A Morning Stroll Through the Gardens

I decided that it was time to take some pictures of the late summer garden as it transitions into its fall phase. This is perhaps the most colorful season of the year on our property, or maybe it’s just that spring seems so far away. One thing is certain, summer is NOT a growing season here in Central Texas. It is far too hot and dry for anything other than cactus to even think about growing during July and August. I just try to keep everything alive until the weather cools and the rains come back. So now that the weather is getting cooler (it’s still over 95 degrees out there today…), and rains are starting to return, the gardens are just beginning their fall show.

I started my stroll on the west side of the house this morning, so the sun was not beating down on me while I tried to focus the camera. I did, however, have to dodge the wrestling dogs who are frisky in the morning now that it is cooler.

Moving closer to the house, the west facing bed on the north side reflects a style I call Hill Country Cottage style. It is a combination of herbs and flowers that are either native or adapted to our area, and can withstand a harsh western exposure. Most of the plants that are featured in this bed were raised from seed in our greenhouse, and include native columbine, mexican bush sage, garden sage, sweet basil, persian anise basil, greek oregano, rock rose, garlic chives, lemon grass, cardinal climber, mealey blue sage, yarrow, sweet potato, dwarf zinnias, scarlet sage, and moonbeam coreopsis.

The west facing bed on the south end of the house has the same cottage garden style feel that the north bed has, and indeed many of the plant types are duplicated. This bed has a mexican mint marigold right next to the Buddha statue (to the left) that is not yet in bloom, but will be covered with gold flowers in the near future. There are also a few different types of salvias at the south end of the bed which you can see better from the photo that follows, which is taken from a different angle.

Moving around to the front of the house, which faces due east, the hill with the lantana on it is north of the house. There are several different types of lantana on the hill, as well as some sort of salvia at the top of the hill that is almost dead (I’ll be moving it somewhere shadier this fall to see if that is the problem.).

Now, looking down the same hill, facing south, you see the front porch/deck, and the beds we put in last year after we finished building the 8′ high deer fence around the upper 5 acres of our property. Prior to the deer fence, we couldn’t grow anything in the front of the house except for mountain laurel and jessamine.

A closer up view of the front porch. Again I was after the cottage style look. We actually had alot of tasty grapes from the grape vine this spring.

Here is a view of the east facing bed. It has garden sage, scarlet sage, rocket mix snap dragons (that survived all summer and are blooming again now!), dwarf zinnias, vinca, thyme, and pennyroyal mint.

And to finish the tour of the beds on the perimeter of the house, this is the bed on the north side of the front porch. This bed is really quite tricky because it is completely shaded in the afternoons during the fall and winter, and very exposed during the middle of summer. As you can see, I have more of the same plantings in this bed as in the others.

Tomorrow we will visit the circle bed and the raised vegetable garden beds.

Have a great evening.
Carol