Zanthan Gardens
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: GBBD 200805: May 2008

17 Responses to post “GBBD 200805: May 2008”

1. From Lori, Austin TX:
   May 15th, 2008

   I really like your Acanthus mollis. Mine is puny and ridiculous , suffering through too much sun. Have you seen the huge one at Barton Springs Nursery? It’s spectacular– with the flower spikes, it’s about five feet tall and four feet wide. I tried to get a picture of it the last time I was there, but no luck.

   I first saw Acanthus mollis at BSN, where I was fascinated with it and ended up buying mine. Actually, this plant reminds me of you because the flower stalk is vaguely menacing, perfect for a garden of good and evil. — mss

2. From Mr. McGregor's Daughter:
   May 15th, 2008

   Acanthus mollis is one of those plants I’m so tempted to try, but it is only marginally hardy here. It always reminds me of Rome and all the carved marble Acanthus leaves everywhere. Now coneflower I can grow–too well. This morning I resumed the task of yanking out all those superfluous seedlings.

   Yes, the Romans loved the shape of Acanthus leaves. During these humid days of first summer, I like the tropical look. In Austin, it is root-hardy. Last winter was so mild it didn’t even freeze back, although it usually does. (And I didn’t cover it.) — mss

3. From Carol, May Dreams Gardens:
   May 15th, 2008

   That Acanthus does look like a great plant. I need some more plants with big leaves, maybe that is one I can try.

   You may not have all those flowers listed blooming at any one time, but you certainly have a lot of variety in your garden, which to me makes it interesting to see it any time, no matter what is blooming.

   Thanks for joining in for bloom day, in spite of storms, power loss, and falling trees!

   The flowers listed for GBBD are actually all blooming today, the 15th of May…but sometimes there is just one or two flowers, not a whole bed of them. — mss

4. From Frances:
   May 15th, 2008

   Your coral bean shot is perfection, what a great red. We love the annual black eyed susan, but it chooses spots to grow, such as at the edge of a dianthus border, that are not conducive to design principles, what few we have. The flowers are more interesting, some have darker colors on the petals near the centers, almost brown, we allow them, but still need the perennials to give us yellow in the appropriate spots later in the season. How exciting to see Pam’s coneflowers doing well for you, they must be a good seed strain. I like your two summers idea, this sounds like the good twin, later is the evil twin.

   I pick out the black-eyed Susans that I think are strongest and have the biggest flowers and let them seed (no matter where they’re growing) and pull out the others. I’d like to design more with my plants but I’m still at the stage where if it will grow, I let it. — mss

5. From Gail:
   May 15th, 2008

   Your photographs are wonderful, you caught the Acanthus just so you can see the high shine of the leaves; the Coral Bean color is indescribable. When I saw the Black Eyed Susan…Genghis Kahn flashed into my right brained head! Trust me it makes sense!

   Without Black eyed Susan my garden would be quite bare in July, I have come to appreciate their coarse qualities.

   Thanks. Sometimes I think I like gardening just so I’ll have something to photograph. I’m not a natural–I actually work quite hard at it. I’m glad that once in awhile a photo turns out. (I must have taken a score of photos of the coral bean in different lights and angles before I finally captured the color.) — mss

6. From Annie in Austin:
   May 15th, 2008

   It’s dangerous to participate in Garden bloggers bloom day – especially when the garden is in Austin. While I may wish for out-of-zone tulips and lilacs and viburnums of the Northern gardens, they can be admired with regret and then we move on…. but you show me stuff that might grow in my garden, MSS, and I might actually have to plant Coral beans, Acanthus and old roses.

   Two summers, yes – one you can walk around in and one best viewed through a window!

   Annie at the Transplantable Rose

   I was interested in reading Tom Spencer’s comment explaining how he designed his garden with views from indoors. I do that too (not as successfully, of course). But whenever I plant a new plant, I do spend a lot of time figuring out the placement from inside. The coral bean is nice but it doesn’t bloom very long. The acanthus looks good for about four months and then dies down in the heat. If we have a mild winter, though, you can keep it through fall, winter and spring. — mss

7. From Diana Kirby:
   May 15th, 2008

   Funny – you write of two summers and I wrote of a nine-month-long summer! Same difference, I guess. Your Coral bean photo is amazing. Pam said you’d inspired her to buy one. And the Acanthus is so imposing and tropical–makes me want one until I realize its days are numbered. I’d love a long shot of the meadow without the larkspur–I’m intrigued by all the change you chronicle in your garden. You’ve done a great job of planting for successive blooming.

