I like that pot. You should have picked up a stash and sell them here.

I like that pot too, got an Ed Hardy thing going on there, very cool!

The Arabian Jasmine is looking good.

Curry plant and mango tree are growing well.

Thanks for looking/commenting on the pot. I love talavera and just couldn't pass her up. I'm glad I drove to Santa Fe this trip!

Nice looking, happy plants, Dusti, thanks for posting them--keep us updated! It's always so fun to see who is growing what, and how.

Here are a couple of things looking really great right now.

'Fireworks' Gomphrena. I bought plants last spring and was disappointed this spring to not see any for sale. Happily some of last year's plants dropped seeds which have become fun blooming plants, even if they're not in the best location, design wise, LOL.

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A nice off-season bloom stalk on a 'Cynthia Giddy' hybrid aloe. Not as colorful as the blooms she makes in autumn, winter, and spring, but hey, I'll take them! They're not all in bloom, but several are so I thought I'd share a pic.

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A variegated form of "Turk's cap mallow" or a new-for-me common name "lazy hibiscus", LOL, Malvaviscus drummondii blooming under my 'Ruby Red' grapefruit tree. Presumably the name lazy hibiscus refers to how the flowers never really open more than in this pic.

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And my pride, and my shame, lol, a cavalcade of just some of the plant stands on my patio.

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Happy gardening all!
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my garden, August 2014

Nice plants everyone! 1212dusti that desert rose flower is beautiful!

This is a pic of my Abutilon Lucky Lantern dwarf

Desert rose in bloom

Another desert rose

And a cactus. Thanks for looking.

Grant- If you like those pots, try "Food City" there has to be one that is close to you. Least of all closer than Santa Fe.
The Food city In Cottonwood has those pots along with Jars etc. They are a real eye catcher.
Camp Verde

Some August shots of my Epic Yard Farm.

These two sage plants are grown from seeds planted directly in the ground 9 months ago!
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Okinawa purple sweet potato slips growing among buckwheat is getting established! I traded some of my Asian seeds with a local fellow gardener for these slips a few weeks ago.
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Sunchoke experiment. Most people plant in the spring. I am going to try planting them now and see if I get anything this winter.
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Some bounty from the front yard garden.
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My fig tree looks awesome! I went to the north for a month and couldnt believe my eyes when i came back. It grew at least one foot tall with lots of leaves.
Everything else doesn't look that good.
My experiment with English and Boston ivy failed. They are all dead.
Roses are all dead as well.
Citrus trees are barely holding.
Grape vines are so-so.
I would say, about 70% of my garden is dead. Oh well. I was kind of prepared.

Great new pics everyone, especially you veggie growers. Great stuff! Congrats too, Amber, on your fig tree's growth. How fun is that?? Beautiful beautiful pics, Jungla! That one pink adenium is a prize winner!

I've been away in Silicon Valley for a week (and yes, fretting about the garden while I was away, LOL). This is the fifth trip of a week or longer for me this summer, which is unusual. It's been a good test for the garden, hah!

I got back early this morning/late last night (after circling Phoenix for an hour due to a big storm, then being routed to Vegas for fuel but being rejected because of THEIR storm, then over to Ontario, CA to refuel, then several hours waiting until arriving to Phx about 7.5 hours late, ugh). Anyway, I was enjoying the pics while I was away, so thanks for posting them!

This morning it's rainy and gray, and these two blooms, and many others, were waiting to greet me. A fun, stinky rain-soaked Hoodia gordonii flower, and a neat no name furry Aloe bloom. This aloe is about 3 feet white, spotted, and only lightly armed, with a 4 foot tall bloom stalk that occurs six or seven times a year. What's not to love??

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Keep the pics coming! Happy gardening!
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my (currently rain soaked) garden, August 2014

Greetings all!!!
Lost every lithops I planted-exploded from too much water, two of my haws are blooming-including one of the random gasteria/aloe hybrids, my snowflake euphorb named Frosty is pupping-so cute, and my cacti are doing well. I have two other succulents to plant, one a freaky, spiky aloe-lol- and the other an echinopsis subdenudata. I love monsoon season here in Albuquerque!!!!!!!

This is one of my Okra plants.

This is one of the new trees I planted this year. It's a beverly hills apple tree from bare root.

