The Lazy Shady Gardener

Monday, April 15, 2013

Flower Power: GBBD April 2013

Sponsored by May Dream Gardens

Established Plants

Ghost Plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense)

Cedar Sage (Salvia roemeriana)

Chinese Indigo (Indigofera kirilowii)

Chocolate Chip Ajuga (Ajuga reptans 'Valfredda')

Texas Gold Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana)

Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruticosa)

Banana Shrub (Michelia figo)

Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea)

Soap Aloe (Aloe maculata)

Gulf Coast Penstemon (Penstemon tenuis)

White Shamrock (Oxalis crassipes 'Alba')

Pink Shamrock (Oxalis crassipes 'Rosea')

Purple Oxalis (Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae 'Atropurpurea')

Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera)

New Plants in the Garden

Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeeana)

Pam's Pink Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus drummondii 'Pam Puryear')

Annuals

Viola cornuta 'Babyface Ruby and Gold'

Pansies (Viola tricolor)

Potted Plants

Star Begonia (Begonia heracleifolia)

Aloe 'Doran Black'

Haworthia coarctata

Indoor Plants

Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis sp.)

Tardies

Rattlesnake Agave (Manfreda maculosa)

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum sp.)

Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Alice' (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice')

Little White Soldiers (Drimiopsis maculata)

Odontocidium Wild Willie 'Pacific Bingo'

Monday, April 8, 2013

I was able to find the time to get a couple more plants potted and a small group placed into the ground.

The first was Aloe 'Pink Blush' which had been patiently waiting for its pot. I really like the coloration along its edges and suspect its active pupping will cause it to quickly fill the container.

The second is my first attempt with any type of Sweet Potato Vine. This variety is Ipomoea batatas 'Bright Ideas Rusty Red' which replaced a Texas Bear Grass (Nolina texana) that never really performed (its now waiting for another location).

And continuing with Sweet Potato Vines, I also put four Ipomoea batatas 'Margarita' into the ground. Hopefully they won't overwhelm the area.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Potting Plants

Last year's hanging basket of Aloe brevifolia & Sedum spurium 'Tricolor' didn't fair that well. The sedum completely died out, and the aloe diminished. So I decided to move the aloe to a pot and replace it with another plant.

I settled on an Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor'. I may eventually need to add some type of border or cascading plants, though this species is known to pup quite a bit. For now, I'll just wait and see how it settles in.

As I finished emptying out my pop-up greenhouse, I used the opportunity to finally get some specimens into pots.

Spekboom (Portulacaria afra)

Variegated Soap Aloe (Aloe maculata 'Variegata')

Haworthia coarctata

(replacing Senecio scaposus which struggled)

I also got my last Turk's Cap 'Big Momma' (Malvaviscus drummondii x arboreus 'Big Momma') into one of the garden beds. The rest of the time was spent watering recent plantings and continuing the excavations.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Green Hailstones

Well...obviously not. But that's the first thought to pop into my head when I looked out and saw several of these galls laying scattered about on my deck.

I was able to locate a dozen more Texas Gold Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana) and get them into the ground. I also planted another 'Cherry Coke' Dyckia into my Three Tiers Garden - still on the prowl for three more of these.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Still Planting

I'm still putting plants in the ground.

I recently planted over a dozen small Texas Gold Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana) under the Buford Hollies that are behind my twin waterfalls. I actually plan on placing at least another dozen, but have not been able to locate any more in two-inch pots (can't afford that many one gallon containers!).

And after considerable bed preparation (i.e. dug out heavy soil down to limestone layer, mixed two parts compost to one part original soil, then returned to hole and also mounded it up at least twelve inches), I was finally able to plant three Turk's Cap 'Big Momma' (Malvaviscus drummondii x arboreus 'Big Momma') that were originally planned for the area that has developed into my quarry. Hopefully they'll make a colorful backdrop to this portion of the garden.