Penstemon is dead

The pink penstemon that I got from the Master Gardener Conference in February had been drying and weakening, so it was no surprise that I found it broken off this morning from last night's winds. The penstemon next to it is doing well and in red bloom. (That one was a "stray.")

The Crepe Myrtle is now growing new green leaves. What a relief, as I figured it was dead, too. It's the last shrub to bring up new life in the front yard. So far that means only the three pineapple sages are true goners.

Our recent nighttime fluctuations have stymied much growth. Tomatoes are holding back, and even beans seem to want to hold off on germinating. We are expecting lower temps for the next few days.

Both the yellow palo verde and the mesquite are now leafed out nicely. What worries me now are the four east-side oleanders against the house. They were there when we bought this house in late 2004, but other than grey water I don't spend much time irrigating the shrubs. The oleanders in the back yard, in contrast, have grown and blossomed over the years. If these four shrubs die this year I'll have them all removed and plant some hybrid roses there instead. But other than that, the front yard is coming back to life and so far I haven't put any money into replacing dead growth. What shall be, shall be. There are enough strays popping up that if I let the front yard grow on its own--weeds excluded--the dynamics will change to a more native garden. That's the goal.