Passionately incensed
The bizarrely beautiful ‘Incense’ passionflower does strange things to a person. Usually this flower reminds me of a UFO.
Right now all I can see is a rippling pool of cool water. Could it have something to do with the continuing heat wave here in Austin? We’re on the 38th day of 100-degree or higher temperatures this summer, making this the hottest year on record since 1925—and it’ll take only 8 more triple-digit days to break that unholy record. No problem—it’s only August 1.
To make matters worse, 8.75 inches of rain have gone missing from our usual year-to-date average. Where’d they go? Has anyone seen them? If so, would you please send them back where they belong as soon as possible? Otherwise, I may try to go swimming in the passionflower vine.
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Such intricate blooms, it does look like rippling water, shrink yourself to tiny size and dive off the stamens for a cooling dip. We feel your drought pain, although we have returned to our normal afternoon pop up thundershowers for now. The temps are steamy, someone mentioned feeling like a steamed vegetable out in the garden. Very apt description. We have the native passion flower, buds only so far, it comes up everywhere but especially loves the gravel paths where I mistakenly let it set fruit along the edges of the path last year. The gulf fritillary butterfly larvae is a good reason to let a few grow, wherever they come up. It is their food source. Hope you get some more rain soon.
Well do I know the steaminess of a Southern summer. Here’s hoping we can all avoid becoming steamed vegetables before the cool breath of fall arrives. Thanks for pointing out that passionflower is a larval food for the Gulf fritillary butterfly. Those cheerful orange butterflies are worth the occasional munched leaves. —Pam
Your poor garden Pam. All that heat and no water. I do hope you get some relief at least in the form of rain if not a heat break. I would be depressed by now if I were you. Poor baby.
Your passion flower is a wonderful relief. Jump in.
Thanks for the sympathy, Lisa. Whew, I’m glad I got that out of my system. As Carol would say, Embrace summer for a happier life! —Pam
I can’t imagine the heat, but I can imagine the missing rain. It’s a hard place to be as a gardener, you can only water so much! Whenever I hear that Austin has had rain…it seems it’s torrential. We know clay soil needs a full day of soaking rain in the summer otherwise it runs off! Here’s wishing you rain, all day!
The passion flower is fabulous Pam…It has what it needs, full sun and a gardener to appreciate it! It’s delightfully exotic. Vines of our native passion flower are all over the wildflower garden on a search for sunshine. Gail
“When it rains, it pours” definitely describes Austin. Although slow and steady rain is preferable, I’d be happy for any form but hail right now. Thanks for the rain wishes! —Pam
I am right there with you no rain ~ but heat …..that would be August for you right!
Keep digging!
I posted some ocean shots to help today:
http://redorgray-dependsontheday.blogspot.com/
Your ocean shots are lovely. I see you’re embracing summer, which is really all one can do, right? Thanks for the comment. I’ll be digging again soon, as soon as October rolls around. Until then, I’m just garden dreaming and planning. —Pam
They are the most unique looking plants — beautifully bizarre is a perfect was to describe them. I don’t envy you your heat and hope you get some relief soon.
Thanks, Nancy. Me too. —Pam
I am so sorry about your heat and lack of rain. We have been blessed with our usual pattern of summer storms, although they are often violent, they do bring rain. I had to reluctantly pull my passion vine out. It flowered prolifically and caused people to knock on the door, but it attempted to eat a crape myrtle and a hardy orange tree and it had to go. It took four years for it to keep coming up. Does yours smell like grape Nehi?
This ‘Incense’ has already seeded out a number of volunteers too. But so far I’ve had no trouble pulling them out and keeping the mother vine in check. But I’ll remember your warning and keep an eye on her. And yes, it does smell grapey. —Pam
I think the rain has all went East. We are missing ours too. We have had a very cool summer. 90’s to Low 100’s That is great for us. Usually its 110 days here. I enjoyed the cooler temps but not the smoke. The sky is blue again today so that must mean the fires are getting under control around here. It has not been a good year for tomatoes though. We still have green tomatoes but on a normal year would have had tons and tons of red ones to give away. Oh well…(-:
Is that where it went? Well, I want it back. Your cool summer sounds like our typical summer, so your town must be considerably hotter than Austin. Whew—don’t know how you do it! Cindee, please remind me—are you in southern California? I can’t find it on your blog. —Pam
We have your rain here in the UK! I cant imagine 2 days at those temperatures let alone 38 – I feel pathetic now for whining about the temperature the other day when it was only 30 degrees!
It’s all what you’re used to, Patient Gardener. I don’t mind your whining about 86 degrees F if you don’t mind my whining about 38 degrees C. 🙂 —Pam
It’s a beautiful mirage. Come see me where it’s only 102 degrees. I will ply you with sweet homemade lemonade. I wish I had a pool right now.~~Dee
That sweet homemade lemonade sounds delightful, Dee. And I’m with you on the pool wishing. —Pam
You take nice photos. If our gardens dry up, at least you’ll be able to make a living shooting pictures.
I have been a bit afraid to grow passionflower, because its alien look is intimidating (I’m scared of a PLANT??).
I’m a new commenter, from Dallas. How long does passionvine
get down there? Full sun, I assume? Thanks for the info.
By the way, what’s the backstory behind filing it under
“7th year–2008”? In other words, what does “7th year” signify?
