duranta Archives | Diana's Designs Austin

In a Vase on Monday — still cheerily waiting for winter…

While our nights are now close to freezing temps, we still haven’t hit the hard 32 here at our house yet. My dad was here today and returned the vase from the bouquet of garden flowers I took them a few weeks ago.

Since it was a beautiful, sunny day here (60F) and there are still blooms in the garden, I refilled the vase and sent it back again – with flowers!

Today’s arrangement included lion’s tail, coneflowers, indigo spires salvia, celosia, rosemary and duranta seeds.

To see what other gardeners are putting in their vases, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:38:48-05:00January 4th, 2016|Blog, celosia, Coneflower, cut flowers, duranta, In a Vase on Monday, indigo spires, lion's tail, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Bringing in cut flowers for indoor sunshine, but leaving the heat outdoors

You wouldn’t believe it’s fall here in Central Texas. The temperature today is supposed to be a whopping 95 degrees. They keep promising us a cool front this weekend. I’m not holding my breath!

Since I’m so busy with work and procrastinating on two designs, I decided to venture into the garden and see how I could waste some more time. Ah ha! I’ll pick some of these lovely flowers to bring inside to enjoy while I am chained to my desk.

Many things that I cut back in early August are blooming again, but most of these have bloomed all summer long. This bouquet has echinacea, duranta, esperanza, some flowering basil and some Klondike cosmos. The cosmos were all ripped out mid-summer and the remaining seeds have germinated and given me a brand new, monstrous crop. They are very unruly, but I like them anyway. I think of them like popsicle sunshine on a stick!

I was inspired to do this after reading Late to the Garden Party’s post for In a Vase on Monday, a meme started by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. I’m late to the meme, but I still wanted some flowers for my desk. Better late than never, right?

Have you been bringing in any flowers from your garden? Don’t you want to pop out there with the scissors and bring something beautiful from your garden indoors?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:00-06:00September 30th, 2015|basil, Blog, Coneflower, cut flowers, cutting garden, duranta, esperanza, Klondike cosmos, Sharing Nature's Garden, vase|0 Comments

Hanging onto hot color in the late summer garden

Even though we are well past Labor Day, summer hangs on like a blanket over Central Texas. Days go by faster, but the heat hadn’t begun to wane until today.

After months without rain, my plants enjoyed an inch of the wet stuff this week – enough to rejuvenate the garden as we head into fall.

The Pride of Barbados seems to mimic the sun with its hot orange blossoms reaching for the sky.

Jutting out like this, it seems alien-like.

Bursting with color, plants in the front garden look like they are in a race to see who can grow the fastest, bloom the longest and be the brightest. Hot time in the city…

Sometimes I am frustrated with the thryallis — it’s definitely a late summer bloomer and occasionally sleeps in after winter. I think we’re spoiled with our vast array of three season plants. I’m spoiled – a season and a half just doesn’t seem long enough!

Like its cousin, the red Turk’s cap, this Pam’s pink variety never disappoints in my garden. In part shade with some morning sun, its delicate hats tip to me in the breeze.

More than 30 different species of Duranta grow in tropical climates. Mine have been perennials most years, coming back in summer to bloom through the fall. Only in very frigid winters have I lost them — two failed to come back after the winter of 3 days at 17 degrees. I have the purple sapphire showers, the alba white and this lavender growing in my garden.

Another stunning tropical, this plumeria started blooming a few weeks ago. Its scent is sweeter than the yellow flowering varieties I grow, but the color is amazing.

The candlestick tree (cassia alata) towering over other plants in the garden is just now starting to bloom.

The back shade garden brings some hot tropical colors to the party as well. I have to replant Persian shield every spring, but I couldn’t garden without its color and texture.

While the Moy grande hibiscus is done with its plate-sized flowers, Lord Baltimore is still blooming strong beside the pool.

I know this is the result of my not pruning enough in the spring, but I am thrilled with the weeping form that my crape Myrtle has taken on in front of the cutting garden.

Only allowed on the vegetable garden fence, this cypress vine always perks me up when the veggie garden becomes a towering and crispy mess before the fall garden clean up.

