Just a quick photo from Big Bend....This gorgeous grasshopper (still need to ID) just happened to jump right into the palm of my hand on a hike. He/she was AS BIG as the palm of my hand.

What a beauty! Now, I realize that these critters are not always welcome in the garden, but you have to appreciated it's style, no? This one will be going in my sketch book...

Plant Iceland Poppies in Fall for Cool Season Color

I'll admit, I'm totally in love with Iceland Poppies. I've been pushing them on you for years, and I'm afraid that is just not going to stop! The translucent papery blooms in all the colors of sherbet are just to die for. In Texas, you need to plant them NOW! They will bloom through the fall and also put energy into putting down a good root system over the winter. Then, in early spring, they will pop back out in full-blown bloom and continue through spring/early summer. But you have to plant them in fall to get such a display.

Iceland poppies are the perfect companion for Dutch Iris, Tulips, Mexican Feather grass, Daffodils, you name it! Butterflies and bees love them too. Just so happens, I'm planting mine today. I like to plant them in groups of at least three plants, but usually five plants. I plant several groups of them around the garden in order to provide repetition of the colors. Those are also the spots where I have Dutch Iris and will drop in some Tulips. Planting some extras will also allow you to use them as a cut flower. Gorgeous...just gorgeous!

I travel quite a bit from mid-summer through fall. Hence my lack of blogging! Most of these travels are for work. Conferences and buying shows where I check out all the new plant varieties and goods for the nursery trade to prepare for the spring season. But the trip I just returned from was personal. It was a West Texas journey. Out to Marathon, then Marfa, back to Marathon, Fort Stockton, Big Bend, then Terlingua. And back.

I have lots of photos to share both from my work trips, so you can check out some cool new plants and products, but also some wonderful photos from Big Bend National Park and West Texas in general. This photo is from the Chisos Basin in the middle of Big Bend. There had been a rare deluge of rain a few days prior so plants were popping out in bloom and greening up. Stunning. Enjoy!

If you think that just because temps are cooling that you need to put away the gardening tools...think again! In the South, now is the time to plant cool season vegetables and herbs, such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, lettuce, dill, cilantro and so much more! The cool season garden can be much more productive and is easier to care for than the summer garden if you live in areas with extreme summer temperatures. You have through early- to mid-November to continue planting these crops. Then a last spring succession can be planted again in February for spring harvest.

Want to go with seed? Now's the time to start direct seeding carrots, lettuce, spinach, chard, beets, turnips, radishes, dill, cilantro and more! So get some organic compost into your veggie beds and get planting!

One of the veggies (fruits) you can count on harvesting, even in 107 F degree weather, is the Tomatillo. This little tomato relative produces shiny green fruits surrounded by a paper wrapper from the calyx. The fruits look like little paper lanterns hanging from the plants once they start to mature. Plant in a sunny location and keep regularly watered. Otherwise, these babies are easy to grow! You'll also hear them referred to as "ground cherries', although this can be confusing because technically that common name refers to plants of the genus Physalis, a relative to the Tomatillo.

One important thing to note about Tomatillos is that are not self-fertile. This means you'll need to have at least two plants grown together in order to have successful pollination. Three or four plants is much better! Tomatillo plants will sprawl to 4-5 ft. wide and around 4-feet tall (but can get taller!). Typically, you'll want to harvest the Tomatillo's while the papery shell is still a bit more green than those I have in the photo. I've been remiss in not harvesting mine often enough! But, they till roasted up great.

I love making a "green" sauce or salsa with my Tomatillos. I just pop in the oven under the broiler on high for about 15 minutes, along with some peppers from the garden. Let the peppers blacken a bit...the Tomatillos should be beginning to blacken in bits, and be soft and popping before taking them out of the oven. I just through it all into my vitamix blender with a bit of salt. Yummy! You can also add garlic if you like a more traditional salsa flavor. Enjoy!

So, it was 106 F degrees here in Dallas yesterday (or somewhere around that temp...) and yes, I'm still planting. Gardening is a year-round activity for me, regardless of the weather. I always have something going on in the garden! There are plenty of varieties that can take extreme heat and will tolerate being planted this time of year. I posted the other day about tough succlents that can easily be planted this time of year, but our planting pallette isn't limited to succulents or cacti.