   I took some photos of the meadow for bloom day but didn’t have the time or energy to post them. However, I will do a post of the transformation of the meadow from November to May–I’ve been planning it for some time now. — mss

8. From Cindy, Katy:
   May 15th, 2008

   I hear we get a brief reprieve tomorrow from our early summer weather. We’d best savor every moment! That’s a great picture of the Coral Bean: I saw one on a garden tour last weekend and was thinking I needed to look for one. I’m even more convinced now. I’ll worry about where to put it later! I have a bloom stalk on one of my Acanthus. I can’t remember how I ended up with several of them … maybe I planted seeds. I’m glad to see that you came through the storms relatively unscathed.

   All the downtown Austin neighborhoods were hit hard by high winds. Neighbors on every property around me had huge trees sheared off at the tops. We had comparatively little damage. I think it was the second worst storm since I’ve been here, and the third worst as far as property damage. — mss

9. From Amy:
   May 15th, 2008

   Such beautiful photos! We’re having a heat wave for the next few days – well, heat wave according to our standards 🙂 Apparently is won’t last though and we’ll be having a cool summer. That’s actually okay with me as I’m just not used to the heat!

   This is my first year growing purple coneflower too. I can’t wait for blooms!

   Thanks for sharing your flowers this bloom day. I think it’s interesting to compare the similarities despite our differences in climate. — mss

10. From Helen (UK):
    May 16th, 2008

    I thought it was funny when you said the colour of the second summer is brown – you sounded really despondent.

    You are right you cant kill an Acanthus. I have tried to get rid of one and the roots go down very deep so when you dig it up bits break off and another plant grows. The only real problem I have had in the past has been mildew–which is why I tried to get rid of it but its offspring have been fine.

    Austinites, as a rule, hate second summer. If you’re new to Zanthan Gardens, you can check out the video to see why. I’m not joking when I say “brown”. — mss

11. From Curtis:
    May 16th, 2008

    Sounds like our late summer. when its early September I am about watered out. You have a lot of things blooming in your garden and they look great.

    Yep. This is the end of the season for me. I batten down for summer and then look for “spring” in September or October. — mss

12. From Karen, Savannah:
    May 16th, 2008

    I love that Acanthus. I’ve always wanted it but thought it wouldn’t survive our summers. Do you have it in a lot of shade? I’m tempted to try it.

    My Acanthus is in filtered shade. And it dies down to the ground when the temperatures get above 92 every summer. But it always comes back with the cooler weather. I think it would do fine in Savannah. It takes up a lot of space when it’s growing so it does leave a big blank hole when it’s not leafed out. — mss

13. From Bonnie:
    May 16th, 2008

    Oh, that coral bean-yum!

    BTW, I had no idea about all of your storm damage. Glad to hear the tree limbs missed the house and any beloved plants. We didn’t have it as bad as you all, but saw some hail.

    Downtown was hard hit. I think there are trees down on every house on my block, except mine. Mine fell on the power lines. This is the fourth big tree-felling storm since I’ve lived here. I’ve come to expect it. — mss

14. From Leslie Kuss:
    May 16th, 2008

    What a wonderful list…I’m going to need to look up a lot of plants after reading the Austin lists…you have quite a few I don’t recognize. I love the photo of the rudbeckia…the detail is beautiful!

    Thanks. I have plant profiles on many of my plants. Check out the links in the Plant Highlights category or at the Plant Profiles Index. — mss

15. From gintoino:
    May 17th, 2008

    That Erythrina herbacea is really a show a beauty. I just planted a Erythrina cristagalli, which is also a beautiful plant. Your acanthus does look a lot more delicate than mine (mine is currently in a pot until I decide where to replant it). Your Echinacea is so much more ahead than mine.

    I’m glad Carol @ May Dreams Gardens provides this forum for comparing garden notes. — mss

16. From Samantha in East Texas:
    May 20th, 2008

    I found your blog from a link in a fellow blogger’s, Gardens of Casa Martin, blog. Your list of plants blooming inspires me and I can only hope that one day my gardens will an extensive array of plants as yours.

    One of the great things about garden blogging is all the plant swaps we end up doing. Everywhere I look I see plants given to me by other generous gardeners whom I’ve met online. — mss

17. From Adam Austin, TX:
    March 15th, 2009

    I am in south Austin and am looking for a good little gem magnolia supplier. Any suggestions?

Posted: Thursday, May 15th, 2008 16:08.
Category: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.
Tags: Austin, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, GBBD
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