Sharing Nature's Garden

Chickens, chickens everywhere...

2012-02-08T14:12:00.002-06:00

No doubt about it, chickens are in.

With surging interest in home vegetable gardens and the growing sustainability movement, chickens are becoming very popular.

They are moving from the country to the hearts of cities as gardeners everywhere branch out into these "pets with benefits."

That's how Jessi Bloom describes her chickens in her book, Free Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard.

I'm fascinated by chickens. I don't have any chickens, but my husband used to. About 57,000 of them. When he was a small boy growing up in the Midwest, his family raised chickens.

I've heard lots and lots of chicken tales.

Which I why I was eager to read Jessi's book when Timber Press announced its contest to win a chicken garden start-up kit as part of its promotion of Free Range Chicken Gardens. They sent me the book to review and I got to learn everything I always wanted to know about chickens but was afraid to ask my husband!

Right now they are giving away a complete chicken garden start-up kit, including:

A $50 gift card for chicken feed or supplies from McMurray Hatchery
One chicken coop plan from The Garden Coop (a $20 value)
1 lb. of organic chicken forage blend and seeds for chicken-friendly plants from Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply (a $20 value)
A copy of Free-Range Chicken Gardens

I know my husband would like to have some chickens -- maybe just 56,995 or so less of them than he used to. So I figured I'd better do a little research about the chicken and the egg.

Free Range Chicken Gardens is a fascinating and beautiful photographic journey through the chicken gardens of many families, combined with excellent and honest advice for anyone wanting to raise chickens.

It's practical -- it's chock full of advice about the benefits of raising chickens and how to avoid the pitfalls of having them in a garden.

Bloom outlines the natural soil building capabilities of chickens and how they help to keep weeds and pests under control. In addition to the plants and habitat needed to raise chickens, she provides detailed information and even design plans focused on creating a successful chicken garden and keeping your "other" plants safe. Barriers and fencing and hedgerows are all reviewed with pros and cons. And she recommends a host of diverse plants for the chickens to hide in and browse around.

I had to laugh when I got to the chapter on "The Chicken Infrastructure." It sounds so technical, but it's all common sense advice about the 3 Cs of the chicken garden - the chicken coop, chicken run and chicken paddocks.

It also included specifics about the different breeds, where to get them, what to feed them and how to keep them safe from predators.

Free Range Chicken Gardens is filled with information, creative plans, and inspirational photos and stories of other loving chicken gardeners and their pets.

We have a no-chicken policy in our neighborhood, so I guess I won't be getting any chickens soon.

For now I'll just have to settle for my other dirt-scratching, digging, plant-eating pet.

Miss Dakota.

Spring bulbs are starting to bloom...

2012-01-27T19:33:00.004-06:00

Ah...the promise of spring.

When renewal is in the air and the garden begins to awaken from a long winter's nap. Well, not really this year. It was more like a quick cat nap.

I love it when the early spring bulbs start coming up and making buds. The daffodils, the muscari, the irises ... they are are all putting on their finery.

These are the true harbingers of spring.

And they are some of my favorite favorites in the garden. (I really have too many favorites to count.)

I'm especially fond of the daffodils - there are up to 200 different species of them. I just have a handful of the different varieties, but it's so much fun to see how unique they can be.

Japanese quince is another reliable plant that signals the arrival of spring. I think of it as an nice old historic plant - you often find very large ones in the gardens of older homes in central Austin. I imagine them being lovingly planted decades ago and being cared for by successive families over the years.

Mine is still small, but those delicate salmony-rose blooms are sure to bring a smile to my face every time I pass by.
These sweet little peeks are traditional muscari (grape hyacinths) that came home from the grocery store with me in a mixed bulb pot and then found their way into the garden to bloom another day. And bloom they do. This will be their third year to perk up the mulch on a drab day.
These are very special little specimens -- muscari golden fragrance. Unlike most muscari, these are not the tell-tale purple, but rather a soft yellow and they have a wonderful scent. They are very low to the ground - about 5 inches high - so I literally have to get down on the ground to get a whiff of them. But it's worth it!
Are you enjoying any early season bloomers in your garden yet?

City of Austin develping new Stage 3 water restrictions

2012-01-18T21:10:00.004-06:00

Thursday, city officials will hold a public meeting to discuss development of new Stage 3 water restrictions for Austin. Austin has never implemented Stage 3, but the current severe drought is forcing officials to plan for the worst case scenario.

Williamson County had to implement their Stage 3 restrictions last fall, and their restrictions consisted of:

No water for lawns, even without a hose
No water for cars, even at the car wash
No water for pools, public or private

I can't even imagine the devastation of such an action. Austin is in desperate need of a comprehensive water policy that is more than a band aid approach.

If you're interested in participating, the city workshop on potential revisions to water restrictions is tomorrow, Thursday, January 19, at 6:30 pm at the Water Utility’s headquarters on East 10th street.

I know I'll be there.

New pup already helping me garden...

2012-01-13T07:55:00.006-06:00

We lost our sweet boy, Tanner, to cancer in November.

We adopted him from the Humane Society on my birthday, when he was just 8 weeks old.

Soft, cuddly and adorable, he stole our hearts.

He would have been 12 on New Year's Day.

He was a great dog and my sweet boy. He was funny and willful and full of love. He followed me everywhere. And even at almost 12 years old, you could still bend down to his soft, fuzzy head and get a whiff of that sweet puppy smell that he never lost.

He was my Tan-man, Bubbie, Scooby, Bubs, Nudge, and Mr. Man-Man.

I had to wait this long to write this post, and it's still making me cry with every word. He deserves a loving tribute.

I know he is lying in the sunshine, chasing squirrels, and taking long naps in doggie heaven with Sierra and Sami, and waiting for us all.

I'm not sure I will ever stop missing him.

While Dakota was enjoying being the only dog and getting lots of extra lovin' to help me ease the hole in my heart, she didn't want to go outside, she had no one to follow around and she seemed lonely. Happily lonely, according to my dear husband, but too solitary. (A little too much time spent in her bed!)

So, I set about looking for a friend for Dakota and another pup for which to be a forever family. After a lot of looking, Fletcher found his way into our hearts and our home. He'd been returned to a shelter by his adopted family when he was injured. (Sadly, weeks after not treating his injury) His foster family raved about him and here he is.

He's housebroken, sits on command and has learned to play fetch and drop the ball in just a week. He's also learned to go lie in his bed when I tell him to go away in the middle of the night. He's a smart boy and a fast learner. (But, he's still a puppy. I'd clearly forgotten how much work that is! I haven't had to train a puppy since Sierra about 9-10 years ago.)

Fletcher loves to play, and despite the fact that Dakota (8) didn't play much with Tanner because of his age, she does love to play and run (fly & leap) around the yard like a kid. She's still a little put out at times, she gets jealous and wants to make sure she's getting her fair share of lovin'. And she takes her responsibility as the older, alpha dog seriously. (Tanner was the alpha before.) She tells Fletcher when he's annoying her and when he's gotten too close. And, sadly, she's already shown him her favorite places to dig up bulbs ... sigh.

And, they play. They follow each other all around, checking out noises and people going by out front, romping around the yard, jumping and wrestling with each other. They enjoy each other. Even when they are both barking, growling, and howling at each other, those tails are wagging and they are having fun. He's good for her. I knew he would be.

Even though I still have part of that hole in my heart, it's good to share all that love with another homeless animal.

It's what Tanner would have wanted.

Rest in peace, my sweet bubbie-boy.

Sunshine in the garden...

2012-01-11T06:15:00.002-06:00

Unseasonably warm days in the garden have some plants like this daisy thinking that it's already spring.

And I can see why.

The forecast for today is sunny and 70 -- it doesn't get much better than that.

Between the weather and the daisy, it's enough to make a gardener smile.

What has you smiling today?

Broccoli brings back blogging...

2012-01-09T20:18:00.005-06:00

After my holiday hiatus from blogging, reading blogs and pretty much anything that didn't have to do with a kid birthday, Thanksgiving & travel, a holiday party for 160 for which I cook, company for New Year's, and another kid birthday, I'm baaaaaack!

And this broccoli brought me back. This pretty, fresh and delicious green goddess adorned our dinner plates last night. Only a few of the winter veggies I planted actually survived our fall attack of the critters. Specifically, 2 broccoli plants, 1 green cabbage, 1 red cabbage and 1 cauliflower. The broccoli was the first to ripen.

I know sometimes there isn't a lot of difference in the flavor of a few of the home grown vegetables and those you buy. But for some veggies, it's a world of difference -- like tomatoes, or last night's broccoli.

And that was it. All gone. Makes me mad at the critters all over again.

But it sure was tasty.

And it makes me want to plant some more winter veggies this week...and blog about it!

Hairy scary plants in the garden

2011-11-07T07:13:00.005-06:00

Purusing the beautiful plant stock at Vivero Growers Nursery two weeks ago, I was struck by this yucca covered in what look like curling hairs.

They're not, of course, but they are common to yuccas.

One of the main differences between yuccas and agaves is these white fibers. About half of all yucca species have these threadlike hairs.

Sadly, I tossed the pot it came out of before writing down which variety this is -- perhaps my friends at Vivero will help me with a reminder?!

In any case, I loved the idea of this stark, spiny, rugged-looking yucca paired with the delicate, flowing clump of black foot daisies.

This is the kind of contrast I find so beautiful in the drought-tolerant native and adapted plants that are home to Central Texas. Do you have some pairings like this in your garden?

2011-11-05T10:00:00.004-05:00

It's official, we have a WINNER!

Our first TWO drawing's winners never contacted me, so I drew again, using my 8-year old as the random number picker and the winner is Bonnie of Kiss of Sun, who posted a comment to enter the giveaway and is the lucky one who will be the recipient of a generous $50 gift certificate for a shopping spree at Emerald Garden Nursery and Water Garden.

Thanks to all who entered our Support Your Independent Nursery Giveaway.

Again, congratulations to Bonnie!

We have a winner...really!

2011-11-01T20:18:00.004-05:00

It's official, we have a WINNER!

Our first drawing's winner never contacted me, so I drew again and the winner is Marjie, who posted a comment to enter the giveaway and is the lucky one who will be the recipient of a generous $50 gift certificate for a shopping spree at Emerald Garden Nursery and Water Garden.

Thanks to all who entered our Support Your Independent Nursery Giveaway.

