7/8/11

In the garden

We haven't been out in the garden in a while. I kind of stopped showing pictures because the show got so sparse. But, I went out to water this morning and was able to find some true beauty to share.

This is my Ixora. This picture looks off color. The yellow bloom is really a deep gold and the pink bloom is really a deep orange. But, you get the picture. Beautiful flowers in any color. All the blooms have been gold except that one that came out an odd color. Not sure what's up with that. But, it is really cool looking.



More pictures of the phlox. A gardening friend of my Mom's shared these phlox with me about 18 years ago when I bought my first house. I've kept some since then and if you look close, you'll see phlox heads poking up in other pictures where I've successfully moved them around to new places. They're drought tolerant and bloom beautiful lavendar this time of year.



This is the plumbago. Only drawback to the plumbago is that it is trying to take over the back yard, so I've started digging clumps and sharing them. It grows up through this rotting rocker in the flowerbed and really puts on a great show in an otherwise very hot spot.





Coleus and Caladiums. I grow these in pots. They aren't as drought tolerant and it's much cheaper to just grow them in pots and water a few pots than to try to keep all the flowerbeds wet enough to grow everything in the ground. The other benefit to growing things like this in pots is that I can move them anywhere I need a flash of color.





This is the cool bed. Just looking at all this green makes me feel cooler when I'm out working. Sydney's feedback "It's just green." But, no it's not. It's many, many different shades and textures of green. (and there's one of those clumps of phlox right in the middle.) Anyway, I enjoy it enough for the both of us, so don't listen to her feedback.



I really need to spend some time out here. This time of year, all I can do is mulch, water, and weed, but that's enough to keep in all looking great. Last night, I was cooking on the grill and I came out to check the food and just sat in the swing and looked at the flowerbeds and enjoyed the breeze. Everywhere else, the temp at 5:30 was 102*, but my thermometer said it was only 90* in the back yard. Felt soooo nice.


Then the mosquitoes found me and I had to go back inside.


I stopped at an estate sale this morning. Estate sales are so sad. But, I picked up three sheets for about the price I paid for one at the goodwill outlet and I bought a book on Central Texas Gardening and Bridge for Dummies. I've always been interested in learning to play and the book was only a buck. Even if I only read the first 5 pages, it was worth a buck.


Everyone have a great Friday. I'm going to submerge myself in work so the day will pass fast and them I'm going home to enjoy some rest and relaxation. Four day weeks are always so busy.


Lane











5 comments:

Impera Magna said...

Your backyard is beautiful... gardening is so rewarding!

Lynette said...

You guys have a lovely yard! Mine is truly pathetic this year with the garden largely running wild. But my trees are looking spectacular (lost 12 to Hurricane Ivan 5 or 6 years ago and planted several "infants").

Do you think Ixora is like Hydrangea - where the acidity of the soil will affect the color of the blooms, even changing within one plant, depending on which roots feed which blooms?

Paul said...

Beautiful garden... Wish I had a green thumb, but I kill every plant I try to keep, so I let my wife deal with the garden.

My brother used to go to estate sales. Books are always hard to sell and he would go in and offer them $100 for every book in the house. He did this for several years and now has an Original print of Moby Dick, Gone with the Wind, War and Peace, along with several other less recognizable titles. And buried in a set of Encyclopedias he found a hand written letter signed George Washington. He had it authenticated, and it is real. It now hangs in a frame in his bedroom.

Estate sales can be lucrative if you know what you're looking for and/or get lucky!!

Anonymous said...

Do I detect someone who has discovered "sheet collecting" for sewing purposes? Lol! I got started when I made some summer pjs for $1-all cotton heaven for someone who is hot natured and too cheap to spend $40 or so to test a pj pattern. Estate sales leave me sad as well but I think someone saving good items from the trash is less sad. The flowers are beautiful. mssewcrazy

woolywoman said...

Pretty garden! I'm not so sure that estate sales are 100% sad. Yes, that person has gone. But,they presumably enjoyed their stuff while they could, we strangers think of them when we go to the sale, and their stuff goes on without them- you bough sheets, which I'm guessing are going to be made into something, and enjoyed by others, and maybe inspire others, and so on. Ripples in the big pond of life.