September 22, 2025
We’re back in hot summer mode. I’m hanging on for fall by my fingernails. Last week I got a second burst of oxblood lilies, helped along by my watering day. They’re a little straggly as they wait for rain (who isn’t?), but I’m grateful for their jaunty dashes of red.
Circle Garden in the morning
The variegated whale’s tongue agave in the stock tank has lost much of its pretty yellow streaking this year. But that’s always been variable, depending on weather. Maybe those yellow streaks will return with cooler weather.
Oxblood lilies’ blood-red trumpets shout, “Fall is coming!”
I can hardly wait.
One more
Look how big the ‘Sapphire Skies’ beaked yucca on the left has gotten. What a shaggy-headed monster!
A metal-framed mirror reflects the oxblood lilies, doubling the joy.
More red appears in the hibiscus flowers of ‘Ellen’s Legacy’ pavonia, a new cultivar of our native pink rock rose. I’ve been comparing notes about it on my Instagram. The consensus among those who’ve tried it is that it’s less reliable than the standard pink (no surprise, as cultivars often are), and it stays much smaller. I like that last attribute. Mine is only about 12 inches tall — so cute!
The reds just keep coming with chile pequin, a Texas native pepper, bright with ripe fruit.
Darcy’s sage is on fire too.
Darcy’s sage is an absolute magnet for bumblebees.
One more gratuitous shot of an oxblood lily pushing its way through the spiny arms of a soap aloe.
Plumbago’s blue adds a little coolness amid all that heat.
My Tempest in a Teapot windchime pretends to water a wilted American beautyberry.
Its purple berries are still beautiful, in spite of its thirst.
Sweet almond verbena‘s fragrant white flowers were scenting the deck last week, although they’ve faded now. They’ll rebloom when we get rain.
‘Praying Hands’ mangave is praying for rain.
Actually, it seems perfectly content, all curled in on itself — to protect from the Death Star? It’s a fabulous-looking plant.
‘Silver Fox’ mangave is another favorite, with toothy, glaucous leaves.
Ghost plant, a winter-hardy succulent here in Austin, looks good no matter the season. This one cascades from a pot of squid agave.
Dusty pink with a hint of turquoise in the center, framed by a yellow-green pot — why not? These colors work for me.
___________________________
Join me for Jill Nooney’s Garden Spark talk on October 9th
Austinites, I invite you to my next Garden Spark event in northwest Austin on October 9th. Artist, gardener, and author Jill Nooney of Bedrock Gardens will speak about her acclaimed New Hampshire garden, and I can’t wait to see her photos and get inspired by her gardening magic. You may wonder what a New England garden has to teach us here in Texas, and I’ll tell you. Like any garden created with passion and creativity, it teaches us to TRY and experiment and risk failure, and to delight in the beauty, humor, and life stories that result. Come join us!
Tickets available here
Garden Spark is open to the public. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
I welcome your comments. Please scroll to the end of this post to leave one. If you’re reading in an email, click here to visit Digging and find the comment box at the end of each post. And hey, did someone forward this email to you, and you want to subscribe? Click here to get Digging delivered directly to your inbox!
__________________________
Digging Deeper
My new book, Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State, comes out October 14! It’s available for pre-order now on Amazon and other online book sellers. If you’d like to read it or give it as a holiday gift, please consider pre-ordering. (I’m happy to sign pre-ordered copies at my book events!) Early orders make a big difference in helping new books get noticed. More info about Gardens of Texas here — and thank you for your support!
Come see me on tour! I’m speaking in cities across Texas to celebrate the release of Gardens of Texas. Talks in October include: Planta Nativa in McAllen on 10/16; The Natural Gardener in Austin on 10/18; SFA State University’s Fall Plant Fair in Nacogdoches on 10/23; Houston Botanic Garden on 10/25; and The Arbor Gate in Tomball on 10/26. Join me to learn, be inspired, and get a signed copy of the book!
Tour 5 Austin gardens on Saturday, November 8, on the Garden Conservancy’s Open Day tour for Travis County. Tickets must be purchased online in advance, and some gardens limit attendance, so reserve your spot early. Find full details here.
Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events, so join the Garden Spark email list for notification when tickets go on sale: click this link and ask to SUBSCRIBE. Read all about the Season 9 lineup here!
All material © 2025 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