My Anna apple tree didn't make it. When I bought it, it was in bloom and I think that's a bad sign when it's that early.

Does anyone know if I'm supposed to be pruning any of those bottom branches off?

This is my only banana tree that I put in the ground so far. It hardly grew at all in the spring and I figured because it didn't like my soil or something, but now it's actually starting to grow, and even started a new pup.

August is kind of a slow month for gardens, at least for mine, here is another desert rose in my collection, Jungla, happy you like them, your plants are beautiful!

Nothing like flying during the monsoon season, lol. Glad you made it back, Grant! Your garden looks amazing as usual, that's a neat looking aloe.

Your banana tree looks good iAndy, I'm growing two, one for a crop, the other is for decoration. Tropical plants like banana trees are really fun and easy to grow in AZ. Who knew?

Fun updates! I kill ( or birds eventually kill the few that survive, LOL) every lithops I've tried, volcano, LOL, so you've got company. Your other plants sound really fun. Can you leave the aloe outside for winter or do you bring it in? Love the sound of that Euphorbia too. Fun!

Nice looking plants, Andy, *I* would cut off the lowest three branches from that apple tree this autumn when it's dormant (all of the ones below the first golden yellow branch that goes to the right in the pic). As long as you don't let any suckers form from the roots or under stock you're fine though. Love the okra! Want the okra, hah.

Another gorgeous adenium, dusti. Looks like a species type?

August is definitely the slowest month of the year in my garden, but there's still tons to enjoy, and I try to not post too many repeats of things that are in bloom now but have been for months (Oenothera biennis, lantana, solanum/nightshades, plumerias, vincas, oleanders, hibiscus, etc).

Here's what WAS the bud in the Hoodia pic, now an open stinky flower with a friendly fly on it, pollinating it:

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Plus a seed grown Leucophyllum, bursting into bloom after the recent rain, like tens of thousands are all over the valley (take that, azaleas, LOL):

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And finally, something that may rightly deserved to be mocked, hah, a red Gymnocalycium mutant cactus that I grafted onto a Myrtillocactus geometrizans outside on the patio. Those fun, funky, yes, tacky, mutant cacti are usually grafted onto Hylocereus, which can struggle here in summer (although the mutant Gymno cactus loves it here all year). Rather than keep them hiding indoors, I popped off a pup/offset and grafted it onto a Myrtillocactus (which loves it here too) so that both the top and bottom would be happy. I know, I KNOW, they're sort of tacky, but they're sort of interesting, and hey, at least now top AND bottom will thrive outside here year round. My pride, my shame, hah. I did a couple of other colors too. Mock away, LOL.

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Thanks for the welcome back, Dusti. I've had far too many long trips away this summer.

Take care and happy gardening!
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my garden, August 2014

Roselle that I started from seed this February is humongous!

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I love your hybrid cactus Grant! I've bought them in the past, only to lose them in the heat. What a great and novel idea you have, lol, buy plants that will thrive all summer. I wish Lowe's and HD would get the word.

Right as usual, lol, this last picture is of Adenium arabicum instead of the more common obesum. Wanted to try a different variety.

Here is a summer project I've been working on for a couple of months. At first the lattice on the right was put in, then plants and vines in front. That made me look at the part of the yard in front of the lattice which had nothing but a mesquite tree maybe 10 years old. So I had a pathway put in which made a natural area for more plants, lol. So here it is, just finished it this week-end. The things I planted are tough, and get plenty of water. I get busy at work during the fall and never have time to plant and do yardwork like everyone else. So here is my early fall project. If I have time this month, the rock garden is next, too overgrown, planning to put in some purple Hopseed and Little Jon, both easy plants that love the heat, and removing some excess cactus and maybe a Duranta that is too thirsty for that part of the yard.

I used clumping Ruellia for a narrow spot on the left, hope it doesn't outgrow the small space.

Great growth on your roselle hibiscus, raimeiken! Looking good! Are you getting flowers yet? Mine usually wait until very late summer/early autumn to flower. Yours looks great!

Nice job on your project, dusti! Looks really professional! I wish I had that sort of skill. Looks really nice. Keep us posted as it continues to develop. I love it.

Just for fun, here's a couple of quick pics of a big ol' fat caterpillar (white lined sphinx month) feasting away on the foliage of an Oenother biennis in the garden. Such a big colorful dude!

