secret garden

Last summer+big, fat drought=pathetic landscape around my house. I TRIED to garden last year, but between the deadly combo of extreme heat and wind, most every plant died or was stunted in it's growth. Never savored my homegrown tomato with juice streaming down my cheek.

This year, I wised up. For my patio....I planted solely succulents or cactus. Take that West Texas heat and wind! I can be gone for a week to Colorado and the iron-man plants on my patio survive. I'm kickin' bad weather in the face!

View of patio from my breakfast room window

I realize it's not exactly colorful, but at least there are live, green things on my patio. One of the most interesting and LARGE succulents is this plant. Don't know the real botanical name, but I think this is called firesticks.

This genial plant enjoys the weather out here! In the fall before the first freeze, I spend lots of time repotting the succulents/cactus and I bring them inside for the winter. They are happy to go back outside when it warms in the Spring. Easy peasy-saves time and moola. This plant is so huge, I don't think I can fit it through a door to bring it in this Fall. Not sure what I'm gonna do.

What does one do with a big hole in another patio? A hole left by a decrepit inground hot tub?

One fills the pit with gravel and buries a few aloe. My humble version of a zen garden. Sorry about the weeds-don't judge. Again....not much color, but at least some living things.

Another plant that does pretty well in the heat....as long as it gets a little water is Russian Sage.

This sage is near the zen garden. I haven't put anything in those pots-ran out of succulents. Look at the dead tree in my neighbor's yard. Sadly, this is a common sight around town right now.

The bones of the flower beds in my front yard consist of nandina, decorative yucca, sedum, and some creeping juniper.

The little flowerbed to the right of my front door

I had a few petunias that were originally in pots. They were getting too dry, so I stuck them in the ground. They've done OK, and they provide a little pop of color in the front yard.

But, I wanted to show you my secret garden! This is where I have attempted to grow vegs the last couple of years. I just got through weeding this little spot and I thought you'd enjoy seeing it. shhhhhh-for your eyes only

It's secret cuz it's behind the garage. Can't see it much from the house. One must walk outside to see it. If you came to visit, you wouldn't see it unless I took you out there. You walk out the back door of our garage

like you are walking up to the Texan's shop

or like you are going out to play a big game of rock with Roxy-Doxy,

and it greets you with fun pops of color. I know it's nothing special....just some stuff from the walmarts, mainly. The flower bed is brimming with colorful moss rose, dusty miller, lantana,

An easy, colorful grower-pink mandevilla!

and very happy mandevilla. I put in a little micro-sprinkler with a timer on the faucet next to the bed, so it gets watered several times a week. So far, the plants have held up very nicely to the heat and the wind. We've had more rain this Spring than we had the entire year last year. The rain helps and I'm grateful for the beauty.
Can you spot my rockhound tearing up the grass?

she's in the shadow

Couldn't totally give up my dream of fresh food/produce. I found these funny little bags at a garden store for growing potatoes. You put in the seed potatoes and fill 'er up with dirt. I used some sort of red and white seed potatoes for this experiment. Just add water and sun and in the fall, when the plant starts to die back, you open up the little velcro window in the bags and out fall plump, fresh potatoes. That's the idea, anyway. I'll let you know....best be prepared for coming hard times. At least I'll have a starchy food substance for sustenance.

It feels positively decadent to have the prettiest part of my yard hidden away from public view, but this humble flowerbed makes me grin. Don't even mind weeding it occasionally. It satisfies the hummingbirds and butterflies, too. If you come over, I'll share it with you if you want. But I'm warnin' you....don't try to grab a potato. You might lose a hand.

Colorful love to all.