So I guess I will just dive right in with the carnage. Here goes:
What was left of the morning glories (avert your eyes!):
The fuschia. This is what happens when you miss 1 watering day:
The Gloriosa is barely hanging on. This is the best looking one of the bunch, sadly enough:
The Zucchini infested with borers. I didn't have time to pick off the eggs. This zucchini was done for:
The Boston ferns didn't get watered every day and they are looking pretty crispy:
The Basil took over:
So, needless to say, I cleaned the Zuchinni and Morning glories out of the garden and replaced them with new tomato plants and bell pepper plants:
But, all is not crispy critters in my garden. These are the tough guys that have been blooming all summer regardless of the intense heat and serious lack of water:
The Pride of Barbados and Hyacinth Bean:
Rock Rose:
Orchid tree (the picture is a little blurry - the wind kept blowing the branch around):
Rain lilies in the air conditioning unit drainage field:
The Hellstrip out front (it's looking awfully brown!):
This front corner of the hellstrip gets watered once in a while by the neighbor's sprinkler:
An Anole friend stalking prey in the Hellstrip:
I also have been harvesting the cantaloupe 'Northern Arizona':
I am really pleased with the flavor of this cantaloupe. I am definately planting these again!
22 comments:
Don't you just love those tough guys that can take this level of heat and drought? And not just take it but look happy about it. Your xeric beds still look good to me. And regarding any "brown" that appears, just remember how California spins it: it's GOLDEN, not brown.
Despite some crispy spots, your garden is looking pretty good. Your basil and rock rose are doing much better than mine. I'm looking forward to these temps in the 80s they've forecast for next week. Only a little longer and we'll be in glorious fall.
I admire your showing it how it really is! I think your hell strip is in pretty good shape. Maybe the alleged rain storms will actually occur...
Your Pride of Barbados looks very happy out there! And the cantaloupe makes me wish I'd planted some. I do have one watermelon, but no idea how big it's supposed to get! Your basil is amazing, too. Is there a batch of pesto in your future?
Your garden looks great! I love the hell strip, those grasses look so soft.
I've got to try that cantaloupe, always looking for new ones you know. My favorite has always been Ambrosia but Burpee's Early Crenshaw hybrid is supposed to get to 20 lbs. and tastes good to boot. With that cantaloupe maybe having Arizona in the name might mean it will hold up to the heat better. Thanks for that mention.
The double-whamy on your garden... hot as you know what and you are busy at work. I know how that goes. You still put on a good show for us for bloom day. Thanks for joining in. And if it makes you feel better, I lost all my zucchini plants to the borers this year, too.
You asked about my grapes, and how much room they take. Mine are on an arbor that is about 20 feet or so, and they take up all that space and then some. I have to cut them back periodically in the summer to keep them contained. And I trim them back hard in the spring. But I have no idea what you would do with grapes in Austin or what variety you should get. Good luck!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
I think that your hellstrip and back xeric/cactus patch look spectacular, as usual! At least the crispy stuff seems to be confined to the backyard, where innocent bystanders won't see it.
I hadn't thought about growing cantaloupe down here. Did you start yours from seed? I've been polishing off at least 2 cantaloupe a week by myself for the last month or so, and I can only imagine that it would be tastier to grow my own!
And that basil looks great. I imagine you'll have pesto to last you through the winter. :)
I'd exchange a few crispy plants for basil and canteloupe that looked like yours! Enjoyed your GBBD post.
--Curmudgeon
I love the hellstrip. Wish my garden looked that good.
I love the look of your "hell strip" It has color and texture. Basil is a winner. Make some pesto and freeze it n ice cube trays for the winter.
pam,
I do love the plants that can take summertime abuse! And you are right - I shall call the browns 'Golden'. My garden is filled with Gold!
mss,
Thanks, and yes, this week we did receive the cooler temperatures they predicted! Thank goodness - I wasn't sure how much more me and my garden could take!
iris,
Thanks, yeah, I figured I might as well go for it and show the fried stuff - I can't be the only one out there with dead plants in the garden!
And we did actually get some rain yesterday and today - finally!
Diana,
Yes! Pesto - yum! I was warned the basil might take over and it sure did!
Watermelon, yum! I don't know how big those get in the garden, I have never tried growing one down here. I want to try one of those small watermelon plants though. You know, those cantaloupe-sized watermelon you see in the store? I love those things!
Susannah,
Thanks, I think the stray cats think the grasses are soft too, because I always find them matting down the center of the grasses by sleeping in them at night!
Bob,
Yeah, I really like this cantaloupe - it doesn't have a very thick skin so they don't sell it in stores because it gets all bruised up. But it's flavor is quite sweet, I think. I bought the seeds because they said 'Northern Arizona'and I thought, heck that ought to take the Austin heat!
Carol,
Ah yes, I figured those grapes must take up a lot of room. I have maybe 20 feet along the side of the house I could devote, but I think there would just be too much trimming involved! If you trim that much where you live, I can't imagine how much trimming I would need to do - they would go nuts in Austin. I need more space!
Lori,
Thanks! Yes, I did start them from seed. My home-grown ones tasted much sweeter than the store-bought ones. I am planting more for next year ;)
Weed whackin,
Thanks, the crispy items just gave their lives so I could plant something new and fabulous in their place ;)
Ralph,
Thanks, I feel better about the hellstrip now that Pam told me to look at it as 'Golden' and not Brown ;)
Lancashire rose,
Thank you, and yes, Pesto!!
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