Favorite Summertime Scene

Just wanted to share a favorite summertime view - it's best taken in when just opening your eyes from an afternoon nap.

Royal Poinciana

Don't the Royal Poinciana, Delix regia add to the Valley's tropical flair! Driving down the expressway, these orange beauties can be spotted throughout each town. This particular one has both this year's blooms and last year's large, dark seed pods. At least I think those seed pods are from last year. Royal Poinciana will take 5 or 6 years to bloom. Mine bloomed on ONE branch this year - I think it's taunting me!

They are beginning to lose their blossoms and I, for one, will sorely miss their beauty - but we can begin to look forward to the the next showy tree to bloom. That's the Kapok or Silk tree. Look for its pale pink flowers sometime in August.

Plant List

Listed below are the plants that I am currently growing (or have grown in the past) - if you think the list looks large, divide it by two and then remove a few more. Most plants are listed by both scientific and one (or more) common names.

My goal is to create a resource for those gardening in our Deep South Texas area. Maybe one day each of these entries will have a link with some practical advice for local gardeners.

Bear with me - this will be a work in progress!

Acalypha wilkesiana Copper Plant
Acanthocerius pentagonus Barbed Wire Cactus or Night Blooming Cereus, large bloom
African Iris Iris sp.
Agave americana variegata Variegated Century Plant
Airplane Plant, variegated Chlorphytum comosum 'Vittatum'
Allium shoenoprasum Chives
Alocasia Elephant Ears
Alocasia Esculenta 'Black Magic' Black Elephant Ear
Alocasia 'Polly' Elephant Ears 'Polly'
Aloe barbadensis Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera Aloe barbadensis
Alpinia vittata or A zerumbet Variegated or Shell Ginger
Amaryllis sp.Amaryllis
Anacua Sugarberry, Knockaway, or Anacua
Anacua, Sugarberry Anacua
Anethum graveolens Dill
Angel's Trumpet Daturea spp.
Arizona Ash Fraxinus velutina
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed
Asian Jasmine Trachaelospermum asiaticum
Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' Asparagus Fern
Asparagus Fern Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri'
Barbed Wire Cactus Acanthocerius pentagonus
Basil, Sweet Ocimum basilicum
Beaucarnea recurvata Ponytail Palm
Begonia coccinea Angel Wing Begonia
Begonia semperflorens Wax Begonia
Begonia, Angel Wing Begonia coccinea
Begonia, Wax Begonia semperflorens
Bird of Paradise Strelitzia reginae
Bleeding Heart Vine Clerodendrum thomasoniae
Bluebonnet or Texas Bluebonnet Lupinus texensis
Bottle Brush Callistemon cirtinus
Bougainvillea - Salmon Bougainvillea sp.
Bougainvillea - white Bougainvillea sp.
Bougainvillea -red Bougainvillea sp.
Bougainvillea sp
Brassaia Variegated Dwarf Schefflera
Butterfly Bush Salvia leucantha
Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
Caesalpinia pulcherrina Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf/Mex Poinciana, Pride of Barbados
Caladium
Caladium bicolor
Caladium 'Gingerland'
Callistemon cirtinus Bottle Brush
Canna
Cardboard Palm Zamia furfuracea
Carya illinoinensis Pecan
Catharanthus roseus or Vinca minor
Cedar Elm Ulmus crassifolia
Century Plant, variegated Agave americana variegata
Chamerops humilis European or Mediterranean Fan Palm
Chinese Fan Palm Livistonia chinesis
Chinese Tallow Sapium sabiferum
Chives Allium shoenoprasum
Chlorphytum comosum 'Vittatum' Variegated Airplane Plant