And thanks to the 8 wonderful local nurseries who donated the prizes for our awesome readers.

Cooler night-time temperatures and warm (but not baking) soil mean it's time to get back into the garden.

It's the perfect time to replace plants that didn't make it through the summer, make some changes to a more drought-tolerant garden or plan a new garden project to get plants established over the winter.

Even if the Custom Random Number Generator didn't pick your post, I hope you will venture out and visit one of these local nurseries and see what great new plants they have to offer right now.

And while the giveaways are over, if you didn't read about the other local nurseries, check them out on these blogs and then make time to take your own personal fall tour.

You'll be glad you did!

J Peterson Garden Design -- higlights The Great Outdoors
Go Away, I'm Gardening -- highlights Sunshine Landscape and Garden Center
Great Stems -- highlights Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery
The Whimsical Gardener -- highlights It's About Thyme
Rock Rose -- highlights Shoal Creek Nursery
Digging -- highlights Barton Springs Nursery.
Growing Optimism -- highlights Natural Gardener

Again, congratulations to Marjie!

We have a winner...

2011-10-26T21:34:00.005-05:00

It's official, we have a WINNER!

jjgardens posted a comment to enter the giveaway and is the lucky one who will be the recipient of a generous $50 gift certificate for a shopping spree at Emerald Garden Nursery and Water Garden.

Thanks to all who entered our Support Your Independent Nursery Giveaway.

And thanks to the 8 wonderful local nurseries who donated the prizes for our awesome readers.

Cooler night-time temperatures and warm (but not baking) soil mean it's time to get back into the garden. It's the perfect time to replace plants that didn't make it through the summer, make some changes to a more drought-tolerant garden or plan a new garden project to get plants established over the winter.

Even if the Custom Random Number Generator didn't pick your post, I hope you will venture out and visit one of these local nurseries and see what great new plants they have to offer right now.

And while the giveaways are over, if you didn't read about the other local nurseries, check them out on these blogs and then make time to take your own personal fall tour.

You'll be glad you did!

J Peterson Garden Design -- higlights The Great Outdoors
Go Away, I'm Gardening -- highlights Sunshine Landscape and Garden Center
Great Stems -- highlights Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery
The Whimsical Gardener -- highlights It's About Thyme
Rock Rose -- highlights Shoal Creek Nursery
Digging -- highlights Barton Springs Nursery.
Growing Optimism -- highlights Natural Gardener

Vivero Growers Nursery wows with vibrant plants

2011-10-26T17:42:00.001-05:00

After a great lunch at Jack Allen's past the "Y" in Oak Hill, Jenny of Rock Rose, Pam of Digging, and Jenny of J Peterson Garden Design and I ventured over to visit our friend Kathy Cain at Vivero Growers Nursery. A few miles past the "Y" on Hwy. 290, Vivero is a plant lovers delight.

As part of Support your Independent Garden Center month, several Austin bloggers are posting about local nurseries every Wednesday in October. Today is also the last day that eight Austin bloggers, including me, are offering 8 exciting giveaways as part of this effort. Visit my previous post here to enter for a chance to win great prizes from participating nurseries.

Today I'm highlighting Vivero as my idependent nursery of the week. Kathy and her husband Mike run Vivero Growers Nursery. They sell retail and wholesale to the trade and, unlike some nurseries, they also grow much of their own stock.

The nursery is filled with little vignettes of plantings, pairing just the right things with each other for color, texture, contrast, size and overall WOW factor. This planter by the office door is a perfect example.

They had not one, but two different varieties of one of my favorite plants in stock -- Leonotis leonurus, or Lion's Tail. The beautiful plants grow tall stalks with bright orange blooms at intervals up the stalk. The almost-round blooms look remarkably like the tuft of fur at the end of a lion's tail, hence the name. I posted about mine about 3 posts back here, if you want to see one close up.
All the plants were healthy specimens, clearly well-cared for. Everywhere I turned there was a sea of color.
Around every corner, I found some plant treasure -- many new varieties of plants that I'd never seen before like salmon-colored salvias and pink and white Mexican bush sages. From trees to perennials to annuals and succulents, Vivero is one of my favorite local nurseries.

Click back to my previous post here to enter for a chance to win in the Support your independent nursery month giveaways. Contest ends at 11:59 tonight!

Austin Nurseries Giveaway: Emerald Garden Nursery & Water Garden

2011-10-15T20:38:00.017-05:00

Isn't this a beautiful fountain?

The birds love to perch on the pineapple and drink from the bubbling water.

I love to listen to the sound of moving water in the garden as I garden or just sit outside. (The gardening part is often, the sitting part, rare!)

This fountain is from the great folks at Emerald Garden.

They helped me find the right water feature for my landscape, they came out and set it up and got it all running and told me everything I needed to know.

They answered my questions about caring for it.

If you haven't already left me a comment to enter the Austin Nurseries Giveaway for the Emerald Garden Gift certificate, read on down for your chance to win!

If you have entered, I just wanted to add this to my post and show off my fabulous fountain so you can see firsthand what great water features they have to offer.

As part of Support your Independent Garden Center month, several Austin bloggers are posting about local nurseries every Wednesday in October. Today, eight Austin bloggers are offering 8 exciting giveaways as part of this effort. Visit the blogs listed below to enter and win great prizes from participating nurseries. Visit all 8 to maximize your chances to win.

Leave a comment on my blog here today, and you'll be entered to win a $50 gift certificate from Emerald Garden Nursery & Water Garden.
Contest rules are listed at the end of this blog post.

As we ease into fall we want to give back to the wonderful local nurseries that have helped us enjoy our gardens over the years. We know nurseries have weathered tough times lately, with the downturn in the economy and the drought, so we're encouraging other gardeners to support them with their gardening dollars.

Cooler night-time temperatures and warm (but not baking) soil mean it's time to get back into the garden. It's the perfect time to replace plants that didn't make it through the summer, make some changes to a more drought-tolerant garden or plan a new garden project to get plants established over the winter.

One of my favorite Austin nurseries is Emerald Garden Nursery and Water Garden. Owned by Trey Wyatt and Luke Hogan and managed by Jeff Yarbrough, Emerald Garden is located at 5700 Highway 290 West, just before the "Y" in Oak Hill.

For many years, I have enjoyed their plants in my garden and one of their fountains in my back yard. The birds love the fresh bubbling water (when it's not restricted) and the sound of water in the garden is so peaceful.

The demonstration water features are woven all through the nursery, designed to inspire creativity. Water lilies and a wide range of other water plants fill the ponds and fountains.

They also have an excellent supply of disappearing fountains in every style, shape and size.

Need help? These friendly staff members will be happy to befriend you and show you around.

Their extensive statuary collection covers every style imaginable, from Zen to formal to whimsical. If you've lost some plants during this drought, am interesting piece of garden art might be just the thing for that empty spot.

Sometimes I wonder if the decor is there to accent the plants or the plants are there to accent the decor.

Either way, Emerald Garden has what you're looking for.

And if you don't want to plant anything else in the ground right now, they have a broad selection of glazed and terra cotta pottery.

Healthy specimens of trees, shrubs, vines, agaves, cacti, succulents, perennials and annuals await you around every corner. No matter what's on your list, you're sure to find it at Emerald Garden. And you'll enjoy a magical tour through their delightful nursery. You can learn more about Emerald Garden here.

Rules for entering prize contest:

1. You must leave a comment on this post to enter.

2. Each participating blog will hold its own random drawing, so leave a comment on each blog to enter all the giveaways.

3. Only one comment per person per giveaway.

4. Participating bloggers and their families are ineligible to win.

5. Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on 10/26.

6. Winners will be announced on each blog on 10/27.

7. Winners must go to the nursery with a photo ID and pick up their prize in person within two weeks of winning. Prizes will not be mailed.

Visit these blogs to learn about and enter the other giveaways at local Austin nurseries:

J Peterson Garden Design -- $50 gift certificate from The Great Outdoors
Go Away, I'm Gardening -- $100 gift certificate from Sunshine Landscape and Garden Center
Great Stems -- $50 gift certificate from Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery
The Whimsical Gardener -- $25 gift certificate from It's About Thyme
Rock Rose -- $50 gift certificate from Shoal Creek Nursery
Digging -- $100 gift certificate & a Fall Power Package (valued at $50) from Barton Springs Nursery.
Growing Optimism -- $25 gift certificate from the Natural Gardener.
Visit the other blogs for more chances to win and visit the nurseries for a great local gardening experience.

Leave your comment below for your chance to win the $50 gift certificate from Emerald Garden Nursery & Water Garden.

Fall Color in the Garden - Lion's Tail happily wagging

2011-10-15T08:23:00.004-05:00

The mornings and nights are finally cooler.

The sky looks just a little different.

The days are getting shorter.

And it's only going to be 91 degrees today.

Those are the signs of fall in the Central Texas garden.

And great conditions for enjoying Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens each month on the 15th.

It's relief from unrelenting heat, and we're still enjoying the effects of last weekend's 1.57 inches of rain.

The garden seems to have been rejuvenated. There is nothing quite like a good dose of rainwater to perk everything up again.

And so it is with plants in the cutting garden. In my last post, there was a long shot of it bursting with yellows and creams and oranges, and the wild Coreopsis sneaking through the fence to join the show.

This is the star of the show. This Lion's Tail, Leonotis leonurus, is from the Lamiaceae or mint family. It's native to South Africa, and is drought tolerant, which explains why it's happy in our gardens here in Central Texas.

A dwarf variety, these are only 3 to 4 feet tall. I've planted others in previous years and they were up to 6 feet tall.

Their unusual form and profuse blooms add wonderful color to the emerging fall garden.

Wildflower Wow

2011-10-14T07:35:00.007-05:00

Wildflowers along our highways and byways were few and far between this year thanks to the drought.

But one little plant seems to have taken off outside of my garden.

Thanks to a some dribbles of water coming from the cutting garden bed on the other side of the fence, this wildflower has exploded into bloom in the easement beyond our property. (Like my Wisteria vine, it seems to enjoy playing hide and seek with me.)

After some research, I believe I've identified it as Coreopsis tripteris, or Tall coreopsis/Tall tickseed.

In any case, it's fabulous.

I know some of those seeds are going to find their way into my hands and then into an open area (more visible!) with some fresh soil and periodic gentle hand watering this fall.

This beautiful show of color is well worth a little starting TLC to help it along.

