Love those Coneflowers....but....

You all know how I love cone-
flowers!
I have them growing all around the pond now.
This is my newest one: Tomato Soup. It is just starting to bloom.
This is Hot Papaya. I know the original Purple Cone-
flowers are the best, but this hybrid was planted last year and look how beautiful it is this year!
I dug a few purple up last year and started them along the little pathway behind the patio..




..and I noticed they are starting to naturalize in this area now. Yea!! However, if you will remember last year I did a post on all my Coneflower woes. Since that time, several gardeners have commented on having similar problems. Basically here was the issue: the heads of the flowers got a tar-like look on one side; then the flowers just kind of fell apart, or did not continue to develop. Trying to find the cause, I discovered little worms in the seed heads. I had comments from people in Canada and Nebraska, all the way down here to Texas. Well--the same thing started to happen to mine earlier in spring. I decided to keep a careful watch on the flowers to see if I could determine the problem. As I watched, I began to see these bugs that looked like yellow lady bugs flying all over the coneflowers and coreopsis. After a while, I began to notice that tar looking head again, and after digging into it, I found the same greenish worm I found last year.
I never got a picture of the bug, but this is the closest thing on the Internet I could find. This is a "cucumber beetle." However, after reading about the larvae of this kind of beetle, I don't think this is it. (The larvae attack the roots) There is also a type of beetle called "asian beetle." I didn't think the description fit either. Then there was the "squash bug beetle." One picture looked like it might be the culprit...but again the description did not match my problem. So...folks I just don't have an answer for you. I did use insecticide soap on the flowers, and if I sprayed it heavily, it did seem to work. I also cut off the flowers that were damaged. Once the spring rains stopped, and the high temperatures hit--the problem seemed to go away. Looking back, I think that is exactly what I remember happening last year.
Wish I had better news for you coneflower lovers out there. The bees and butterflies love the flowers as much as I do, so I suppose I will just keep on researching and watching. But in the meantime...I am still in love with coneflowers!

Note: I did some research on aster yellows disease because it is one thing coneflowers are known to get. (It is spread by leafhoppers) However, I did not think it fit my situation. Here is a link to an article that gives good information and a picture that could be some help. Let us know if those of you with coneflower problems solve the mystery!
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/Diseases/astryel2.htm

Texas Star Hibiscus - In the Pond!

Here is the plant I told you about in the last post. It is a Texas Star Hibiscus, and it is indeed in the pond! After doing our big pond clean out and getting rid of all the plants, I went to the pond store to buy a new water poppy and a lily. The guy helping me said "oh, you gotta get one of these-they are my favorites." I couldn't believe he wanted me to get a TS Hibiscus and put it in the pond. I kept thinking how drought tolerant I always thought hibiscus were--but when he told me about the flowers, he convinced me to give it a try. The buds start out large like this one..and stay in bud form..it seemed like forever, but guess it was several weeks.

This weekend I noticed it had split and I could see the color---RED!

Yesterday it opened a bit more..

And this morning it was all the way open-big and gorgeous! Well worth the wait I think.

But of course, you know hibiscus--here today, gone tomorrow. Oh well...there are lots more flowers to come judging by all the buds I see!

She's a Beauty!

This is my new water lily--isn't she pretty? Her name is "Mayle Rose Pink." About 2 months ago we did a big pond clean up. We scraped the bottom of the pond and got rid of all but 1 of our old plants. They had just about taken over the little pond and made it impossible to clean--or see the fish!
Because water lilies need so much sun I couldn't have them when we had the Bradford Pear trees, but now that the back is in full sun all day I decided to give them a try..one more time. I have been thrilled with the results! When I bought this plant, it was small and...well, not very pretty. But once it warmed up a bit and the sun started hitting the pond again, I have been rewarded with bloom after bloom. The leaves are large as well. I couldn't be more pleased.
My picture doesn't really show the true pink color--but I can you it is yummy! I think it goes well with the yellow water poppy. The plant you can barely see to the left is a water "Texas Star Hibiscus." Cannot wait to tell you about that one!
Happy June everyone!

