Although leaves and flowers were damaged by last week's hail, many plants are blooming right now. It seems like a good idea to keep a list for myself, even if no one else ever reads it.
Abelia chinensis 'Edward Goucher' smaller pink shrub, just opened
Antirrhinum majus, Yellow snapdragons
Bryophyllum dalgremontianua, Mother of Thousands, just taken out for summer
Bulbine, yellow in front bed
Canna 'City of Portland' - one bud stalk, on plant in container on holding table
Castilleja - not sure species, Indian Paint brush, lovely corally color in front bed next to non-blooming, hail damaged bluebonnets
Citrus x meyeri, Meyer's Improved Lemon, a few on container plant now on patio, tree in ground has many flowers
Clematis 'Miss Bateman' (best guess at ID) several flowers twined into Lady Banks rose.
Clematis 'Ramona' - 8 large buds and blooms - in container
Cuphea - pink & lavender- may be one of 'Tiny Mice'. Plant in bloom is near back door. One in front dies back harder in winter
Delosperma, ice plant, gone crazy in rosy-red
Dianthus - 'Telstar' hybrids in containers and hanging baskets -shades of pink and red, some combined with white
Dietes bicolor, AKA African Iris or bicolor iris, creamy yellow with maroon markings, one flower
Gaura, burgundy leaves, pink flowers
Hesperaloe parviflora, Red yucca - spike is starting to open!
Impatiens - lived over white in container, Secret Garden
Iris - one last stalk of pale peach, a couple opening buds on fragrant tall purple
Jatropha integerrima 'Compacta' - spicy Jatropha - couple of flowers, barely a leaf on it
Justicia, Mexican honeysuckle, clear light orange
Lantana, a trailing white variety in Pink Entrance Garden
Lavendula heterophylla, Sweet Lavender
Lavendula stoechas, Spanish lavender
Lonicera sempervirens, coral honeysuckle - heavily hit by hail and had to have lots of cracked stems cut clean, but still opening some flowers
Mazus reptans, just a couple of tiny pieces left, but blooming
Melampodium leucanthum / Blackfoot daisy - a few blooms in front bed and small triangle in back
Michelia figo - Banana shrub had some cracked stems but still has some buds and flowers
Nicotiana fragrant purple hybrids, just bought 3 plants and put them in long fence border with Julia Child rose
Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive
Oxalis, both green leaves/white flowers and burgundy leaves/pale rose flowers.
Passiflora X possibly 'Lavender Lady' Passionvine - buds and blooms
Pelargonium - most plants hail-damaged. One in breakfast room blooming coral and another coral under overhang in Secret Garden
Phlox sublata, creeping phlox
Punica granatum, pomegranate - might be 'Wonderful' - one flower, some hailed off
Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranate, steady light bloom, safe under roof overhang
Rosa mutabilis, both plants
Rosa, 'Champagne' mini rose
Rosa 'Julia Child' - in spite of a dozen buds hailed to the ground, she is gorgeous
Rosa 'Lady Banks' - all open flowers knocked off by hail, but some tight buds remained and they're opening
Philadelphus inodorus, Scentless Mockorange, English Dogwood, a wall of blossom
Ranunculus hybrids, orange and yellow. Planted fall 2007, just a couple of bulbs returned
Salvia greggii, Cherry color
Salvia greggii, creamy white
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Nuevo Leon'
Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'; teased off section a few weeks back so now have two plants in bloom.
Setcreasea 'Purple Heart'
Spiraeas - four white in two varieties
Stachys coccinea, Texas Betony, coral flowers. Did not bloom last year.
Verbena bonariensis here and there
Viola actually Pansies - some hit by hail, a few blue and yellow okay
Weigela florida 'Rumba'/ Weigela Canadian Dance series. Two tiny pieces bought as souvenir of Howard's Nursery on Koenig in spring 2006 are a couple of feet tall, covered in trumpet shaped, deep rose flowers.
- Annie in Austin
- Welcome! As "Annie in Austin" I blog about gardening in Austin, TX with occasional looks back at our former gardens in Illinois. My husband Philo & I also make videos - some use garden images as background for my original songs, some capture Austin events & sometimes we share videos of birds in our garden. Come talk about gardens, movies, music, genealogy and Austin at the Transplantable Rose and listen to my original songs on YouTube. For an overview read Three Gardens, Twenty Years. Unless noted, these words and photos are my copyrighted work.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Not-Quite-So Irish Soda Bread
Everyone seems to have a different Irish Soda Bread recipe - do you make it for St Patrick's Day? My sister puts raisins and caraway seeds in hers. Some very Irish people we knew used to make it very plain, with just a hint of sugar. They'd let it sit overnight and then cut it in thin slices with a crossed thread. Maybe that's the original idea - a substitute for yeast bread in thin sandwiches.The recipe I've used for 30 years is more like a teacake or dessert. Instead of raisins it has currants - not, apparently the actual currants that would grow in a cool climate like Ireland (genus Ribes), but a tiny grape (genus Vitis) from California, which are dried and called Zante currants.
