tall coreopsis

Blooms abound in the spring garden

My morning walk through the garden brightened my day.  My garden is still young, compared to my previous 16-year-old garden.  Filling in holes where plants have been lost and adding layers over time has paid off.  This spring the garden feels full and lush.  Today.  (Check back with me in August!)

We’ve been fortunate to have had a little bit of rain lately in our part of Austin.  Because of our topography, it’s not uncommon for different parts of town to have dramatically different rainfall.

It’s been a rough couple of years.  Snowpocalyse Uri in 2021, another terrible freeze in 2022 and multiple days at 110 or higher last summer.

This spring feels like the garden is coming into its own.  Things are filling out and look like my vision for the space.

Jerusalem sage is one of my go-to plants.  It doesn’t mind our heat and it’s evergreen and deer resistant.

Few things perk up the spring landscape like shasta daisies.

While I have a large swath of bluebonnets along my creek bed, this year I ventured out and bought a few of the cranberry-colored ones to add into the garden.

They look so interesting compared to all the blue ones.

We won’t talk about the idea that they were bred to represent A&M University, the arch rival of Austin’s University of Texas!

 

 

 

A fabulous border plant, purple skullcap looks great trailing over my street-side boulders.  This soft, mounding perennial blooms reliably from spring through fall.

This scrappy little Damianita grows throughout the tough landscape of the Texas Hill country in the most difficult conditions.  Another great border plant, it grows about 18 inches tall.

The bluebonnets are almost done.  I’m just waiting for the seed pods to dry out and start to open before plucking them.  In November, I will plant all of this year’s seeds, so we have an even bigger show next spring.

The ditch lilies and the coreopsis intermingle and blow in the breeze together.

Heartleaf skullcap is another of my spring favorites.  The luminescence of the tiny blooms is enchanting atop the velvety-soft leaves.

Lemon mallow makes a striking statement against the nearby Henry Duelberg salvia.

It’s 90+ today, but we are all holding out hope that this summer isn’t as brutal as last.  Spending as much time in the garden now as we can!

 

 

Wildflower Wow

Wildflowers along our highways and byways were few and far between this year thanks to the drought.

But one little plant seems to have taken off outside of my garden.

Thanks to a some dribbles of water coming from the cutting garden bed on the other side of the fence, this wildflower has exploded into bloom in the easement beyond our property. (Like my Wisteria vine, it seems to enjoy playing hide and seek with me.)

After some research, I believe I’ve identified it as Coreopsis tripteris, or Tall coreopsis/Tall tickseed.

In any case, it’s fabulous.

I know some of those seeds are going to find their way into my hands and then into an open area (more visible!) with some fresh soil and periodic gentle hand watering this fall.

This beautiful show of color is well worth a little starting TLC to help it along.

And here it is, sneaking through the spaces in the fence to show off to the other blooms in the cutting garden.

Although it’s a little sparse because of the drought, the cutting garden has perked up in the last few weeks thanks to cooler night temperatures and our recent restorative rain.

Speaking of wildflowers, today begins the amazing Fall Plant Sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Here’s the basic information from the Wildflower Center — you can find more at their website.

Plant Sale — Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 14 – 16.

Did the hottest, driest summer in Austin’s recorded history leave you looking for new garden solutions? We can help! At the Wildflower Center’s Fall Plant Sale and Gardening Festival you can choose from nearly 300 species of hardy Texas natives bred to deal with our Central Texas climate. Feel free to leave your plant purchases at the Holding Area while you finish enjoying your visit, or up until the Plant Sale closes Sunday at 5 p.m.

Admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors and students, $4 UT faculty, staff or students with identification, $3 children 5 through 12, members and children under 5 free.

  • If possible, bring your own wagon to haul your purchases
  • Plants may be purchased and held for pick-up
  • Recycle your reusable 4-inch and one gallon plastic pots, collection bin available at the front entrance.
  • Free cold filtered water, just bring your reusable water bottle, or buy one in the store.

Members Only Sale: Friday, October 14, 1 to 7 p.m. Friday’s sale is exclusively for members of the Wildflower Center. Become a member online or at the preview sale.


Go to Top