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Favorite Plant August 2016
It was completely obvious the first week of August what the favorite plant of August would be: Lagerstroemia 'Dynamite'.
The past week or two or three I can wake up in the morning, walk to the front door, and look out at this:
This gave me time to prepare a post--I usually miss the Last-Friday-Of-The-Month meme date. Not this month. No other plant can possibly come close this month, so no thought or comparison required--simply emotion: amazement, and joy, joy, joy.
The other 'Dynamite' (on the right of the photo below, not blooming) which looked desperately stressed after June's Big Broil heat wave has improved with some extra water from the hose. It may be okay after all. Whew!
Perhaps it is best only one of the 'Dynamite's looks like this--mind-blowing delirium would otherwise ensue. Hmm...maybe it has, anyway.
The stressed 'Dynamite' is starting to flower also. I will give it extra water every two weeks for the rest of summer.
Speaking of Lagerstroemias, the little Lagerstoemia 'Black Diamond Red Hot' aka 'Ebony Embers' has grown since planting. It's waist high, and has a few flowers of its own:
When I saw the black Lagerstroemias at Home Cheapo again this summer, I ended up buying another. The foliage is too pretty to have only one. I decided to put the new one near the other, in a hot sunny spot which Lagerstroemias need. I moved one of the 'Joe Hoak' Agaves (bottom red arrow). The top red arrow points to the first 'Ebony Embers':
Planted. The new 'Ebony Embers' is how small the original one was last year.
'Joe Hoak' went up to an empty spot on the slope next to another 'Joe Hoak'. Adding another drip line to ensure little 'Joe' would get some water took additional time.
Oops! This post has strayed to an entirely different subject from Favorite Plant August, but isn't that what happens in the garden? You do one thing, and all sorts of other things start to need doing, despite efforts to remain focused.
Click on to DangerGarden to see what other plants find August prime. Unless I got the meme-day wrong.
Wowsa! Now that's an exclamation point plant if ever I saw one. Just yesterday I was checking out Lagerstroemia 'Midnight Magic' for it's dark foliage, the flowers are rather pinkish though, I prefer something a little hotter like yours. And anytime you want to venture off topic and show photos of 'Joe' I say do it! Thanks for remembering the monthly fav!!!
ReplyDeleteIt perks up August. There's a white flowered, dark-foliaged cultivar as well--I wonder how that looks.
DeleteActually come to think of it, 'Joe Hoak' is a favorite every month.
I can't think of anything more dramatic than a bright red-flowered crape myrtle in full bloom - unless it's 4 of them! I can't wait to see the photos of your garden in the next year or 2. I'm glad the second one up front is on the mend.
ReplyDeleteThey make August a lot better looking. It's not a great month for much of anything. The plants must be as tired of August heat as I am. Thankfully we're getting a few days of relatively cool weather--ain't it great?
DeleteYour CM's are beautiful and in Houston where I live they are nearly weeds : ) I love the color of the Dynamite. I have been using a dwarf CM in gardens around town-homes called Mandi, the flowers range are a deep red/pink.
ReplyDeleteThey are becoming more and more popular here and may eventually take over, (if x Parkinsonia 'Desert Museum' does not). Their generally small size (as trees go) has made them ideal for lot sizes that are ever-shrinking.
DeleteDifferences here are that they rarely develop any autumn foliage color that occurs in a climate with some frost. Another is that some homeowners take the "drought tolerant" label to mean that they never need water at all, so young newly planted specimens die soon after planting for lack of irrigation. However their other virtues are apparent.
Southern CA is not a big place for deciduous shrubs because the selection of evergreen shrubs is so enormous. A deciduous shrub is quite an oddity--exception being hydrangeas, but they sprout their new foliage as they drop the old.
I'm with you on the Crape myrtles - they are such fantastic plants! Wish I had room... Those black-leaved wonders are so scrumptious - especially the fiery red ones! In my dreams, my next garden will have many...
ReplyDeleteSee? How could I not plant another? :)
DeleteHi HB! Glad to see another "Dynamite" on the favs list ;-) Mine was only planted last year, so it's great to see your shots of a well grown one - fabulous plant! Love the Ebony Embers too!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see it in your beautiful photos, and enjoyed your blog! Thank you.
DeleteI am always amazed that you share so many beautiful plants I never heard about before Hoover Boo. What an eyecatcher this is, and a great name Dynamite. The vieuw must be fantastic.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day.
In August the garden can be so dry and tired--'Dynamite' has made it a joy. Glad you liked it. Have a wonderful Sunday, Marijke.
DeleteCrepe myrtles are a dime a dozen here in Davis and I don't pay much attention to them. But 'Dynamite' is something else entirely. I've never seen a crepe myrtle with such a brilliant color. Love it! The same goes for 'Ebony Embers'. The leaf color reminds me of Leucadendron 'Ebony'.
ReplyDelete'Ebony Embers' has the same leaf color as Leucadendron 'Ebony', only shiny. Perhaps some black Aeoniums nearby would be interesting.
DeleteDime a dozen in Davis? "Ahm Jus' A Dime A Dozen in Davis"...sounds like a country song.
I got nothing against "mind-blowing delirium"...especially when organically induced.
ReplyDeleteBanishes those August doldrums. :)
Delete