Tuesday, September 27, 2011

despite drought and heat, some bright spots

Trailing lantana's thriving with a little supplemental water.

It's almost October, but Austin's drought and heat continue to break records. It's difficult not to get discouraged with this continued daily hand watering routine of both drought-tolerant plants--"tolerant", not "impervious"--and vegetable seedlings. I guess I'm just stubborn, but I keep plugging away. Small successes go a long way at this point.

Added some mulch to the Blackfoot Daisies, salvias, and a newly planted agapanthus.

Mexican feathergrass, purple fountain grass, and white ruellia are super troopers.

Two weeks ago we revived our raised beds with more homemade compost, and I planted green bean, cauliflower, broccoli, beet, carrot, snowpea, kale, chard, parsley, and cabbage seeds. I've been watering them around three times a day, and all are now seedlings, which I'll thin this weekend. Last week I planted potatoes, too. I'm holding off on seeding lettuces, dill, and cilantro until it's consistently cooler. If it ever does become consistently cooler...

The "Contender" bush bean (far left) seeds I planted two weeks ago have grown quickly.

red winter and dinosaur kale seedlings

Time to go water the seedlings again. 

Saturday, September 17, 2011

garden bloggers' bloom day, late again

Blackfoot Daisies
We finally have a 30 percent chance of rain today, but I'm not holding my breath. That it's only 90 degrees at 1 p.m. is a breath of fresh air, however! Austin has had 85 days of triple-digit heat this year, record-breaking. Mind-numbing. And continued exceptional drought and hideous wildfires. So please forgive my tardy post and lack of botanical names in today's post. Check out other garden bloggers' blooms at May Dreams Gardens.

Thank goodness the Oxblood lilies returned, even if they're a bit puney.

I forgot what kind of salvia this is. Uhm, a white one.

Cheery potted Gerber daisy

Rain (??) lilies from Annie at The Transplantable Rose

Also blooming are Turks Cap, plumbago, leadwort plumbago, white gaura, blue daze, torenia, purple and white ruellia, and rock rose.