And here it is, sneaking through the spaces in the fence to show off to the other blooms in the cutting garden.

Although it's a little sparse because of the drought, the cutting garden has perked up in the last few weeks thanks to cooler night temperatures and our recent restorative rain.

Speaking of wildflowers, today begins the amazing Fall Plant Sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Here's the basic information from the Wildflower Center -- you can find more at their website.

Plant Sale -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 14 - 16.

Did the hottest, driest summer in Austin's recorded history leave you looking for new garden solutions? We can help! At the Wildflower Center's Fall Plant Sale and Gardening Festival you can choose from nearly 300 species of hardy Texas natives bred to deal with our Central Texas climate. Feel free to leave your plant purchases at the Holding Area while you finish enjoying your visit, or up until the Plant Sale closes Sunday at 5 p.m.

Admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors and students, $4 UT faculty, staff or students with identification, $3 children 5 through 12, members and children under 5 free.

If possible, bring your own wagon to haul your purchases
Plants may be purchased and held for pick-up
Recycle your reusable 4-inch and one gallon plastic pots, collection bin available at the front entrance.
Free cold filtered water, just bring your reusable water bottle, or buy one in the store.

Members Only Sale: Friday, October 14, 1 to 7 p.m. Friday's sale is exclusively for members of the Wildflower Center. Become a member online or at the preview sale.

Support your Independent Nursery Day

2011-10-12T14:44:00.006-05:00

The gardening business isn't an easy one. Local nurseries regularly face problems with weather, pests, disease and supply. This year, not only have they been faced with a rough economy, the current drought has taken an even greater toll on our local independent nurseries.

In spite of those challenges, we are fortunate to have many successful and thriving local nurseries that carry fresh, healthy plants, beautiful decor, excellent gardening products and -- as important as all the tangible things -- great advice. We are fortunate to have many great places for all things 'plant', so our fellow Austin blogger, Pam, of Digging has invited local bloggers to recognize October as "Support your Independent Nursery Month."

This inspired idea has all of us singing the praises of our favorite haunts. I'm probably the closest blogger to the Natural Gardener - a local icon and a full family adventure located at 8648 Old Bee Cave Road, just past the “Y” in Oak Hill. Let's just say I'm there a lot.

I always find something I want at the Natural Gardener. Their supply of native and adapted plants seems limitless and the stock always looks great. They carry only environmentally friendly organic products and excellent tools. The staff's sense of design is insightful and selections of plants are always tucked in with shiny new pottery and garden art.

The Herb Garden, designed by garden author Lucinda Hutson, is one of my favorite destinations in the nursery, which is surrounded by large and creative demonstration gardens. They also have a butterfly garden, a stream garden, a tipi, a vegetable garden, a vineyard and orchard, a xeric garden and a compost tea brew house.
The Natural Gardener staff is always knowledgeable and friendly, recently helping me with an interview for one of my articles for the Austin American Statesman. They regularly host classes about every possible gardening subject. And the owner, John Dromgoole, one of the founders of the organic gardening movement, has long been a local superstar, appearing weekly on Central Texas Gardener on KLRU and on Saturday and Sunday morning radio shows on KLBJ (which I never miss - I get it live on my iPhone now and carry it with me in my pocket out in the garden).

But my very favorite way to enjoy the Natural Gardener is with my 8-year old daughter. We marvel over the butterfly garden, we bray back at the two resident donkeys, we cluck at the chickens and peer at the goats. Filling my cart with the nature's beautiful specimens is wonderful. And the resident cats always say thank you from the counter as we check out. But ambling through nursery at a leisurely pace, enjoying this native Texas paradise of plants and animals (and insects), is one of my favorite ways to spend a day.

Drought tolerant plants for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

2011-09-15T07:31:00.009-05:00

I had pictures on Bloom Day (on the 15th!) and I had most of the post done, but then ... life happened. So, whether it's the 15th or the 23rd, I still want to write about my garden and share it with you. Besides, things are still the same - no water, that's for sure. But this morning it was a blissful 66, so hope is on the way.

We've had more than 86 days over 100 degrees here in Central Texas this summer. And we hit an all-time high of 112.

Our gardens are crispy and our arms are tired from dragging around hoses to hand water while we're under water restrictions.

Only allowed to use irrigation systems for 1 day a week, before 10 am and after 7 pm, gardening has been more of a challenge than usual.

I've spent a lot of my time hand watering all summer long, so I have more blooms than some gardeners. I feel lucky to have had the time to devote to it.

But we do still have blooms and we're learning more than we ever wanted to know about the true meaning of drought tolerant and xeric.

These Blackfoot Daisies are tough as nails and seem quite content in the heat.

Crape Myrtles are doing ok when they get a little water. Those with American Indian names are the most adapted to our climate.
This Katy Road/Carefree Beauty rose doesn't seem the least bit concerned about the heat - and she's providing some shade for the small cutting garden flowers around her.
Lord Baltimore hibiscus really came into his own this year with a profusion of blooms.
Mexican Oregano is thriving in this heat. In fact, I spent an hour cutting this one back as it completely outgrew its space and tried to take over the Sago and the nearby lavendar trailing Lantana.
Can't kill this Datura either. Tough as nails and out of control.
Another Mexican native, Esperanza (also known as Yellow Bells) is a strong bloomer all summer long. It is outshining the variegated shell ginger interplanted with it.
Well, these Homestead Verbenas are happy, but I have also lost many of them this summer. I planted some in 3 different places at 3 different times since the spring and 6 of them bit the dust. These are well-established and have been in the crushed granite path for at least 3 years. Guess that made all the difference.
Some of the Lantana looked drought tolerant this year and some doesn't. A few of them never really recovered from last winter's 19 degrees. They grew some foliage but then just stopped. No more growth and no blooms all summer. Not a one. This "Bandana Cherry Sunrise" is full of blooms.
My photography skills were challenged on this photo -- this is Pitcher Sage -- a native plant that I got two years ago at the annual Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center sale. It is a stunning shade of blue and blooming its head off! In the same bed as the Lantana shown above and the Liatris below, also from the Wildflower Center sale. They share the bed with two salvia greggii. All of these plants are natives, they are in a space where they get less water than most of my other beds, and look great. There's a lesson there -- hope I'm paying attention!

Hope you have lots of blooms in your garden on this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted each month by Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Happy Bloom Day!

Wildfires torching Texas

2011-09-06T07:48:00.004-05:00

For several days, Central Texas has been ablaze with 63 wildfires. More than 100,000 acres have burned and almost 500 families have lost their homes. A mother and her young baby lost their lives in one of the fires. Many more have been evacuated and are facing the heart-wrenching ordeal of not knowing what's happening to their homes. Brave efforts have also been undertaken to protect pets and livestock.

Texas has put out a call for any firefighters from outside of Central Texas - current or retired-- to help battle these blazes. FEMA will be here tomorrow to help in any way they can.

The Central Texas Red Cross has set up a fund to help these devastated families bridge this time in shelters and help them as they pick up the pieces.

If you'd like to help, you can donate to the Red Cross. (Blogger doesn't seem to want to create this link, so please copy and paste in your browser if the link doesn't work.)

http://bit.ly/pMgHDE

We're all watching and anxiously waiting for the winds to slow down and quit fueling these wildfires. We are 15 minutes away from one of the fires and safe, but clearly smell the smoke outside.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are affected by this devastation. Please help if you can.

Landscape drought damage requires long lens on camera...

2011-09-05T15:56:00.010-05:00

With the worst drought in Texas history and 80 days with temperatures over 100, plants and people and pets are struggling this summer.

It's 10 degrees cooler here today -- 92 instead of 102 -- and we have gusting wind cooling things down as well. Sadly, there are a half dozen wildfires in the Central Teas area around us. We're safe for now, but 500+ people have lost their homes -- burned down to the ground, 2 people have died, and today's winds are spreading the fires ever further. 25,000 acres have burned. This is the back side of Katia. Instead of the rain we so desperately need that is flooding thousands of other people, we got wildfires. We're praying for everyone in the path of these terrible fires.

While we are safe from the fires, we are at the mercy of the drought. But with a LOT of hand watering to supplement because we are under water restrictions, the garden looks o.k. overall. The secret? The long shot!

My mother-in-law was visiting two weeks ago and wanted some photos of our house and the gardens. I took lots of long shots, and realized as I looked at them that I rarely post photos like that. And it's one of my great disappointments when reading other garden blogs -- I really want to check out the big picture.

So here are photos of everything in the garden -- showing of the bright and colorful and much too far away to see the dead and dying plants.

Come take a stroll around the garden with me...

These plants in the front bed are highly xeric and doing pretty well considering they were planted this spring and have endured this drought while trying to get established. There are dying narrow leafed Zinnias and Euryops and adwarf yaupon holly, but you can't see them from here.

Yellow Esperanza (Yellow Bells) on the right are native to Mexico and very hardy. They are used to the heat.

The veggie garden needs protection from bunnies and our dogs, hence the fence INSIDE the other fence that keeps the deer out!

This is along the path in our woods that leads to the fenced back yard. This is where we feed birds and water the deer, squirrels, foxes, bunnies and mice! With this drought, we have 3 birdbaths and countless little bowls scattered around to provide constant drinking water for anything that needs it. With less blooms, hummingbirds really need our feeders this year, too.

The play scape, the cutting garden, the greenhouse and the xeric rock path.

The back corner of the yard got a few new plants this summer along with an old, worn out bistro table and chairs and a stunning Filamentosa yucca for a focal point. Even rusty metal furniture looks good from far enough away!

Garden decor and displays at Dragonfly Farms close the 2011 Seattle Fling

2011-08-28T12:01:00.015-05:00

The last stop on the Seattle Fling was as fabulous as each of the previous outings. The entire trip just kept getting better and better. We got to tour the beautiful display gardens of Dragonfly Farms and nursery and look through their amazing plants. Heidi Kaster of Dragonfly Farms & Nursery was our garden hostess with the mostest.

Some bloggers were able to take plants home with them because they'd driven. And some bloggers who'd flown to Seattle packed their suitcases full of dirt and botanical booty and crossed their fingers that the plants would survive. I was lucky; Jenny of Rock Rose and her husband were camping and my plants were treated to a scenic drive across the countryside in their airstream camper before making their way here with Jenny yesterday!

The display gardens meandered all around the large nursery and house, delighting us with secret pathways and unique garden art at every turn.
Panning the nursery tables, so many colorful plants invited us in to browse.

