Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Tuesday View

And now for the weekly look at one particular part of the garden, with Cathy at Words and Herbs.

It was a lovely morning, slightly overcast and cooler.  The garden was enjoying it.

In the South Border, Eremophila hygrophana is adding some blue behind the lavender flowers of Catharanthus roseus.  The Eremophila usually has some blooms open, but today's flush is a little heavier.
Further down the border, Pennisetum setaceum rubrum is in its full glory.
It is crowding the Catharanthus at the border's edge, something I had not reckoned on since I still think of Catharanthus as an annual and expected to pull it out at the end of summer.  Since it is in fact a tender perennial and continues to bloom vigorously, why remove it?  Hmmm...

Lavendula stoechas "Madrid" is also looking good, as is Melocactus azureus, at the lower right corner of the photo above.

Now for an addition to the border.  Remember the blank spot visible in every Tuesday View?  I am beginning to fill it.
The new iris sprig is barely visible between and behind the two miniature roses.

This was the bonus iris that came with my Stout Gardens order: "Carry Me Home" is apparently a pale lavender Tall Bearded Iris.  From the pictures it seemed perfect for the South Border's soft blue/purple/pink hues.
I didn't particularly intend to plant ten irises this year, but I placed orders with two different companies, each with a "buy four, get one free" deal.  And I haven't grown bearded irises in four years.  And it was tempting to try my first arilbreds, now that I live in a dry summer climate.  Excuses, excuses.  Ten irises...  Three are now in the South Border, and the empty spot will soon be well filled in, I hope.

And at the very front, again between the two miniature roses, I intend to transplant a small Salvia that was injudiciously added at the back of the border last spring.  Since purchasing it (label said simply "Salvia"), I've pretty well decided it is from the "Summer Jewel" series and will stay quite small.  It seems a little fragile in comparison with the native southwest species I am growing, and week after week I've expected it to finally collapse.  But it always springs back with a little water, and this has been a murderous summer for new plantings.  Since it has survived this long, I intend to see if I can shift it to the front, where it will be a good companion for the miniature roses and help complete the structure of the border.
Weather Diary: Fair; High: 96 F (36 C)/Low: 75 F (24 C); Humidity: 23%-58%

8 comments:

  1. The Pennisetum really is looking lovely now Amy! And the pink sage is pretty. I can never decide whether autumn or spring planting is better, as new plants need so much water but then they don't want it cold and wet either! Hope it likes its new spot when you move it. Thanks for joining me with your view again!

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    1. I'm so glad I've put in the grasses here, Cathy; they're invaluable :) Given our relatively mild winters and difficult summers, I intend to transplant within the next few weeks in hopes the Salvia can settle in before anything gets nasty... I think the location will be to its liking - at least till next summer!

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  2. The Pennisetum may be robust but it is a nice addition to the autumn garden in our climates. I hope the Iris do well for you, Amy. Mine haven't performed well for the past 2-3 years but I think that may be due to a lack of water (rain) during the growing season and the fact that my tubers have tended to get covered up by mulch instead of bathing in the sun as they like to do.

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    1. Your Pennisetums are the reason I have this one, Kris - I've always admired it in your photos! I'm hoping I haven't gone overboard with the irises ;-) I wasn't even sure how deep to plant as I've seen recommendations for 1 inch deep planting in very hot climates (I'm sure they mean Phoenix!) I gave mine a normal planting anyway. I'll just have to watch and coax them along...

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  3. Iris are such delicate, beautiful flowers. I look forward to seeing them in flower.

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    1. I'm already getting impatient ;-) The one I planted earlier has done quite well, which is promising for the rest...!

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  4. The Catharanthus and Pennisetum are looking great, Amy.
    It is still quite warm there I see. Our temps are starting to drop. I can't believe how fast this summer went.
    I'm hoping all your iris dig in roots and become stars next spring!

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    1. Even here it's beginning to feel a little like fall; I can't believe we are halfway through September!?! The Catharanthus and Pennisetum have been wonderful in terms of keeping some color in the lower part of the border. The "off" seasons for bloom here take some adjusting to! And the first set of irises show signs of settling in the garden :)

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