>Well, it’s time to check in for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day again. The heat has really descended upon us here in Central Texas. Despite some violent, but still welcome, thunderstorms this past week, temperatures have been easily over 100 degrees and that just makes the situation out in the garden, well, desperate. Daily watering by hand is necessary to keep some of these plants even going.
But let me start with the beautiful plants that thrive in the Texas heat with a voracious, sun-slap-down attitude that makes other plants just whimper in their presence. Some are the beautiful wildflowers growing in my septic field. Beebalm/Horsemint has come back again and I just love it’s looks, The purple is slowly fading, but I love the structure of the flowers and will certainly do my best to spread more seed around. The whorls of flowers going up the stem are just…cool. And I looked out tonight and I swear, there must have been 5 birds, maybe hummingbirds but I was too far away, that were hovering around it. Along with the bee balm are some yellow flowers, I think maybe a California poppy variety, and some Indian Blanket. The Mexican hat is mostly gone to seed now. Mind you, these plants get no hand watering and no irrigation. Just the septic field moisture and whatever rains come their way.
Besides the wildflowers, other plants that are laughing at the heat right now include Mexican Bush Sage, Euryops (Bush Daisy), Bulbine, Pink Skullcap, Mexican Heather, Society Garlic, Salvia Coccinea, Salvia Greggii, bicolor iris, and Rosemary. With some shade, my turk’s cap, canna lily, Texas Star Hibiscus, and purple coneflower are also loving the heat. Thank god for these plants, or my garden would look desperately fried. I return to these tried and true performers in bed after bed.
The vegetable garden is, well, going. The borers have taken their toll on the squash. I have so far only harvested one zucchini. My plants seem to have all male flowers! I had to pull up one of my cushaw squash vines today after it was just decimated by borers and literally just turned to ashes. But the tomatoes are going strong after a slow start due to a mystery guest who liked to chew the entire stalk down so they would have to start growing from scratch again. Soyu cucumbers are doing great. Green peppers are tiny and very un-productive. And the okra are just starting to gain some height.
I’ll wrap it all up with a view of our latest garden visitor. We have gone a bit bird-house mad in the back yard with an addition of two new houses and one owl-house this year, But it is so fun when they actually get occupied. This baby was peering out of the house waiting for mommy to bring his lunch. The mom would chirp madly from the oak tree whenever I went out to take pictures. The birdies grow up so quick…already the house is empty, waiting for the next tenant. Godspeed, little birdie!