Friday, August 11, 2017

HEAVENLY PLUMBAGO FOR THE SUMMER GARDEN


The old adage, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again" is one every gardener lives by. For me, the living proof is none other than Blue Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata).

Blue agave with blue plumbago....so cool!

For most Texas gardeners, plumbago just grows and blooms without a care.
For me, I have struggled....until now.
Butterflies LOVE plumbago nectar!


This is my third year to grow this same plant and it is finally blooming like a champ. I find it weaving its way around agaves and spilling over a small stone ledge...just like you'd find in garden magazines!. It has well over a hundred clusters of blooms
and seems to be adding more each day!

Zinnias, gomphrena and blue plumbago in the front garden

It is easily one of  my proudest gardening moments. Plumbago even loves our torrid August heat!
I love Plumbago!
I'll end with a funny story from my childhood.

Each summer I would spend a lot of time with my grandmother out on the farm. She had the most wonderful flower garden you could imagine.
One day while helping her pull weeds, I stopped and asked, "Grandma, why do your flowers all look perfect?"
 "They don't."
 "What you're looking at are only half my flowers."

Imagining some wonderful gardening secret I asked, "So where's the other half of your flowers, Grandma?"

She didn't even look up to answer, "They're all dead and I pulled them up!"

So much for perfect flowers!

All for now. Happy Gardening.
David/:0)

6 comments:

  1. So glad you were finally successful because this plant is so carefree once established and just keeps coming back year after year. I only have one plant but it certainly is a showpiece in the summer garden.

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  2. What an awesome grandma! I love plumbago, too, but have a different type in my garden. Love that beautiful blue color!

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  3. Very pretty! I've never grown plumbago before. Such a lovely blue! Very nice you were able to finally grow it. I think it was Tony Avent that said he considers every plant hardy in his garden until he's killed it three times. I'm not usually that dedicated. :)

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  4. I have white plumbago in several places and it's a winner for sure. I think I need some blue.

    I love that comment by your grandmother. May I borrow it? :-)

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  5. One of the mottoes here is if you aren't killing some plants, you aren't gardening. It's always funny when there's that one plant that others grow effortlessly that you can't seem to grow. I suppose every gardener has at least one. We have trouble with zinnias (powdery mildew seems to take them down under our care), tomatoes (well really most vegetables for whatever reason) and regular hydrangeas to bloom (our oakleafs are amazing).

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  6. Belo jardim.
    Amei as imagens.
    janicce/Brasil

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I always appreciate your comments & questions! Happy Gardening from David/ Tropical Texana