Red Lavender Baby!!!

So I didn't even know red lavender was a thing until a couple months ago, and then I hunted some down on the internet, ordered some and forgot all about them... until they came today! Now I'm so excited I want to burst!!! They're called red "Kew" lavender, and have the same flowers as what we usually call Spanish lavender -- but kind of a crimson red with pink flags instead of purple. I've been focused on my rose garden for years, but I've finally filled it up... two beds actually (one in front and one in back)... and they're beautiful. So now I'm moving on to a lavender bed. I have some English lavender already, and a couple new white lavender, and now the red lavender. I planted some pink lavender seeds, but nothing has come up. I'm going to try again, but I may have to just order some live plants one of these days.

My other exciting find this year was a red Lady Banks rose... and that was actually my husband's find and my Valentine's present. I don't believe it's a true Lady Banks, but it's very similar and just gorgeous. She's in a bed all her own by my side door so I see here every time I go somewhere or come home, and her scent is absolutely intoxicating. He also gave me another red rose called "Ingrid Bergman," which is just glorious! The petals look like velvet, and the blooms are gorgeous for a week!

I can't figure out how to post pics, but here's some links to pics:

Red "Kew" Lavender

White Edelweiss Lavender

Red Lady Banks Rose

"Ingrid Bergman" Rose

Anyone else excited about something they're doing in their gardens and want to share? I want to hear!!! I've got spring fever bad... and no vaccinations will help... just gotta let it run its course

we are going nuts preparing for the hummingbirds. We've spent the last few years growing flowers that would attract them, and managing some feeders. Last year the population seemed to explode, and this year we are already seeing a bunch more.

So we are making a hummingbird water bath, too.

We love watching them harass each other. They are so mean, but entertaining.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

How fun! They seem to have exploded here too this year. We mostly have the green-blue breasted variety, but I've seen quite a few ruby-breasted hummers, and even a purple breasted one this spring. They love the aloe vera blossoms, which have been in bloom for about six weeks now and are just winding down. But even more exciting is that they love the jasmine I planted by the front door last fall, which is in its first bloom now. So I've been able to leave the door open and watch them from my living room. And you're right -- they sure are mean to each other!!!

I am inspired to pamper and cater to them now -- thank you! It really is a lot of fun watching them

Thanks for the pics. We just replaced our so-called "lawn" with red thyme. It's drought resistant. You can walk on it. And I no longer need a lawn mower so I'm giving it away to the Rotary auction. It might take awhile for these plants to grow together, but I'm very excited to finally dump the grass!

a reply to: Boadicea

This is one of the real attractive plants, a "Birds of paradise" tree, right after the first bloom last year:



Its a few feet taller this year, and I reattached the support, as the weight started dragging it forward. This year is should look really grand.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

That's beautiful! I love the whole effect -- especially with the redwood trellis. It's so warm and inviting. I could definitely get lost in a good book right there...

We have a red and orange bird of paradise -- we call them Mexican Bird of Paradise. It hasn't been faring too well the last couple years though. I think I need to transplant it and give it more sun and space. I have it next to a hedge of Mexican Petunias (aka Ruellia) and a red oleander I've been training into a tree (like this). Even in the most miserable dog days of summer, I can count on those to be blooming and thriving! Well, except the Bird lately as I was saying...

But now that I've seen yours, I'm gonna have to do something with mine!

a reply to: schuyler

I'm glad you liked the pics! My brother and I affectionately call it "earth porn."

I'd love to see a pic of your carpet of thyme when it comes into its glory -- assuming you're better at posting pics than I am! That will not only be beautiful, it will be an olfactory delight.... Mmmmmm....

My son just recently replaced some of his lawn with pavers and planted thyme in between. Just like you, he's waiting for it to fill in now. I'm looking forward to it too! We usually end up outside whenever we go over for dinner or whatever, so I'll get to enjoy it too

a reply to: Boadicea

that, some golden lantana, some purple sage, and a few red yucca's are the staple pieces (perrenials).

We fill in with things like grasses and petunias. Im wanting to do some rosemary by the back gate, so we can get that bit of fragrance as we walk by.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Red yucca! That's what that is!!! I had to look up some pics because I had never heard of red yucca before, and recognized it as soon as I saw it. We saw some in bloom along a frontage road just recently, and it was so striking it really caught my eye. I want to create a little oasis in one of the corners of my backyard. There's already a little mesquite forest going strong, and some aloes along the fence... I'm going to have to make a place for those red yuccas back there. The red blooms will be beautiful with the yellow and coral aloe blooms! And some Texas sage -- which is what I think you are calling Purple Sage? Or no? Anyway, I've always loved those, but never gotten any... not yet anyway! I do want the sage in my little oasis. Do they grow pretty fast? The ones around here are usually about 4 feet tall and wide. Many seem to mound naturally and others seem a little wilder. I'll have to start looking at those a little more.

I think that oasis will have to be my next project... after the lavender garden... I'm getting excited about it now!