There were many beauties I would have loved to take home with me like these Dahlias.

The intricate pattern on this pottery caught my eye. Isn't it cool?
Plants and pots and trees... oh my!
There were many fabulous specimens through out the display gardens, like this poppy.

Intent on finding the next brilliant photo, bloggers Jenny of Rock Rose and Pam of Digging troll the eye candy.

So many majestic plants provided vertical interest in the garden.
I wish I knew the name of this luscious little blossom and its berry neighbor.
The Clematis in the PNW were all blooming their little heads of while we were there, thanks to a cool, wet spring. I was glad to see them before I had to return home to my brown, crispy ones.
What a selection of succulents! Now THIS table was really hard to pass up.
This quaint shed with its assortment of garden decor was inspiring. Now, garden "stuff" I could put in my suitcase!
The earlier rains of the day left the gardens dewy with droplets of rain.
This huge vase, tucked into a nook in the garden, makes for a fabulous focal point for visitors coming down the path.
Even exotic animals graced the display gardens.
The house hidden behind the display gardens is as whimsical and entertaining as the rest of the nursery.

After shopping and touring, we were all treated to the wonderful Punch Drunk in Love with the PNW happy hour. Our hosts, Proven Winners, put out a spread of food, blackberry punch cocktails and gave away their new Blackberry Punch Calibrachoa, which has been voted one of Sunset Magazine’s “25 Hot Plants to Grow Now.”

It was great to see the sun come out after our rainy morning at the Bloedel Reserve, and to relax with our hosts and blogging friends one last time before venturing back on the ferry and back to reality on Tuesday.

A garden surprise around every corner...

2011-08-05T22:34:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite Seattle private garden tours was that of Denise Lane's garden. We all enjoyed a break and a nice lunch in her wonderful outdoor entertaining area.
We spent quite some time in this amazing garden and were able to stop and visit and admire in many cozy seating areas throughout the garden. Here, Layanee of Ledge and Gardens and Cindy of My Corner of Katy spend a quite moment talking plants.

Denise Lane shared her garden's history with us with a photo album chronicling each step of the process.
The flowing garden curves were all filled with beautiful border plants.
The garden's secret series of paths led us to many different sculptures and works of art. I know you see the metal heron, but did you notice the lime and brown cat tails in the background? I almost missed them myself.
My favorite scene in the garden was this water feature flanked by Doric columns and covered with vines and plants from every angle. It was so packed with texture and color and sounds and scent...it was very hard to capture it all in a photo.
Austin blogger and my travel mate Jenny, of Rock Rose, was as taken with this garden display as I was. I managed to pull her away from her photography for just a moment.
Another lovely place for bloggers to rest and contemplate the garden.
I love this little birdhouse with the green roof. Makes sense - birds are far greener than we are!
This Greek column just popped up out of nowhere in the garden.
Several beautiful pieces of pottery adorn the garden, or maybe the garden adorns several pieces of pottery.
It was hard to choose among all my photos because so many of their subjects are so interesting like the pairing of these succulents.

This was a delightful garden, full of surprises and creativity and beauty. I could have spent an entire day there.

Meandering through the magical forest of the Bloedel Reserve

2011-07-26T12:34:00.007-05:00

After three beautiful, sunny days in Seattle touring gardens at the Seattle Garden Bloggers Fling, we got a real taste of PNW weather with a grey, rainy day on Monday. No mind -- it was just as interesting to see gardens the way they appear for much of the year in this climate.

We boarded the ferry early in the morning and crossed over to Bainbridge Island. Our first stop was at the Bloedel Reserve. This property consists of 150 acres that their literature describes as "a unique blend of natural woodlands and beautifully landscaped gardens, including a Japanese Garden, a Moss Garden, and Reflection Pool, and the Bloedel’s former estate home."

That description simply doesn't do it justice. The entire reserve is majestic, filled with towering trees -- Hemlocks, Western Red Cedars and Douglas Firs -- lined our paths through the lush moss-covered forests.

While most of the private gardens we visited on our trip were awash with colors and blooms, the Bloedel was much more understated forest and meadows and moss. This little gem was tucked into the dappled forest floor.
Little surprises popped up along every path, like this pretty little bridge.
Often hidden by the gentle giant trees, interesting views waited for those who looked for them.
This beautiful tree seemed as though it were watching me walk through the forest with its knotty eye.
I couldn't stop photographing all the moss. I'm quite sure if I'd stood still for very long it would have reached out to me as well.
Ferns, ferns everywhere!

One of the highlights of our visit was a workshop and Q&A session with renown professional photographer David Perry, author of A Photographer’s Garden Blog. He generously have us tips and tricks and, a photo assignment to take shots as though we were shooting for a magazine cover. We were to shoot a cover, double page spread, overview and author's page. This is my cover shot. Sadly, my computer expertise doesn't extend to adding text over an image, so this is a good as it gets for now. That will be on my next to-do list.

While the rain made it a little challenging to juggle jackets, umbrellas, cameras and lens caps, we were all game and bravely faced the elements, not wanting to miss a moment.

These ferns look like they are growing out of a carpet -- a carpet of moss that ate up everything in its path.

One of the most interesting sights I saw was the emergence of nurse trees - seeds that germinated and began to grow inside the cavity of dead trees, providing a safe growing medium for the new seedling. Mother Nature really is amazing.

Garden delights in sunny Seattle...

2011-07-24T23:27:00.006-05:00

The private gardens we've seen at the Garden Bloggers Seattle fling are among some of the prettiest I've seen.

The garden of Suzette and Jim Birrell was filled with whimsy and color. It was delightful and filled with plenty of places to sit and enjoy the garden.

Garden-inspired art and decor surprised us around every turn.

Looking for lights for their garden and project shed, Jim decided to convert simple, galvanized buckets into whimsical lighting.

The brightly-colored shed provides contrast with other vibrant colors throughout the garden.

A small section of lawn provides a play area and a soothing companion to the bright and busy garden areas.

Years of work to create this lush and peaceful garden made for a wonderful morning tour for the garden bloggers.

A garden with a view...

2011-07-23T23:46:00.008-05:00

It was a picture perfect morning in a hillside garden overlooking Lake Washington just outside of Seattle. Our first stop of the day on the Seattle Fling, we began at the award-winning home of Michelle and Christopher Epping.

It was hard to know at where to look -- at the beautiful garden, the glistening blue lake or the skyline of Seattle on the horizon.
The garden was a filled to the brim with vibrant colors and textures.

Several different pathways led through secret garden areas with statues and other interesting objects tucked into the landscape for discovery by garden visitors.
The garden was sprinkled with giant mounds of Hakonechloa, Japanese Forest Grass, seen here against a stunning sky-blue Hydrangea and a burgundy Japanese Maple in the background.
One little path led to a wooden bench that offered us a rest and a different perspective from which to admire the garden. Pam of Digging and Kylee of Our Little Acre took a little break with me in the shade.
The garden was also filled with whimsical cedar sculptures carved by the owner's father.
What an inspiring way to start the day!

Seattle's Best ... Gardens, that is...

2011-07-22T23:53:00.009-05:00

Day 1 of the Garden Bloggers Fling, held in Seattle this year, was even more than I could have hoped for.

Our tours today took us to two private gardens, one private/public garden and the Washington University Center for Urban Horticulture.

Come take a stroll with me through the first garden, lovingly created by Shelagh Tucker. This garden was full of little vignettes and pockets of secret gardens around every turn.

The recent rains and cool temperatures in Seattle made all of the plants lush and ready for our visit.

There was a lot of old stonework in this garden, steps and benches and intricate inlaid details that added charm and an old-world feel to the garden.

All the borders and beds were filled to the brim with layers upon layers of plants - complimentary and contrasting colors, shapes, sizes and textures - creating a rich and beautiful palette.

And within each vignette are wonderful little pairings like this one. Her eye for plant combinations made this garden a delightful journey of discovery.

Drought tolerant plants are beautiful summer bloomers...

2011-07-16T08:01:00.006-05:00

The scorching heat has the humans in the garden working really hard to keep plants hydrated in this terrible drought. And for the most part, all the extra hand-watering (prompted by water restrictions and astronomical water bills) is paying off.
Yesterday was Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, the monthly communal gathering of garden bloggers around the globe and the brain child of Carol of May Dreams Gardens . To celebrate, there were many happy plants showing off in my garden.

This stunning Blackberry lily above, Belamcanda chinensis, is in full bloom. In spite of its name, it is neither a blackberry or a lily. It's actually in the iris family. It is hardy in zones 5-10 and is a native to Japan and China. This is the first bloom of this plant for me and I'm going to have to have some more. The stalks hold many blooms, and the flowers are about an inch across.

My carefully-planted zinnias did come up - unfortunately they did not come up in the neat little circle of space in which I planted them! They're coming up in the middle of many neat clusters of other, existing plants! It's ok - they make me happy.
The double purple Datura is coming into its own this year for the first time. It's swirling multi-colored blooms look so exotic.
One of our favorite native drought-tolerant plants here in Central Texas, the Blackfoot Daisy, loves the heat and all the abuse we can give it. We're being very giving this year.
The monstrous Coral Trumpet vine is in full bloom. It wants to grow everywhere, and in spite of the fact that I have to prune it as it pops up 100 feet away from the main plant, it's beautiful climbing up the fence.
The cannas are all blooming. The grasshoppers are having lunch on the bottom leaves, but they haven't done too much damage.
This Clematis (I can't remember the variety) with its bell-shaped flowers looks delicate, but in its 2nd year, it's holding its own.
The Moy Grande hibiscus with it's paper-plate-sized blooms has at least a few blooms every day.
The Plumerias in pots on the back patio have been in bloom for a long time. I am actually going to have to water them just a little less. I forget that they can tolerate this heat better than some plants in pots.
This plant - the Medusa hair in my garden statue's head - was give to me by Lancashire Rose of Rock Rose. I can't remember its name, either. Giving it a little spritz of water this week I discovered the sweetest little bloom. What a lovely reward. She looked quite different here in last year's snow.
There are even surprised in the cutting garden. The Larkspur, (seeds given to my by Zanthan Gardens, two years ago) has bloomed profusely for two long springs. And today there is yet another bloom, coming up with the cosmos, just in time to surprise me for bloom day.

Gardening continues, in spite of the heat. Now that my post is up, I can't wait to to see what's blooming in other gardens around the world.