This happy garden blog post brought to you from my favorite morning roost – particularly nice on this cool morning. What’s blooming in your late summer / early fall garden today?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:01-06:00September 12th, 2015|back porch, Blog, candlestick tree, Crape Myrtle, duranta, hideous bed, late summer bloomers, Lord Baltimore Hibiscus, Pam's pink Turk's cap, Persian shield, philodendrum, plumeria, Pride of Barbados, Sharing Nature's Garden, thryallis, vines|0 Comments

Heat-loving stunner a must-have for hot gardens…

One of my favorite heat-loving plants, Duranta erecta is a show-stopper for most of the summer here in Central Texas.

I grow four different varieties: Alba-white, Sapphire showers-deep purple, lavender, and gold mound-with lime green foliage.

Bright yellow berries, about ½ inch in diameter, spill in long, trailing clusters in the summer. (The berries are poisonous to humans.)

My favorite is the sapphire showers – it’s vibrant purple – white-edged blooms are dramatic in my tropical garden. It also attracts bees, butterflies and birds.

My white Duranta has special sentimental meaning to me. It was a gift, given to me by two dear friends at my office, when my dog, Sami, spent 11 days in emergency vet care for the worst case of pancreatitis my vet had ever seen. We didn’t think she was going to make it. So my friends brought me this amazing tree. It was such a loving, generous gift. Against all odds, Sami recovered and went on to live another 5 years, even surviving cancer after that. After the passage of 19 years, and the passing of my sweet Sami almost 14 years ago, their kindness and my miracle still bring tears to my eyes when I look at the Duranta.

This is my miracle Duranta. For me, the white blooms will always represent the hope in my heart.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:39:29-05:00September 17th, 2013|Blog, duranta, duranta erecta, duranta sapphire showers, plant, Sami, Sharing Nature's Garden, tree, tropicals|0 Comments

Wordless Wednesday…where the garden speaks for itself

Duranta ‘sapphire showers’ against new distressed wrought iron gate

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:39:30-05:00August 28th, 2013|Blog, distressed wrought iron gate, duranta, duranta sapphire showers, gate, Sharing Nature's Garden, wrought iron|0 Comments

Blooming in spite of August…

Maggie Roses keep each other company.

Ok.

It’s hot. Dang hot.

But they’re still going and so am I!

This is a cooler summer than the last two summers have been. We’ve enjoyed lower temperatures and much more rain than we normally have. But not too much rain, like 3 years ago!

So my garden is pretty happy this Bloom Day. Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, invites us to share what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of every month so we can share and compare and contrast with what’s going on all around the world.

Sapphire Showers Duranta leans down to mingle with Sedum Autumn Joy.

So, here are some of my blooms. Some things are not as full of blooms because they’re used to the blazing heat and drought.

Love Lies Bleeding

My Amaranth, a passalong from Phillip, of East Side Patch, is 4 feet tall and just sprouted a lovely bloom. I’m hoping for many more blooms trailing over soon!

Grandpa Ott Morning Glory

Plumeria

The Plumeria were stunning last month, but they are coming to the end of their bloom cycle now. This is the last bloom on my three plants.

Cypress Vine

The Cypress Vine looks pretty here. But what you’re not seeing here is how it has taken over the vegetable garden and is trying to choke out the tomato plants, the pepper plants, the strawberries … you get the idea!

Trailing Lantana

Datura

Esperanza

The Esperanza is bursting with blooms all around the pool area.

Mandevilla

Clematis Jackmanii

Buddleia

I love the look of this Crape Myrtle next to the Ruby Crystals grass flowing in the breeze.

Angel Wing Begonia

I love how this beautiful plant from my good friend looks in the pot by the front door.

Homestead Verbena

This is the verbena that was supposed to be the wonderful deep purple but it turned out to be white.

Senorita Rosalita Cleome

Moy Grande Hibiscus

The fabulous big-as-your-head hibiscus is performing up to it’s reputation again this year.
Dianthus
Can you believe that these dianthus all around the walk way up to the front door, planted last November, are still blooming? I’ve lost a few to the heat, but boy, are they hearty.