warts and all

fall aster, basil, potatoes, chard, tiny lettuces, and plumbago in one of back vegetable beds

I was going to wait until I'd weeded the vegetable beds to post any photos, but since I've been such a delinquent blogger lately, I decided to post what's been going on here, warts and all.

at least they're taller than the weeds: chard, red winter kale, dinosaur kale, red cabbage, golden beets, Romanesco broccoli, parsley, dill, sage, cilantro, mustard green, volunteer tomato, and Thai basil

I started all my fall vegetables from seeds (except the mustard green) from Botanical Interests or Seed Savers Exchange. Because of our continued drought, I hand watered the seeds three times a day until they were 1-inch seedlings then cut back to a quick watering once a day. Now that it's a little cooler, I can give them a drink every other day and a once-a-week drip soaking. So far so good.

volunteer butternut squash (probably from our compost pile) and red cabbage seedlings

The ivy that's covered our garage shed finally died, so husband Kurt spent all afternoon carefully removing all those twisty vines intertwined in the beautiful old board and batten siding to reveal, what else? The beautiful old board and batten siding, circa 1941, although it's showing its age.

shed sans ivy

My first salvia madrensis is jazzing up the corner of the shed.

I'm pleased to have already harvested one big bowl of "Contender" green beans and to see a few beets almost ready to pull. The squirrels have been digging up various seeds, which has forced me to do successive seeding, something I've never had the planning or discipline to do before. Never thought I'd have a reason to thank squirrels. 

In the back beds, my potato, broccoli, cauliflower, snow pea, carrot, and beet plants are all doing okay. Now I just need to get to weeding them!

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.

garden bloggers' bloom day

bougainvillea

Unfortunately, very little has changed since last month's bloom day except that it's even hotter and drier. If I'm counting right, today will be Austin's 61st day of triple-digit heat. Sigh. Be sure to check out other garden bloggers' blooms at Carol's May Dream Gardens.

leadwort plumbago groundcover

ruellia and artemisia

garlic chive and plumbago

I couldn't stand to leave this cute planter empty any longer, so I found this dwarf gomphrena and put enough rocks on top to keep the squirrels from digging it out.

Also occasionally blooming this month are white gaura, plumbago, prairie verbena, trailing lantana, pavonia, blue daze, and blackfoot daisy.

exceptional drought-tolerant plants

cenizo (Texas "Silverado" sage)

Looks like tropical storm Don is not going to grace Austin with any rain on this dry 45th day of triple-digit heat, so I'm celebrating my truly drought-tolerant plants. Plants that are surviving in full sun in this exceptional drought with NO supplemental water. Amazing. 

artemisia "Silver king":

This artemisia spreads fairly quickly and ends up two to three feet tall. I like it better than artemisia "Powis castle" because its foliage is more delicate. This stand came from one four-inch pot planted three or four years ago.

soft leaf yucca and rosemary:

The yuccas and rosemary appear a little stressed.

abelia

Not sure exactly which abelia this is. In "normal" springs and summers, it puts out tiny white fragrant blooms that attract bees.

front to back: agaves, gray santolina, and yucca

Sorry, but I don't know what type of agaves these are. Same story for the yucca. The white blooms are trailing lantana that I've watered every other week.

unknown sotol with gray santolina and Mexican feathergrass

I need help identifying this one! I didn't keep the tag, but I could swear its common name had the word "leather" or "rubber" in it, but I can't find it online. It spreads medium quickly and gets almost three feet tall. It blooms these teeny flowers (smaller than a pea) intermittently spring through fall:

Anyone recognize it?  EDITED 7-30-11: Husband Kurt found it! It's Jatropha dioica var. dioica, commonly known as leatherstem, leatherwood, or rubber plant.

My salvias, gaura, lantana, and plumbago are doing okay with weekly watering. Having to hand water my potted plants, herbs, and cucumbers almost daily is getting really old, so I particularly appreciate the tough guys I'm able to ignore. 

update: David/Peese approved to pump 800,000 gallons from Trinity aquifer

Today I spoke to a helpful man at the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and learned that their board has approved local Rollingwood residents James David and Gary Peese's application to drill a well to pump 800,000 gallons (annually) from the Trinity aquifer for "domestic irrigation needs" for their two-acre estate. David/Peese originally asked for a million gallons and requested a variance to get around the current drought-related watering restrictions, but the board denied the variance request and reduced the million gallons to 800,000.



The board seems to be fairly enthusiastic about the whole thing because David/Peese have agreed to keep monitoring equipment on the well so the board may study this "under-utilized" source that doesn't strain the Edwards aquifer. David/Peese will not be allowed to pump from the Trinity aquifer until the drought status is lifted and will pay $80,000-$100,000 for the privilege, should they go through with it.

The Garden Conservancy, along with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and The University of Texas at Austin is hosting a seminar on October 31 called Limestone & Water: Plants, Design and Inspiration for the Texas Garden, which includes the following topic

Smarter Gardens: gardening with less but getting more
Stephen Orr, garden writer, NYC
Stephen identifies a new revolution in garden design that treats gardens not as resource guzzlers—water, labor, materials, energy—but as conserving and graceful places in which to live and rest year ‘round.

Ironically, the reception for the seminar that includes this topic will be held at the home and garden of James David and Gary Peese.

I don't think these guys should be showcased on future garden tours

At the moment, restrictions on use of the Trinity Aquifer are not mandated by the Texas Legislature as they are for the Edwards Aquifer. So, during this greater Austin area's second year of exceptional drought, it appears that Rollingwood residents James David and Gary Peese are taking full and for now, legal, advantage of that lack of restrictions by applying to the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District for the right to suck a MILLION gallons a year from the Trinity Aquifer to water their two-acre estate.

Read the whole story here. And more info here.

(Hat tip to tweet by MSS Zanthan Gardens.)

More water restrictions soon

I just received this breaking news email alert from the Austin Chronicle:

The Austin Water Utility will announce this week that due to continued severe drought, "Stage 2" water restrictions will be implemented effective Monday, Aug. 24. Under Stage 2 restrictions, residential users will be limited to one day of watering per week (instead of the current two days), paved surfaces cannot be washed except for immediate hazards, and more general restrictions will also apply. For more information, see the AWU Web site here.