Betwixt and Between

The weather is changing just in time for the August pick of favorites from the garden.  This is bringing some plants into focus that had been half-asleep through most of summer.  Especially Gaura.

My noID pink Gaura was sold simply as the species (now Oenothera lindheimeri).

Of course, it has produced the occasional spindly bloom, much stem to little flower, throughout the season; but with an increase in humidity, lower temperatures, and ongoing short bursts of rain, it is exploding into life again.

It is planted next to a much more reliable mid-summer bloomer, Lagerstroemia indica "Dynamite", a Crape Myrtle with brilliant crimson bloom.  Eventually the latter should overarch the former, but at present the Lagerstroemia is still the smaller plant.  Which is not saying much - I had no idea the Gaura would grow to five feet tall and wide, least of all under desert conditions!  It is crowding everything around it now.  I'm wondering whether I should have cut the bloom stems back at the end of spring, or would that completely sacrifice autumn bloom...?  Any information welcome!

This part of the garden is looking more than a little ragged as August draws to a close, but it saw a high plant survival rate over summer - very gratifying to the gardener!

Here is a close-up of the Lagerstroemia flowers.  I don't want to let August pass without a tip of the hat to this magnificent plant, which has bloomed faithfully and luxuriantly through all the worst parts of a long desert summer.

Although I will have to deal with the crowding at some point, I love the combination of the two plants, especially during this period of overlapping bloom.  I look forward to perhaps a month of having them blooming together, after which there will be autumn leaf color from the Lagerstroemia.

It's worth noting that, in one sense, they make excellent neighbors here.  Although drought-tolerant, the Crape Myrtle receives a bit of extra irrigation to keep the splendid bloom going, and the Gaura survives mostly just on that.  (Desert gardeners please note: I say mostly, not entirely!)  Perhaps it would have bloomed a little earlier if it had gotten more water for itself, though I think it was the intense heat that kept it quiet.

In the meantime, these are the August choices from my garden.  September should see everything waking up even more.  Thanks to Loree for hosting the Friday Favs at The Danger Garden!

Weather Diary: Fair with occasional rain showers; High: 96 F (36 C)/Low: 79 F (26 C); Humidity: 26%-65%