— Rick R.
http://www.mostlytexasnatives.com/cgi-bin/blog
Welcome to Digging, Rick, and thanks for your comment. I’m always happy to discover another garden blogger from Texas. I had a little trouble finding your site, however, until I Googled you. Your URL was typed incorrectly here, so I fixed it so that others can find you too. As for the passionflower vine, full sun is supposed to be ideal, but I have one in partial sun that’s actually blooming best right now. Maybe the others are stressed by the heat wave. —Pam
No rain here…but we are just about right on schedule for our 7.8″ annual rainfall. Seems like our Monsoon period is a bust, but it’s not over for 6 more weeks. Plenty of time to get a real storm or two. I love the Passion Flower vine, which also grows well here, especially in shady areas.
Aiyana
I hope you get some rain soon too, Aiyana. I know from Scott Calhoun’s book how the desert plants burst into bloom after a rain. —Pam
I remember someone bringing a passion flower to school when I was 11. I had never seen one before. Her father had grown it in the green house. I doubt they grow outdoors in England. We learnt all about the meaning of the flower parts. It is one of the flower memories that will be with me for ever. I wonder if I remember these kind of things because I have an abiding interest in flowers?
I had one 2 years ago but it was too unruly. It wanted to go beyond its trellis onto the bean frame and obliterated the pathway in so doing.
What a wonderful memory, Jenny, and a hands-on way to teach kids about the flower parts. I’ve had a number of passionflower vines over the years, with mixed success. Some didn’t make it. Others did, but the flowers were too pale and quiet—not what I wanted in a passionflower. At the moment I’m growing three different kinds, and ‘Incense’ is the most vigorous. I’m keeping a close eye on it. —Pam
Although it’s not “quite” as hot in Denver, we’re right there with you on the hottest (and driest) summer on record. We’ve just broken a record set in 1901 for most consecutive days over 90. Yesterday was 107. Maybe we’ll all get rain in August?? Let’s hope. Meanwhile your passionflower is spectacular.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for rain for you too, Kathleen. Whew, 107 is awe-inspiringly hot. —Pam
Well, if your moisture went north, it certainly missed us, too. We’re so dry that my purple ninebark was pouting this morning (and they’re usually pretty tough) along with the usual moisture-lovers who really hate being in my garden. And last night, I listened to thunder and watched lightning for hours, literally, without seeing a drop of rain. (But I could smell it… so someone nearby was enjoying precipitation. That made it all the worse.) That said, I can’t imagine dealing with this drought, and your heat as well. It’s only 80 here today. You Texans are certainly tough!
By the way, I thought of you this morning. It was my first day volunteering at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, and I’m in the glasshouse where they have the Madagascar desert and the Costa Rican rainforest biomes. I got to talking with the guy who is the main horticulture person for those two areas, and he has “about 20” pups from his variegated agave Americana that he has to relocate… and he’s had his outside for several years with no problem overwintering them. He’s going to give me two babies to try–I’m so excited! I only wish I could do some cool container plantings with them like you do–but I know that would be a certain death sentence for them. Ah well. 🙂
Sorry for the long comment here. I guess I’m a bit chatty today. lol.
Kim, please don’t ever feel apologetic about a wonderful, newsy comment like yours. I’m delighted to hear that the variegated Americana agave is cold-hardy enough to survive your winters. It’ll look great in your garden—all those writhing, yellow-and-green arms, like a crazed, toothy octopus. I’ll be interested to hear more about it and see what it looks like under snow! Hope you get some rain soon, although your new agave will be content without it. —Pam
The year before we moved to Indiana we had 16 days of triple digit heat in Alabama, it was miserable. I hope you get rain and relief from the heat soon.
The passion flower is beautiful!
Thanks for the rain wishes, Robin! —Pam
Pam, Ummmm, I think we might have gotten all your rain here in June. I think it might actually have been the wettest June on record ’round these parts and my tomatoes are way behind because of it. And they keep saying we will get to 90 degrees some day, but so far, we haven’t. In fact, one weatherman said July was cooler than average. BUT… it is all supposed to change tomorrow, with a predicted high of 94 degrees! Plus, we could use a bit of rain right now. We are certainly not having a drought, but the grass is going dormant.
Anyway, that’s a beautiful passion flower and I hope you all can keep your passion and excitement for gardening until “normal weather” returns to Austin!
Hey, send that rain back where it’s needed, Carol. 🙂 Actually, we had our coolest July on record (or close to it) last summer, which was much wetter than usual. So maybe we just used up our rain allowance last year. Hmmm. Well, fall will come eventually, and with it cooler weather if not actual rain. We can hope though. And while the passion for being in the garden cools at this time of year, it roars back in the fall. And if I’m not outside at least I’m reading about gardening thanks to all these fantastic blogs. —Pam
I would gladly send you some of our t-storms if I could. I would love to grow those. many do here, obviously as annuals.
Ah, is Buffalo where our rain has gone? Perhaps it wanted to see Garden Walk? —Pam
I think we have your rain…up here in the North-East! We’ve had huge rain / thunderstorms practically every day for weeks! A friend lost 4 huge maple trees last weekend in one brief storm. My own garden is holding up alright but the water table, rivers etc a brimming. Wish I could ship some over / down to you!
Tonight I am just back from touring 4 private gardens in Stockbridge and Lenox, Massachusetts — summer mansions of the rich and famous — wealthy NY’ers for the most part. Places full of inspiration… for next year!
Carol in Massachusetts
terranovadesign.blogspot.com
Wow, that’s a lot of rain. How I wish you could ship it southwest. Those mansion garden tours sound like fun. Summer is a great time to store up inspiration for the next gardening season. Most of my inspiration is coming from books right now, although a visit to Chanticleer earlier this month provided hands-on inspiration. —Pam