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I meant to say as well that you'll love the rosemary -- at least I love mine. I have a hedge of rosemary running along my driveway -- well about two-thirds of the way. I love to run my hands over it when I get out of the car just to release the scent And I always have plenty of fresh rosemary for cooking! It's always the first to bloom, right after Christmas, and the bees absolutely love the blossoms which come in long spikes. Pretty little pale blue blossoms and soooooo many!!! The best part is that now that it's established, I haven't watered it for years.

I've been amazed at the many beautiful plants (and their flowers) that are not only drought tolerant but can take the brutal desert sun and heat. I do water my roses and iris with the lawn, but only once a week. Even they are surprisingly hardy once established. We had some lantana that we didn't water for years either, but lost it to a couple hard frosts in 2014. We've been gradually replacing 6-8' of lawn on every side of the yards with drought tolerant shrubs. Our neighbors have beautiful cactus and yucca growing on their side of the fence which just makes my Mexican petunia hedge even more beautiful when they're in bloom. The hummers love the yucca and the petunias! The cactus is probably about 16 to 18' tall and blooms at night -- big cream colored dinner plate sized blooms. Bats love them. I keep saying I should start a nest for them and collect the guano for fertilizer. One more project!

a reply to: Boadicea

The sage is wonderfully fragrant when it blooms, which is habitually about 1-2 days before a rainfall. They are all over town here, and you can certainly tell (in the summer anyway) when it'll soon rain. The show makes the front page of our little local paper.

It sounds like you are in the west texas region. if so, the sage will grow quite well. Theyll grow wild, if your not careful. I had to pull one up out of a crack in the street that came from a neighbors bushes.

I water my garden with gray water, so never spend $$$ on watering. Except my grass in the back yard. A small patch that i fenced in for the dogs to play and me to grill and have a flower bed.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I'm in Arizona actually. We used to be on the outskirts of the greater Phoenix area... semi-rural... but everything built up around us so not so much anymore. I guess we're more suburban now.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I'm doing the same thing! I planted some bushes last year and got a hanging basket they've been happy about. Going to have to pick up some more, I really like watching them flit around. Hoping to get some more butterflies this year too. I lost a LOT of plants last year in the heat so I'm probably going to be a little calmer planting this year.

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: schuyler

I'd love to see a pic of your carpet of thyme when it comes into its glory -- assuming you're better at posting pics than I am! That will not only be beautiful, it will be an olfactory delight.... Mmmmmm....

Will do. It's pretty pathetic right now. It took us three tries to get the math right. Foot apart, etc. Over 500 plants! And guess who dug the holes? Ouch!!! Once I replace my right knee I'll be fine.

a reply to: Domo1

we had mom move in for her twilight, and i wanted her to have a garden to sit by for breakfast, and all that kind of stuff. So we fenced in a backyard on the property, and I started growing grass and put in a stone walkway. Some LED solar lights in the wrought iron fence posts give some nice even ambient lighting.

And I put in the flower beds using xeriascaping concepts to minimize my need to tend to it. Basically, i put in semi natiee flowering perennials and ran a gray water system to capture my washing machine (we are on septic, so i really see no need to dump it in the tank anyway). The phosphorous makes the flowers bloom like crazy and has helped make sure the root systems are well developed, although I may have given up a little in vertical growth.

The wife likes screwing with the annuals. I just spend a saturday once a year putting them in, and she does all the whatever it is she does (she fiddles unnecessarily mostly, but enjoys it so i enjoy watching her)

She into the fairy garden thing, and outgrew her garden last year. So i expect to be building a new spread for that in the next few weeks so she can tend to it, too. Watching her tend to her fairy garden is may favorite part of summer. Its iike watching her revert back to 5 years old playing with her doll house or something. I love it. She just likes to touch the plants and rearrange the swag, but its very cute.

a reply to: schuyler

Dang man! Sounds like a huge PITA! You're a lawn hero!

Do show us pictures when you can please. I have a strip next to my driveway that irritates me. I'd consider this.

Like that? Does it stay that color year round? How crazy does it spread? Moss is just having a glorious time in my front yard under the cedar tree (I actually don't really care, yard is green and looks fine, can still walk barefoot happily.

I'd also love to put something like this in under the cedar in the front where the space is just bare. Wondering how well it would do in acidic soil without a ton of light.

oops

a reply to: schuyler

Yeah, I bet. That's a lot of kneeling and digging. My hubby's always been wonderful about helping me in the yard, but a few years ago a family with four boys moved in next door, and they love to come help me now. And I love their help! I'll pay them $10 each for an hour's work, and we can accomplish in an hour what would have taken me all weekend to do! They range in age from about 7 to 13. Good hard workers too. I feel very lucky to have them!

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Watching her tend to her fairy garden is may favorite part of summer. Its iike watching her revert back to 5 years old playing with her doll house or something. I love it.

That's so sweet. I bet you two are adorable together. That put a huge smile on my face!