Let me ask you this: Do you think the plants will be happier in the ground or in a black nursery pot siting on concrete when it's 100+ degrees? Anything you see in a garden center this time of year...can be planted in the ground this time of year. They'll be easier to keep alive planted in the ground than then are in a black plastic pot, which will dry out much, much faster! Now, does the fact that it's so hot mean you're going to have to keep a closer eye on your new plants? Sure it does. If you're under tight watering restrictions that don't allow you to run your automated system on a weekly basis, or don't allow for additional hand watering, then yes; it's going to be tough to establish any new plants this time of year. BUT, if you're like us here in Dallas, and can run your sprinkles up to twice per week plus hand irrigate (or drip) anytime you need to, then you can plant now. As long as you're willing to get on the end of the hose a few more times a week.

So what was I planting yesterday? Just a few things around my chicken yard fence to provide a little more green camouflage and shade for the girls. Plus make the chicken yard a litle more pretty! I already have some passionvine getting established on the fence, but wanted to add some evergreen Confederate Jasmine both for beauty and fragrance. Who says a chicken yard can smell good?? LOL. Plus, my bees will love it. I also threw in a few plantingsof dwarf cannas in a few spots around the fence. Again, they'll provide a bit more ground shade for the girls, plus attract hummingbirds. Both of these are tough, easy to grow plants. I also planted a few more succulents in containers and transplanted a Viburnum and an Esparanza.

Obviously, if you're out gardening in the heat, you'll want to make sure to drink lots of water and put on that sunscreen. Plant early in the morning as that's both easier for you and the plants! Make sure to drench plants thoroughly after planting. You'll need to check on them daily to see if they need a bit of hand watering. To get plants off to a better start, consider soaking the root ball in some liquid seaweed and root stimulator for a minute before you plant.

Garden on troopers!

If you're thinking about planning your fall vegetable garden right now, congratulations! You're right on schedule. Now is the time to start building raised beds and/or amending existing beds with organic matter for your fall transplants.

If you're interesting in the sorts of things you should be seeding or planting August, read my post HERE.

Fall is for planting! Not just vegetables, but pretty much everything. When you plant in the fall here in the South, you benefit from the cooler air and soil temperatures, plus you get about 8-months for plants to put down new roots before the onset of summer heat. It will save you money, time and result in happier healthier plantings.

Planting beans in August or Peas in September? Make sure to mix garden inoculant into the soil first...Rhizobium bacteria is necessary for legumes to fix their own Nitrogen in the soil!

I've started getting a lot of questions about what can be planted now, and what should be planted for fall vegetable gardens. In terms of what can be planted right now in the heat, focus on things like succlents; Agave, Yucca, Echeveria, Sedum...all are heat-hardy and are able to retain a lot of their moisture. Other heat hardy plants like Ainnas, Aalvias, Centaurea, Lantana, Pentas and herbs can also be planted now. It's a great time to pot up Citrus trees into pots as well as plant perennial hibisucs. Lot's to do in the garden!

My front yard and porch have just about the worst kind of sun exposure...Mostly West facing with a slight tilt to the North. This means the front beds against the house and the porch are shaded for a while in the morning, then get blasted with the hot West sun the rest of the day. Not to mention, I have a large circular concrete drive that radiates back a huge heat load. It puts a lot of stress on the plants in my front garden. Plants in continers on my front porch are especially suceptiple to this heat stress.

My solution? I've gone Agave! Last weekend I transitioned my front porch pots over to mostly Agave, Yucca, Echeveria and some Sedum. Not only do these tough succulents have a striking sculptural look about them, but they'll take the sun, heat and won't require much water. They prefer to dry out between waterings...which is perfect for a summer container.

You can dress up any container using things like recycled gass mulch, jelly bean class or colored gravel. I toped these pots wiht a mixture of glass mulch and jellybean glass.

The fearsome looking specimen in the second photo is an Agave called 'Jaws'...appropriate no? The colorful jellybean glass is a great contrast. Check out this segment I did with Good Morning Texas about all these great succulents!