September 25, 2025
Let’s take another spin through the garden as temperatures in Austin shift toward fall — if fall means temps in the low 90s F. No matter, I’ll take it.
‘Alphonse Karr’ bamboo has gotten pretty shaggy this year. I’m enjoying its new bushiness, which screens the patio from the western sun. Below it are ‘Macho Mocha’ mangave, a barbed-wire sphere, and ‘Feather Falls’ carex.
Summer scorched, but hanging in there, is giant leopard plant — a thirsty shade lover. I keep wondering why I’m growing this plant, which wilts alarmingly by the time my once-a-week irrigation day rolls around. But in cooler, wetter seasons I love it.
Potted plants include purple oxalis and ‘Monterrey Frost’ squid agave.
Ghost plant is showing an interesting color change, probably due to summer stress. Same, ghost plant. I feel you.
Lemon yellow rosemallow (Hibiscus calyphyllus), a tropical-looking perennial, doesn’t mind the heat. It’s covered in bodacious yellow flowers with burgundy eyes.
Hello there
Oxblood lilies are still popping up, including this one among the spiny arms of soap aloe.
Darcy’s sage (Salvia darcyi) is on fire.
Darcy’s sage pairs well with chile pequin and its little red peppers. A purple mangave makes those reds even better.
Chile pequin and squirrel totem
In the stock-tank planter, more oxblood lilies cluster around Ursula, the variegated whale’s tongue agave. The silvery groundcover is native woolly stemodia.
I can’t get enough of the oxbloods.
One more
OK, last one
And finally! A few yellow spider lilies (Lycoris aurea) popped up in front of the ‘Mystic Spires’ salvia, where I transplanted them a few years ago. They’ve pouted so long at being moved that I thought they might never bloom again. But here they are.
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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.
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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!
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