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Several aloes in the garden are making some off-season flowers too: Aloe 'Cynthia Giddy' and this Aloe harlana, which I purchased as a seedling several years ago (not convinced of the ID).

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Happy gardening all!
Grant

No flowers at the moment but when it was only a foot and a half tall back in march, I was already getting flowers from it! I was surprised, but I haven't gotten any ever since.

This plant really reminds me of a castor bean plant that I had. Very fast growing just like it.

I have 4 fruit trees that are all doing well. I have them under shadecloth and giving them loads of water for now. I'll wean them off the water in about a month or so. I have two grape vines in pots in the shade waiting for cooler weather to plant. And two planted in full sun that are not happy. They are definitely growing though. I'll have to harden off the ones in the shade, but wow they sure look better.

I'm going to start some seeds inside soon. So far, I haven't had much luck starting from seeds. I'll get it eventually. I'll probably try starting them outside in the ground as well as buy some transplants for whatever I can't get to grow. A friend down the street stopped growing their garden so I have seeds coming out of my ears.

I still have grass to dig out. I'm afraid its Bermuda so it will probably be a long fight to get rid of it. Most of the area I'm growing in is just sand and rock.

The rain we've had lately has been wonderful. Only a few more weeks of heat, then cool temps, yes!

Avid, you are very ambitious to plant fruit trees in Yuma. Glad they are doing well, hope you got the recent rain like Phoenix.

Love that caterpillar Grant! Don't know why I never get any interesting visitors like that, you must have a lot of unique plants, never mind, of course you do. :)

Here is yet another blooming desert rose obesum, they are so great in pots all summer. I also noticed the Red Ruellia is putting out lots of blooms.

Great new updates, all, thanks for posting them. Love seeing and hearing about fruit trees especially. So fun.

Great adenium, dusti, I love the extra petals! Such fun plants for sure. I love the big potted ones the Desert Botanical Garden puts outside for summer. So nice.

My garden got totally socked on Tuesday with over 5 inches of rain in just one day. Amazing stuff! All of the nearby desert washes were RUSHING with water. Everything got a really big drink.

Like clockwork, the rain lilies (Zephyranthes) are responding with lots of flowers as they always do. So nice to see. Here are a couple of quick pics, just for fun:

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My little "collection" of Matucana madisoniorum continues to bloom and bloom and bloom too. I keep cross pollinating the reds with the whites and am getting lots of neat light oranges, with the hopes of a PINK some day, hah. This cactus has replaced Echinopsis as my favorite blooming cactus. Here they are yesterday with Wilson the tennis ball to show size.

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Finally, my semi-annoying, hah, white sapote "tree" is making another big flush of growth. It's always two steps forward, one step back for this plant, but hey, it's growing AND it made a few blooms (no fruit) this spring, so I'll give it yet more time.

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Keep the fun updates coming all, and enjoy these amazing morning temps!

Happy gardening,
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my little garden, August 2014

I noticed this morning, several things are blooming, the rain did our yards a world of good, unfortunately, a nice size mesquite tree fell down..hate to lose trees.

So many things in bloom and the yard and patio always look so lush and full, very nice work Grant!

One of the canas is blooming, the rest are taking it easy in the heat.

Don't always have to have bloom to look good, here is my variegated hibiscus.

Grant, you and raimeiken have sapote trees, interesting looking and very tropical, may look into one, although they sound a little fussy.

what type of Canna lily is that? The bloom looks awesome.

Hi raimeiken, glad you like the bloom, it's called Blueberry Sparkler. Check out Plant Delights, sometimes mail order is better for variety. Local stores have the same stuff..

oh that's a blueberry sparkler? Nice!

Yeah I order all my Cannas online through Karchesky Canna. I have about 8 different varieties growing in my back yard.

Canna 'Bird of Paradise'
Canna 'Bengal Tiger'
Canna 'Tuckerhemii'
Canna 'Kentucky sunset'
Canna 'president'
Canna 'Gigundo'
Canna 'Ripples'
Canna 'Angele Martin'

Nice, I'm familiar with Bengal Tiger and President, which are the best growing in Phoenix? Would love to see some picts of yours!

