Hot summer survivors and new book news
This summer, y’all. Am I right, my fellow Texas gardeners? But even with two months of surface-of-the-sun temps and zero rain, at least a few plants are happy. Like this pink-flowering mammillaria cactus that burst into silken bloom a few days after I gave it a deep soaking. What a pick-me-up!
I’m also loving the dappled-moonlight coloring of ‘Moonglow’ mangave, which is thriving in bright shade.
This view is a little tougher for me to enjoy right now because my plumbago, skullcap, and new Shantung maple sapling are burning up. The ‘Winter Gem’ boxwoods in full sun are sun-scorched on top. But hooray for ‘Fireworks’ gomphrena still blooming its little pink-puff heart out. And the tall beaked yucca is a summer- and winter-defying joy.
The view from my living room window. I’m glad I took the time to repaint the shed this spring because that refreshed blue is visually cooling things off — at least mentally. The stock-tank plants — woolly stemodia (which I planted in July!) and variegated agave — are doing well with supplemental hand-watering. I did have silver ponyfoot in there, which I expected to make a pretty silver-green groundcover by now, but it burned up this summer.
When you have a big turquoise focal point, why fight it? That’s why I repeated the pool color in chairs and shed doors. In the foreground, there’s a whole lot of burning-up plants (mostly hidden in this view) and an ‘Alphonse Karr’ bamboo struggling to recover from last winter’s Arctic freeze. If it’s not one extreme now, it’s another!
Mexican feathergrass and chile pequin — two native Texas survivors
Chile pequin peppers add good color at this time of year. The soap aloes in the foreground are sun-bleached but hanging on. I feel ya, aloes.
Garlic chives in the hellstrip have started flowering in defiance of the Death Star, offering a thimble of hope that fall isn’t too far off.
Pale-leaf yucca is another native that defies the Death Star and drought. Look at that beautiful blue-green color with golden edges.
New book!
And now for my news. Following two deep-freeze winters and now two blistering, record-busting summers, I decided it would be a great time to write a new book — ha ha — about Texas gardens. I’ve been crisscrossing this big ole state since early spring, visiting all kinds of gardens and choosing a diverse and inspiring group to photograph and feature. The book, which will come out in spring 2025 with Timber Press, will be full of beautiful Texas gardens and essays that tell their stories: how they came to be, the meaning they bring to their owners’ lives, and nuggets of wisdom about how the gardens are weathering our new normal of hot-and-cold, wet-and-dry extremes. It’s the book I’ve been wanting to read for many years, and I’m super excited to be working on it and meeting wonderful and generous gardeners and designers from Marfa to Houston and from Dallas to McAllen.
But man, what a year to be photographing gardens in Texas! It’s not easy here, is it, Texans? Still, we’re all in the same boat, and there’s something compelling about seeing what other gardeners are able to create, and how they keep trying, whatever their personal challenges. I know we will learn something from each garden’s story and be inspired to make our own gardens the best they can be, whether that means picking up the pieces after a summer like this one or relishing triumphs when plants show us what they’re capable of.
Hang in there. Fall is coming.
__________________________
Digging Deeper
Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!
All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Despite the weather your garden is looking very good. Congrats on the book! I have friends who moved back home to Texas, so I will be giving it to them as soon as it’s published.
Lovely, thank you, Linda! And welcome back to your friends.
“Sun-bleached and hanging on” describes everything (what there is of it) still alive in my yard right now. It also would be a great title for the upcoming book, in my opinion. Looking forward to that book!
I’m chuckling over your title suggestion, Linda! It’s laugh or cry, right? 🙂
A new book! That’s fantastic news! And even though I live in California, a photo book about Texas gardens is something I’d buy in a heartbeat. Please keep us posted on your progress.
Awesome, thanks, Gerhard!
Congratulations on the new book! Looking forward to reading it.
Thanks so much, Kristin!
THIS SUMMER! Need we say more?! Pam, you speak for most Texas gardeners when you say we are reassessing what we will grow in the future. The extreme winters and summers have made it a true challenge to want to spend our time, energy and money in the garden. I am looking forward to reading your new book!
