Tuesday View

The main change to notice in this week's official Tuesday View is the ever-lengthening stems on Muhlenbergia capillaris "Regal Mist", the autumn-blooming grass which dominates the upper part of the South Border.

However, last Friday there was a very special burst of bloom in the border.  I knew it would be quite brief so I took some pictures to save for today.

Leucophyllum frutescens anchors the very top of the border at the back, forming the end of the still-small rosemary hedge.  The Leucophyllm (variety uncertain, possibly "Green Cloud") is a handsome enough shrub out of bloom, but magnificent when flowering.  Unfortunately I did not manage to get a good shot of the whole bush.   Another time, I hope!

It blooms through the year in response to rainfall or increased humidity (it was the latter in this case). We haven't had much of either this year so it was a treat to see it suddenly burst into flower.  Any particular flowering is very brief, lasting perhaps three days between the opening of the blooms and a purple carpet under a green shrub.

 Commonly known as Texas Ranger, it is a native of the higher altitude Chihuahuan Desert region, but it is also an ironclad for low desert growing, surviving here on minimal supplemental watering and taking the heat and sun in stride.  And periodically putting out its masses of blue to lavender flowers.

They have speckled throats and a little rough fur.  I didn't get any bee shots this time, but bees do adore them!

Elsewhere in the South Border, the miniscule Melocactus azureus continues to do well under the miniature rose.

And my young Lagerstroemia indica "Rhapsody in Pink", which appeared to have ceased flowering for the summer, has put out another spate of bloom.

We are still in slow transition between summer and autumn, with high temperatures moderating down to the upper nineties (37 C) and lows sometimes dropping below 70 F (21 C).  I have begun planting out the cacti and agaves I've been holding in pots in shade over summer.  So far, so good.  Trichocereus grandiflorus and Echinocactus grusonii (the golden barrel cactus) are in the ground.  Also a well-priced, handsome agave apologetically labelled something like "garden agave", or was it "landscape agave"; it seemed to indicate it should be winter-hardy at any rate, and it is almost certainly A. parryi in any case.  All these are summer-growers so should settle in well now that the sunlight and temperatures are moderating.

Meantime, a new planting project arrived last night.

The first of two iris orders, this one of tall bearded irises from Schreiners'.  The rhizomes look terrific -- huge, chunky divisions -- and will hopefully go in the ground today.  Unless it starts raining first!  Newton may beat me to the garden!

Thanks to Cathy of Words and Herbs for hosting this weekly look at a single spot in the garden!

Weather Diary: Cloudy and expecting rain; High yesterday: 98 F (37 C)/Low: 75 F (24 C); Humidity: 15% - 100% (that is definitely a desert range on the humidity!)  Note: Newton has arrived just as I finish this - so great to see a real downpour!