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August 15th, 2009
GBBD 200908: Aug 2009

Labuffarosea rainlilies

Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites us to tell her what’s blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month.

August 15, 2009: Just Add Water

Now at day 56 of triple digit temperatures in the hottest summer ever recorded in Austin, I didn’t think I’d have anything to post for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. The yard (no point in calling it a garden at the moment) is mostly dead grass and dirt. For last month’s GBBD, I actually took notes and photos and then didn’t have the energy or desire to write up the post. But here at Zanthan Gardens, we were one of the lucky few in Austin to be a beneficiary of an inch of rain on Wednesday August 12th.

In response, today, the ‘Labuffarosea’ rainlilies that Annie @ The Transplantable Rose gave me bloomed.

I’m taking my cue from the summer bulbs. I’m going to hunker down until the rain and then I’ll be back blooming.

Complete List for August

The list of all plants flowering today, August 15th 2009, at Zanthan Gardens.

  • Antigonon leptopus (2007) (2008) (2009)
  • Duranta erecta (overwintered) (2207) (2008) (2009)
  • Hesperaloe parviflora (2008) (2009)
  • Hibiscus syriacus (2007) (2008) (2009)
  • Lagerstroemia indica ‘Catawba’ (2007) (2009)
  • Malvaviscus arboreus (2007) (2008) (2009)
  • Nierembergia gracilis ‘Starry Eyes’ (2009)
  • Opuntia (2009)
  • Plumbago auriculata (2007) (2008) (2009)
  • Proboscidea louisianica, Devil’s Claw (2009)
  • Ruellia wild woody type (2007) (2008) (2009)
  • waterlily ‘Helvola’ (2008) (2009)
  • Zephyranthes ‘Labuffarosea’ (2009)

It’s interesting looking at my notes from last August–the first year of this beyond critical drought. The duranta and the rose of Sharon were surprising me with their toughness then too. The red yucca and turk’s cap had flowers but were worn and ratty looking. The nierembergia, the devil’s claw, and the cactus are new this year but toughing out the heat with supplemental water (well, I don’t water the cactus but it’s blooming anyway–in fact, better this year than it ever has.)

by M Sinclair Stevens

9 Responses to post “GBBD 200908: Aug 2009”

  1. From Carol, May Dreams Gardens:
    August 15th, 2009

    Wow, an inch of rain. That’s great, though I know you need much more than that to no longer be in a drought. If you are going to have limited bloom, passalong rain lilies is a good bloom to have!

  2. From Diana Austin:
    August 15th, 2009

    MSS — How lucky for you. I knew someone in Austin got rain last week – we only had 4/100ths. It wet the ground and cooled the air for a few hours and that was about it. I think the rain lilies keep us hoping. I was just asking my DH today exactly WHEN the fall excessive rains are supposed to arrive. No word on that yet – sigh.

  3. From compostinmyshoe Charleston, SC:
    August 16th, 2009

    They are tough ones…..hope you get rain soon!

  4. From Annie in Austin:
    August 16th, 2009

    It’s lovely to see ‘Labuffarosea’ bloom for you, MSS! We got nothing out of that rain, so no rain lilies here.

    Just a few standbys here (can’t believe that blue plumbago) so I didn’t even post for bloom day. Have been working on Divas of the Dirt archives…more fun living in past than present!

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

  5. From Mr. McGregor's Daughter:
    August 16th, 2009

    What obliging plants. They are pretty too. I feel for all you down there. My lawn is brown & crunchy, the garden has large cracks in it, and I can’t keep up with the watering. At least there is a chance of rain in my forecast.

  6. From Bruce Tate:
    August 17th, 2009

    We got about a half inch. It didn’t even phase Lake Travis, but it helped the garden tremendously. But it looks like we’re going to follow that event with another week of hot and dry.

    Here’s hoping that summer is winding down. This one has been brutal.

  7. From Teresa ~ NY:
    August 17th, 2009

    I’m sorry you have had such hot and dry weather. You most definitely are a great gardener to persevere. Hope it rains some more soon!

  8. From Dee/reddirtramblings:
    August 20th, 2009

    All I can write is “sigh.” Your drought makes me very, very sad. I can only imagine how you feel having been through some high temps and droughts myself (although not for this long). I think you’re smart to hang tough like the rain lilies. Fall will be here soon.~~Dee

  9. From Maggie, Lake Travis area:
    August 23rd, 2009

    Your rain lilies are beautiful! I have a white one that bloomed recently and there have been a few popping in the wild lots on the street. The real show stopper in my garden yesterday though was the sage – full of purple blooms – a beautiful gift in this dry season!