Garden stroll on a fine Friday morning
Good morning! Let’s stroll the garden before it gets too hot. It’s going to be 100 degrees (37.7 C) again today, so early morning or evening strolls, dripping wet from the pool, are recommended. And yet I was crazy enough desperate enough for fall to plant a beautiful ‘Alphonse Karr’ clumping bamboo two evenings ago in a cloud of mosquitoes and oven-like temps, tucking it behind my succulent containers in the raised bed along back of the house.
I justified the August planting with the notion that it’s necessary to establish bamboo before winter. Right or wrong, it’s in the ground now, and I love the effect! ESP at East Side Patch suggested ‘Alphonse Karr’ for its tight, vertical form, variegated stems, and freeze hardiness.
For some time I’ve stayed away from bamboo because it is not as xeric as I would like. But lately I’ve decided that I’m willing to give extra water to a few beautiful plants, knowing that the majority of my plant choices are drought tolerant. Bamboo requires a good soaking once a week in summer in our climate, I understand.
Moving on to the sunny hillside garden on the southeast side of the house, just look at how it’s filled in. I only planted this area last fall.
This beauty has really plumped out of late: Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies.’ Only 9 more years and mine will have a stout trunk like Loree’s at Danger Garden.
Turning around to face the other way, the Yucca rostrata appears to cross swords with a Wheeler’s sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri).
Agastache ‘Desert Sunrise’ is in full flower near the top of the hill. I will have to plant more of this when I break ground on a new garden on the other side of the gate.
In the middle garden, under the live oaks, is a rather scruffy yet pleasing arrangement: ‘Sparkler’ sedge by the gazing ball, Texas nolina in the pot, fronted by tawny ‘Toffee Twist’ sedge and ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia. When the morning light slants under the live oaks, this vignette lights up as if it were on stage.
A close-up of the ‘Sparkler’ sedge
And, in a sunnier, drier area, a detail of ‘Chocolate Chips’ manfreda. Aren’t these wavy, spotted leaves fun?
I caught this hummingbird darting after the flame acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii). Hey, little guy, you’re smart to tour the garden early to beat the heat.
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Your garden looks amazing what with all the heat of summer upon it. That green gazing ball looks so cool sitting there.
Hi Pam – I love the sense of place of your garden – it’s Texas, it’s hot right now, but it’s also beautiful because of your thoughtful plant selection. Fantastic hummingbird capture!
Amen! And of course, I esp like the dueling accent plants – Yucca r. and Dasylirion w.
Thanks for sharing your summer AM stroll…think I will do the same. Except that we are probably back to the perfect side of weather for another 4 months…
Lovely! A plant that requires just a little extra love but is so nice looking as that bamboo will be worth it.
I can’t believe how much your side garden has filled out since I saw it in March! It looks great. Love that anisicanthus. It’s a tad aggressive in my raised bed. Well not really aggressive, more like over-enthusiastic. I tried cutting it back to keep it in bounds but it doesn’t want to stay that way. But I keep it because the hummers just LOVE it!
Interesting about your flame acanthus being so enthusiastic. Both here and in my old garden it was very well behaved. Maybe my drier climate has something to do with it? Then again, you’ve been in a drought this summer, haven’t you? —Pam
A very nice stroll. Everything is doing so well.
The bamboo looks fantastic there, Pam. I can imagine you getting the bamboo in the ground then heading straight for the pool!
That would have been lovely, but I believe I headed straight inside for bedtime reading with my youngest. —Pam
Beautiful shot of the hummingbird Pam!
Your plants looks amazing Pam and I remember walking down the side garden before you even began the transformation. Beautiful. Was that the agastaches from last year? My, how it has come on- 4″” or gallon?
Yes, all my agastache are from the prize selection from High Country Gardens. Not all have survived, but the ones that did are doing very well. They came in tall, skinny pots–the equivalent of 4 inches but much longer for additional root growth. —Pam
Nice selection! (the bamboo) and thank you for the link-love!
Beautiful! That hummingbird shot is fantastic. Your garden has such a nice, inviting style.
David (Tropical Texana/Houston) 🙂
Hi Pam.
Good luck with your ‘Alphonse Karr’ you will not be disappointed, I like the form of this bamboo better than any, even Mex.weeping. I have not watered mine (already established) at all this year and it has so far showed no signs of leaf-curling moisture stress…how good is that! It also is shooting up four new culms. I think the positioning you choose for yours will look top-notch! Some pretty good prices going on for bamboo at the Great Outdoors this summer.
The ‘Sparkler’ sedge and green gazing ball is brilliant!…Love this, and your photography…you know I have been coveting this plant for quite some time now…Oh and I will have it! Roll-on the fall!
Your new pea-gravel/step-down walkway area is filling in great, watch out for that Arizona ‘blue ice’ cypress…it WILL get huge against your fence and pathway, they take-off extremely fast! Another “cooling” full-sun Texas jewel.
Never can seem to capture a hummer with my point and click, my camera always seems to want to focus on something else!…Great capture.
ESP.
I have a close eye on that Arizona cypress, as I know just how large they get. And yet, with so little sun in my garden and no other place for one, I chose to shoehorn this one into that narrow side yard, positioned so that I can enjoy it from the window in the family room. My plan is to feast my eyes on it for 10 years or more until it gets too unwieldy. And then, if I must, I’ll cut it down and plant another one! Crazy, eh?
I’m glad to know that ‘Alphonse Karr’ is as drought-tolerant as that. I will test mine out on dryness next summer. Great Outdoors was out except for a big, expensive one when I called, but they said they’d be getting more this fall. As did Barton Springs Nursery. I found this one at a very good sale price—the last one in stock—at Shoal Creek Nursery. —Pam
What a great little stroll. Is Alphonse Karr one of the kinds with striped culms? If so, it’s definitely worth the investment of some water. I have a black bamboo that generally isn’t considered xeric, but it survives all summer without added water, though it does look better with a drink every now and then.
Yes, it has green-and-yellow striped culms, very pretty. —Pam
Love love love the Sunny Hillside Garden. Your blog inspires me to get outside from time to time. Can’t wait until this fall when I can buy my own home again.
After reading about your bamboo planting adventure, I feel like a total wimp for staying inside, ensconced in the cool of the air conditioning and avoiding the garden like the plague – and it’s only 86F! Love your blue containers by the bamboo – such a beautiful color and unusual shape.
Really like your image of the fence, path and gate. The planting is perfect with this kind of path. Spiky Yuccas are the best. Love the architecture of the plant.
Thanks for sharing your garden through such lovely photos.
Yesterday we picked up a Color Guard Yucca for a difficult spot out by the street. You have made succulents look so cool that we are now adding them because we want to.
I pretty much said everything on your last post. I’m behind. Thanks for the close up of chocolate chips. I would love one of those plants. I will have to look for one or try to order one.
The colour of the bamboo looks lovely against all the other greens, and I can’t believe your hillside garden! Glorious!
Love the bamboo. You’re making me rethink not having any. The hillside garden has indeed filled in a lot! I really like the color of the gate. Would you e-mail me with the color name/source of the paint, if you don’t mind sharing? I’m searching for a soft gray-green to paint my fence and that looks ideal.
I’ll look it up and email you, Cindy. —Pam