Every year I'd make soda bread with currants for St. Patrick's Day and it tasted fine to me. But that bread didn't seem to 'move'...days later it would still be around. The same thing happened when I made other breads that my mom used to make when we were kids. My husband and children weren't very interested in Banana Bread, Applesauce Cake, or Zucchini Bread, either.
Finally I discovered the secret - add chocolate chips and even the Lithahooligans will love Soda Bread. Or Zucchini bread. Or Banana Bread. Nothing, however, will make them like Applesauce Cake.
Lithuanian-Irish Soda Bread
Put 1 and 1/4 cup milk in glass pyrex pitcher. Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Microwave on low power 90 seconds. Let sit while you sift together:
2 and 1/2 cups unbleached flour (you can substitute up to 1 cup of white flour with King Arthur whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
a sprinkle of sea salt
3/4 cup sugar (white, brown, or a combination)
Cut in 1/4 tub Smart Balance or 1 stick butter or margarine
Add 2 slightly beaten eggs, the clabbered milk, 1/2 package (about 1 cup) Zante currants, and a cup of chocolate chips. The ones used this year were Ghirardelli Dark chips.
Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, lower heat to 325°F for another 30 to 45 minutes depending on pan size. You can make it in a regular loaf pan, or make a round loaf in a glass pie pan, or use one of the newer silicon molds to make small loaves. That's what I used - got 4 of them from this recipe. Whatever the pan, grease or spray it and sprinkle with turbinado sugar for a little extra crunch.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
GBBD List for March 2009
In addition to the plants mentioned in my Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post for March 15th on the Transplantable Rose, this list includes everything I could find in bloom. Some have only a flower or two, and some are seldom out of bloom. Accuracy is a goal, but never guaranteed!
Antirrhinum majus, Yellow snapdragons looking good since Christmas 2007
Bryophyllum dalgremontianua, Mother of Thousands, in kitchen
Bulbine frutescens 'Yellow'/ yellow bulbine, many flowers
Cercis canadensis var texensis 'Alba', full bloom
Cercis canadensis var 'Forest Pansy', full bloom
Cercis canadensis var texensis full bloom
Chamaerops humilis, Mediterranean Fan Palm, budding
Citrus x meyeri, Meyer's Improved Lemon, one tree covered in flowers
Citrus aurantifolia? Mexican lime, many flowers
Clematis hybrid 'Ramona', in container, buds only
Delosperma cooperi ? Dark pink flowered hardy ice plant, spreading over gravel walk in Pink Garden
Evolvulus glomeratus, Blue Daze, a few flowers against brick wall in Secret Garden
Gaura lindheimerii unknown tall rose-pink variety (‘Pink Cloud’?)
Gelsemium sempervirens/ Carolina Jessamine, last blooms opening now
Hesperaloe parviflora, Red yucca in bud
Impatiens walleriana, bedding impatiens white, few from last year
Iris albicans? Simple white, early bearded iris, many flowers
Iris hybrid/ Fragrant peachy bearded Iris has a bud
Iris hybrid 'Amethyst Flame', many flowers
Lantana, unknown variety, trailing white, many flowers
Leucophyllum frutescens/ Texas sage AKA Barometer bush AKA Cenizo – one shrub, a few flowers
Lobularia maritime, Sweet alyssum (dotted around
Lonicera sempervirens, coral honeysuckle, full bloom
Mazus reptans, tiny blue flowering ground cover, barely surviving, one flower
Melampodium leucanthum / Blackfoot daisy, native plant, one flower
Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo/ small daffodil, highly recommended for Austin area by Scott Ogden, a few opening in clay pot
Narcissus triandrus 'Thalia', a few buds and some battered flowers
Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive two established shrubs pouring our fragrance from tiny white blossoms. One newer one planted spring 2008 also making flowers.
Oxalis crassipes 'Alba' (dotted around and in containers), several blooming
Oxalis regnellii 'Atropurpurea' (dotted around and in containers)
Passiflora X possibly 'Lavender Lady' Passionvine - buds only
Pelargonium hybrid, coral geraniums blooming in breakfast room window
Pelargonium hybrids– assorted bedding geraniums red on patio, coral in Secret Garden
Phlox sublata/Creeping phlox in lavender blue
Punica granatum, pomegranate - might be 'Wonderful'
Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranate
Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'/ Lady Banks rose, full bloom
Rosa ‘Champagne’ mini rose, delicate pink , two plants, buds only
Rosa 'Mutabilis' (two good-sized plants)
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' - Prostrate Rosemary
Rosemarinus officianalis, upright Rosemary
Salvia greggii / Gregg's sage - several plants blooming in cherry red and creamy white
Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’/Dwarf Blue Cushionflower, a handful of buds and flowers.
Spiraea cantoniensis - I'm pretty sure this is the name for two of the Bridal Wreath spiraeas, but don't know species for the other two.
Tradescantia pallida, syn Setcresea pallida/ Purple Heart, a few flowers
Viola spp– various hybrids of Pansies and violas in containers and hanging baskets.
