betony – variegatagal

Basil Seeded

Something that’s been glaringly missing from this year’s backyard garden are the volunteer basil plants that normally sprout about this time of year. I fondly remember the monstrous basil plants that drew in all all the pollinators.

I dug into my seed drawer several days ago to empty out some of the basil seeds that I ordered from previous years.

Sprinkled them into my stock tank beds and here they are aplenty, sprouting happily.

I’m looking forward to some colorful Purple Ball basil as well as Fino Verde and Amethyst Improved.

Of course I’ve always had rooted cuttings of the pesto perpetuo basil that I keep indoors. However, they don’t flower very well and they really can’t handle the Texas heat.

Suckers Punched

I was worried about spraying the trunks of the crape myrtle after the damage done by the scale infestation. But seeing all the suckers shooting out made me get the bottle out.

Dianthus, Super Bloomer

There’s nothing more satisfying than dianthus crowned in blooms during spring. My Stargazer plants burst into bloom early April, and unlike the chinensis varieties, this perennial hybrid has reliably returned despite some harsh summers.

I’ve had Coconut Punch on my plant wishlist for sometime, but I’m thinking of adding more such as striped Pinball Wizard and green eyed Mojito.

If a longer-lived Super Parfait-type dianthus ever came on to market, I’d be a happy gardener.

Primrose in Pink

I discovered that plucky pink primrose growing and blooming in between the flagstone in my front yard flower bed. The species version is blooming out in the wild fields surrounding the neighborhood, but in my flowerbed it is getting bullied by Gregg’s Mistflower. I would love to see more of these Oenothera berlandieri ‘Siskiyou’ blooming in my beds, but I realize I may need to have something blooming that lasts all season, rather than the spring show.