Cilantro Coriandrum sativum
Clerodendrum thomasoniae Bleeding Heart Vine
Codiaeum variegatum pictum Croton
Coleus x hybrids
Confederate or Star Jasmine Trachaelspermum jasminoides
Copper Plant Acalypha wilkesiana
Cordyline terinalis Ti or Hawaiian Ti Plant
Coriander Coriandrum sativum
Coriandrum sativum Cilantro or Coriander
Corn Plant Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana'
Cosmos spp.
Crassula Variegated Jade Plant
Crassula argentea Jade Plant
Croton Codiaeum variegatum pictum
Crown of Thorn, dwarf Euphorbia milii 'Mini Bell'
Crown of Thorn, large flowering variety Euphorbia splendens var. milii
Cuban Oregano Plectranthus amboinicus
Cuphea hyssopifolia Mexican Heather
Cymbopogon citratus Lemongrass
Cypress Vine Ipomoea quamoclit
Daturea spp. Angel's Trumpet
Daylily Hemerocallis sp. 'Splendora Sunrise'
Delonix regia Royal Poinciana
Dill Anethum graveolen
Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana' Corn Plant
Dusty Miller Senecio cineraria
Ebony Pithecellobium ebano
Elephant Ear - black Alocasia esculenta 'Black Magic'
Elephant Ears Alocasia
Elephant Ears 'Polly' Alocasia 'Polly'
Epiphyllum oxypetalum, Night Blooming Cactus or Cereus, small bloom
Epipremnum aureum (Scindapsis aureus) Pothos Ivy
Eupatorium azureum Blue Mistflower
Eupatorium betonicifolium Padre Island or Betony Mistflower
Euphorbia milii 'Mini-Bell' Dwarf Crown of Thorn
Euphorbia pulcherimma Poinsettia
Euphorbia splendens var. milii Crown of Thorn (Large flowering)
Euphorbia tirucalli Pencil Cactus
Firebush Hamelia patens
Flat-leaf Parsley Pertoselinum crispin var. neopolitanum
Frangipani Plumeria rubra
Fraxinus velutina Arizona Ash
Frog Fruit
Ginger, variegated or Shell Ginger Alpina vittata or A zerumbet
Hamelia patens Firebush
Hawaiian Ti Cordyline terinallis
Hemerocallis sp.'Splendora Sunrise' Daylily
Hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-sinesis
Hibiscus rosa-sinesis Hibiscus
Huisache
Hummingbird Vine Ipomoea quamoclit
Flame of the Woods Ixora coccinea
Ice Plant Mesembryanthemum
Ilex vomitoria 'Nana' Dwarf Yaupon Holly
Ilex vomitoria 'Pride of Houston' Yaupon Holly
Ipomoea quamoclit Cypress or Hummingbird Vine, Star Glory
Iris spp. African Iris
Ixora coccinea Flame of the Woods or Ixora
Jade Plant Crassula argentea
Jade Plant, variegated Crassula
Jasminum sambac 'Maid of Orleans' Maid of Orleans
Jatropha Jatropha integerrima
Jatropha integerrima Jatropha or Spicy Jatropha
Kalanchoe Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Kalanchoe
Lady Palm Rhapis humilis
Lantana
Lantana (native orange) Lantana
Lantana montevidensis Trailing Lantana
Lantana, trailing (white) Lantana montevidensis
Lemon Thyme Lthymus citirodoris
Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus
Liriope muscari Giant Monkey Grass
Liriope, Giant Monkey Grass Liriope muscari
Live Oak Quercus virginiana
Livistonia chinesis Chinese Fan Palm
Lupinus texensis Texas Bluebonnet
Macho Fern Nephrolepis biserrata 'Macho'
Maid of Orleans Jasminum sambac 'Maid of Orleans'
Mandevilla spp.
Maranta leuconeura var. Prayer Plant
Mealycup Sage Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue'
Mediterranean Fan Palm Chamerops humilis
Mentha piperita Peppermint
Mentha viridis Spearmint
Mesembryanthemum Ice Plant
Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa
Mexican Bird of Paradise Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Mexican Bush Salvia Salvia leucantha
Mexican Heather Cuphea hyssopifolia
Mexican Mint Marigold Tagetes lucida
Mexican Petunia (short) Ruellia brittoniana