Antirrhinum majus, Yellow snapdragons looking good since Christmas 2007
Bryophyllum dalgremontianua, Mother of Thousands, in kitchen
Bulbine frutescens 'Yellow'/ yellow bulbine, many flowers
Cercis canadensis var texensis 'Alba', full bloom
Cercis canadensis var 'Forest Pansy', full bloom
Cercis canadensis var texensis full bloom
Chamaerops humilis, Mediterranean Fan Palm, budding
Citrus x meyeri, Meyer's Improved Lemon, one tree covered in flowers
Citrus aurantifolia? Mexican lime, many flowers
Clematis hybrid 'Ramona', in container, buds only
Delosperma cooperi ? Dark pink flowered hardy ice plant, spreading over gravel walk in Pink Garden
Evolvulus glomeratus, Blue Daze, a few flowers against brick wall in Secret Garden
Gaura lindheimerii unknown tall rose-pink variety (‘Pink Cloud’?)
Gelsemium sempervirens/ Carolina Jessamine, last blooms opening now
Hesperaloe parviflora, Red yucca in bud
Impatiens walleriana, bedding impatiens white, few from last year
Iris albicans? Simple white, early bearded iris, many flowers
Iris hybrid/ Fragrant peachy bearded Iris has a bud
Iris hybrid 'Amethyst Flame', many flowers
Lantana, unknown variety, trailing white, many flowers
Leucophyllum frutescens/ Texas sage AKA Barometer bush AKA Cenizo – one shrub, a few flowers
Lobularia maritime, Sweet alyssum (dotted around
Lonicera sempervirens, coral honeysuckle, full bloom
Mazus reptans, tiny blue flowering ground cover, barely surviving, one flower
Melampodium leucanthum / Blackfoot daisy, native plant, one flower
Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo/ small daffodil, highly recommended for Austin area by Scott Ogden, a few opening in clay pot
Narcissus triandrus 'Thalia', a few buds and some battered flowers
Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive two established shrubs pouring our fragrance from tiny white blossoms. One newer one planted spring 2008 also making flowers.
Oxalis crassipes 'Alba' (dotted around and in containers), several blooming
Oxalis regnellii 'Atropurpurea' (dotted around and in containers)
Passiflora X possibly 'Lavender Lady' Passionvine - buds only
Pelargonium hybrid, coral geraniums blooming in breakfast room window
Pelargonium hybrids– assorted bedding geraniums red on patio, coral in Secret Garden
Phlox sublata/Creeping phlox in lavender blue
Punica granatum, pomegranate - might be 'Wonderful'
Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranate
Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'/ Lady Banks rose, full bloom
Rosa ‘Champagne’ mini rose, delicate pink , two plants, buds only
Rosa 'Mutabilis' (two good-sized plants)
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' - Prostrate Rosemary
Rosemarinus officianalis, upright Rosemary
Salvia greggii / Gregg's sage - several plants blooming in cherry red and creamy white
Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’/Dwarf Blue Cushionflower, a handful of buds and flowers.
Spiraea cantoniensis - I'm pretty sure this is the name for two of the Bridal Wreath spiraeas, but don't know species for the other two.
Tradescantia pallida, syn Setcresea pallida/ Purple Heart, a few flowers
Viola spp– various hybrids of Pansies and violas in containers and hanging baskets.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, Feb 2009
Sorry, May Dreams Carol - the GBBD post is so puny it ended up on the Addendum today! My garden is out of synch for the 15th and there's very little in bloom for this month's edition of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - that exciting amaryllis and the small daffodils that brightened my last post are faded or gone.
A few vines are beginning to bloom. The Carolina Jessamine above has lots of buds and a few bright yellow, fragrant flowers and so does the this Coral Honeysuckle.

And on the other side of the fence my neighbor's big pink-flowered Saucer magnolia is going to be beautiful.
But that's about it! Even the pansies in the hanging baskets seem to be taking the week off.
In addition to Valentine's Day and GBBD, this weekend is also the time for the annual Austin Marathon. A post about my new Austin Marathon Cheer Song video is on the Transplantable Rose blog today.
A few vines are beginning to bloom. The Carolina Jessamine above has lots of buds and a few bright yellow, fragrant flowers and so does the this Coral Honeysuckle.
And on the other side of the fence my neighbor's big pink-flowered Saucer magnolia is going to be beautiful.
But that's about it! Even the pansies in the hanging baskets seem to be taking the week off.In addition to Valentine's Day and GBBD, this weekend is also the time for the annual Austin Marathon. A post about my new Austin Marathon Cheer Song video is on the Transplantable Rose blog today.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
GBBD List for January 2009
Here's the list of what is blooming at Circus~Cercis for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. (Some of these plants have only one or two flowers) Photos are at my main blog, The Transplantable Rose.
