I spent some time in South Texas this month and loved being surrounded by all the beautiful tropicals that grow in the area. My favorite? This less-than-common apricot form of Cascabela thevetia. Such a beauty! This plant is related to Oleanders and has similar toxcitiy in all parts of the plant...so no munching...

Oh, I just love irises. It's hard not to love plants that are tough-as-nails in our Dallas gardens and look great. So do you have to wait until spring when irises are blooming to plant them? No way! Fall is a much better time to plant irises and when you're bound to find a better selection of variety in the garden centers or online, especially in bare root form. This fall I'll be adding more 'Orange Glaze' to my garden.

Iris 'Thornbird'

It's been hot...dang hot! By this time of year, Texas gardens can look a bit worse for wear. Yet, there are a few plants that seem to soldier through, despite the brutal heat and drought. Here's a shot of a duo that makes me smile every time I look out my living room window...

The Texas sage 'Rio Bravo' is still a baby, yet it blooms its head off everytime humidity increases or we get a bit of rain. The 'Marguerite' sweet potato vine has basically engulfed all the surrounding plants, but makes a lovely foudation for the Texas sage. In fact, the sweet potato vine is basically eating my entire driveway. Yet, August is not a month we complain about plants thriving here in Texas. So go ahead you beast of a vine, swallow my driveway!

In the Green Industry, June,July and August are crammed with trade shows and conferences so that us plantgeeks can stay up to speed on all the new & cool plants, products and technology. My suitcase has pretty much stayed packed for the last three months! I'm happy to be back in Big D now and will be sharing photos and thoughts about all the garden goodies and landscapes I visited in my travels. Cinncinati, Columbus, New York, Portland and San Antonio...lots of photos to come!

My favorite new plant release so far...the Pixie grape! Tiny wine grape plant that grows to only 18". Perfect for patios!

I love black foliage...several great new colors of Black Diamond crapemyrtles will be available 2015

A non-invasive shrub forming trumpet vine? Wha?? Summer Fire Jazz Campsis is gorgeous!

Not that they won't melt here in Texas (can't say yet) but the King Terrazza series of roses are really beautiful. this is Comet.

I have tons of stuff to share, but it's going to take a bit to get through the photos!

You can only make so many pies when you're up to your ears in blackberries. Sometimes you just need to throw them in something that's adult rated! Up next in my parade of garden cocktails is the blackberry and basil mojito.

Fresh picks from the garden: 4 cups fresh blackberries, 1 cup fresh basil leaves. You can also mix fresh plums if you have them...mine are all et up already!

From the store: 4 lemons (mine aren't ripe yet), 3 cups vodka, 1/2 cup sugar to make a simple syrup, club soda

In a bowl, mix blackberries, basil leaves and the juice from the 4 lemons. Stick in the fridge for a day or two. To make the simple syrup, mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved then remove from heat to cool. You can either mix the vodka in with the fruit and let sit in the fridge together or keep them separate until serving time. If you do the later, then when it's time to serve, mix together the fruit, vodka and simple syrup in a punch bowl or large glass container. Mix well.

To serve, ladle 1/3 cup of mixture (that's about the volume of a regular punch ladle) into the glass - be sure to get some of the berries too. Fill the glass halfway with ice, then top with club soda and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Love this one, it's a keeper!

Today's garden cocktail: The blackberry margarita. Or whatever you want to call this concoction!

So I'm overloaded with fresh blackberries. My friend Sarah keeps telling me I need to muddle them into cocktails. So I did.

Fresh picks from the garden: Blackberries, mint

From the store: limes (mine aren't ripe yet!), a nice tequila, cointreau, soda water, agave nectar

I wasn't too scientific about this, but in a shaker, muddle 4 blackberries and 4 mint leaves. Add 1/2 cup of ice, juice of one lime, a shot or two (depending on how strong you like it) of tequila, spash of cointeau and about a teaspoon of agave nectar. Shake well and strain into a glass with ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with more fresh mint.

Fabulous on the patio at the end of the work day. Thanks Sarah!

If you're like me, you might just be up to your ears in tomatoes right now! Here in Texas, we're pulling in our harvest from spring planted tomatoes. In a week or so, it will be time to start planting our fall crop of tomatoes (yes, we have TWO tomato seasons here!) The last thing you want is for any of your homegrown produce to go to waste, so be sure to have a plan for what you'll be making or how you'll preserve the harvest.

What do you do with all your tomatoes? Here are just a few things I've made lately with my abundant harvest:

Marinated tomatoes - a great way to use up the millions of cherry tomatoes you might find yourself with. I like to use rice vinegar flavored with a bit of ginger, garlic, thyme, basil, salt and pepper.

Simple tomato salad - slice up a bunch of fresh tomatoes and arrange with fresh basil from the garden. Mix up a simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. DIVINE!

If you feel like turning the oven on, how about a simple tomato tart? I didn't feel like making actual tart dough, so I just substituted Filo this time around. Olive oil brushed between the layers, sprinkle with some fresh mozarella, basil leaves, cover with sliced tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. In the oven for about 25 minutes at 400F. Sprinkle on a bit more fresh basil. DELISH!

I think that next up on the tomato menu will be green tomato pickles...enjoy!

I have to say, I've seriously enjoyed the mild spring we had here in Dallas this year. And yes, temperatures have turned hot with the onset of summer, but we've also enjoyed some unexpected and much needed rain. The veggie garden has been delivering big this year and it's all I can do to keep up with the produce!

I'm picking veggies and fruits daily: Pictured is my Saturday morning harvest. The scallop squash are getting away from me (just put up quarts and quarts of it in the freezer!). Blackberries are comming out of our ears and we'lre covered in tomatoes. But hey, I'm not complaining! It's great to be able to feed myself from the backyard.

Happy Summer Solstice everyone!