How Does Your Garden Grow?

How does your garden grow? Mine  is a little eclectic. A little unstructured. It’s definitely colorful. I try to make it as much like a ” steel magnolia” as I possible can. More and more it is definitely more native plants that love our Texas heat!

Every year I  tell myself that I’m going to change things up a bit. More English country garden, less native Texas plants. But I know better! It’s hot people. I will be the first to tell you that I’m more like a lizard sunning myself on a rock than a hot house flower! So is my garden.

We’ve had a ton of rain. I’m not complaining though. Soon we will be wishing and praying for rain. We have also swung into the heat of summer. Some of my plants are thriving, some aren’t looking so hot!

My backyard is a weird mix of full sun and tiny patches of full shade. My shade plants of choice are Impatients  and they are doing really well this year.

Although a little over watered due to the rain, my Periwinkles are growing like crazy around my pond.

This year I planted a new type of Prairie Verbena. The hot pinks are so vibrant- I love them!

Another new plant for me is Bulbine. It’s perennial and has these spiky shoots with clusters of tiny yellow flowers. So far, so good!

All of my Sage plants, and I have a ton of different ones, are doing fantastic.

I love the bright purples of the Mealy Cup Sage. The Lip Stick Sage, so named because it has white flowers with red “lips” on the edge of the petals, is a hardy perennial that really is a show stopper in the summer.

My Cannas are a little slow in growing this year, if you look really hard you can see them coming up behind the lip stick sage. I love their super bright orange color.

One of the most exotic plants in my garden is the Passion Flower Vine. I personally think this plant could be from another planet! It is so hardy, grows fast and usually covers the entire back fence.  Half way through the summer it will turn brown and you think it has died. Nope. It has actually been food for hundreds of caterpillars. When this happens I know to keep an eye out for hundreds of butterflies.  It is truly an experience!

I love the ease of growing Geraniums. You pretty much throw them into a pot, water, feed and you have extraordinary plants!

This isn’t the best picture, but my Crepe Myrtles are going crazy. They love the Texas heat and come in so many different colors. I have pale purple and hot pink ones. Love. Them!

Getting out and gardening is my therapy. There have been times when we’ve thought about selling the castle and moving into an apartment until we find the perfect home or we build one, but I know the dog, cat and I would not be happy if we couldn’t putter around in our garden.

So there you have a quick tour of some of my flower gardens. How does your garden grow? I would love for you to share your garden with me!

 

                                   Tammy