Antirrhinum majus/Yellow snapdragons
Bulbine frutescens 'Yellow'/ yellow bulbine
Cyclamen persicum/ florist’s cyclamen hybrids
Dianthus hybrids – a couple of open ‘Telsar’ flowers
Gelsemium sempervirens/ Carolina Jessamine
Hemerocallis fulva – Ditch daylily from Lori has a bud
Hippeastrum hybrid/ ‘Red Dragon’ amaryllis
Iris hybrid/ Fragrant peachy bearded Iris has a bud
Justicia spicigera/ Mexican Honeysuckle
Kalanchoe daigremontiana syn. Bryophyllum daigremontianum/ Mother of Thousands, Alligator Plant
Lantana unknown species/ Trailing white lantana
Lobularia maritime/ Sweet alyssum
Lonicera sempervirens/ coral honeysuckle
Loropetalum chinense/ Chinese Witch Hazel, Chinese Fringe Flower, Razzle-Dazzle
Narcissus tazetta?/ unlabelled paperwhite hybrids
Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo/ small daffodil, highly recommended for Austin area by Scott Ogden
Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive
Oxalis crassipes 'Alba' (dotted around and in containers)/Ornamental oxalis
Pelargonium hybrids– a couple of flowers on the bedding geraniums, red, white & coral
Phlox sublata/Creeping phlox in lavender blue
Poliomintha longiflora/ Mexican oregano
Primula hybrids/ AKA “Grocery Store Primroses”
Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranate
Rosa ‘Champagne’ / delicate pink mini rose
Rosa, unknown variety/ pink climber
Rosmarinus officinalis and Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'/ upright and prostrate Rosemary plants
Salvia elegans/Pineapple sage – a few flowers
Viola spp– various hybrids of Pansies and violas in containers and hanging baskets
Antirrhinum majus/Yellow snapdragons
Bulbine frutescens 'Yellow'/ yellow bulbine
Cyclamen persicum/ florist’s cyclamen hybrids
Dianthus hybrids – a couple of open ‘Telsar’ flowers
Gelsemium sempervirens/ Carolina Jessamine
Hemerocallis fulva – Ditch daylily from Lori has a bud
Hippeastrum hybrid/ ‘Red Dragon’ amaryllis
Iris hybrid/ Fragrant peachy bearded Iris has a bud
Justicia spicigera/ Mexican Honeysuckle
Kalanchoe daigremontiana syn. Bryophyllum daigremontianum/ Mother of Thousands, Alligator Plant
Lantana unknown species/ Trailing white lantana
Lobularia maritime/ Sweet alyssum
Lonicera sempervirens/ coral honeysuckle
Loropetalum chinense/ Chinese Witch Hazel, Chinese Fringe Flower, Razzle-Dazzle
Narcissus tazetta?/ unlabelled paperwhite hybrids
Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo/ small daffodil, highly recommended for Austin area by Scott Ogden
Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive
Oxalis crassipes 'Alba' (dotted around and in containers)/Ornamental oxalis
Pelargonium hybrids– a couple of flowers on the bedding geraniums, red, white & coral
Phlox sublata/Creeping phlox in lavender blue
Poliomintha longiflora/ Mexican oregano
Primula hybrids/ AKA “Grocery Store Primroses”
Punica granatum 'Nana'/ dwarf pomegranate
Rosa ‘Champagne’ / delicate pink mini rose
Rosa, unknown variety/ pink climber
Rosmarinus officinalis and Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'/ upright and prostrate Rosemary plants
Salvia elegans/Pineapple sage – a few flowers
Viola spp– various hybrids of Pansies and violas in containers and hanging baskets
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Ro-Ho Gardener Ad from 1932
When I ran across this ad in a magazine from April 1932, and two garden bloggers immediately came to mind. Both Carol of May Dreams Gardens in Indiana and Entangled in Virginia own vintage Ro-Ho Gardeners and have talked about them on their blogs. The ad should enlarge if clicked.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving Cactus
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone - hope you're ready for the day!The Thanksgiving cactus are in different stages of readiness - one in full bloom, two budded, and one with no hint of possible flowers.
Loaves of whole wheat, and artisan white and cornbread are done - ready for baking is a batch of the 'No Knead Bread' developed by Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery, which has an 18-hour rising time. The New York Times published the recipe back in fall 2006.
It's 11 AM and the outside temperature is 68°F...time to turn the oven on to 450°F.

Tomorrow I'll throw a couple of these Meyer's Lemons in the food processor with cranberries & a couple of tablespoons of Southern Comfort - love that Cranberry relish.
Friday, November 14, 2008
GBBD List for November
As the days grow short but the weather continues to be pleasant, many plants have flowers. Unless otherwise noted, plants included on this list have just a few lingering blooms. Abelia chinensis, flowering Abelia shrubs
Ageratina havanense, Fragrant white mistflower, one plant covered in flowers, one plant no flowers
Antirrhinum majus, Yellow snapdragons looking good since Christmas 2007
Asclepias curassavica, tropical milkweed, two plants with lots of flowers
Barleria cristata/Philippine cristata
Begonia semperflorens – one 2-year old white wax begonia
Brugmansia - unnamed variety Yellow Angels trumpet covered in flowers
Bulbine frutescens 'Yellow', lots of flower wands
Camellia sasanqua 'Shishi Gashira' in full bloom
Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’
Capsicum annuum – garden peppers, still making lots of flowers
Citrus x meyeri, Meyer's Improved Lemon, one tree covered in flowers
Clematis unknown hybrid, handful of purple flowers
Clerodendrum ugandense – Blue butterfly flower.
