You flatter me, Gail. Aspiring to anything Chanticleer-esque would be my dream come true. —Pam
Pam: I just finished the walk in my garden which is a bit bare compared with the stroll in yours but spring is here and it is a glorious sunny day. Love that new starburst patio around the pond. I’ll bet you have a few new muscles.
You have no idea, Layanee. Whew. Luckily I had the drive to Florida to recuperate, but then we walked our feet off at Disney World for 4 days. I need another vacation! —Pam
It’s hard to believe what a short time you’ve been gardening on this property. The transformation is stunning, and it looks like it’s always been there. The only visual reminder is the new-looking wood of the fence. I love the Poppies, even drooping their heads in the rain.
Thank you, MMD! Of course, I am showing you the best views. There are plenty of holes to fill in, and many of the plants are still very small. But I’m pleased with a year’s progress. —Pam
You’re making huge strides in the new garden. It’s already become a beautiful space and keeps getting better. I also like the twilight moodiness.
Thanks, Chuck. I’m glad you could take the stroll with me. —Pam
Love all the blues in your garden. Contrast and cooling, just what we need to balance our summer heat.
You bet. That heat will be here before we know it too. —Pam
Everything looks wonderful, Pam – the poppies look perfect in your new garden and how glad you must be that the succulents made it through winter. My clusianas are still tiny tight buds, but the start of ‘Amethyst Flame’ you gave me a few years ago is now a clump with buds and flowers. Yay for Spring!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Thank you, Annie. Not all the succulents made it, but most did. I was pulling out dead ones yesterday. I’m glad to know that ‘Amethyst Flame’ iris is still chugging along for you. —Pam
I love your use of color. I really have to get more of that wonderful blue into my yard.
Thanks, Birdwoman. Blue is wonderful in the garden. I’m a big fan of all colors, though, so it’s a wonder my garden is not a crayola jumble. BTW, I visited your blog and wanted to leave a comment but was unable to without an account of some sort. If you care to enable the Name/URL option, people who are not logged in can leave a comment too. Cheers! —Pam
Wow…you have so much going on there! The sunburst path around the pond looks great.
I second Annie….Yay for Spring!!!
And I third it! Thanks, Linda. —Pam
It’s wonderful to see things looking so alive after your freeze, the aloes and the agaves seem to have taken it all in stride!
Not all, but most came through OK. I did a lot of cleanup yesterday before taking these pictures. A pile of brown, crinkled aloe, dyckia, and agave leaves were carried away. —Pam
I thoroughly enjoyed the stroll. One day, I’ll return to Austin and stroll it again, in person!
I would like that very much, Carol. What are you waiting for? —Pam
I wonder if your unknown succulent is Plectranthus neochilus? Do the leaves have a strong, medicinal, not unpleasant smell? At a distance it looks like lavender, but the smell is wrong?
I’ll have to get my nose down low and check it out, EE. —Pam
A beautiful stroll Pam. I’m rather taken with that Cynthia tulip. Congratulations on the aloe surviving your freeze!
I think the species tulips have a wide range, so maybe they’ll work for you, CVF. —Pam
Pam, if you keep planting all those agaves, sooner or later, you’re going to put your eye out! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I don’t know, Grumpy. There are an awful lot of seeing gardeners here in Austin, even with agaves on every street corner. BTW, have you seen Portland agave-lover Danger Garden‘s blog? Check out her tagline. —Pam
i’m glad to know about that tulip. most of them do poorly here in 7b. what a pleasant stroll through your garden!
Species tulips are the way to go in the South, Daricia. Sometimes the Southern Bulb Co. carries them. —Pam
That little succulent is cute as a button. Great solution to the path issue around the pond. I like that the linear design relates to the lines on the stock tank and your Adirondack chairs.
I didn’t think of the linear design relating to other elements, Linda, but you are right. Thanks for pointing it out. I was focused on the idea of circles and sun rays. —Pam
It’s wonderful Pam. Everything looks wonderful and I really like the blue accents, in pots, glass mulch, figurines etc. Thanks for allowing me to stroll around your garden.
And thank YOU for visiting, Jayne! —Pam
Every thing looks fantastic. Love all the blue. The Spider wort grows on the side of the road down here.
How do you handle the mushy tips of your aloe? Do you just cut them off? Mine sure got bit bad here. I need to repot them.
I cut off the mushy tips, Lola, right back to firm tissue. So far so good. —Pam
Pam- You made a fabulous job on the pathway around the tank. You must be really pleased with the outcome. Everything seems to have wintered over very well.
Thanks, Jenny. I did lose a number of tender plants, but I’ve been buying and replanting like crazy ever since I got back. It’s looking pretty filled in again. —Pam
Beautiful Pam and I love how the path and water garden turned out.
Thanks, Anna! —Pam
Pam, I enjoyed that stroll. It’s interesting to see the range of plants you can grow, things like T. clusiana, Stachys and Dianthus, hardy perennials that survive in my zone 3 garden, as well as Aspidistra, Aloe and Agave I can only grow as house plants. I love your combination of pots, garden beds and the stock tank pond.
Thank you, Melanie. Yes, it is always interesting to compare notes and see what will grow in vastly different zones. Gotta love those hardy plants. —Pam
Can’t wait to see it all in person soon! 🙂
It was so nice to see you again, Jean. Thanks for making time for a visit while you were in town. —Pam
Wow, Pam, your garden is amazing! I love the stonework especially, and you have so much green and lushness in your March garden! Beautiful photos!
Thanks, Floridagirl. I was lucky to inherit those lovely stone walls and treasure them. —Pam
Really magnificent – so many blooms already! Really enjoyed seeing the sunburst path and the Nolina. I’m scribbling down plant names and stealing ideas…
Steal away, RBell. Gardening ideas, like the plants themselves, are made to be shared. —Pam
Wow! That was fast! I still remember the horrible frost this winter. Seems like everything recovered well. Great pictures.
I still remember that horrible frost too, TM, and so does the garden. But life goes on, spring has sprung, and we’re getting back to normal with some replanting and some warm, sunny days. —Pam
Yea, there’s my spring shopping list in one post! lol. I wanna be youuuuuuuuuuuuu.
You are so funny and sweet, Mamaholt. I just know your own wabi-sabi garden is a magical place to be. —Pam
The wider view of the sunburst path is great – and boy, like I just commented on an earlier post – it’s gorgeous.
ps I meant to say in my previous comment, when your post mentioned something about an ‘island’ that I’ve been living along the coast for too long, because my immediate thought was ‘oh, she must be traveling’. Kinda funny.