Spring 2014

Our plants have grown abundantly this Spring, due to our new drip-line irrigation system. The red flowers growing on the upper part of the fence are Honeysuckle "Major Wheeler." These have attracted hummingbirds. Along the ground, from left to right, are tulips (red), daffodils (yellow), pansies (violet), and more tulips (orange).

Spring 2013

We had some weird weather in Lubbock this spring, with some sporadic summer-like temperatures, but also a late snowstorm (April 10). Several of our flowers have done well, as shown below. The look of so many colors bursting out at once reminds us of a fireworks show!

The above photo shows Clematis (green, with a little light-purple blooming; upper right) and Major Wheeler Honeysuckle (red flowers barely beginning to bloom; upper, left-center). Bottom right are three shades of Sweet William (lavender, red, and white). Poppies appear in white (midway up, to the left) and pink (near the lavender Sweet William) varieties. The purple flowers in the lower-left are Dame's Rocket.

The predominant flower in the next shot is the purple Dame's Rocket, with red Clematis shown above it.

The third photo is a wider shot of the first two pictures.

We also have Dame's Rocket growing by one of our trees.

Summer 2012

Thanks to a mostly mild June, our drip-irrigation system, and old-fashioned hard work, our garden has continued to flourish. Here are a number of selections. In our backyard, two major sections of garden flank our shed.

Here is more of a close-up on the right-hand side.

A plant we find particularly attractive is the red Crocosmia lucifer. It appears in some of the photos below.

Next, we have a  collection of Society Garlic (which appears white in the photo, but really is pink/lilac), Delphinium (blue), and Crocosmia.

The Crocosmia appears once again, accompanied by Agastache/Hummingbird Mint (light purple) and daisies (Leucanthemum).

Next, we have Garden Phlox (Phlox Paniculata).

The following set contains Echinacea purpurea (the one with the spherical center and petals sometimes bent back like a badminton shuttlecock), the purplish Lilium (lily) that appears to be of the "stargazer" variety (toward the front), and the blue-and-yellow Aster frikartii.

Next, a Crocosmia accompanies a Penstemon.

Here's a collection of multiple types, exemplifying our cottage-garden style.

This area includes Daylilies (yellow) and Butterfly Bush (purple horizontal, at bottom), with Gaillardia “Oranges and Lemons” in the background.

Finally, against the brick wall to the left of the shed, we have a flower in the Clematis genus.

Spring 2012

It's been an unusually warm spring in Lubbock, which may be helping plants achieve a lush, colorful status faster than normal. Below, we present photos from the past two months. Compare the first two photos below, from early and late spring, respectively, taken in the same area of our garden. In particular, note the roses atop the bush in the second photo.

 

We've also been adding flowers around the edges of our lawn. (Notice the small solar-panel-powered light we inserted, in the next photo.)

Finally, we have taken a large wooden deck and added raised beds to grow vegetables and other plants.

Spring 2011

Here are some photos of our garden, taken several weeks ago. The main flower featured is the clematis, of which there are around 300 species. This article describes the clematis as "one of the earliest vines to green up in the spring," and provides tips for pruning them.

Summer 2010

After starting out really hot, Lubbock's summer changed abruptly at the beginning of July, giving us a pretty good imitation of Seattle. So heavy and continuous was the rain that by July 11, we had received "rain totalling 7.05 inches — just 0.15 inches shy of the wettest July on record" (article). As a result, flowers, vines, and bushes of ours that had been languishing began to grow lavishly. Here are some examples...

First, we have our Trumpet Vines (above).

Next, is a purple-flowered bush known as Texas Ranger, Texas Sage, or Silverleaf. Compare the two photos above to how the same plant looked in our garden two years ago.

Lastly, we have a combination of Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), the large plants, and the smaller Purple Ice Plants, at the bottom of the picture (center-right).

Spring 2010

It' been quite some time since we last posted. We've done a lot of planting this spring, however, and we're very excited about the "technicolor" appearance of all the different kinds of flowers.