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day~

Creativity in a Tiny Terrarium

2011-07-08T21:46:00.007-05:00

It's hot here in Central Texas. I know you've heard me say that before, but it's really hot. We've had more than 25 days over 100 degrees since late May. We normally have an annual average of 12 days over 100. That makes gardening tough. Planting is impossible and even established plants and trees are struggling just to survive.

When the heat exhausts me and I'm forced indoors, I miss my garden. But when one door closes another door opens, and I find refuge in my garden magazines and books (and the air conditioning!)

So, I was excited when my friends at Timber Press sent me Terrarium Craft to review. I sat down with my preview copy and a tall glass of iced tea and had myself a little eye candy.

I grew up with an enormous floor-sized terrarium. My Mom created it and we had it as far back as I can remember. It was a beautiful bluish-green and I was always amazed at how the plants grew and thrived in that bottle.

The first thing you notice about Terrarium Craft is that it's full of beautiful photos of the most creative little vignettes. It took me a while to start reading because I was mesmerized by the amazing miniature worlds.

The book provides a blueprint for 50 original projects, including options for materials, plants, and techniques. And it's designed to spark your creativity and inspire you to make your own magical little glass world.

There are so many choices to put in your terrarium - sand, stones, shells, sticks, and even ball moss, with limitless possibilities for memorabilia.

After outlining information about all the categories of materials, the next section provides step-by-step instructions about how to assemble it all.

Then, pages and pages with an amazing array of terrariums -- beach, forest, desert and fantasy terrariums.

Inspire me it did. Now I'm trying to decide what special things I want to put in my terrarium. Given my love of birds, I think it will include a little ceramic bird and some branches.

Now I'm going to walk around my air conditioned house and see what little goodies I can collect to put in my own special little glass world.

Can I watch my artichoke bloom in the garden and eat it, too?

2011-06-21T23:17:00.007-05:00

Ok. I know the answer to that.

Eat it or watch it bloom? That is the question.

First artichoke of the year and the answer was simple. Watch it bloom.

I've done it before, and loved looking at their amazing flowers.

But as I rounded the corner in the vegetable garden today, it literally took my breath away.

The color, the fuzz, the exotic quality, the intricate petals.

So this was the first test for my new DSLR camera - a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. My number one priority was a lightweight DSLR I can take with me on garden tours and to the annual Garden Bloggers Fling. I have a point and shoot, and my DH has a very high-end professional Nikon that's heavy and I won't travel with, but this is really what I need.

Looks like it takes pretty good photos, too. (Though you can't really tell on Blogger because their photo quality is so low, you'll have to click on the photo to get a good look.)

But then the artichoke bloom was a brilliant subject!

Beautiful Green Barcelona

2011-06-14T21:11:00.006-05:00

Barcelona is a bustling metropolis. Full of beautiful and historical landmarks and still a sleek, urban landscape with amazing food and wonderful people.

Churches and cathedrals that date back to 11oo, Roman ruins so intact that historians can identify rooms designed for cooking in large vats, dying clothes and bathing -- all complete with water channels.

Gaudi's multiple world-renown art and architecture, including La Sagrada Familia, which I will post about next.

Las Ramblas, the most famous street in Barcelona, is a tree lined paradise of fresh flowers, love birds for sale and the home to the Boqueria market that will make your head spin with fresh food and wine and cava and tastings that make you never want to leave.

The market was filled with fresh fruit of all kinds.

Seafood played a prominent role in the market.
Peppers and spices and garlic galore to season great Spanish food.

And, most importantly, the famed Serrano ham and other charcuterie. I could eat the Serrano ham every single meal, and we almost did! It's at the top of the list of Tapas in every cafe (and there is one on every corner and 5 in between corner to corner on every block).
We ate dinner one night at a fabulous and trendy restaurant that was an anchor to another fresh market and I fell in love with this green wall. Because it was dark - dinner is LATE in Barcelona - and I didn't want to disturb the folks sitting next to it - my camera was lacking. But each row features fresh herbs used in the restaurant.
Like Italy, cypress trees are everywhere in Spain.
As were these beautiful trees with vivid yellow blooms. I never did discover the name of the tree, but they were such a breath of fresh air in the heart of the city.

Many balconies also sported beautiful plants and planter boxes.
Cypress trees weren't the only stars of the show -- they had to compete with beautiful palms all over Barcelona. Its beaches bordered the beautiful Mediterranean. Cloudy and rainy weather couldn't keep us from the beach though.

We did spend a few hours in the sand - button sweaters and all.

Our daughter was oblivious to the wind and cold as she went in up to her knees, searching for shells and rocks and building a sand castle.

And, the port was overflowing with beautiful sailboats, yachts and three cruise ships.

Las Ramblas - which seems to go on forever -- is also a tree lined oasis.
More cypress...
Another unidentified and beautiful tree with exotic bark.

It was a fascinating, exciting and educational adventure. And boy, did we eat well and drink fabulous coffee. It was everything I hoped it would be and more.

Next, how Gaudi's love of nature turns into art. A UNESCO World Heritage site, La Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia is the most phenomenal architecture I've ever seen throughout Europe, Greece, Turkey and the USA.

Botanical Garden displays...

2011-06-08T10:08:00.006-05:00

Seriously, I thought I was in Texas when we toured the Botanical Gardens in Madrid (except for the rain that is). This beautiful Yucca recurvifolia one of many US plants.
Mediterranean style abounds in the flora and fauna of Madrid, but many of the plants we saw were Xeric varieties well know to Central Texas.
This Nolina was even labeled as the Texana variety and attributed to the USA.

This beautiful bottle brush tree reminded me again of how I lost two of these at home in the last two winters!
An entire section of the display gardens was dedicated to grasses.
This Coreopsis gradiflora loves this climate as well as ours.

The timing of their gardens is also similar to ours -- the irises were almost all done blooming, and other bulbs were also going dormant as the grasses and summer perennials were coming into their own.

Next post, some of their beautiful palms.

Madrid's botanical gardens...

2011-06-04T16:13:00.005-05:00

This morning we set out to see the Parque del Buen Retiro in the heart of Madrid. Enormous and beautiful, it reminded me of Central Park.
It was primarily green - lush with huge trees and paths and a suprise around every corner. There a few splashes of seasonal color, but this is not a flower garden by any means.
There's a little lake and rowing and the wide avenues (no cars) were filled with walkers, runners, skateboarders and hordes of roller bladers. They were even giving lessons to kids and adults alike - it was so fun to watch. Then there were people and families like us, the strollers.

It really is a treasure in the heart of the city, and everyone came out to enjoy it on this beautiful Saturday morning.
Even though there were people everywhere, it was still vast open space to enjoy the setting. It includes formal fountains, children's play areas (we checked all of those out!), outdoor cafes, snack vendors, bubble blowers, fortune tellers, musicians and more.
And it was peaceful - a haven from the hustle and mucho bustle of the heart of the city. The park was once the private playground for royalty.

When we finished going through but a small section of this enormous park, we headed across the street (well, not quite that directly) to the Botanical Gardens. My Spanish is passable at times, but my comprehension when getting directions at a very fast clip is not quite as good. So after several "permit a me's" we finally arrived at our destination. Missing nuances and words can make a big difference when getting directions - imagine that!

We've had internet "issues" with the hotel. We get it -- sometimes. So, that's why this is my first post. Just glad to be able to share it now.

Tomorrow I hope to give you a peek into the Botanical Gardens. You'll be amazed at what I found there. And I know I've made the folks back at the house terribly jealous -- sorry. But it is wonderful. More to come...

Baby wren developing wings and feathers...

2011-06-01T07:03:00.003-05:00

Those little wings are so much more developed in just two days. If you look back to Monday's post, you can see how much he's grown.

I keep calling it a him -- of course I have no idea if it's a male or female Carolina Wren!

Tomorrow morning will be my last chance to check on him for a while. We're heading to Spain tomorrow, so I'll have to get photos emailed to me from family staying at home. He may have fledged before we get back, but I hope not.

Carolina wren baby growing by the day...

2011-05-30T07:15:00.004-05:00

When Mama wren flies out of the garage early in the morning, I sneak up on the step stool to get a peek at our little guest-in-the-hat.

Baby wren is growing by leaps and bounds.

Barely 5 days old, it now really looks like a bird.

Its eyes are still closed, but the wings and the beak are now clearly evident. I think it has tripled in size since I first saw it on Friday.

The Mama sits in there with it most of the day, but doesn't appear to by flying in and out very often. She seems unfazed by the construction being done in our driveway as guys are sawing wood out there for our new wood floors inside. She's just focused on that little bundle of joy.

I doubt the other eggs will open now that it's been 5 days since this one hatched, but I didn't think this one would make it either, so I'm not giving up hope. In fact, I'm not ever giving up hope again!

Baby wren alive in the nest, welcome new addition!

2011-05-27T07:51:00.005-05:00

After the egg/nest debacle from 10 days ago, I've been anxiously watching the comings and goings of Mama Carolina Wren.

You may remember that I thought the eggs were no longer viable after being in the nest for a month, and I put them in the trash. Til I realized that there were more eggs than when I'd first looked - meaning she'd laid another clutch that might be viable. I wrote about that ordeal in a previous post, put the nest and eggs back very carefully and crossed my fingers.

Last night when I was walking into the house through the garage, I thought I heard the tiniest squeak coming from the nest. I stopped and listened - nothing. But later I saw the hat (and nest) swaying just a bit and wondered again if something was going on in there.

Mama Wren was sitting high up on the eggs, and fairly visible to me, whereas before she was far down in the nest on the eggs where I couldn't see her.

So I took a peek when she was out of the nest.

What a wonderful sight - a tiny little creature - just born - wiggling around down among the other eggs. If you look very closely (maybe click on the photo to enlarge it) you can make out the face on the new baby.

Honestly, after all this watching and waiting, I felt like I was the Mama!

This morning I took a picture when Mom and Dad were gone -- they are both now working on feeding duty.

Hatching can take 24-48 hours and there are 6 more eggs in the nest. Some may be from the first clutch, and not viable, but our new little friend might be getting some siblings over the next few days.

And you can bet I'll be watching (from a respectable distance)!

Spectacular Sprekelia

2011-05-20T09:19:00.006-05:00

This Sprekelia is one of my favorite plants. It's also known as an Aztec Lily or Jacobean Lily (Sprekelia formosissima).

