About 49° last night....tonight is supposed to be the same here. The high today didn't even get up to 54°. Feels winter-ish! Got some warm clothes out yesterday. Brrr!

It will be in the 80's in the Houston area. My plant starts want the warmer weather back! Should be back into the 80's-90's in the day and 70's at night again by week's end. Fall is coming.

Oh, Fall started in September. This cold front was a preview of WINTER!

It was chilly with that thick eery fog this morning. It will be 90° this afternoon! Nearly all the vines that were sleeping through the summer have jump started with the cooler temps and are putting on a show. The clematis are still pouting, though.


These aristilochias were a sweet surprise, hiding the rain tank.

Wow! My clematis and passionvine are looking fine.I did remember to fertilize about a month ago and the rain and cooler weather help too.

Passionvines are covering everything, but not the clems.

Sandi, is your pipevine aristolochia gigantea? I'm trying to track down the native variety for the back fence but it seems to be rather hard to find. I picked up a gigantea at ARE a few weeks ago, but due to their invasive nature, it's going to be pot-bound here.

What native variety were you looking for, Carey? Just curious!

I keep mine in a pot also. It is a gigantea, but never gets blooms as big as I hoped for. Think it has something to do with being in a pot for years. As soon as the weather cooled, it really went crazy. It's covering the top of the rain tank and down the sides. I've never tried to propagate it. Maybe I'll try.
I have a friend who has one that has blooms that are huge! Her brother brought the seeds back form Costa Rica.

Linda, honestly, any of the natives will do, but I'd just need to be a little more careful where I would plant some of them. Specifically I'm looking for Swan Flower (Aristolochia erecta) but any of the others would work too.
Texas Snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria)
Texas Pipevine (Aristolochia coryi)
Woolly Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)

Natives of Texas near Kerrville has A. serpentaria and A. coryi available sometimes. Never listed, but I ask the nursery guy there whether they have Aristolochias when I get a chance to drive up to that area.

Thanks Linda!!!! That is definitely good news! Not exactly around the corner, but I'd make the exception to drive out there if the prices are right! They haven't been available at the native plant sales this year.

Carey, I have this one growing at the back fence. I've had it since 2005 and it has never roamed. 'Probably host plant for some butterfly. Leaves are 2" to 3" across. You may have it, come dig it up.

That's the White-veined Dutchman's Pipevine...not native, but the Pipevine Swallowtail do use it.

Thanks Linda, one of our Master Gardeners gave it to me. It never grows very much. I assumed it was native based on who gave it to me! Carey might not want it now.

The pipevine swallowtail caterpillars are usually on the Aristilochia gigantea. Someone said it was poison to them. I try moving them to the one in the photo whenever I spot them. Maybe that's why it stays so small.

Wow Sandi! As usual, your backyard proves to be a plant haven!!!

Let me see how the gigantea performs first. The reports of invasiveness are from the warmer parts of Florida so it may not be an issue here.

Carey, if you don't have homework Thursday night, Renee Studebaker is our speaker for garden club. She'll talk about edible gardening. Should be good one.

Oh POO. I would LOVE to hear her! That would be so much better than Calculus.

Calculus...ouch! I took two semesters of Statistics instead of that!