April 8, 2020
Garden Sirens Calling Your Muse
My garden is full of sirens. St. Joseph’s lily (Johnson’s amaryllis) is the most flamboyant.
I still call these perennial bubs “amaryllis,” but technically they are Hippeastrums (easier to say “amaryllis”!). So, these hardy ones in morning and brief afternoon sun are Hippeastrum x johnsonii. They’ve gone through drought and flooding without a grumble.
In my neighborhood, this amaryllis glowed in a shaft of noon light where dappled light mixed with sun sparks is the norm. Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) and salvias cluster nearby.
In Katy, viewer Russell Faldyn’s got an enviable strip of deep red amaryllis along his pool, where the strappy, soft foliage frames a tidy, evergreen curve in his microclimate (in some areas, foliage can die back in winter). Now he’s up to 600 from is original 20!
On Central Texas Gardener’s Facebook page, check out all the lovely amaryllis colors that gardeners are growing across the state.
In this hot curb strip in my neighborhood, bluebonnets will soon head into seed formation. Nobody complains while they brown up, since we know that means beloved “curb appeal” next year. Salvia greggii and red yucca carry on until summer and fall flowers pop up under the field of blue.
On my rustic back patio, Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata) seeded itself in gravel cracks against fence-screening Lady Banks rose and nearby turk’s cap.
Then, Brazos or Gulf penstemon joined in, also liking those well-drained, unirrigated spots, along with a few dandelions.
It’s a pollinator hotspot which hummingbirds would love if they get here soon!
Throughout my garden, perennial spuria’s another siren, beckoning bees and wasps.
I’ve passed along this tall, golden spring bloomer since Scott Ogdeng shared a few divisions with me years ago. It is prolific!
Spuria’s foliage browns up in early summer. For now, it cradles garden sections soon to explode with perennials slowly returning.
In my oft-overlooked side garden near the air conditioner, satsuma orange ‘Mr. Mac’ claimed one of the biggest crowds with bees of all kinds responding to the flower flush.
There’s much to discover without venturing far! Author and illustrator Sharon Lovejoy knows best how to captivate us outside with romance in every discovery. And she’s got the special touch to bring the children along with us in family adventures of wonder.
This week we repeat our delightful segment with Sharon’s activities to fascinate your kids, just as she did with her children and those across the country now!
Watch now!
On tour in San Antonio, artists Maria and David Guerrero are sure to stretch your imagination.
Not so long ago, their yard was a big, blank spot with a few overgrown shrubs. They charmed it up with a cohesive, low-maintenance design packed with personality.
Then, they cast artistic eyes on discards, turning them into colorful, whimsical, and kinetic garden art.
Watch now!
Austin PBS remains committed to providing safe, educational entertainment for the whole family and gardeners like you! We’re able to provide this valuable service because of the support of donors. Make a gift today at austinpbs.org/donate. Many thanks, Linda
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