These pics are from a few years ago when I had these Bengals growing at my parents' house. I still have a lot of them growing at my house now but no current pics of them. They're not as tall yet, but they grow the fastest next to the Canna 'Bird of Paradise'.
Canna 'Bengal Tiger'
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Canna 'Australia' - The deep purple leaf ones on the right. I don't have these anymore, I gave them up to a friend of mine.
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These are growing at my house this year.
Canna 'President' - good Canna, but not as fast growing as the Bengals.
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Canna 'Ripples' - first time growing this and so far it can take the sun well. It can grow up to 8ft.
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Canna 'Angele Martin' - another first time Canna this year. Medium growth and it can grow up to 5ft.
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Canna 'Gigundo' another first time this year as well. It can grow up to 10-12ft. Leaves burnt a bit in the summer heat but I think they'll be a huge success here like the Bengals.
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Canna 'Kentucky Sunset' - grows pretty well especially after the first year.
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Canna 'Tuckerhemii' - This is my second try on this canna. I love its huge foliage but the first time I tried them, they didn't do too well. They rotted and died. These aren't as easy as the bengals. The foliage on mine aren't that big yet but they can get as big as banana leaves.
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Canna 'Bird of Paradise' - This is a portion of what I have growing in my backyard. I have the whole entire back wall covered in them. Very fast growing and tall upright leaves with red flowers.
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I've also tried Canna 'Tall white' but I think I had it in a bad spot and just withered away in the sun. A partial sun exposure would've been better for it.

Those cannas are gorgeous! Really nice, I love the group of Bengals with those pretty stripe leaves. President looks good, I may get some more next year, you've done an amazing job growing them, mine are in pots, because of rabbits, they really look great in the ground.

we have rabbits in the neighborhood here and I've never had any problems with them.

But yes planted in ground is key. They don't flower as much grown in pots.

Raimeiken, how much sun do you give your Cannas? I tried growing some in the ~8' space between the west wall and my house and they still got fried from the sun once summer came around. I'm not sure what variety they were, but I started them from some seeds I got on Ebay and they had red flowers.

I grow mine under full sun and some in partial shade. The more sun the more flowers but the ones I have in partial shade look better overall. Less sun burn and better coloring on the leaves.

You should get rhizomes instead of seeds next time.

Raimeiken, I checked out Karchesky Canna, and they have an incredible selection! Huge selection of canna varieties. I'll have to order some this spring. There is a large, overgrown Tropicana in a pot, I'm going to divide it and put some in the ground, hope the bunnies don't get it.

Here is one of the echi's in bloom, finally after waiting all summer, doing the happy dance.

Awesome color on the echi, dusti.

Thanks, Mike. You have an awesome collection! Wish echi's bloomed as well for me as they do for you and Grant.

I love all of the canna posts and pics. So nice! I see so many around the Valley with browned leaf edges--it's nice to see some that look so perfect! You're giving me a craving, hah!

Beautiful echinopsis bloom, dusti, thanks for posting it. So nice! I'm getting an occasional off-season flower these days and hope for some more this autumn.

Just for fun here's a passionflower I grew from seed (sown indoors in January), Passiflora foetida 'Belem' making its very first bloom this morning. Pretty little flower with a nice floral scent. Full hot sun and water 3x a week this time of year.

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Enjoy these gorgeous mornings!
Happy gardening,
Grant

thanks grant! Mine still get burnt in the summer time but I do trim the badly burnt ones. The trick is to keep them well watered and lots of mulch.

Your passion flower looks awesome! Do those vines get through our winters here? or do they die back from frost?

The vine is beautiful grant! . After looking at your morning glory vines for a couple of years, I finally decided to try one, and would like to keep it. Will lots of mulch keep it over the winter?

Thanks for looking/commenting on the fun passionflower blooms. It's so fun to grow something from seed isn't it? My other P. foetida plants get cut back pretty hard in a cold winter Raimeiken, but always bounce back. This past (mild) winter they didn't get cut back at all.

Are you growing the perennial morning glory, 'Ocean Blue', dusti? A minimal mulch will keep it going through our winters just fine.

Just for fun here's quick pic from this morning of a fun six-petalled Stapelia gigantea in the garden (they usually make five pointed stars). Wilson the tennis ball included to show size. Happy Hanukkah, LOL.

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Happy gardening all!
Grant