Where HAVE I been??

It's been a while...like a month...so where in the world have I been? Just busy..life gets so busy these days. Why didn't someone tell me retirement is BUSY! Actually, you know the Master Gardener program I am in requires 72 hours of volunteer work after the class is complete. I have been working pretty non stop on getting those hours-and....drum roll please...I am done! Of course I will continue to work, but probably not quite as much as these last few months. So let me show you some things that started to bloom in my garden..like these beautiful clasping coneflowers. They are just swaying in the breeze these days.
And the wheel-
barrow is full of color...
This is my new love... Texas Primrose
"Sun Drops." Love it, love it!
Rock Rose is looking rather..well, "rosy" these days!
Remember the new window box? Here it is today. Ummmm..
The Larkspurs started to bloom and have been really pretty. They are such sweet flowers.
The wildflower bed has been...yep..wild ! Love the cottage look in this bed. The bluebonnets have been gone for some time, but the coreopsis are making up for the loss. Indian Paintbrush are still blooming and blackfoot daisies are trying hard to handle all our recent rain.
With the coming of spring..and thinking about summer I have come to an important decision. You know I love the 2 little beds along the flagstone walkway. I plant bulbs, pansies, then any other annual that gives me a pop of color--and I do this every year. After much thought I have decided I will not plant annuals in these beds any longer.
These beds get great sun and I think I can find enough perennials that love our summer heat to keep the beds full. The only annual in the beds right now is Angelonia. Just had to get them-they are one of the best annuals you can have. Other than that, I have coreopsis, several different salvias, blanket flower, lavender, rudbeckia, wine cup and coneflowers. I plan on tossing poppy seeds in fall--and maybe a few other wildflower seeds. The geranium is one I keep over every winter and since it is not too big I will continue to try and hold on to it.
I think I will probably fill a couple of containers with violas and add a hanging basket (I had such good luck with this one), but it's time to stop the madness and concentrate on things that will return.
Yes, flowers are blooming, birds are singing and butterflies are happy flying about. My garden is my "happy place." It is not large, but at times it is almost magical. I find peace and serenity in this space. I solve problems in the garden, and sometimes create problems in the garden! :) I start my days here, and I end my days here. I hope you find this contentment in your garden as well.
"The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth.
One is nearer God's heart in a garden, than anywhere else on earth!"
Dorothy Gurney

A New Rose!

I bought a new rose bush at the Master Gardener's Rose Sale. It's a Julia Child--and I am in love with it! According to the rose information: "This lovely floribunda, produces clusters of blooms in abundance, from early Spring, right through the season, into fall. The famous Chef, Julia Child, chose this rose to bear her name. She loved the color, as well as the wonderful sweet/Licorice/Candy fragrance." It is suppose to be very easy to grow, heat tolerant and disease resistant. What more could you ask for? I saw these roses at the Arboretum a few weeks ago, and if mine even comes close to those it will be gorgeous. Wish you could smell this bloom--I think Julia would be very pleased!

Snapdragons and Dianthus

Sooooo Pretty!

Have a good gardening weekend y'all!

Only One...

Last fall when I was scattering wildflower seeds, I tossed one (or two-can't remember) packages of Indian Paintbrush. Sadly, only one plant came up. But that one plant has been beautiful and given me lots of happy red flowers! I am not sure why I didn't have more paintbrush--I had several last year. Maybe it was the unusual winter, maybe I didn't water the seeds enough, maybe they just didn't want to grow this year--who knows! I think this one plant knew it was the only one and responsible for providing lots of spring blooms. It stands tall and proud, and doing a perfect job of providing contrasting red color in with the bluebonnets. And the bluebonnets? Just awesome! My how I love spring!