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%

In a Vase: Small and Thymely

It has been quite a while since I've used a teacup for a Monday Vase.  Today seemed like a good time for another, particularly since I wanted to use smaller, more delicate material.

The basic component is actually lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus).  It remained much greener through this, its second summer season; and it is gradually coming out of its summer doldrums now.

There is also a stem of Eremophila hygrophana...

Eremophila hygrophana

...and a stem or two of my new acquisition Leucophyllum pruinosum "Sierra Bouquet", both of which add some soft gray foliage.

Leucophyllum pruinosum "Sierra Bouquet"

This is picked up by rose "Sterling Silver", also just waking up as summer draws down.

The most surprising component is surely Penstemon pseudospectabilis "Coconino County", which has never been without at a least a stem or two of flowers all summer long!  This cluster was, admittedly, lolling on the ground in the shade of the nearby lavender, so I thought I might as well bring it in.

I like the combination of soft colors with the muted gray-green of the teacup and saucer.

As the thyme formed a tangle of stiff stems, I did not have to use foam or any other additional support for this very casual little posy in a teacup.

Most of my garden time lately has been spent tidying up for the oncoming autumn growing season, and even more has been spent planting irises as both my iris orders came within the same week.  It's great to take some time out to bring a little bit of the garden indoors.  Thanks to Cathy for the encouragement to do so!  Do check the other vases inspired by her IaVoM theme at Rambling in the Garden!

Weather Diary: Fair; High: 99 F (37 C)/Low: 82 F (28 C); Humidity: 19%-53%

A Surprise in the Garden

Crown Princess Margareta

Yes, the roses are just beginning to bloom again; though flowers are still small and scantily formed, it's great to see them.

Wollerton Old Hall

 And now that I have given the Gaura a serious clip, I can better enjoy some of the plants it was beginning to smother, such as Cuphea ignea "Vermillionaire".

But this post is not about the usual suspects.

Admittedly, the surprise is not very spectacular to look at, just some green leaves and sprawling stems.

And in fact, it has been around for several months, left in place in hopes it would give the Cistanthe just beside it some protection from dog feet.  In the meantime, the remaining sprigs of Cistanthe have melted out beneath it...

I think I'm abandoning hope of growing Cistanthe spectabilis as a perennial here.

...while the interloper has maintained itself contentedly despite a long, hard summer.  But only yesterday did I realize what it was.

Not the self-seeded Mirabilis I thought first...

For a while it was possible to confuse the foliage, and the Mirabilis grows close by.

...nor yet the weed blown in on the wind, which was my second assumption once I decided it couldn't possibly be Mirabilis.

I found out very much by chance as there have been no flowers so far to assist with identification.

Two evenings ago, when I was planting one of my new irises in the North Border, I looked at the leaves of the nearby Chuparosa (Justicia californica).  Then I reached out and touched them and felt that same silky texture that had been mystifying me in the unknown seedling.

Leaves on my original Justicia californica plant

So the garden has given me a first self-seeded Chuparosa!  I am amazed as the parent plant was only added to the border last spring, put on a dwindling floral show, and then, of course, ceased for the summer.  Besides, I was not aware of J. californica having a reputation for seeding in the garden.

There are difficulties ahead.  I will have to transplant it as it can't stay in its original spot close to the edge of the Central Bed, and so far I have a very poor record on transplanting desert natives.  I hope this one will be more amenable to the process!

The common name means "hummingbird", and that is certainly one reason I planted this native of Sonoran Desert washes.  My original plant had a hummingbird sipping from it as it waited in my cart at the GC.  I wish I could post some pictures of hummingbirds and bloom, but that will have to wait till next year...!

Meantime, there are roses...

Wollerton Old Hall

Weather Diary: Sunny; High: 101 F (38 C)/Low: 79 F (26 C); Humidity: 21%-48%

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!

In a Vase: Semi-Tropical

Today's vase is certainly the simplest in terms of making: flowers picked in a couple of handfuls and plonked directly into their vase a few feet away on the patio.

There are only two types of flower, besides.  Three colors of Catharanthus roseus were used...

...along with stems of Russelia equisetiformis "Big Red"...

I love the white-brushed petal backs on the Catharanthus.

Both plants certainly represent the value of tropicals for the hot desert garden as they have bloomed very reliably through summer and are continuing as September moves in.  Their brilliant colors are invaluable in the borders right now, and fun for a vase too!  This is a handbuilt, dark-glazed stoneware vase I made earlier this year.

I am linking to Cathy's lovely meme at Rambling in the Garden, happy to be back after a week away from the blogosphere!

Weather Diary: Fair; High: 99 F (37 C)/Low: 69 F (21 C); Humidity: 9% - 34%