Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Bloom Day June 15th - a day late

OK - So I'm a day late with bloom day. This drought is seriously getting me down. We had NO rain for like 18 months which includes all of last fall and winter, and then I was hoping for more rain this spring, but alas, it is not to be. Sure we got about 1/2 inch last week (along with tornadoes and funnel clouds, how nice), but that is not enough to help my poor garden and now the triple digit temperatures have settled in for the forseeable future. The farmers around here are plowing under their fields and collecting the insurance. Blah. Color me unexcited about gardening this year. My plants are alive and surviving, but that's about it. I gave up on watering this month. Only the veggies and hanging pots will henceforth be watered. Everything else will have to fend for itself.

Just look at my Rudbeckia. I mean really. How craptacular are these? They obviously need way more water than I can provide. I give up on these (avert your eyes if you are stunted-wilty-plant-squeemish):



I do have lots of other things blooming, they just are not spectacular. Good thing almost all my plants are drought tolerant, 'cause those that aren't will soon be dead.

Here we go...

Rock Penstemon:



Wright's skull cap:



Lion's Tail:



Yellow Primrose:



Russian Sage:



Mountain Sage:



Laceleaf Lavendar:



Lantana:



Golden lead-ball tree:



Pink rain lily:



White rain lily:



Agapanthus:



Coral Nymph Salvia:



Black and Blue Salvia:



Sweet Potato Vine:



Shrimp Plant:



Scarlet Runner Bean:



Winecup:



Coneflowers:



Parsley with Caterpillars:



Pride of Barbados (ok - these do LOVE the crazy heat!!)



Big red sage:



Texas Bluebells:



And the hummingbird/butterfly garden:

10 comments:

Laurie and Joshua said...

I am sorry to hear the drought has been so bad over there.
Colorado has been in a drought on and off for almost 10 years.
However, We have had rain every day for almost a week and a half.
(And Yes we had twisters and hail too, lots of hail, but thankfully the hail and twisters were mostly south of us so that the garden is unscathed.)
Best of luck!

www.lifeseedco.blogspot.com

Iris said...

I share your lack of enthusiasm lately with this weather. But you've got lots of great-looking blooms! (Even my drought-tolerant stuff is struggling.)

Unknown said...

I know, this drought thing is downright depressing. The plants aren't growing as they normally would so you don't know what you can attribute to drought and what is a preventable condition. Just a wee bit more rain, please?

mss @ Zanthan Gardens said...

I really like that lions tail. Do you know the botanical name for it or where it's available for purchase in Austin?

Your feelings mirror my own. Worse is that it just has gotten cumulatively worse over this decade. In the 1990s we'd usually only have to deal with heat and drought like this for 6 to 8 weeks in late July and August and then wonderful fall rains would relieve us.

If these weather patterns are long term (like the drought in the 1950s) or permanent (a result of global climate change) the water usage for farming and gardening is not going to be sustainable in central Texas.

Roberta said...

I absolutely love the title of your blog AND your blog content. In the immortal words of The Terminator, "I'll be back."

Lee17 said...

Laurie,

Thank for the luck! I think we will need it. We have broken heat records now for the last 3 weeks running. Sigh.

Lee17 said...

Iris,

Thanks, A few things always muscle through. I do fear I will lose even some drought tolerant plants this year though.

Lee17 said...

Bonnie,

It is so depressing! And getting worse! how much hotter can it get?!? isn't 106 hot enough? Sheesh.

Lee17 said...

MSS,

The lions tail is a dwarf lions tail and I got it at Barton Springs Nursery. The botanical name for Lion's tail is "Leonotis leonurus".

If the weather keeps up like this, I fear I am going to have to plant more cactus!

Lee17 said...

Roberta,

Well, thank you! I took a short break from the blog, but am now back. Check in for more new posts ;)