THIS SUMMER really does say it all. I can’t imagine the weather will keep us down for too much longer. Fall has GOT to be on its way. Anyway, thanks for the support on all fronts, Melody!
Going through same in NM!
Kathryn, it’s such a brutal summer across the Southwest this year. Hang in there!
How exciting! I’m looking forward to reading it 🙂
Thank you, Noelle! I appreciate your support!
Congratulations, Pam! I knew you had another book in you. the challenges you’re facing this year in Texas will make the book all that much more useful and meaningful. Best wishes.
Thanks, Kris! I believe so and am learning a lot as I write about the gardens I’m seeing. Thanks for the good wishes!
Hi, Pam, I can’t wait for the new book to come out! And, strangely, I feel better knowing I’m not the only one struggling with my plants this summer. Even a lot of my natives are looking less than lovely!
I had a question about your gomphrena–do you see much pollinator action on it? I get contradictory information online about whether it attracts many or not.
Thanks, Lisa! Oh, we’re all definitely in the same situation with these extreme weather events. And there is a certain comfort in that. Re: the gomphrena, I see hummingbirds on it. I can’t recall about insects, but, honestly, I haven’t been spending a lot of time outside this summer to notice. I DO see lots of big bumblebees on the purple skullcap, which seems to be their fave.
You are definitely doing something right to have your garden looking so good in spite of the brutal temperatures you’ve been experiencing…and how exciting for you to have a book being published. Congratulations!
All I’m doing is triage, Ellie. That’s the honest truth. We’re having unprecedented heat and drought. I’m watering by hand to keep certain parts of the garden alive in hopes of taking photos this fall. I hope the shade trees, which have been so stressed by extreme winter events over the past few years, can survive this added stress. All that said, gardeners in general and Texas gardeners in particular are a resilient and tenacious bunch. I will be celebrating those who keep fighting the good fight!
I can’t imagine living through, or the garden living through, the temperatures that your area is encountering now. I am quaking from a 90+ degree week ahead. Of course we have the humidity, 99% this morning, but no rain.
A great time for you to be writing a book. I will look forward to reading it.
Thank you, Lisa! I hope your heat wave is over quickly. They are no fun, no matter what your baseline is!
Thanks, Pam, for showing us which of your plants are making it through this crazy summer with style. It really does feel like one challenge after another recently, and yet your natives are looking good. I’m really excited to know you’re publishing a new book, congratulations!! I know it will be well done and inspirational, with great information for those of us who can’t quit gardening, despite living in Texas. I look forward to adding to my growing Pam Penick collection!
Thanks so much, Maggie! I appreciate your encouragement! 🙂
“It’s the book I’ve been wanting to read for many years…” What I was thinking before I arrived at this sentence. Really looking forward to this book, thank you!
That’s so great to hear. 🙂 Thanks, Kate!
Really looking forward to the new book! Wish it was sooner. So relevant considering the past few years of cold and heat extremes we’ve had. Wish it was easier to get more plants, especially natives, that not only tolerate the new climate but thrive. So many I’d love to plant but can’t get in San Antonio. Love your and AZ Plant Lady blogs/newsletters. Keeps me hopeful!
Thanks, Vicki! Have you checked out Barton Springs Nursery and The Natural Gardener in Austin for their native plant selection? Might be worth the drive this fall.
Beautiful garden! Where is your bottle tree stand from? I love it so much!
I commissioned it from a local metalworker. But you could also bend rebar pieces individually and stick them into the ground for a similar effect, as Michael at Plano Prairie Garden does.
Pam — I just wanted to thank you for posting last summer and sharing both what made it through and what didn’t. As I fill in and plant this spring, it’s incredibly helpful to have this kind of info. I remember how demoralized I was last summer and how I thought my gardening life might come to an end, but hope springs eternal, as they say, and I’m back in there cleaning out, trimming back, adding new, and planning for a big load of mulch next month. –Vivé
Ah Vive, it was such a hard summer last year. I’m glad this post helped in some way. I feel like we’re in the era of sharing what each of us is learning about how our plants hold up (or don’t), because the extremes are SO extreme now. Even so, there ARE plants that work. We just need to maybe whittle down to those really hardy plants. My goal is for my upcoming new book to be a resource for optimism too.