mums Archives | Diana's Designs Austin

Summer keeps hanging on in the garden…

It’s December 15th, and it’s not beginning to look even a little bit like Christmas here in Central Texas!

Unseasonably warm days have my garden confused.

Many summer plants are still thriving, or even putting on a second bloom.

While we’ve had a few close calls, I haven’t had a real freeze at my house yet this season.

Some plants had a few leaves turn and die but the lowest temperature I have measured is 33F.

I love living here — where we can garden almost 12 months a year. Sometimes that means the plants and I don’t get a long winter’s nap.

Having lived several times in much colder climates, I would like to see a little snow in the winter.

That’s why there are airplanes!

The dogs, Tanner (the tan one!) and Dakota, don’t mind one bit. Indian summer suits them just fine as they enjoy watching me work in the garden.

In the cutting garden, I’ve had these daisies blooming for months.

The Katy Road Carefree Beauty rose is very happy and producing wonderfully fragrant blooms.
Mexican Oregano is flourishing and has bloomed non-stop since the Spring.
The fall-blooming Mexican Mint Marigold, which began blooming in September, is also experiencing a long bloom season. I normally have fewer Fall-blooming plants in the garden, but this year, the Mexican Mint Marigold has had to compete for the spotlight.

This creeping Wegelia perennial groundcover, whose bloom is winding its way through this variegated grass, seems to come into it’s own very late in the summer and doesn’t last long. I’ve seen more growth than ever this year with these warmer days.
My Black and blue salvia was overshadowed by other growing plants this summer and had virtually died back. This brand new shoot came up from the roots a few weeks ago and burst into bloom.
Exotic red blooms cover my Bottle Brush tree, blowing in the breezes above a blue agave.
And, the ever-reliable button mums just keep coming back year after year to put on a big Fall show.

For a garden tour of what’s blooming all over the world, you can visit Carol, at May Dreams Gardens, where she hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th of each month.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:25-06:00December 15th, 2010|Blog, Bottle Brush tree, carefree beauty rose, dogs, GBBD, Mexican Mint Marigold, Mexican Oregano, mums, salvia, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Fall bloomers and a few surprises…

As temperatures drop and it begins to look a little like fall here in Central Texas, new things are blooming in the garden.

There are the traditional plants, like these beautiful mums.

They disappear during the scorching hot summer, but puff up and explode with flowers when it starts to get chilly outside.

And there are the Mexican Mint Marigolds with their beautiful yellow blooms and the Fall Asters that I wrote about two posts ago, all reliable fall bloomers.
There was beautiful light when I went out with the camera this morning.
The oak in the front yard was aglow like a flaming tree with its golden leaves in the rising sunlight. We have so little fall color here because it’s just not cold enough, so we really appreciate it when we see it!
But I was surprised to find these Shasta Daisies in the cutting garden — blooming for the second time this year.
And the roses are loving this cool weather — especially my Katy Road or Carefree Beauty rose.
Another sign of fall — dead things! I’d better get out there and remove all these seeds from this dead morning glory vine or I won’t have any cutting flowers at all in the spring as they will be choked out by vine-y groundcover!
And these precious little Marigolds came from seeds and volunteers in the vegetable garden, where I plant them to keep bad bugs off the tomatoes. I simply moved them to the cutting garden where they are very happy.

Any fall surprises in your garden today?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:25-06:00November 8th, 2010|Blog, daisy, fall, marigolds, mums, Sharing Nature's Garden, shasta daisy|0 Comments

Behind on Bloom day!

Hard to believe it’s Bloom Day again!

And while I’m late today with my post, I wouldn’t miss out on the invitation extended to all garden bloggers by Carol of May Dreams Gardens to post photos of our garden blooms.

We’ve had a little fall here in Central Texas, and while the nights are cooler – high 50’s, the days are still upper 70’s and 80, even.

Many summer perennials and annuals are still blooming, but I’m starting to see a real change in the garden.

Leaves are turning yellow, blooms are slowing, and many plants are setting seed as most prepare to go dormant.

This huge Duranta is still full of blooms, but there are also many little yellow seeds along the blooms.
This Cassia is still standing tall, but the blooms are a much smaller portion of the bloom stalk than they used to be.
The Alyssum loves the cooler weather, though. No slowing down here.
The Marigolds in the garden are still hard at work, keeping the evil insects from the tomatoes!

The roses have been loving these warm days and cool nights. Maggie has lovely blooms like this all over.