Mexican petunia, Ruelia Ruellia peninsularis
Mexican Poinciana Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Mistflower, Betony Eupatorium betonicifolium
Mistflower, Blue Eupatorium azureum
Mistflower, Padre Island Eupatorium betonicifolium
Mondo grass Ophiopagon japonicus
Mondo grass, dwarf
Monkey Grass Ophiopagon japonicus
Nasturtium Tropaeolum spp.
Nephrolepis biserrata 'Macho' Macho Fern
Night Blooming Cactus or Cereus, small bloom Epipphyllum oxypetalum
Night Blooming Cereus, large bloom Acanthocerius pentagonus
Ocimum basilicum Sweet Basil
Ophiopagon japonicus Mondo Grass or Monkey Grass
Oyster Plant Tradescantia spathacea
Parsley Petroselinum scrispim
Pato de Chiva
Pecan Carya illinoinensis
Pencil Cactus Euphorbia tirucalli
Penniselum setaceum 'Rubrum' Purple Fountain Grass
Pentas Pentas lanceolata
Pentas lanceolata
Peppermint Mentha piperita
Periwinkle or Vinca Catharanthus roseus or Vinca minor
Petroselinum crispin var. neopolitanum Flat-leaf or Italian Parsley
Petroselinum scrispim Parsley
Philodendrom bipinattifidum Split-leaf Elephant or Tree Philodendrom
Phoenix roebelinii Pygmy Date Palm
Pithecellobium ebano Ebony
Plectranthus amboinicus Cuban Oregano
Plumeria rubra Frangipani
Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherimma
Ponytail Palm Beaucamea recurvata
Portulaca oleracea Purslane
Pothos Ivy Epipremnum aureum or Scindapsis aureus
Prayer Plant Maranta leuconeura var.
Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Prosopis glandulosa Mesquite
Purple Fountain Grass Penniselum sataceum 'Rubrum'
Purslane Portulaca oleracea
Pygmy Date Palm Phoenix reobelinii
Quercus virginiana Live Oak
Rhapis humilis Lady Palm
Rosa "Blaze' Rose
Rosa "Gruss an Aachen' Rose
Rosa 'Adam' Rose
Rosa 'Margaret Merril' Rose
Rose 'Adam'
Rose 'Blaze'
Rose 'Gruss an Aachen'
Rose 'Margaret Merril'
Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary Rosmarinus prostrata
Rosmarinus prostrata Rosemary, trailing
Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary, upright
Royal Poinciana, Delonix Regia
Ruellia brittoniana Mexican Petunia, short
Ruellia peninsularis Mexican Petunia, tall
Salvia coccinea 'Coral Nymph' Scarlet or Texas Sage
Salvia coccinea 'Lady in Red' Scarlet or Texas Sage
Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue' Mealycup Sage
Salvia leucantha Mexican Bush Salvia or Butterfly Bush
Sapium sabiferum Chinese Tallow
Scarlet Sage Salvia coccinea var
Scarlet Sage Salvia coccinea var
Schefflera, variegated dwarf Brassaia
Senecio cineraria Dusty Miller
Soft-tip Yucca Yucca gloriosa
Sophora secundaflora Texas Mountain Laurel
Spearmint Mentha viridis
Split-leaf Elephant Ear Philodendrom bipinattifidum
Star Glory Ipomoea quamoclit
Strelitzia reginae Bird of Paradise
Tagetes lucida Mexican Mint Marigold
Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora Secundaflora
Texas Sage Salvia coccinea var.
Thyme Thymus vulgaris
Thymus citriodoris Lemon Thyme
Thymus vulgaris Thyme
Thyrallis or Yellow Plumbago
Ti Cordyline terinallis
Trachaelospermum asiaticum Asian Jasmine
Trachaelspermum jasminoides Confederate or Star Jasmine
Tradescantia spathacea Oyster Plant
Tree Philodendrom Philodendrom bipinattifidum
Tropaeolum spp. Nasturium
Ulmus crassifolia Cedar Elm
Verbena hybrida Verbena
Wax Begonia Begonia semperflorens
Yaupon Holly Ilex vomitoria 'Pride of Houston'
Yaupon Holly, dwarf Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'
Yucca gloriosa Soft-Tip Yucca
Zamia furfuracea Cardboard Palm
Zinnia elegans