But it's not really a lily at all.

Sprekelia is a small genus of only two species in the Amaryllidaceae family from Mexico. So, it's more like an Amaryllis.

Mine are about 16 inches tall and grow very well in dappled shade with some afternoon sun. They take a normal amount of water (whatever's normal for Central Texas!) I do water them -- they are not drought tolerant.

Once they've bloomed in late spring, the foliage just disappears completely in the summer, like other spring bulbs.

The plant does not set seed and its flowers are sterile.

They grow slowly, though. I'd love to share, but my cluster of them hasn't expanded much over the last 6 or 7 years that I think I've had them, so they aren't ready to be divided. (Or, I'm not yet ready to divide them)

The are right outside our breakfast room window, so I get to look at them every time I eat or work at the table, and they are in front of the birdbath, so it's a lovely sight.

I love all the plants in my garden (well, most of them). But there are a few favorites that bring special joy, and my Sprekelia are among them.

Carolina wren saga continues with clutch #2

2011-05-17T21:08:00.004-05:00

You may have seen on my blog that a mama Carolina wren was nesting in a sombrero hanging on our garage wall. She was there for several weeks before Easter. As soon as I found the nest, we kept the door open, but who knows how many times she might have been locked away from them before that.

So today I decided it was time (they are supposed to hatch in 14-16 days) and I put the hat nest and eggs into the garbage can.

But when I did that, I counted 11 eggs and there were only 7 before.

I don't know why I did it after I'd already gotten rid of the eggs, but I looked online just one more time for what happens when the eggs don't hatch and what the mama does. All the other times I googled it I came up with nothing, but today I found a resource that says that birds will sometimes lay a second clutch of eggs later on top of the unhatched ones, since the nest is already made.

Oh no!

That would explain why there were now 5 more eggs.

So after I had a really good cry, my Mom convinced me to go out and try to save it all. I used a paper towel folded over like a pot holder to put the nest back in the sombrero. Then I took a tablespoon and gently lifted all the eggs I could find out of the trash can and into the nest and then I hung the sombrero back in the garage.

Checked a little bit ago and mama is sitting on the eggs again. I just hope there are some viable ones in there – think I got 7 back into the nest – hope some of them are the new ones, but that was all I could find. One broke and I couldn't get the others.

At least I tried and I feel better. And I learned a lesson. Well, maybe two lessons - don't move nests until there is absolutely no adult activity, and ... keep the garage door closed all the time so they won't make nests in my garage.

Or, (more likely) put a birdy – door in our garage!

Cannas and Coneflowers...

2011-05-16T20:33:00.003-05:00

Time flies when it's gardening season. It's already time for Garden Bloggers Bloom day, hosted each month on the 15th by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

Many plants are coming into their own in the garden right now. Foliage is filling out and becoming lush and new blooms are popping out to surprise me every day.

Unless of course the deer eat them! In my new garden bed, the deer have tromped around, but only ate the potato vines. I deliberately planted the bed with plants that deer typically shun. Except, apparently for Klondyke Cosmos. I was so pleased with my idea - planting this tangerine orange wispy flower grown from seed next to a vibrant purple salvia and some Mexican Feather Grass. I went out this morning to capture a photo of this little vignette, only to find...no vignette. The two blooms that popped up yesterday had been eaten off. So, you will just have to imagine what I imagined when I planted it all.

The Purple Cone Flowers above are some of my very favorite summer bloomers, and this year I have dozens and dozens of volunteers coming up so I will be transplanting lots of them into other beds.

But, I didn't let the deer spoil my day. Many other blooms in the garden were happy to pose for pictures today.

These photos are of my King Humbert Orange Cannas. I love the hot yellow and tangerine against the lime green leaves.

This is a Mexican Bird of Paradise Tree -- perfect for our hot,dry weather. Mine gets next to no water (especially in this drought) and yet it still blooms like crazy all summer long.
These Blackfoot Daisies are tough as nails -- even though they look so delicate.
Coral Trumpet Vine is taking over my fence and sprouting up in 3 different nearby beds. But it's stunning all over the fence - if it would just mind its manners!
Verbena thrives in these warm, sunny days, and it's making a beautiful purple velvet carpet in my new bed.
Some of the combinations I planned for the new front bed are starting to fill in and look like I intended them to. These yellow Zexmenia are bright and cheerful next to the hot pink Salvia Greggii.
These Shasta Daisies are bursting with blooms in the cutting garden. But I love seeing them there so much that I don't want to cut them!

Wildflower Center Gardens on Tour 2011 -- A Hill Country Paradise

2011-05-08T22:07:00.016-05:00

Armed with camera and my blogging buddies Pam of Digging and Robin of Getting Grounded, I ventured out Saturday to explore the gardens on the 2011 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Gardens on Tour.

Some as different as night and day, each garden offered a different perspective and radiated a unique feel to visitors who came to experience it.

This garden was off of Bee Cave Road and its owner, Tait Moring, is a landscape architect.

The property itself was stunning. 17 acres - mostly undeveloped, but on a Hill Country hillside with amazing views. Blooming just in time to put on a show for us, this Agave greeted us as we entered into this Texas-style paradise behind a very tall cedar fence.
You can see the scale of the fence and the entry as people come into the property.
There were several creative fences and gates leading into different areas of the garden - each with it's own unique appeal.
Several large ceramic pots provided specimen plant focal points for the garden.

Rockwork throughout the landscape brought in a Hill Country rustic element. Behind the rock wall is a Pittosporum tree that fascinated us with its structural beauty.
Interesting artwork and statuary dotted the gardens with whimsy and focal points.
Just off the back deck, a tall cedar fence hides a great outdoor shower complete with local boulders to perch on as you cool of on a hot day.
Up the stairs you can see the back of the shower against the house.
The deck included a interesting array of xeric plants and attractive pots.

A collector, much of the rock work includes special items Tait has gathered over the years.
Wouldn't you love to have a vegetable garden like this? These beautiful rock pottagers were new additions to the garden last winter.
Another lovely walkway combining native rock and rough cedar.
This simple little water feature was so beautiful and made a lovely little sound in the peace of the garden.

This was my favorite garden on the tour. I took dozens more photos, but can only post so many. It is a lovely hideaway that is a testament to an owner with an absolute love of gardening and an amazing talent.

Hummingbirds keeping warm in cold front ...

2011-05-03T07:36:00.006-05:00

Sunday brought an unexpected late spring cold front into Central Texas. With it came high winds and even a little (emphasis - little) rain.

As you might expect, this sent the hummingbirds into overdrive - furiously flying about - trying to keep their tiny bodies warm.

We have two feeders around the corner from one another outside our breakfast room and enjoy watching them much of the year.

Yesterday's show was the best I've seen to date. At one point, I was watching 5 of them buzzing about the feeders and filling up on liquid energy. There were 3 at the feeder at the right corner window and two at the feeder at the left corner window. Almost made my eyes cross to watch them zoom back and forth.

But I was most intrigued that several of them were also taking breaks in the trees and on my Mountain Yucca. One male Ruby-throated hummingbird lit on the yucca several times -- sitting very still and puffing up his tiny feathers to keep out the cold. Unfazed my my photography -- focused on finding warmth. This feeder is protected on 3 sides - by the house and a wooden fence - and provided a nice wind break for him.

His very metallic green back provided a great contrast against the blue yucca and the blue pot in the first photo. Then later, he showed me his colorful neck several times as he breathed in and out.

With a low of 48 degrees this morning, the hummingbirds are back at the feeders. Fortunately for them, the weather is predicted to warm back up today. The feeders are providing some welcome nectar now, but everyday new hummingbird friendly plants are blooming in my garden. Most of my perennials attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, so I'm sure we will be enjoying their antics until next winter.

Irises blooming in the Easter garden

2011-04-23T17:08:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, I couldn't stop complaining about the lack of blooms on my various irises.

It seemed that everywhere I looked my garden blogging friends were showing off their frilly friends.

And I was having a serious case of bloom envy.

Not to mention the nagging doubts about my gardening ability.

Should I be doing something different?

Did I need to fertilize them?

Did I plant them in the wrong places?

Should they be divided (even those they are all relatively new and small clumps)?

But a few days ago, I was ecstatic to discover several of my irises blooming away.

This pale lavender iris is a passalong from Pam at Digging -- she calls it Shoshona's Iris. I love the beautiful color.

Then the interesting gold and brown iris bloomed the next day.

While it's planted close to my Louisiana Iris 'Professor Neil,' which is a deep maroon with gold, they weren't both blooming at the same time this week.

Maybe I can ask them to do that for me when the next ones bloom!

Happy Easter!

Plenty of birdhouses for nesting birds

2011-04-23T15:28:00.007-05:00

This year we have three bird nests that I know of.

But there could be many more in the garden where birds are sneaking in and out and hiding from me.

But even with all these beautiful and inviting homes, the swallows are nesting under the tall rock front porch ceiling again. Mama wren is nesting in the sombrero hanging in the garage -- shown in my previous post here.

I'm always nervous about cleaning the houses out because the experts at Wild Birds Unlimited tell me that birds can be nesting in them at any time of the year.

This one was a gift from my parents for Christmas.
This one is in the front walkway bed on a stick so it's the least likely to have inhabitants.
My converted gourd has seen better days -- but it was too cute when I first got it (especially since I didn't have to hollow out the gourd myself!)
Ok, this isn't a birdhouse, but it is a butterfly house and it's cute, so it made this cut.
This is for the particularly patriotic birds.
And this is the townhouse the Titmice are squatting in right now.
Not sure if there is anyone in this one -- but it's probably my favorite.

Might be a little loud for the birds!

Eggs in the bird nest

2011-04-22T17:50:00.003-05:00

Count them. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven speckled little Carolina wren eggs. Sitting in a tree...wait, no, sitting in a ...hat!

We're had a wren flying in and out of the garage now for weeks. We tried to keep her from making the nest, but now that we've discovered it, we're keeping the garage open so she can stay with her eggs.

This is an old Sombrero left over from a fiesta-themed summer party. Imagine my surprise to find that it's become a stylish condo for Mrs. Wren.

Her cousin was nesting in the garage last spring -- here she's in a lovely blue and white porcelain flower pot. Sadly, opening and closing of the garage door before we knew she was there kept her from the nest too long and there were no babies last spring.

I'm hoping we found the hat nest in time this year.

Babies in the nest!