(Royal Horticultural Society says it's Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense', nicknamed Blue Cat's Whiskers), many, many flowers
Clitoria ternatea- the Blue Butterfly Pea, still blooming
Conoclinium greggii Gregg’s Mistflower, still blooming and calling butterflies
Cuphea ignea, orange Cigar flower, loaded with little orange flowers
Cuphea llavea – small pink & lavender form (two plants) both in full bloom
Cuphea llavea –red & purple ‘Batfaced’
Cuphea llavea 'Georgia Scarlet'
Delosperma cooperi ? Dark pink flowered hardy ice plant, growing and flowering
Dendranthema x grandiflora. -cushion mums - pink and yellow still flowering
Dianthus – several colors of ‘Telstar’ hybrids
Duranta erecta, Skyflower - three wands of bloom
Eriobotrya japonica, Loquat, Japanese Plum , tree is covered in flowers
Evolvulus glomeratus, Blue Daze
Gaura lindheimerii ‘The Bride’
Gaura lindheimerii, unknown tall rose-pink variety (‘Pink Cloud’?) covered in flowers
Hibiscus mutabilis, Confederate Rose or Cotton Rose, young plant with a few flowers
Impatiens walleriana, bedding impatiens, some pots look better than ever, others almost dead.
Ipomoea batatas, sweet potato vine
Ipomoea quamoclit, Cypress vine - I chopped most of it down, and it never stopped blooming
Jatropha integerrima 'Compacta'
Lantana, unknown varieties both upright and trailing – pink & yellow, white and gold
Lavandula intermedia 'Provence', true lavender, maybe a dozen flowers
Lavandula multifida, fernleafed lavender, many wands of nonscented flowers
Leucophyllum frutescens, Cenizo
Lobularia maritime, Sweet alyssum, here and there
Lonicera sempervirens, coral honeysuckle
Ocimum basilicum, Basil
Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive, lots of little fragrant flowers
Passiflora X possibly 'Lavender Lady' Passionvine - buds and blooms
Pavonia lasiopetala, pink rock rose,
Pelargonium – various containers of bedding geraniums in white & coral
Perovskia atriplicifolia, Russian Sage
Petunia multiflora? Heirloom petunia
Piper auritum/Hoja Santa or Rootbeer Plant
Platycodon grandiflorus (several plants), Blue Balloon Flower
Plumbago auriculata (two shrubs), Blue Plumbago month)
Poliomintha longiflora, Mexican oregano (3 plants), all blooming
Portulaca - a few Moss Roses and Flowering Purslanes with lingering flowers
Punica granatum 'Nana', dwarf pomegranate - couple of flowers
Rosa 'Belinda's Dream' - handful of buds
Rosa ‘Champagne’ mini rose - a few buds, one flower
Rosa ‘Julia Child’, butter-yellow rose, maybe a dozen buds and flowers
Rosa 'Mutabilis' , Chinese butterfly rose, both are absolutely fabulous!
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' - Prostrate Rosemary, covered in pale blue flowers
Rosemarinus officianalis, Rosemary
Salvia coccinea, red Hummingbird sage, nonstop
Salvia coccinea, white Hummingbird sage
Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’, coral pink Hummingbird sage
Salvia elegans, Pineapple sage - blooming well
Salvia farinacea, Mealy Blue sage, a few wands
Salvia greggii, Autumn sage, red, cherry, white , all have some flowers
Salvia guaranitica, Majestic blue sage, just a few
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' , just a few
Salvia leucantha, Mexican Bush Sage, big, bouncy and blooming
Salvia leucantha, hybrid Mexican Bush Sage, not much
Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' , Hot Lips sage, light bloom
Salvia X 'Nuevo Leon' , Nuevo Leon violet sage - some plants lots of tiny flower, some hardly any
Scutellaria suffrutescens, pink skullcap, dependable pink bloomer
Scutellaria wrightii, blue skullcap, just a few flowers on three small plants
Tagetes lucida, Mexican Mint Marigold, Texas Tarragon, all gold and in bloom
Tradescantia geniculata, groundcover , in bloom
Tradescantia pallida, syn Setcresea pallida/ Purple Heart, here and there
Zinnia linearis/ syn Zinnia angustifolia, several plants, abundant white flowers.
Posted as supplement to November 15, 2008 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day at the Transplantable Rose.
GBBD is hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Vintage Dibble
Margaret Roach at "A Way to Garden" has posted a fun drawing by Andre illustrating Dibber Envy. I may have quite a few hang-ups but Dibber Envy isn't one of them!

The Dibble, Dibbler, Dibber variations seem to be regional - mine has always been called a Dibble. I've owned this Dibble for decades and it was already old when I saw it lying on a table at a garage sale in the late 1970's. I picked it up and turned to Philo, saying with delight "Look! It's an old Dibble! For planting bulbs!" The seller was so happy to have a gardener call it by name that he practically gave it to me for free.
Although my Dibble was used in well-prepared beds in Illinois, it hasn't been much use in Texas so far. We've been in this house for four years - will our efforts at cultivation, our additions of many composts and granite, our layers of mulch ever make the soil good enough so that our Dibble comes out of retirement to plant bulbs once again?

