Creating new garden beds

Ventured into the garden today. I'm expanding the bed in front to create a more unified appearance for the front yard. It has been a slow process - I started trying to kill the grass last summer by solarizing it with clear plastic. I think, however, the pecan tree provided too much shade, and so it didn't really work. So I had ugly plastic out there for most of the past year. I love to garden, but I am slow at it. Someday, 20 years down the road I'm sure, my garden will look expertly tended and planned out. But for now, it just seems like a hodgepodge.

And of course I ran out of mulch, so I still need to finish the far corner, but now that probably won't happen for another two weeks. 

I love watching for the little surprises spring brings. Sometimes the plant that I had thought was dead comes back to life, or a plant that hasn't bloomed in a few years all of sudden sets out a bloom. That's what happened with my prairie penstemon or wild foxglove. I have bought these every year at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center sale, and every year they've died off. This one specimen didn't, but neither did it create any flowers. This year I noticed a lot more growth, and saw flower stalks shoot up. I have been watching for its blooms every day, and here's the flower, just before blooming. I will have to take more photos after it opens up. And now I'm wondering what my next step should be. Buy more cobaea penstemon at the Wildflower Center sale in a couple of weeks? Collect the seeds and try to grow them? I don't have much luck with seeds typically, but that could also be due to my impatience and lack of proper care/cultivation. 

Penstemon Cobaea 

Same thing with the Wright's penstemon, or Wright's beardtongue. These seem to die back on me every year, but they re-seed prolifically. I have found these growing in random corners of my yard ever since I first introduced about 2-3 plants a few years ago. They transplant pretty easily. I transplanted this bad boy last year and it seemed to hold its own, but no major growth. Now it's got these beautiful blooms. Another one I transplanted in the back yard at the same time has done even better in a shadier spot.

Nature often drops a few unexpected surprises for my garden as well. One year I got some volunteer bluebonnets, which was serendipitously deposited next to a prickly pear and Berlandier's sundrops. There's nothing lovelier than the contrast between the deep blue of the bluebonnet and the bright sunny yellow of the sundrops. But, for whatever reason, that was the only year I got the bluebonnets. A year or so ago some stiff greenthread also found its way to my garden, and it's taken off like mad. 

Its delicate foliage and blooms are gorgeous in the xeriscape, interspersed among the yucca and agave. 

Finally, look at this little surprise I found. Grady likes to be in the garden with me, though she's not so actively engaged in work. She prefers to find a nice bush to hide behind and take a nap.