2011-04-13T08:37:00.003-05:00

Mrs. Titmouse has been seen sneaking into this lovely birdhouse town home for a while. But I couldn't tell if she was just going to dinner and going back to sit on her eggs, or if there were babies in there. I tried to peer in there when she was gone, but it's quite dark in there and the babies are a long way down since it's a two-story!
Then yesterday when she flew to the nest, I heard the magical, musical "chiro, chirp, chirp" of babies when she landed on the doorstep. This morning I perched in the woods to try to get a picture of her going in the nest. She was onto me though. She landed up in the tree above me and cackled at me - fussing loudly about my intrusion.
But I stood very still and waiting until she felt more at ease, and sure enough, she ventured down. She perched on the hook first, before she slipped into the nest to bring breakfast tacos (ok, that may be a stretch!) to her babies.

It has to be a good day after that, doesn't it?

Pretty purples are my passion...

2011-04-10T19:47:00.012-05:00

My garden is awakening.

Warm days have coaxed many plants into beautiful blooms.

Among the best performers in the garden right now are the purple plants.

Can you tell I have a passion for purple?

Many of my favorites are salvias.

Did you know that there are more than 900 species of salvias in the world? How amazing.

I'm lucky to have a nice collection of them in my garden. Indigo spires, Mystic Spires, Mesa, May Night and several more, but I'd have to go digging through previous posts because they are unusual and I don't have them committed to memory

2011-04-05T20:12:00.003-05:00

Spring really is here.

After a record-setting high of 93 last week and then a low last night of 41, we're officially on the roller coaster.

Central Texas is covered in Live Oak neon green dust and our budding beds are littered with dead oak leaves and pollen.

The winds are gale force and the rain is non-existent. Lake Travis is down 8 feet already.

But it's time to start cleaning and clearing and planting in the garden.

The to-do list seems endless. However, like most things, it's best just to pick one small task and start.

So, today I checked off one of many items on my spring clean-up garden to-do list.

Thrillers, spillers and fillers have taken up residence in the two giant pots on the front porch and I must say they are quite happy there. (Well, let's say I am happy with them there.)

I usually fill these pots with an explosion of hot annual color, but I was tempted by these Cordyline a shopping trip to some new nurseries last week. And then the Diamond Frost Euphorbia jumped into my wagon (the deer ate them in my beds last year, but pots on the porch will be *should be* safe). They were soon joined by the Asparagus Fern and the lovely Coleus.

What's on your spring garden to-do list? Any thrillers, spillers and fillers in your future?

Blue bonnets ablaze...

2011-03-28T07:14:00.004-05:00

It's not a great year for wildflowers in Central Texas. Our drought has affected this year's crop.

Roadways normally awash in a sea of beautiful bluebonnet blue are sadly green.

Some other wildflowers are popping up, but the bluebonnets are either absent or very small and scattered about in sporadic patches.

But in my backyard, there is water. A few early spring sprinklings gave my bluebonnets just enough to put on a spectacular show.

Well, spectacular for me. With a thick layer of mulch in most of my other beds, I haven't been able to get planted bluebonnets to reseed. But when I planted them and seeded them in the unmulched soil of the cutting garden, they rewarded me with a pretty palette of blue.

I'm missing them as I drive along the roads of Austin, but I'm so glad I can walk out back and enjoy a few of them this spring.

Searching for garden delights...

2011-03-25T07:36:00.005-05:00

This is a breath-taking spring display.

I love the combination of lavender and coral. This Crossvine is intertwined with the Wisteria as they meet by the corner of the fence.

Sadly, I don't get to see this view.

I was admiring the Crossvine this week, and bemoaning the fact that the freeze had taken my Wisteria. But wait, isn't that one solitary Wisteria bud I see?

Hmmmm--I see a blur of lavender through the crack in the wooden fence. Hmmmm...something is fishy here.

I trek out of the back yard and into the wild area outside of out fence (which no one can see, by the way).

What did I find? This. This amazing display of color and texture and wild beauty growing with abandon outside of my watchful eyes!
Short view as I got closer.
And what I see from the front corner of the fence if I walk off the property.
This is my view from the house and inside the back fence. It's quite lovely, the Crossvine all by itself. And most of it is high -- at least 20 feet into the nearby oak tree -- which means I don't really readily see it unless I crane my neck up.
I'm glad that at least the Crossvine has decided to stick around and bloom for me.
Even if this is all I can see of the elusive Wisteria!

New bed well on its way...

2011-03-13T10:08:00.008-05:00

On Friday, many of the plants for the new bed went into their new homes.

I wasn't able to get several of the things on my list, but I did get most of them, so this is a good start.

And I was able to transplant all of the plants from the preious bed -- either to more appropriate spaces to fit the design of the new bed, or into other beds where I had holes.

I'm also very excited that I was able to harvest from my own little volunteer 'incubator' of Lamb's ears. They threw off seed from their blooms and new babies started growing in the playscape gravel next to the cutting garden. More than 20 of them were pulled from the gravel and put into the new bed. If you get out your magnifying glass, you can see them on the lowest level of the bed next to the Blackfoot daisies. The are the silver dots in this photo! What you can't see just below the Lamb's ears are several mounding Pink Texas Skullcaps, Skutellaria suffrutescens.

Visible only in this photo in the very back is my transplanted Butterfly Bush, Buddleja, which may or may not be 'Black Knight.' It is a deep royal purple and very vibrant. (In the process of researching the botanical name for my variety, I learned that is isn't spelled Buddleia, which is how I've always spelled it, but Buddleja. Saw it first on Wikipedia and didn't trust them as a horticultural resource, but then I confirmed it with Dave's Garden, which I do trust! Thought that was interesting trivia.) Around the base of it, I transplanted several Lantana montevidensis, 'Trailing Purple.'

The pinkish grass is Fireworks Purple Foutain Grass - Pennisetum rubrum 'Fireworks.' Next to it, Silver Ponyfoot, Dichondra argentea.

Up here is Artemesia powis castle which I hope will spill over the wall to mix with Blue Velvet Trailing Verbena, Verbena hybrida.
Obstructing your new here is a stick-like native persimmon. I was going to take it out, but I may prune it a bit and look at it for a while to see if it will fit in and can stay. Look closely behind it and you will see a Salvia Greggii 'Hot pink.' Next to it are three Daimianita daisies, Chrysactinia mexicana. You can see them better below. Then on the lower level, almost out of sight, are 5 gray Santolinas, Santolina chamaecyarissus.

On the upper level there are three Euryops chrysanthemoides with some Sweet Potato vines Ipomoea batatas to surround it and trail down the wall around the Salvia Mesa 'purple' and the Mexican Feather grasses Nasella tenuissima. Blackfoot daisies and Lamb's ears in foreground. To the left of the Euryops will be a large blue Agave, a small boulder and some ground cover of Purple Wine Cups.

So, that's it so far. I'm quite happy with this very xeric bed. Still searching for Mexican Oregano, LARGE Blue Agave, Color guard yucca, and a Queen Victoria agave or something similar with the upright form and strings! And another ground cover.

Almost after...

2011-03-11T06:24:00.006-06:00

The beds are finished and begging for plants! Can you hear them?

Yesterday, after a trip to It's About Thyme Nursery, I came home with a purple Salvia, Daimianita, Santolina, Jerusalem Sage and some Four Nerve Daisies.
The plants that remain from the previous bed will all move -- some will be relocated in the bed and some will go elsewhere to fill in spots left empty by the hard winter.
Today it's Barton Springs Nursery and maybe the Great Outdoors -- looking for Agaves, Yuccas, Salvias, grasses, Blackfoot Daisies, Silver Ponyfoot, Mexican Oregano -- and more!
Then I will dig up a few volunteers from other beds and add in Wine Cup and Lamb's ears.
This bed on the other side just got an updated and coordinated look with a rock edge.

Is there anything else you think I need to plant that I haven't thought about yet?!

Before and during...

2011-03-05T14:09:00.008-06:00

It's getting warmer, daffodils are blooming, oak leaves are dropping, and gardeners are getting project fever.

This week marked the beginning of a new project in my garden.

I've been working on the front mailbox bed since we moved in. The previous owners had a mishmash of meatball-shaped shrubs. I took them out several years ago and planted a nice array of native and drought tolerant shrubs and perennials. Plants included Lantana, Butterfly bush, Loropetalum, Blackfoot daisy, Hymenoxis, and Bi-color iris.
Don't get me wrong -- I love the plants. But I still had issues with the almost square bed which lacked definition, was too deep and flat.

So, this week I started on the project to make the entrance a welcoming addition to our landscape.

See how overgrown it looks without some way to break up the depth?
The right side will get a little sprucing up with just a few new plants -- I have to replace two agaves that died in our cold winter. And it will get updated as well, with a natural rock edge to match the left side.
It looks o.k. in early spring before the plants grow, but it still has an odd, uninteresting shape with no flow.
Just imagine a small rock wall that provides an elevated garden bed along the left half of the existing bed and extending it down to meander along the driveway. Then the lower lever of the front bed will meander in front of it, segmented by little vignettes separated by smaller rocks, providing spaces to highlight favorite plants and create focal points.
Tons of rock for the raised bed arrived this morning. Rock breaking starts Monday (I will not be a part of that team..I'm the design team!)

A few little garden early birds...

2011-02-28T10:39:00.005-06:00

Most of my garden is awash in a sea of browns, grays and deads. Everywhere you look, there are dried limbs, waiting, desperately waiting to be pruned.
But thank goodness for my passion for early spring bloomers. They never fail me. There are daffodils scattered all about ... Yellow Fortune, Tete a tete, Dutch Master, Double Campernelle, Jonquil Simplex. These are Dutch Masters above, also known as King Alfred.
And here we have one of the newer Hellebores. I believe that this one is Phoenix, but I'm not sure because the two about to bloom are not tagged, I didn't keep the receipt, and I didn't blog their names or record their names in my master notebook.

I hate it when I do that! I do have two that have tags, but they are sad and pathetic and not blog-worthy! That's how it goes, isn't it?!
This is the Double Campernelle Daffodil. See how fluffy and full it is?
And right behind it I have this lovely Japanese Quince that blooms and heralds the spring every year.
Not sure which one this is. I keep meaning to take photos of them all and try to pin point which is which, but that's low on the list of garden-to-dos!
This one I can ID - it's the Tete-a-tete. They are tiny little Daffs with a nice upright shape and lovely, neat little blooms.
Unknown variety hyacinths from a grocery store bulb planter I was showing off inside the house two years ago -- see it here.