The Dibble, Dibbler, Dibber variations seem to be regional - mine has always been called a Dibble. I've owned this Dibble for decades and it was already old when I saw it lying on a table at a garage sale in the late 1970's. I picked it up and turned to Philo, saying with delight "Look! It's an old Dibble! For planting bulbs!" The seller was so happy to have a gardener call it by name that he practically gave it to me for free.
Although my Dibble was used in well-prepared beds in Illinois, it hasn't been much use in Texas so far. We've been in this house for four years - will our efforts at cultivation, our additions of many composts and granite, our layers of mulch ever make the soil good enough so that our Dibble comes out of retirement to plant bulbs once again?
Thursday, October 16, 2008
GBBD List for October 2008
This list of what is currently blooming in my garden is reasonably accurate but as usual not guaranteed. I tried to keep the botanical names correct and included a few photos of plants that didn't make the October Garden Bloggers Bloom Day entry at my main blog, the Transplantable Rose.
Abelia chinensis , two white shrubs covered in flowers, two white shrubs blooming lightly, two pink shrubs blooming lightly;
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii, Flame acanthus from Pam/Digging doing really well;
Antirrhinum majus, Two plants of these yellow snapdragons have bloomed since Christmas;
Asclepias curassavica, tropical milkweed, two plants in bud and bloom;
Aster frikartii 'Wonder of Staffa'. Four plants in four different areas - one in sunniest spot is in full bloom, others making buds.
Barleria cristata/Philippine cristata three blooming plants. The open flowers were a mess from the rain so I didn't photograph them.
Brugmansia - I don't know the rest of the name for this Yellow Angels trumpet but it steadily makes fragrant flowers
Bulbine frutescens 'Yellow', have increased and are reblooming;
Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’ several plants – a few flowers
Capsicum annuum – some of the garden peppers have buds & flowers, and several have small peppers-in-progress;
Clematis hybrid 'Ramona', in container, one flower plus buds;
Clematis unknown hybrid, handful of purple flowers left;
Clerodendrum ugandense – Blue butterfly flower. (Royal Horticultural Society says it's Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense', nicknamed Blue Cat's Whiskers) One plant that is now like a shrub with flower heads in all stages of bud and bloom. It's nearly 5-feet tall!
Clitoria ternatea- the Blue Butterfly Pea, annual vine blooming non-stop for months;
Conoclinium greggii, Gregg’s Mistflower - closely related to C. coelestinium, the mistflower I grew in Illinois, but leaves are quite different. It's really happy in the new front bed, seen here decorated with three Queen butterflies;
Cuphea ignea, Cigar flower, covered in tiny orange flowers
Cuphea llavea – small pink & lavender form (two plants), covered in tiny flowers
Cuphea llavea –red & purple ‘Batfaced’, covered in flowers
Cuphea llavea 'Georgia Scarlet', covered in red-orange & purple flowers;
Delosperma cooperi ? Dark pink flowered hardy ice plant, spreading over gravel walk in Pink Garden;
Dendranthema x grandiflora?. - ordinary cushion mums in several places, blooming muddy pink, dirty white, and plain yellow
Dianthus – several colors of ‘Telstar’ hybrids in assorted containers responding to cooler temperatures by flowering;
Evolvulus glomeratus, Blue Daze, several plants, most with flowers;
Gaura lindheimerii ‘The Bride’ (two plants), some white flowers on long wands
Gaura lindheimerii, unknown tall rose-pink variety (‘Pink Cloud’?), many flowers
Impatiens walleriana, bedding impatiens. The surviving plants are all blooming strongly.
Ipomoea alba, Moon flower vine, one or two flowers a day
Ipomoea batatas, sweet potato vine - dark purple leaves, wishy-washy magenta flowers
Ipomoea quamoclit, Cypress vine, covered in flowers, making it hard to get from back door to patio;
Jatropha integerrima 'Compacta' - one tiny budded bloom stalk
Lantana, unknown varieties both upright and trailing – pink & yellow, white and gold, all rebounding with weather and in bloom;
Lavandula intermedia 'Provence', at least a dozen wands of fragrant flowers
Lavandula multifida, many, many flower wands on this fernleafed lavender- too bad they don't smell like lavender;
Lobularia maritime, Sweet alyssum, a couple of old tired plants but blooming since late winter;
Lycopersicon lycopersicum, I pulled many of the tomatoes - ‘Juliet’ and 'Celebrity' have blossoms;
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, many red flowers on two plants;
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, white form in Secret Garden, two plants with lots of flowers;
Ocimum basilicum, Basil – keep trying and I keep clipping;
Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive two more established shrubs pouring our fragrance from tiny white blossoms. The one planted this spring not in bloom yet;
Oxalis crassipes 'Alba' (dotted around and in containers), several blooming
Oxalis regnellii 'Atropurpurea' (dotted around and in containers), a few flowers;
Pelargonium – various containers of bedding geraniums in white & coral, outdoors and indoors, red and coral doing well, whites not so good;
Perovskia atriplicifolia, Russian Sage (two beds), lots of flowers, foliage looking tired;
Petunia multiflora? Some plants died on old-fashioned petunia, others blooming;
Piper auritum/Hoja Santa or Rootbeer Plant has made several odd wand-shaped white flowers
Platycodon 'Fugi White', a few flowers
Platycodon grandiflorus - only plants blooming are near veranda;
Platycodon 'Miss Tilly' (3 plants), still a couple of flowers;
Platycodon 'Sentimental Blue', has some flowers but should be cut back to encourage rebloom
Plumbago auriculata (two shrubs), growing and opening pale blue flowers for months;
Plumeria sp, only pale yellow has blooms - guess rose red is done for year;
Poliomintha longiflora, Mexican oregano (3 plants), all blooming;
Portulaca - about a dozen assorted Moss Roses and Flowering Purslanes with rain-beaten flowers;
Punica granatum 'Nana' - I think this is the right name for my new dwarf pomegranate. It's still in the pot from the Natural Gardener and the planting spot has been chosen;
Rivina humilis , Pigeon Berry, no flowers, just berries;
Rosa ‘Julia Child’, just finishing a big bloom - think some new buds are forming;
Rosa 'Mutabilis' , two shrubs that have grown a lot in past year and open new flowers every day;
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' - a flurry of tiny blue flowers;
Ruellia brittoniana 'Katy' a couple of flowers left;
Salvia coccinea, had to chop back both plants and red flowers - smothering neighbors!
