A New Arrival!

Whooping and other sounds of rejoicing were heard in the garden this morning.  The first green nose is poking up from the garden bed.  Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum arabicum) is the first of my bulbs to show.  So far it's only one (five O. arabicum were planted).  Eighty-four bulbs yet to sprout...

I haven't known what to anticipate in the way of timing since the seasons here are a law unto themselves.  Summer is tough, and winter is relatively mild though we can get some freezing temperatures.  In fact, the cold winds we had yesterday felt like they carried a little mountain snow in their moist chill.  Does this encourage the bulbs?  As I say, I don't know when the rest of them will sprout, let alone bloom.  But I'm happy to see this one!

Flowers for a Vase on Monday

Here I am trying my hand at a first vase for the Monday Vase meme over at Rambling in the Garden .  I was so enthusiastic after looking at some of last week's vases that I nearly ran out and cut one midweek.  But I decided to wait till Sunday so here it is now: grass plumes, autumn sage, and a little perovskia.

My garden is so new that, frankly, there isn't much in it yet.  But happily, there are a few flowers to pick.  All the plants are still quite small so this is a tiny vaseful.

The Pink Muhly plumes have burst into many little stars and make a hazy mist round the Autumn Sage.  One little sprig of Perovskia was added for good measure.  That is about all that is actually blooming at the moment, and I hesitate to cut foliage while the plants are settling in.  The vase itself is one I created - handthrown on the potter's wheel and glazed in copper green with a flow glaze down to the shoulder.  I need to use that combination a little more.

Another shot of the "Regal Mist" Pink Muhly seedplumes...































I have always loved flower arrangements but never learned to create them, so perhaps the occasional (frequent?) Monday vase will spur me to better attempts, as well as encouraging me to grow some cutting flowers in the garden.  I hope so!  Happy Monday!

A Post on Perovskia

As I noted in my end of month post, the Perovskia has been a wonderful addition to the garden.  Maybe I notice this more because it is one of those "I know it's a good plant, but..." for me.  I have never grown it before, having been underwhelmed by its wispy appearance as a single specimen in a neighbor's lawn years ago.  In my garden bed, it's becoming a lovely presence of blue and silver-green; and I can't help thinking about the fact that there are multiple hybrids...

The plant I purchased is an unnamed, basic Perovskia atriplicifolia.  Flowers are medium lavender blue - bluer than I had anticipated.  They are quite small and the stems are slender and sway readily, so they're difficult to photograph in the constant breezes.

The foliage is finely cut and silvery.  It is a very elegant plant altogether.

It went into the ground blooming and settled in beautifully.  It is still happily flowering despite my big mistake about a week ago.  I had some liquid plant food for a rose bush, and I decided to pour a little of the extra on the Perovskia.  After all, I had done nothing but water it occasionally since planting.  On went the plant food, and half the plant collapsed within about twenty-four hours!  The stems died off and had to be removed. Obviously, this is not a plant that likes much nitrogen.

In spite of which, the rest of the Perovskia continues blooming, has strong new stems sprouting, and appears unfazed.  

Originally from mountainous regions of Asia, it is said to endure both heat and cold, and to be at its best in areas with warm summers.  It is also said to have a spring/summer bloomtime, but this little plant is still happily flowering in our beautiful desert November.

Ode to a Packing Box

What is more exciting to the gardener than the arrival of a cardboard box?  A small, sturdy, cardboard box strapped together at the seams with shipping tape.  When opened, the top is lightly stuffed with paper wads; underneath is an invoice and perhaps a spare catalog or planting instructions.

Then an assortment of packaging meets the eye, from plastic netting to perforated bags to paper parcels.  Inside are thin, brown oniony skins or soft, pale rinds of bulbs.  Some have firm green noses poking from their growing tips.  Some have a tangle of roots, others just a little furry disc at the base.

25 Iris Blue Magic
25 Iris reticulata Harmony
25 Narcissus canaliculatus
10 Narcissus Suzy
1 Amaryllis...

Well, most are in the ground now.  Narcissus canaliculatus has a reputation for liking it hot and dry so seemed a good place to start.  I love species and miniature narcissus.  And I needed a little cool blue, therefore the selection of Irises.  The jonquilla Suzy replaces the tazetta Falconet, which sold out before my late, late order was filled.




























I mixed N. canaliculatus and I. r. Harmony (at different depths) in part of the planting; usually I group my bulbs by themselves but wanted to try combining these miniatures for once.  They went into the south bed, while I. Blue Magic slipped in and around the rose bush and the autumn sage.





Wating for early spring, or whenever these plants bloom here...!  And hoping that my watering keeps them happy.










Not much left to plant...

A Glimpse of the Garden

Here it is: the end of the first full month in my little desert garden.  In the small, sunny garden, everything still looks very haphazard, no doubt, to the casual observer; and even to me it looks like I was holding my breath while planting - which, figuratively, I have been.  About all that I can say is that the plants seem fairly happy.  Most are in bloom as the hot summer gives way to a beautiful desert autumn.



So here they are!  The Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) bids fair to become a workhorse of the southern bed.  The little plant went from gallon-size pot to soil with barely a gasp.  It deserves a post all to itself and will have one soon, I hope.






























It is growing between  two different forms of Eremophila, the Australian Emu Bush.  They were among the first plants into the ground and are now putting out new growth.  I don't know what to expect in the way of first year bloom since they are small plants; but the shrubs themselves seem quite vigorous, not to mention tolerant of my confused essays in watering!






At the back of the southern bed, I have begun the hedge.  Now I do not have a good record in the matter of hedges, so I approach this one with a good deal of angst.  But I really do feel that this particular garden needs a formal hedge to wall it in from the bare land beyond, something to help create the sense of a special space.

I've chose to use rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) for several reasons.  Fragrance is, of course, one of them.  Another is their reputed tolerance of drought, heat, and alkaline soil.  Additionally, I need something that will grow fairly narrow.  So I am using the variety known as Tuscan Blue.  (The New Sunset Western Garden Book notes that this cannot be Vita Sackville-West's original version of the plant, as the flower color is light blue rather than dark.)  The Tuscan Blue variety available here is said to grow 18-24 in (46-61cm) wide.  I am perhaps making a mistake planting them on 18 in centers, but it looks all right for now....

I wanted to include a photo of the little hedge as it stands, but it's not much to look at yet!









Of all the plants, the Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana) is the quietest, most unassuming little subject.  It has hardly changed a bit since it went into the ground nearly a month ago.  But it's not turning brown either.  It has some growing to do before becoming the anticipated 2 ft mound covered with yellow daisies!

Another tiny specimen is my just-planted Lemon Thyme.












The only rose so far is Sterling Silver, following my theme of using lavender-colored flowers as a color baseline.  It looks the picture of health and has a nice, fat bud coming.

And finally, the unmistakeably autumn-blooming plants, Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) "Autumn Moon" and the grass Muhlenbergia capillaris "Regal Mist".  I was worried about the browning leaves of the Pink Muhly grass until it started sending up its delicate feathers.

The Autumn Sage has adjusted well and is no longer requiring daily watering despite being in full bloom now.  It seems quite floriferous.  I love the flowers, which are both dainty and jaunty at the same time.

So that is my look round the garden.  Since I finally have a garden this month, I would like to participate in the End of Month View meme over at The Patient Gardener.  Here is the link to Helen's blog, which I have just discovered via Hoe Hoe Grow...  Thanks to all you garden bloggers for the inspiration!