Ice Plant and More

I've tried to put ice plant in my rock garden before and it has not done well and never survived a winter. The lady at a plant store convinced me that it really should survive winters here, so I am trying one again. I bought this one in July. It's Delosperma dyeri 'Red Mountain Flame.'

It hasn't been looking too happy for the first month either, but as I was weeding this round, I realized that it looks as if it has settled in and put down some good roots. And it's blooming, so that also indicates it's happy. I sure hope it survives the winter because it's a nearly perfect rock garden plant- creeping with bright flowers. What you can't tell from the picture is that the yellow filaments in the center of the flower almost sparkle. It really deserves that "flame" designation.

Also in the rock garden is the 'Lime Twister' sedum again. The blooms last a good long time. I'm really, really happy with this one.

And I just wanted to show you that Gazania from yesterday now that it's fully open. It's stunning! The colors are so demarcated it almost looks fake.

I worked on stuff for Spirit of the Woods in the morning, and then puttered in the afternoon to get ready to leave for Paradise and the Wild Blueberry Festival, late morning tomorrow. I realized today that the next 4-5 days are going to be non-stop crazy, so I let myself goof off and relax a little bit.

Not quite ready for another rock garden report, although I am working on the 3rd weed-through. Hoped to get it done before I leave tomorrow, but I don't think that's going to happen.

See Rock Garden Report 6