Salvia coccinea, white, a couple of flowers left;
Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’ , most plants out of bloom but were recently cut back;
Salvia elegans, Pineapple sage - blooming but flowers soggy in rain;
Salvia farinacea, still making flowers but are crowded by Asclepias and Blue Pea vine;
Salvia greggii , blooming white, red and cherry;
Salvia guaranitica, a few flowers - were cut back a few weeks ago so should make new buds;
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue', several places - in front bed blooming like mad, just recovering from chopping in back fence bed;
Salvia leucantha, one large plant from Diva Karla in bloom;
Salvia leucantha hybrid - small, with a few flowers;
Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips', starting rebloom after weather change;
Salvia X 'Nuevo Leon', there were more plants but a few died -survivors in light bloom;
Salvia regla/Mountain sage has lovely red-orange tubular flowers. It's a small plant now but Bill at Prairie Point says it can be a very large shrub;
Scutellaria suffrutescens, pink skullcap (2 plants), lots of tiny blooms;
Scutellaria wrightii, there are 3 plants - only one plant has any flowers;
Tagetes lucida, Mexican Mint Marigold, one plant in full bloom; the other just starting;
Tradescantia geniculata, in front woodland border it never stops making tiny white flowers;
Tradescantia pallida, syn Setcresea pallida/ Purple Heart, many lavender flowers;
Tricyrtis, Toad Lily, the species in not known but there are buds!
Verbena bonariensis – some plants died, some chopped back, some going to seed, a few still blooming;
Zinnia –rose red hybrid, pulled up all but one with a couple of left;
Zinnia linearis/ syn Zinnia angustifolia, the plants I bought in spring have grown into mounds and are covered in white flowers. There are also a few small plants that seeded from last year's plants.
Abelia chinensis , two white shrubs covered in flowers, two white shrubs blooming lightly, two pink shrubs blooming lightly;
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii, Flame acanthus from Pam/Digging doing really well;
Antirrhinum majus, Two plants of these yellow snapdragons have bloomed since Christmas;
Asclepias curassavica, tropical milkweed, two plants in bud and bloom;Aster frikartii 'Wonder of Staffa'. Four plants in four different areas - one in sunniest spot is in full bloom, others making buds.
Barleria cristata/Philippine cristata three blooming plants. The open flowers were a mess from the rain so I didn't photograph them.
Brugmansia - I don't know the rest of the name for this Yellow Angels trumpet but it steadily makes fragrant flowersBulbine frutescens 'Yellow', have increased and are reblooming;
Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’ several plants – a few flowers
Capsicum annuum – some of the garden peppers have buds & flowers, and several have small peppers-in-progress;
Clematis hybrid 'Ramona', in container, one flower plus buds;
Clematis unknown hybrid, handful of purple flowers left;
Clerodendrum ugandense – Blue butterfly flower. (Royal Horticultural Society says it's Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense', nicknamed Blue Cat's Whiskers) One plant that is now like a shrub with flower heads in all stages of bud and bloom. It's nearly 5-feet tall!
Clitoria ternatea- the Blue Butterfly Pea, annual vine blooming non-stop for months;
Conoclinium greggii, Gregg’s Mistflower - closely related to C. coelestinium, the mistflower I grew in Illinois, but leaves are quite different. It's really happy in the new front bed, seen here decorated with three Queen butterflies;Cuphea ignea, Cigar flower, covered in tiny orange flowers
Cuphea llavea – small pink & lavender form (two plants), covered in tiny flowers
Cuphea llavea –red & purple ‘Batfaced’, covered in flowers
Cuphea llavea 'Georgia Scarlet', covered in red-orange & purple flowers;
Delosperma cooperi ? Dark pink flowered hardy ice plant, spreading over gravel walk in Pink Garden;
Dendranthema x grandiflora?. - ordinary cushion mums in several places, blooming muddy pink, dirty white, and plain yellow
Dianthus – several colors of ‘Telstar’ hybrids in assorted containers responding to cooler temperatures by flowering;
Evolvulus glomeratus, Blue Daze, several plants, most with flowers;
Gaura lindheimerii ‘The Bride’ (two plants), some white flowers on long wands
Gaura lindheimerii, unknown tall rose-pink variety (‘Pink Cloud’?), many flowers
Impatiens walleriana, bedding impatiens. The surviving plants are all blooming strongly.
