Fill the Frame

As usual I'm perplexed and disappointing with my Gardens Gone Wild Photography Contest photos selections. As none of them have received even a honorable mention. I will admit however that they didn't measure up to the "winners". I suppose we second guess our selections or if we cropped them right etc etc. Well I suppose I will continue on! I'm sure some of you have seen these before, so excuse me if they are redundant.

Penstemon mexicali (died this brutal summer)'red rocks'

Stipa tennuissama, Festuca and Rudbeckia hirta

Stipa tenuissima, Achilea 'Coronation Gold', Penstemon mexicalli 'Red Rocks', and Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'

Salvia fairanacea, Salvia guaranitica 'black and blue', globe basil, Rudebeckia fulgida 'goldstrum' and Miscanthus sinensis 'morning light'

Achilea millefolium 'terra cotta', Liatris spicata, Salvia fairanacea, and Achilea 'coranation gold'

Achilea millefolium 'terra cotta' presently my favorite plant.

Falugia paradoxia -Apache plume

As usual you can go to Gardens Gone Wild Picture This Photography website to view Octobers participants.

Cool and Crisp - GBBD October 2011

Cool and Crisp.  I suppose that would be a good description of my garden.

Salvia fairnacea-Mealy Blue Sage and Colias eurytheme? Orange sulphur

Cool and Crisp. As there is a definite drop in temperature. Cool and Crisp. As the blues in the garden lower the color temperatures of summer.

 Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

Cool and Crisp. As the newly arisen Monarch stretches her wings to dry in the cool fall days of a Kansas afternoon.

 

Asclepias-Milkweed with Danaus plexippus-Monarch. Can anyone identify this species of milkweed?
Cool and Crispy. As the Goldenrod begins to mature and dry to seedling stage.
 

Solidago rugosa-Goldenrod 'fireworks' ? with Strymon-Hairstreak

Cool and Aromatic. Globe Basil-Ocimum with Gray Hairstreak-Strymon melinus

(above)

Cool and Blue. Nepeta faasseni-'Walkers Low' Catmint with Sulphur (above)

Cool and Blue(stem) hellstrip

Get Cool this Fall @ May Dreams Garden - Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.
Visit all the other cool dudes and their fabulous fall blooms worldwide.

Xeriscape Post San Antonio- Part Four-Conclusion

In Review:
This is part four and final post of the tour of the San Antonio Botanical Gardens Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens. Part one dealt with the Manicured Xeriscape Garden and a typical traditional American Garden: Click to view Part One.
Part two demonstrates my favorite example of xeriscape - The Hill Country Landscape Garden:Click to view Part Two.
Part three demonstrated the cottage garden xeriscape- Click link to view Part three

After reading the comments on the first post Pam Penick from Digging fame left me a link of a past visit to these gardens by her and other fellow Austin bloggers. I will leave a link back here. Watersaver Lane
It was cool to go back and look at these gardens when they were "young". They have matured since this 2007 post. Also she gave me the name of the series of gardens, Watersaver Lane. Thank you Pam!

Part four is a tour of the Wildlife Landscape and the Spanish Courtyard Garden:

Click on image to enlarge and read Elements, Maintenance requirements, irrigation requirements, and other inputs.

The wildscape landscape is designed to attract wildlife with nectar plants and plants that produce seeds. Again decomposed granite is used for the pathway. A limestone field stone wall is used to delineate this garden from the cottage garden.

 The shade tree is a Red Oak, plenty of acorns for the squirrels I suppose and Salvia for hummingbirds.

The last Garden in the series on Watersaver Lane is The Spanish Courtyard Garden:

.This garden definitely is on the ornamental side. Not my cup of tea, but there is a lot of spanish architecture in San Antonio.

Palms, succulents, Caesalpinia pulcherima - Pride of Barbados, Sago Palm and Mediterrean Fan Palm all placed in like irrigation zones. All with tropical textures and colors.
That will conclude the tour and series. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did when I visited them. Adios, amigos.

Repose-Black on White

Dona with Garden Talk-Garden Walk's word for Wednesday is Repose.

Be with the word here:Repose

Photos taken at the International Lily Gardens in San Angelo, Texas.

Repose

Photos taken at the wedding of my son at the Cristoval Winery near San Angelo, Texas.