 Breathe in... You can imagine me coughing and spluttering about now. Our garden is being taken over by weeds and giant plants. If you've been with me for a year or more, you might recall that I basically boycott the garden in July and August. It's ridiculously, insultingly hot, humid, and buggy. Late June is close enough. But even during the most uncomfortable time of the year, I can't ignore this garden completely. It's small and both the front and back are on display year round. The hedge begins to look as though it has lost its freaking mind. The east side appears to consist almost entirely of lantana. It's not supposed to. Then there's a shrimp plant and some sort of ferocious, salvia-looking plant that I can't identify battling it out in a corner. Weeds, well... One interesting note is that while seasonal annoyances are making their usual bids to take over the garden, they have a lot of competition from the giant plants as well as volunteers like basil. In our back garden, cinnamon basil is EVERYWHERE! During a storm, our one Mexican sunflower plant sort of...fell. Yes, that would be the right word. It's now hovering over the mass of basil that has taken over one of the raised vegetable beds. There were a couple of tomato plants on that side of the bed as well as some peppers. I think. But from the house and even from the patio, I can't see them. Pushing my scooter over the uneven terrain for closer inspection is not worth the risk. After two years of foot surgeries, I have two weeks left. I can wait. You know, gardening is my passion, not my husband's. Joseph enjoys the harvest and doesn't balk at big jobs like creating beds, trimming trees, and making repairs. But he doesn't love it. This past weekend, he had a long list of things to do and only so many hours to spare. Yet he gave his precious free time to the garden. He weeded the raised vegetable beds, trimmed roses, and took photos. Let me rephrase. Joseph gave up his precious free time to work under the broiling sun for me. Sigh. My hero. I might have to copy this post to my romance blog.
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 Isn't that spectacular? Tiger lilies -- Lilium lancefolium or Lilium tigrenum -- absolutely earn their place in the garden. These babies don't have a scent, but even to me -- I've planted fragrant herbs all over the place -- their striking beauty is worth any space we can afford them. One of my bad gardening habits is that I'm really terrible about popping bulbs into the garden without noting the location. It becomes a problem when I plant something right in the middle of some bulbs. Towards the end of last year, I found I had to dig up more than twenty bulbs while trying to balance out the garden with some year-round greenery. Surprise! These weren't all in one place. While I had no doubt that I was the one who had purchased and planted the bulbs, I no longer recalled what kind of bulbs they were. If I knew, I wouldn't have planted the tiger lilies in front of a curbside bed. They're beautiful, but they're too tall and spindly to be at the front of a bed. I will move them again once their season is over. Let that be a lesson to you -- I mean me! Native to Asia, these plants aren't invasive and add an interesting splash of color in the garden. What to expect from them: In mild climates, they bloom mid to late summer. They only bloom once a year, but each plant can have as many as ten flowers. They are not tender or picky plants, but they have their preferences. For best performance, they need moist, well-draining soil, sunshine, and some protection from afternoon sun. They're not known to be particularly aggressive, but they will multiply. They usually grow between two to five feet tall. So, our curbside beds face south and are generally dry. I could not have chosen a worse place to plunk down those jewels! But now that I know firsthand how gorgeous they are, I will probably add more to the garden. I'll find some area to plant them all together. Won't I? Of course I will! Happy Gardening! |
Our GardenFor years, my husband and I worked at creating a series of gardens on our four-acre lot in a rural, Texas subdivision west of Houston. I have to say, it was a fantastic experience. Now, I have a pocket garden on a golf course. Archives
June 2025
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