Remove those tight ties!

Do you like to stake your trees at planting? Some say it's good and some say it's not so good. Many trees even come already staked in their pot. I don't know what the case was here but . . . . . . . these ties and stakes should have been removed long ago. This is one of three Jatropha integerrima that were planted 10 or 11 months ago. You can see the damage done by the ties.
And that's nothing compared to the damage done by being tied so close to the stake for months and months and months. I'm not saying don't stake - just be sure to check your staked trees on a regular basis!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June Edition

Welcome to June's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day in Deep South Texas. This month's theme should be "Only the Strong Survive!" I realize that all of Texas and most of the country are suffering through this month's unseasonably high temperatures. Our plants are no different. As I uploaded this morning's photographs, I thought the blooms are looking a bit tired - this heat sure puts them under added stress too! We'll begin with the heat lovin' Bougainvillea in salmon above and red below.

Here's another heat lover, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima
And I really should take a few minutes to find out the name of this vine. I know some of you must know it! It's a self seeder that comes back every summer and decorates the Firebush with its star-shaped flowers. My sister-in-law, Martha and Chris saw it growing in Roundtop, Texas and plucked a few seeds - thus, we just call it the Roundtop Vine.
Louisiana Iris will bloom until the first cool snap next fall. One thing I've learned is to separate it every 3 or 4 years. Otherwise, it keeps growing outwardly and you will end up with more of a circle than a round plant.
Bleeding Heart Vine Clerodendrum thomasoniae is still blooming - but it sure doesn't look as vibrant as it did a month ago.
Zinnias are coming into their own in all shades of purple, pink and red. I don't know what happened to the orange and yellow seed!

And who doesn't love the orange clusters on Flame of the Woods, Ixora coccinea. There is also a yellow gold variety that I'm looking for a spot for. Lately I've noticed some lovely plantings that have mixed the orange and yellow together.
The large flowering Crown of Thorns, Euphorbia splendens var. milii is becoming a bit speckled. It and the miniature variety below are both grown in pots around here.


This small bed of Mealycup Sage, Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue' has grown and bloomed so well, I added a few more plants to it. I trimmed back the Scarlet Sages, Salvia coccinea 'Lady in Red' and 'Coral Nymph' last week - we'll see what they're doing in July.

Pentas lanceolata just keep blooming and blooming and blooming. They are paired with the blue Mealycup Sage under the flag pole for a bit of a patriotic bed.
I can't bring myself to pull out the volunteer Periwinkles, Vinca minor. Both the purple and white are staking claim among the Ixora. The Frangipani is looking a bit tattered after some high winds last week.
This Daylily, Hemerocallis sp. 'Splendora Sunrise was a Mother's Day gift last year. We had to move them for a construction project - but they don't seem to mind.

Trailing white lantana, Lantana montevidensis is growing in a pot in a transition bed. I love the how the white shines in the moonlight.
Thyrallis is attracting lots of butterflies and bees. Its bright yellow flowers show up from a distance.
and Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa has sprouted all over the "Native Beds". She shares the space below native trees with the Frogfruit, pictured below.

This Porterweed has a great blue color. I need to find a little spot for some of the red variety.

Padre Island Mistflower is also crawling around in the "Native Bed".
The yellow pistols against the red Jatropha is a pretty combination.
All the Coleus is trying to bloom - but I'm pinching out the bloom stems as soon as I see them. Of course, I think its leaf is a pretty as most blossoms.
Variegated Shell Ginger is putting on quite a show. Or maybe it's just that I've finally noticed its details after years of ignoring it. Check out the beautiful yellow shell that peeps out of the white pod.
There are some re-bloom patches in the Bottlebrush hedge.
Pam from Digging has her gecko - but I have my own garden mascot. This large one-legged frog. Sometimes I can catch her early in the morning before the sun has warmed things up - or my dog, Red, has had a chance to chase her off. She is amazingly fast.

To see what's blooming in gardens around the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Mediterranean Fan Palms

Cold hardy to zone 8, Mediterranean Fan Palms, Chamerops humilis, are a great choice for gardeners looking to add a little tropical flair to their garden. Also known as European Fan Palm, it's a slow grower that performs well in both full sun and part shade. Its fan shaped fronds are nicely contained near the trunks. Notice I said trunks with an "s". Med Fans are a clustering palm, putting out 'pups' at the base. This gives the palm a full look and allows a gardener to use it as he would use a large shrub. You can see the multi-trunks on the palm on the left.

This family has paired it with a Magnolia Tree in this bed - kind of Southern Belle meets Mediteranean Beauty. Med Fans only grow to 15 or 20 feet.
It looks great with other tropicals, such as this Yucca and Bird of Paradise - but also looks equally at home with a traditional planting such as the hedge and oak tree above or geraniums and oleanders in the following picture.
Below is a horrible use of Med Fan Palms. Not only are they in a boring line but the gardener removes the pups regularly. I wonder if this is the look they're going for?
How much more attractive would that be if they let the pups grow and fill out the "hedge" - The photo below illustrates how lush Med Fans can be.

Med Fans are found in poor rocky soils so will do fine in dry, desert conditions. They are slow growers (growth rate of about 6 inches a year) that grow well in a variety of soil types - as long as the area is well drained. I love it as an understory tree planted under taller palms or even live oaks. Since they're small palms, you can also grow them in pots.


If you're looking to a a bit of the tropics to your garden, Mediterranean Fan Palms could be what you're looking for!

