We have a lot of ripening Mexican limes in the Patch this year but very few satsumas.
Last year this little tree produced a bounty…
…this year we have 4!
Each one the size of an orange.
Lots of fall color right now, salvias, celosia and my
thryallisises are all going strong.
Mexican leucantha really pops against a dark backdrop,
Behind the bush sage is a rambling rose pass-along from Lori at http://gardenerofgoodandevil.wordpress.com
and in front, the exploding strands of basket grass, mist flower, rosemary and artemesia (or is it artimesia)? I can never seem to get this right.
Street-side sees a torrent of bamboo muhly.
I often see UPS delivery dudes swept away in this green water tsunami, especially when the wind is blowing.
I really must get to that horrendous flagstone someday.
Ornamental grasses are also on form at the moment,
Lindheimers muhly and
burgundy fountain grasses illuminate with a low setting sun.
A steady stream of monarch butterflies have been filing through the Patch this week on their migration to warmer climates, this duranta is a popular landing point for a nip of nectar.
Monarch butterflies are one of the few insects that can cross the Atlantic, these are usually butterflies that
have been blown off course, or caught in hurricanes while attempting to migrate from North America to Mexico.
This one will not be making the crossing.
Finally:
I was very happy when he finally pulled out his first loose tooth. It had been bothering everyone for some time now, rolling around the bottom of his jaw at inappropriate angles every time he would speak.
With a little iPad bribery and the prospect of obtaining some shrapnel (courtesy of the tooth fairy) he wasted no time on the extraction.
Inspirational Image of the week:
Peter Root’s Ephemicropolis – A City of Staples
Stay Tuned for:
“An English Werewolf in Austin”
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Hope the tooth fairy is generous! :)
Can see why the Monarchs enjoy the duranta. Beautiful!
He was very excited to find that the fairy had delivered the goods this morning.
I counted five monarchs hanging on the duranta yesterday.
Will will have to work one into the Willow design.
I’m coming to the realization, and you just confirmed my suspicion, that some weather related incident must have happened at fruit setting time. I have only a dozen Meyer lemons when I normally have over 100 and only 6 pomegranates. Or is it the lack of bees? Now I am really worried.
Perhaps Jenny. This satsuma has a history of this behavior though, it is either a feast or famine. My theory is that it consumes so much energy to produce the bounty that the following year it has to recoup.
that 3D English Ware wolf is CREEPY cool!
It caught my attention Cheryl :-)
Without any factual backup, observationally I’ll confirm your every-other-year-a-feast/famine theory. Our Meyer Lemons did not produce especially well last year (which I attributed to all the usual suspects – heat/drought stress, transplant shock, immoderate pruning) but this year are straining to the limit with ripening fruit. I suppose you/I/Jenny ought to monitor our fruit trees next year which would (if this prediction holds) mean she’ll get lots of lemons, you’ll get lots of satsumas/few limes and I’ll only have a smattering of Meyer lemons. (And somebody else please remember to check back next year on this because my memory is spotty at best!)
I’m a sucker a purple bloomer and that Duranta is just gorgeous. Off I go to research what habitat it desires to see if I can offer one a spot here.
I have had that satsuma for some time now, pretty sure that is its routine, we will see next year.
Duranta is a great prolificic bloomer for dappled shade, but if not pruned (like mine) it gets huge…great for filling-in bare fence corners or to obscure an A/C unit etc. It will die back to the ground in a harsh winter but return quickly. Definitely give it a go.