Now there’s three flower spikes. I guess the triple digit temperatures agree with this plant. But the big question is “Why do the three spikes lean west?”
What? Another One?
Table Setting (version one)
This dress rehearsal had been long overdue. Mixing the old, the inherited, and the new on my new forty-eight inch round dining table has worried me for quite some time. I knew it would be a challenge. And after setting up this first arrangement with place mats, it’s now obvious that only four guests can be accommodated. If I were to have five or six guests, I would need to use a linen tablecloth with one or two additional and much smaller chairs, and limit the number of items at each setting. But since I don’t own a tablecloth or the two smaller chairs, I’m only allowed to have three guests for now. If you feel inclined to see more and read up on the details, continue on for more.
Yay! A Second Flower Spike!
This Yellow flower false yucca has proven to be the perfect choice for my garden’s focal point. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, its bloom time in Texas is March through July. Meaning I shouldn’t expect any more flower spikes this year. That’s okay. I’m just glad I haven’t accidentally killed the plant.
Up Close and Personal
She may be showing her age, but in statuary, this is very desirable. Her provenance is unknown, but if she’s from Texas, her flecks of time took decades to form. Perhaps you remember her from a previous photograph, even if it was a shot of her rear profile. This time I wanted to use her as the subject using my new Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens, which you see above. For the following photo, I switched back to my standard zoom lens.
Remember My Bald Patch?
Pink Preference Autumn Sage (Salvia greggi ‘Pink Preference’). Remember this bald patch? It had become obvious that the Texas betony was not going to thrive, and my landscape architect Michael Parkey started to think about what would be a good replacement. We had also hoped to do the switch in the autumn, but timing wasn’t on our side. Last week he called me with his choice, and in trying to locate this cultivar, I discovered that it’s hard to come by. It’s one of the more vigorous autumn sages and with its complimentary coloring was the perfect replacement. Nicholson-Hardie was able to find one grower located near Oklahoma, who had gallon pots of which I needed nine. But since Nichoson-Hardie would have no shipments from this grower until the fall and there was a chance they might sell out before then, the grower suggested that he could bring them with him in a few days when he came to Dallas for an Arboretum event.
After picking them up, planting needed to happen ASAP. Waiting for September was not an option, because plants have a better chance of surviving our summers planted in the ground. They might look anemic right now, but next summer they should be about two feet wide by three feet tall. I forgot to mention that Autumn Sage is another native Texan that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Regular Business Hours Are 8 AM to 5 PM
Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Tricolor’ (Triostar) has been a popular summer annual for me. (For past posts and photos go here, here, and here.) Originating in Brazil, Honduras and Costa Rica, this plant is a member of the Marantaceae (Maranta) family, and like all of its cousins, craves high humidity. In the past, I have planted it in my shade garden, but with the new design the portions allotted to annuals have too much sun exposure and the Stromanthe’s leaves might get a bit crispy around the edges. Besides its root system is so deep and vigorous, removing it on my own has required many sharp tools, savage brutality, and multiple cuss words. And if you’re wondering why I just don’t leave it in hopes of it returning the following summer, it’s because it won’t. But as a container summer annual, it can’t be more perfect.
What’s Blooming Now
Texas Spider Lily (Hymenocallis liriosme [Raf.] Shinners). I’ve always had really good luck with these beauties as a container plant. They have now also been planted in my newly designed front garden. We felt that their vertical spiky foliage would be a good replacement for the Louisiana iris that didn’t perform well outside of two spring months. Eventually these original six plants will multiply and should provide a spectacular show in about three years. If you’re interested in growing these, I recommend purchasing them from The Southern Bulb Company.
Peekaboo (part 10)
The original Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix was commissioned by her husband Camillo Borghese and executed in Rome from 1805 and 1808 by the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. This life-size semi-nude evokes the ancient Roman tradition of depicting a mortal individual as a god and was considered daring for those times in that a lady of high rank was portrayed in the nude. Even though I have seen numerous copies, I never knew their provenance until one found its way into my living room.
Saturday at The Reading Room
Matthew Cusick: Scenes Et Types. This summer exhibition at The Reading Room will feature Matthew Cusick’s collage work from his wave series comprised of map fragments as well as the sirens which use imagery derived from vintage travel postcards.
Cusick’s collage work has been written about in such diverse publications as The Surfers Journal and The Paris Review, indicating his range of references from diverse cultures and geographies. Cusick received a BFA from The Cooper Union and is currently pursuing graduate studies at SMU. His work has been shown internationally as well as in New York City at Andrew Kreps Gallery, Kent Fine Art, and most recently Pavel Zoubok Gallery where he has an exhibition this fall.
Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, June 16 from 7 to 9 pm. The Reading Room will be open that day from noon until 9 pm in conjunction with East Dallas Gallery Day. There will be an artist talk on Saturday, July 14 at 3 pm.
What’s Blooming Now
Yellow flower false yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora). Although the red version is more commonly found in Texas’s xeriscape landscapes, I chose the smaller yellow version for the ornamental container used as my sun garden’s focal point. The false yucca is native to the Chihuahuan desert of west Texas and with its low maintenance qualities I’m depending on it to survive our climate extremes.