Some Kind of Cereus

I'm not positive what kind of Cereus this is - but I'm pretty thrilled that it's blooming! Its blossoms measure 8 or more inches across. My father-in-law dug the parent plant from some brush land along the Arroyo Colorado so I can only assume that it's native to the Rio Grande Valley. In their booklet on Cactus, Groundcovers, and Vines, the Native Plant Project describes Acanthorereus pentagonus as an upright five ribbed cactus. I must admit mine only has three ribs and a definite triangularly shaped stem - but I still think this is it. Commonly called Night Blooming Cereus or Barbed Wire Cactus, it blooms at night from June through August. The pistols and stamens are a buttery yellow.
This bud will probably open in a day or two.

Night Blooming Cereus is a climber. We've planted it in the Rock Garden next to a Mesquite Tree. Since it should only grow to 20 feet, it won't overtake this tree. Until it was recently pruned, its vines had rambled along the the open ground, even putting down roots into some of the porous rocks.

This bloom is from a different night blooming cactus. It is growing intermixed with the larger Cereus. I got this start from my father. Maybe this bed should be called "The Paternal Bed". This Cereus has a flat stem and smaller flowers - but blooms profusely - sometimes I'll count over 20 blossoms on this planting. Too bad they only last one night.

Both of these propogate easily from stem cuttings. You will want to let the cuttings harden a bit before planting. I planted mine directly into the bed.

Bringing the Outdoors In

The thermastat is hitting 100 on a regular basis and it's not fit for man or beast outside during daylight hours - and sometimes throughout the night also. I woke up one morning last week and our overnight low had been 82 degrees. Needless to say, this is the time of year when I lack the desire to venture out and work in the garden. What I do love when it's blistering hot is to bring a little of the outdoors intside - and this is when I'm glad I've given up a little space in the vegetable garden for cut flowers. My all time favorites are zinnias. They are easy to grow - they re-seed - and they are forgiving when I ignore them.

This year I planted Burpee's heirloom Exquisite and some year-old bulk seed. They are both growing well. The only zinnia I have failed at growing were Giant Purity. I had planted them for a party and, of course, I got poor germination followed by disease.

A few native sunflowers have volunteered near the woodpile and no-one's gotten around to chopping them out. They were a bonus the other morning when I was wandering the yard looking for something to cut. The best time to cut flowers and foliage to bring inside is morning. The plants are under less stress then.

Some shrubs can also have great flowers of foliage to include in an arrangement. I love to cut Ixora for both mixed arrangements and as a one item arrangement. The branch is a bit hard so I make some cuts up the branch so it will take up more water.

Just look at how delicate Ixora's flower is - and the color is like a fresh melon.

This is my first year to grow Cosmos. The plants are already shoulder-high - but we'll see how they take the heat! So far, so good.

I always like to include some greenery in my mixed arrangements. A palm frond, like this Lady Palm, Rhapis humilis, makes a nice addition. Coleus is good to cut - and the bonus is that it may well begin rooting before you toss the arrangement into the compost pile. The same goes for Sweet Potato Vine 'Margarite". And I love the lime green of it's leaves. Sometimes I have to search for some that the bugs haven't eaten - something munches on it throughout the summer, but never kills it.

A little bit of variegated dwarf schefflera,
Brassaia, is another good filler.

As an accent, I like to cut a few fronds from the Purple Fountain Grass, Penniselum setaceum 'Rubrum', and one of these days I'm going to use some of the purple grass blades.

I hope you'll give your plants a little haircut and bring the trimmings inside to enjoy!

Another Sign that Composting is Becoming A Mainstream Activity

How surprised was I to come across the Nature Mill Electric Composter in the Williams-Sonoma catalog. Another sign that composting is becoming more mainstream. Personally I prefer nature's way to compost - but if I had an extra $400 laying around this would save me a trip outside to the composter - and I could get rid of my compost bucket. Although they are making those pretty attractive these days!

Obviously, this composter is for the non-gardener - or someone much neater than I. I can't imagine bringing my cutting indoors to compost! That's like backwards world!
According to the catalog, the unit consumes up to 5 lb.s of kitchen waste a day and tranforms it into compost in just two weeks. Unlike a traditional composting system, this machine will also accept dairy, fish and meat. It plugs into a regular electric outlet and uses the same amount of energy as a nightlight.

I'm all for composting our household wastes - if this gets more people doing it, then it's a wonderful product.