Ipomoea alba, Moon flower vine, one or two flowers a day
Ipomoea batatas, sweet potato vine - dark purple leaves, wishy-washy magenta flowersIpomoea quamoclit, Cypress vine, covered in flowers, making it hard to get from back door to patio;
Jatropha integerrima 'Compacta' - one tiny budded bloom stalk
Lantana, unknown varieties both upright and trailing – pink & yellow, white and gold, all rebounding with weather and in bloom;
Lavandula intermedia 'Provence', at least a dozen wands of fragrant flowers
Lavandula multifida, many, many flower wands on this fernleafed lavender- too bad they don't smell like lavender;
Lobularia maritime, Sweet alyssum, a couple of old tired plants but blooming since late winter;
Lycopersicon lycopersicum, I pulled many of the tomatoes - ‘Juliet’ and 'Celebrity' have blossoms;
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, many red flowers on two plants;
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, white form in Secret Garden, two plants with lots of flowers;
Ocimum basilicum, Basil – keep trying and I keep clipping;
Osmanthus fragrans/Sweet olive two more established shrubs pouring our fragrance from tiny white blossoms. The one planted this spring not in bloom yet;
Oxalis crassipes 'Alba' (dotted around and in containers), several blooming
Oxalis regnellii 'Atropurpurea' (dotted around and in containers), a few flowers;
Pelargonium – various containers of bedding geraniums in white & coral, outdoors and indoors, red and coral doing well, whites not so good;
Perovskia atriplicifolia, Russian Sage (two beds), lots of flowers, foliage looking tired;
Petunia multiflora? Some plants died on old-fashioned petunia, others blooming;
Piper auritum/Hoja Santa or Rootbeer Plant has made several odd wand-shaped white flowers
Platycodon 'Fugi White', a few flowers
Platycodon grandiflorus - only plants blooming are near veranda;
Platycodon 'Miss Tilly' (3 plants), still a couple of flowers;
Platycodon 'Sentimental Blue', has some flowers but should be cut back to encourage rebloom
Plumbago auriculata (two shrubs), growing and opening pale blue flowers for months;
Plumeria sp, only pale yellow has blooms - guess rose red is done for year;
Poliomintha longiflora, Mexican oregano (3 plants), all blooming;
Portulaca - about a dozen assorted Moss Roses and Flowering Purslanes with rain-beaten flowers;
Punica granatum 'Nana' - I think this is the right name for my new dwarf pomegranate. It's still in the pot from the Natural Gardener and the planting spot has been chosen;Rivina humilis , Pigeon Berry, no flowers, just berries;
Rosa ‘Julia Child’, just finishing a big bloom - think some new buds are forming;
Rosa 'Mutabilis' , two shrubs that have grown a lot in past year and open new flowers every day;Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' - a flurry of tiny blue flowers;
Ruellia brittoniana 'Katy' a couple of flowers left;
Salvia coccinea, had to chop back both plants and red flowers - smothering neighbors!
Salvia coccinea, white, a couple of flowers left;
Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’ , most plants out of bloom but were recently cut back;
Salvia elegans, Pineapple sage - blooming but flowers soggy in rain;
Salvia farinacea, still making flowers but are crowded by Asclepias and Blue Pea vine;
Salvia greggii , blooming white, red and cherry;
Salvia guaranitica, a few flowers - were cut back a few weeks ago so should make new buds;
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue', several places - in front bed blooming like mad, just recovering from chopping in back fence bed;
Salvia leucantha, one large plant from Diva Karla in bloom;
Salvia leucantha hybrid - small, with a few flowers;
Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips', starting rebloom after weather change;
Salvia X 'Nuevo Leon', there were more plants but a few died -survivors in light bloom;
Salvia regla/Mountain sage has lovely red-orange tubular flowers. It's a small plant now but Bill at Prairie Point says it can be a very large shrub;
Scutellaria suffrutescens, pink skullcap (2 plants), lots of tiny blooms;
Scutellaria wrightii, there are 3 plants - only one plant has any flowers;
Tagetes lucida, Mexican Mint Marigold, one plant in full bloom; the other just starting;
Tradescantia geniculata, in front woodland border it never stops making tiny white flowers;
Tradescantia pallida, syn Setcresea pallida/ Purple Heart, many lavender flowers;
Tricyrtis, Toad Lily, the species in not known but there are buds!
Verbena bonariensis – some plants died, some chopped back, some going to seed, a few still blooming;
Zinnia –rose red hybrid, pulled up all but one with a couple of left;
Zinnia linearis/ syn Zinnia angustifolia, the plants I bought in spring have grown into mounds and are covered in white flowers. There are also a few small plants that seeded from last year's plants.
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