Salvia Greggii surprise

Summer is over.  I, for one, am grateful.  I know there will be days when I will feel trapped inside, itching to see what is going on out there.
This year has been one of extreme wet, drought and moles.  Still, I am happy to have to wear that old hand me down  barn jacket with the big patch pockets I had added. It in itself brings back good memories of connecting with a niece who is so much like me, we have to be kin.

During the wet periods this Spring, my gardens were flooded time after time.  I lost most of my plants. Maybe not in the after math of the flooding, later when least expected.
This is the case of the Salvia Greggii bed.  It had been green and healthy looking.  Then, the leaves fell off.  I waited.  Not wanting to give up on them.  They have been the original focal point of my garden.

I waited, then a miracle, they greened up again and tried to bloom.  Then the dry heat set in and the leaves fell off. Sadly, I debated taking them all out and starting over.  I waited.

The drought hung on with months of high 90's and no rain.  I waited.
One bush looked dead for sure.  I did test branches and they all snapped off.  I dug it out.  Then, heat and sore hip kept me from doing much in the garden.

I have decided to remove a third or more of the gardens. There are 9 separate plots with a lot of gravel pathway.  I have worked at repairing mole damage and amending the garden soil.

As the weather has cooled, the shorter, more compact blue and white salvias and one butterfly weed have perked up and started putting on more leaves and flowers.

I love the blue salvis the most of anything in the garden.  They survive anything nature throws its way and even looking tired and faded in the heat of summer, I know they will show off in fall.  They have. This morning, chilly and windy, I took pictures of the deep, elegant blue flowers.  Thank you God!!

 

Back to the Salvia Greggii plants.  They are green and blooming!  I never expected this treasure.  I thought I'd just dig out the whole mess and move the mailbox/toolbox and let the whole thing go back to weeds and grass.     

 
Plans have changed.