Birthday Plants

For my birthday this year, Dave gave me another gift card to the Natural Gardener.  He saw how much I enjoyed last year's, and thought I'd enjoy it again this year.  And he was right :o)  

Despite my birthday being in July, I couldn't really purchase anything immediately.  I knew I was leaving for a week to head up to see my mother, and new plants need to be watered every day.  So I waited until after I get back.  Which turned out to be a good thing, because Natural Gardener is having a 25% off all plants sale.  Woot!

August really isn't a good time to be planting in Austin, but I figure since I will be home, I can water the plants in every day for the next few weeks, and then when the fall weather comes in September, they will be ready to take off.

Because it is the summer off season, the selections at NG were slimmer than normal.  They had more variety in the two inch plans then in the larger size, so I wound up only getting a few of the larger plants, and lots of smaller ones.  

I also wanted a bunch of shorter plants to fill out the front of the bed, but wound up coming home with only two shorter varieties.  But - the sale goes on through next weekend, and I still have some dollars left on the card, so we'll see what I can pick up next weekend.

Here is what I got:

Desert Willow "Bubba", Chilopsis linearis "Bubba"
Size:  15' - 20' Full Sun. Deciduous shrubby tree with long narrow leaves and dark purple, white throated orchid-like flowers on and off spring thru fall.  Drought and deer resistant. Fine in any well drained soil.  Apprecitaes supplemental water in summer.

I went to a NG class a few weeks ago, and discovered the tree that I loved, and thought was either a Mimosa or Mesquite, was actually a Desert Willow.  Since then I have been wanting one.  This one had some blooms on it, so it already looks nice!

Originally, I was planning to place this in a back corner of the front yard, but after seeing the flowers, and how much I lvoe it, I decided to give it a more forward spot in the front yard - where I will be able to see it on a regular basis.  Truth is, one day, if this one grows well, I may purchase another to put in the spot I was originally thinking of.

Compact Pomegranate, Punica granatum "compactum"
Size: 6-7'  Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Compact deciduous shrub with frequent bright orange blooms followed by medium sized ornamental fruit.  Drought and heat resistant.  Very showy and adaptable to most soils as long as it is well-drained.

I have had the dwarf pomegranate in the back yard for many years, and have always loved its bright orange flower, and how incredibly durable it is.  I wanted to add one to the front bed.  

I pulled out the existing American Agave and put this in its place, hoping to add some color and foliage to the area in the garden.

Yarrow Red Cassis, Achillea millefolium
Ht: 2' Sun
Vigorous grower, salmon pink flowers.  Spreads by stolons

I am thinking about putting these where the sunflower annuals are currently growing.

Mexican Mint marigold, Mexican Tarragon

Ht: 2-3ft Full sun / Part Shade

I am thinking about putting this in the back side garden near the bird bath

Shrubby Purple Skullcap, Scutellaria wrightii

Height: 6-10 inches Full Sun

I am thinking about putting these in the south upper portion of my front garden, in front of the rock roses.

Mexican Oregano, Poliomintha Longiflora

Height: 2- 5ft, Spread:3-6 feet Evergreen, Full Sun to Part shade

Dallas Red Lantana

Ht: 3 - 4 ft Full Sun, Part Sun

Purple Moss Verbena  Glandularia pulchella (Verbena tenuisecta)

Ht: 12 - 36 inches, Hardy to 15 degrees  Growth:  fast
Exposure:  Full sun
Spreading perennial ground cover.  Lavender flowers spring through fall.  Extremely drought tolerant once established.  Attracts butterflies and bees. Native to S America but very well adapted throughout the Southwest.

I love the vibrant purple of these flowers.  They are one of the first to bloom for me in the spring.  They are tough as nails.  Perfect!

Henry Duelberg Sage 

I have been wanting to fill out the garden bed with the existing Sage, so I purchased two more, to fill in that area.

Skyflower Duranta

This has been such a powerhouse for me in the front bed (and on the back porch until the super cold winter killed it this year. During the summer, when all of the plants are looking limp and weak, this plant blooms and has fresh green leaves. I have wanted to add one more to the front bed.  

I think I am going to move the existing mealy blue sage - which is really too small for the spot it occupies, and put the skyflower duranta in its place

David Verity Cigar Plant

Ht: 2-3 ft, full sun I wouldn't have purchased these, but in their Butterfly Garden, NG had three of them that really shined, so I decided to pick one up for $2.50.  Why not try something new?

Mexican Bush Sage - purchased with Birthday money, though much later then all the others.  Driving around town towards the end of September, early October, I saw lots of Mexican Bush sage in bloom, and they looked so beautiful, I had to purchase two.  I didn't know quite where I was going to put them, but found two nice spots in my front garden.  I bought large one gallon sized plants, and I am so happy with how big they already are.  I need to start purchasing larger plants from now on - especially in the fall.  That way they can make it through the winter... of course, when if they die, it makes it all that more painful...  See the Diamanita that I purchased, and then immediately lost.