And the Hibiscus in this big pot can seem to stop blooming. Was she doing that when we had company out here? No…. she waits until there isn’t anyone to see her! So she had to go in my post.
The Texas Betony in the back shade bed is growing like a weed all of a sudden.
This little corner off the back patio is blooming – lantana, Euryops, Loropetalum, and some cannas.
My bougainvillea, a passalong from Robin of Getting Grounded, likes the night air.
The front bed, with many of the same plants as the photo above, including Salvia and Cuphea, hasn’t slowed a bit.
The vines on the fence and the Mexican Mint Marigold are putting on a show.
My little mums just started blooming.
I found this Mexican birdbath last week and had to bring it home. She how nice it looks with the transplanted Agapanthus around it? And the Agapanthus says, ‘thanks for rescuing us from that evil Dakota-dog-girl!’
And the Turk’s Cap in the woods is quite happy. The Turk’s Cap in my garden bed is turning yellow and losing leaves rapidly. It’s been too wet for it as we’ve gotten some regular rains.

It’s interesting to note the change of seasons in the garden. Next week we are forecast to get down to 39 one night. Yikes! That will change things around here for sure!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:36-06:00November 15th, 2009|Agapanthus, bird bath, Blog, bougainvilla, duranta, euryops, GBBD, maggie rose, mums, Sharing Nature's Garden, Turk's cap|0 Comments

Signs of Fall in a Southern garden…

There are some traditional signs of Fall in the hot, southern garden. The Yaupon Hollies bring forth their beautiful red berries…
The mums begin to bloom…
The colors begin to turn on a few trees, like this Crape Myrtle…
And, my Moy Grande Hibisucus continues to bloom!
As does the Mexican Flame Vine.
And I picked a beautiful, juicy strawberry! October 28 — seriously!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:38-05:00November 2nd, 2009|Blog, fall, hibiscus, mums, Sharing Nature's Garden, strawberries, yaupon holly|0 Comments

Seed starting survey …

Mmmhuuuwaaaaaa!

This is my seed skeleton! No, seriously, this is the sizable stack of seed sachets, some opened, some closed, but all … well … old.

So, thus my subsequent question…how long do seeds keep? I’ve done trial and error before, and since I am inherently seed-challenged, I’d rather improve my odds by using only those MOST likely to actually sprout.

** Share your expertise with me, my blogging friends — should I toss or keep my seeds?

** Is there a difference in the staying power of wildflower, vegetable or flower seeds?

Isn’t this cute? I give inspirational credit to Frances of Faire Garden, Annie of The Transplantable Rose and Carol of May Dreams Gardens for all their little garden fairy references.

So, I took my 5-year old by the hand on Saturday and we went into the woods to collect little rocks to build a fairy house in our garden. This is our little house, complete with rock door. We’ll keep adding to it as we’re inspired. Guess we should name it, too…

And, here, she is — speaking of the Fairy House-builder! Going haunting as a puppy with her Daddy, who was a mailman with torn pants! Their costumes were so easy to make and I loved that she didn’t want to be anyone or thing that was commercial or required a crown!

I leave you with one final Fall image — this beautiful, lush mum that I bought for decoration for our neighborhood Halloween Potluck for 45 at our house Friday night.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:51-06:00November 2nd, 2008|Blog, Halloween, mums, seeds, Sharing Nature's Garden|16 Comments

The latest in garden decor?

What do you think? Modern art? Sculpture de plastique? An obstacle course?

No, it’s my latest attempt to protect my plants.

Yes, that’s right. Little Miss Emmy (as I’ve named our resident yearling deer) has been munching on all my newly-planted plants. Remember the Cuphea I planted on Sunday? She ate about 1/3 of one Cuphea the first night. Then she nibbled on another one. And by the time I bought these milk crates and got them out there this afternoon, she’d sheared them all way down to the base. And she ate all the bloom buds off of the 3 mums, too. She did leave the Mexican Oregano alone, though.

Sigh.

I’m hoping that the only reason she ate the Cuphea was because it was young and tender and newly planted, and that she’ll leave them alone when they grow a little bit. After all, I thought the mums would be safe because I have two of them that have lived in the same spot in pots for a YEAR untouched. They are big ones, so, I’m crossing my fingers and hoping they grow big and woody and taste terrible!

See how little she left me?

While I was planting all the plants for the deer to eat for dinner on Sunday, I also dug up several volunteers and potted them. The first two, L to R, are probably not going to make it, but the last 3 are Crape Myrtles and should be a beautiful fuchsia color if they came from the seeds of the nearest tree. (Though I do have a row of white ones far away — just my luck — these will be white when I want them to be fuchsia!)

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:08-05:00September 23rd, 2008|Blog, cuphea, deer, milk crates, mums, Sharing Nature's Garden|14 Comments

mums

Summer keeps hanging on in the garden…

Fall bloomers and a few surprises…

Behind on Bloom day!

Signs of Fall in a Southern garden…

Seed starting survey …

The latest in garden decor?

Escape in the garden