July heat

6/29/2006 Late June Hot Lips salviaFourth of July came and went without much incident. Most of my firebug-happy neighbors refrained from setting off fireworks during the dangerous drought conditions. Because of water restrictions ramped up to severe, the myrtles are showing leaf-tip burn this week. Most of their flowers have wilted, leaving them looking rather ghastly. The Peppermint Lace is looking the worst of all, since its flowers have turned the shrub into a brown ball of ugliness.

One Canna lily decided to grace our front yard with its first blazing orange bloom, which I failed to capture in a photo. The two Cannas that we planted in the front yard transformed into a colony of plants. So far only one of the main plants has sprouted a bloom stalk. I eagerly await the second bloom to see what color it might be.

6/29/2006 Late June purple salvia greggiiIn the side yard, the first Reinesse dwarf lily displayed two open blooms this morning. The Hot Lips Salvia planted nearby is brightly adorned with crimson and white flowers. Purple salvias seem to be blooming strongly as well. I’ve also decided to let the poor Natchez in the side yard sucker out. Two of its three trunks have failed to sustain any green, which may mean that they will get hacked off this fall, or the whole tree may need to be moved.

Evidence of yellowing and browning is rampant in the lily beds. The first few plants have already browned completely, waiting to be cut down. I’m wondering if I’ll be moving the bulbs or just wait until they all die back and dig up the bulbs in the fall. Probably fall….

Front yard fireworks

06/29/06 Peppermint Lace Crape MyrtleYou know it’s summer when the myrtles are blooming. While the rest of Dallas/Fort Worth is enjoying the colorful blooms adorning highways, business fronts and neighborhood parks, our myrtles seem to have gotten a slow start and are just now beginning to flower. Our front yard is home to 7 crape myrtles: 1 Natchez crape tree, 1 Acoma weeping crape myrtle, 4 Petite Snow crape myrtles, and 1 Peppermint Lace crape myrtle, pictured on the left. All of them are loaded down with buds, bursting at the seams and ready to put on a vibrant show.