Hanging on in the late summer garden
August can’t end soon enough for my crispy Texas garden and my own crispy self. But we had a little reprieve in the form of a cloudburst that dropped a quarter inch of rain a couple days ago. Temps have dropped below 100 F too. What is this, early fall?!
The picture above was taken in late July, after our last rain shower, which conjured up pink rain lilies in the stock-tank planter. Since then, the woolly stemodia groundcover had grown wan, and I’d resorted to hand-watering it every so often. But now that we’ve had a little rain, I need to go look for a reemergence of the rain lilies.
Surprising myself, I had an urge last week — in August! — to replant a dish planter that had grown pitiful under the Texas sun. I found purple skullcap and gopher plant, and their purples and blues harmonize with just-for-fun chunks of blue slag glass.
Mullein has seeded itself at the edge of the gravel patio, and I’m happy to have it.
The three volunteers are sending up bloom spikes. I’ll pull them out as they finish blooming to slow down the rampant self-seeding mullein is known for. But I’m always glad for a few volunteers.
Wheeler’s sotol and woolly stemodia, both Texas natives, make a silvery pairing with a trio of blue ceramic balls.
Behind them, the Berkeley sedge lawn is looking happy with once-a-week irrigation and once-a-year mowing. So much less work than turf grass, although I do have to pull nutgrass out of it whenever it pops up.
Along the street, garlic chives have started flowering, heralding the end of summer. Hurray!
These tough little flowers are beloved by bees (although not in this pic).
They self-seed around a bit, but I’ve been glad for the extra plants over the years.
Along the driveway, golden thryallis is my most reliable summer-flowering plant.
Those golden flowers just keep glowing all summer long.
In a steel ring, three ‘Quadricolor’ agaves are growing from pups given to me by a neighbor. I used to have ‘Burgundy Ice’ dyckias here, but the past few winters decimated them, so I decided to try something else. We’ll see if the deer antler these to smithereens this fall.
The deer don’t miss an opportunity for mischief. They reared up to nosh all the blooms off a ‘Brakelights’ hesperaloe in a tall pot. I’d hoped they couldn’t reach the flowers in this tall planter. But they can. I’ve stuck some rebar pieces in there to see if that can give the flower stems any protection. Maybe I should try razor wire?
Mexican oregano is totally tubular and unfazed by the heat.
Dwarf Texas palmetto is looking happy too and sending up long, arching bloom spikes.
On the front porch, one of my new favorite sedges, ‘Feather Falls’, is thriving in a ribbed planter. Wherever I’ve planted them (they need shade or a little morning sun), they add cascading, variegated foliage and seem to shrug off the summer doldrums.
On the other side of the garden, white Turk’s cap is flowering alongside a concrete sphere — a moon shape for a moonlight garden plant.
In the side garden, an ‘Opal’ agave on a pedestal reigns over a stylized meadow of Mexican feathergrass, garlic chives, and society garden, with ‘Baby Gem’ boxwood balls echoing the shape of green gazing globes.
In the back garden at dusk, the stock-tank planter looks calm and cool — just whale’s tongue agaves and a field of woolly stemodia. Bulbs are hiding in there though, waiting for their opportunity.
Until summer is well and truly over, I’ll rely on visual cooling with silvers and blues. But it sure would be nice to drop into fall early. A girl can dream!
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Explore the world of succulents and cacti at the Austin Cactus and Succulent Society’s Fall Sale on 8/31 and 9/1, from 10 am to 5 pm. Held at the Austin Area Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden, it includes a plant show with specimen cacti and succulents, handcrafted pottery, daily silent auction and hourly plant raffles, and expert advice. Entry included with the cost of admission at Zilker Botanical Garden: Adults $6 to $8, Seniors $5 to $7, Youths $3 to $4, Children under 2 free.
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!
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It’s nice seeing Your garden after many lovely post of the PNW fling.
I love the Berkeley sedge lawn… I remember when it was first installed: it looks fantastic!
Not many plants in common between your garden and mine (N. Seattle), but ‘Feather Falls’ sedge is one. We love it for the same reasons.
That ‘Feather Falls’ is a superstar, isn’t it? So glad we can both grow it!
There is so much to love in your Texas garden. If I ever move back to the desert SW, your blog will be the inspiration for the type of garden I would like to achieve. Las Cruces area, most likely, so much drier than Austin, but still doable. Deer are probably my least favorite mammal on earth, followed by mice. Disappointed to read that they are a problem down in TX too. I often surround my newest additions to the garden with pokey sticks, hoping the deer will poke their eyes out. Also planting the most toxic stuff possible, hoping they will eat a bucket load and spend the night puking. I admit being a little vengeful. Apologies! Did you have someone put in the beautiful sundial rockwork in the last two photos or do it yourself? It is absolutely stunning.
I agree about deer being the least favorite mammal, although that’s probably only because I don’t have wild hogs (yet!). Deer will bring out the vengeful in anyone. My husband harbors more of those thoughts than I do since one knocked him off his bike and into a passing car.
Thanks for your kind words about my garden, Jerry. I put in the rockwork around the stock tank myself — about 15 years ago, when I had far more energy for that sort of thing. 🙂
Speaking of desert gardening inspiration, do you know of David Cristiani’s blog It’s a Dry Heat? He’s in Las Cruces and shares lots of great info. He also has an Instagram @qland_dac.
Hello, I have been seeing the mexican feather grass in landscapes and I think it is lovely as evidenced by your photo. I am thinking about planting them to line a walkway. Then I started reading more about it and I am seeing that it is considered invasive in some areas. Can you tell me about maintenance? Do you have an issue with it seeding in other areas of your yard?
Hi Alice, you’re in the Austin area, right? Mexican feathergrass is a beautiful little grass for sun or bright shade that needs little water to thrive. Yes, it does seed out in gravelly soil, but not such that it’s hard to control. While it’s considered invasive on the West Coast, it’s not here. Native to West Texas, it’s a wonderful small grass to grow in Central Texas.