So, while I'm waiting to prune, purge and plant in the garden, I can always count on these pretty early birds to perk me up.

Who's perking you up in your garden? Any signs of spring yet?

The grass is always greener ... in the spring!

2011-02-16T07:59:00.004-06:00

Well, this sure isn't grass, but it is very green for the Foliage Follow-Up day, when Pam, of Digging, entices gardeners around the globe to share what's green and growing in their gardens.

My greenery is actually in the greenhouse - safe from several long and hard freezes we've suffered this winter.

The unusually cold temperatures have turned many of my favorites outside into mush or kindling.

I almost missed the lovely bloom on this little succulent, shoulder to shoulder with other heat-loving plants in the greenhouse like the geranium that's cozying up next to it.

The geranium is a passalong from Robin, of Getting Grounded. But I can't remember the name of my succulent though. It grows from little corms and spreads like crazy. Any ideas on what it might be? -- My friend Ronnie tells me he thinks it's a Silver Squill, and that's exactly it! How nice to know. Aren't garden bloggers wonderful sources of shared information. Now I can sleep at night knowing my mystery is solved!

It reminds me that the new growth of spring really is right around the corner.

And it's nice to have a little peek at it ahead of time, isn't it?

Faith in the garden...

2011-02-10T21:13:00.003-06:00

I’ve been given reason this week to reflect on my faith. My faith in many things.

My faith held me strong in the face of despair and I was heartened by a miracle.

My faith gave me comfort in the face of sadness – a peaceful knowing that all is right with the world in spite of sorrow.

And I am trying to have faith (if trying is something one can do to with faith) about a loved one’s critical illness.

All this reflection has been percolating around inside of me this week. Swirling around me as I water the plants inside the greenhouse and as I contemplate the winter damage in the garden.

Gardening is also about faith. Faith that the blazing heat of summer will end and winter will come...and the bitter cold of winter will end and summer will come -- again and again.

It’s about knowing that the birds will return to build their nests and our precious plants will burst forth from the roots again after being devastated by the changing seasons. And if not, new plants will bring new pleasure, fresh ideas and creativity to the garden as well.

I had a little flash of faith today in the garden.

In the big pots on the back patio, among the dead and dormant plants, sits an Autumn Joy Sedum -- its stalks tall and gray and crackling.

But behold below...little florets of sedum, green and fresh and succulent, as they should be, giving rise to the promise of a new day in the garden.

The frost and the frantic freeze frenzy...

2011-02-09T07:56:00.004-06:00

You know you do it...

Maybe you don't talk about it, hiding it like a bad plant in the back of your garden.

When the cold winds blow and the forecasts foretell of frigid temperatures, do you do the...

...frantic freeze frenzy?

Sssshhh...I won't tell any one, honest.

But I'm sure I've seen you -- lurking about at night, all covered up in dark clothing, sheets, blankets, Christmas lights and rocks in hand. Furtively darting about in a futile attempt to keep wind, rain and ice off of your precious plants.

Fingers numb and stiff, ears red and raw, you've braved the elements.

You truly believe that man (or woman) can win out over nature. Surely your clever plan to secure your contraption will hold and save the day (or night).

Is this you? Do you see yourself in this post? Isn't it time to step out into the light and admit it?

You do the frantic freeze frenzy to protect your precious plants in the winter. Don't you?

Plants were not the only ones who felt the freeze...

2011-02-08T07:53:00.003-06:00

Here is another casualty of last week's prolonged and bitterly cold weather.

This beautiful Mexican Talavera bird bath couldn't handle the thaw with two inches of ice sitting in it. (At least it wasn't the pipes in my house, I am thankful for that.)

Last year, I brought it in the garage to protect it from the hard freeze.

Sadly, I just didn't think to do it this year.

I was contemplating super glue...but that won't work.

I bought this a few years ago at our local HEB grocery store. They sometimes get special orders of pottery or garden furniture in the summer time and I grabbed this up the second I saw it.

Maybe I'll run across another one somewhere -- I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The wounded in my garden...

2011-02-05T19:35:00.007-06:00

Last week's unseasonably cold temperatures -- down to 17 here at my house -- left their mark on the garden.

I think most of these plants are simply damaged and not actually dead.

But I'm going to cross my fingers for a little good luck, anyway.

I didn't cover anything this year. Too many years of running around on dark and blustery nights with sheets and blankets and rocks, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to cover plants.

First of all, the freezes this week were to hard and too prolonged to benefit from any covering.

And, frankly, I'm tired of running around on dark and blustery nights with sheets and blankets and rocks, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to cover plants!

So, come on a tour with me -- and send some good karma my way as you look at my sad specimens.

The first one is an umbrella plant, (Cyperus alternifolius). Like many more tropical plants, like Sagos (cycads), the cold weather turns it pale and papery.

This big blue Agave is sad on the bottom, but the firm and standing center is an excellent sign.
This variegated agave will be getting a haircut for sure.
For the first time, the Society Garlics are all looking miserable. I know they will revive, but expect to sheer them after the danger of frost has passed.
This Mangave looks pretty squishy to me...
See, here's a Sago (Cycad) that's lost almost all of its pigment. It's a pale version of its former self.
Two more squishy Agaves (that's the technical term). The top one is a passalong - variety unknown.
This Agave celsii took a hard pruning last winter, but eventually came back. And now, it's back to square one. Do you think they are tired of this? I sure am.

But I know my garden blogging friends anywhere north of here have it far worse in the winter. And, this is not our official whining season, it's theirs. Ours is reserved for August and September.

How squishy is your garden these days?

Homegrown cauliflower turns into fabulous casserole...

2011-01-30T19:45:00.003-06:00

Today I picked two small heads of cauliflower in the garden. This is my first year to grow cauliflower and it was so easy.

I meant to take photos of it when I washed it and when the casserole was done. My focus on getting to the eating part must have affected my memory and I completely forgot to take photos.

Last week I found my old recipe box with a solitary recipe card sitting on top of it. Yellowed with age, I probably copied it out of a magazine or the newspaper at least 25 years ago. (oh, no, I meant to write more than 5 years ago. I'm really not that old, really I'm not!) But I'm certain that I never made it.

Today I made it with my home-grown cauliflower. It was simple and delicious. And since I couldn't invite you to dinner, I thought I'd share it the recipe with you!

Cauliflower in Cheese Sauce

1 head fresh cauliflower
2 cups bechamel sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 oz. dried beef
buttered breadcrumbs

Cook cauliflower until tender. Make bechamel sauce (melt butter, make a roux with a little flower, add milk or cream & cook until thickened. Add nutmeg. Do NOT salt or pepper this.) Cut dried beef into very small bits. Add to sauce with cheese. Place drained cauliflower in greased baking dish. Cover with sauce. Top with a little extra cheese & buttered bread crumbs. Bake in oven long enough for everything to melt together and get hot. (350 degrees) 4-6 servings.

So yummy. Though I did taste a sample of the cauliflower when it came out of the boiling water so I could actually get the flavor of it all by itself. It was great.

What a fun process - growing them from seed in my veggie garden, photographing it, picking it, cooking it, and eating it. And now blogging about it and 'sharing' it.

Doesn't get much better than that for a gardener.

What are you eating out of your garden?

Gardener goodies...

2011-01-27T21:51:00.003-06:00

Holidays are always fun when you're a gardener. There is a never-ending supply of wonderful gifts for gardeners. From gloves to ceramic pots to garden art -- even non-gardeners can find something fun to give.

And I believe you can never have too many bird feeders, houses, or baths. (More on that in my next post.)

So it's always interesting to see what's behind the gift wrap.

I love this little seat - it's so portable and comfortable to sit on, and being able to tuck my hand tools in it is wonderful.
This is the most unusual gift I have ever received. My dear friend, Kristen, gave me this little package. In it? Rose seeds that are registered with a number, and waiting for ME to grow and name the rose. How cool is that?

I'm waiting anxiously to plant my seeds. I think they will get their start in the greenhouse, which is perfect for seeds this time of the year.

Naming my rose, will be another matter altogether. No pressure there! Any ideas or suggestions for names? There hundreds if not thousands of roses out there. The process will certainly have to include making sure the name I choose isn't already taken.
This adorable birdhouse is just waiting for a new family to move in. I wonder who will find it appealing? Cardinals, wrens, titmice, finches? We'll keep watch for our new neighbors!

What's up doc?

2011-01-22T13:26:00.005-06:00

The sun came out today and I ventured out to open up the greenhouse.

It's still a little breezy and requires a sweater, but the sun feels so good.

I decided to peruse the garden and decided it must be time to test a carrot to see if it is done. The foliage is getting quite full and tall.

Spade in hand, I gently loosened the largest one without disturbing its neighbors.

I brought it in and lovingly washed all the dirt off. Then, as all garden bloggers do, I took it out to find a suitable spot to take its portrait!

It looks quite yellow and I vague remembered planting an unusual variety of carrots, but I only included a decorate label that was simply marked 'carrots.' A search of my blog posts didn't find a name either, so I set about trying to find the seed packet from whence it came.

Lo and behold, there it was, on the potting cabinet in the garage, along with all the other fall veggie seed packets. At least I had the sense to save the empty or partial packets.

These seeds require 10-20 days to germinate and I planted them on November 10th. Today marks day #73. But then again, this is Texas, and they've enjoyed quite a bit of extra sunshine and wonderful growing weather to boost them along.

Now I know why the carrot was yellow, it was supposed to be yellow -- it's a Sunshine carrot. How appropriate -- we all took a little taste of it and pronounced it sweet and delicious.

There are quite a few more as big as this one, so I will be going back outside with a basket to gather up some snacks!

Growing goodies in the garden...

2011-01-19T07:22:00.005-06:00

Though it's winter outside, there are still wonderful vegetables growing in the garden.

Planted in early fall, these edibles love the chill of winter.

I know my gardening friends are already harvesting and have pulled up some lovely carrots. Mine were planted a little later, but I'm eager to check one of the larger ones.

My 8-year old is a veritable bunny, and would readily crunch on raw carrots at every meal. She will have a blast when we harvest these.

Don't you just love the little vegetable marker? It's an antique spoon with a hand-drawn label.

This Dwarf Satsuma Orange is in the greenhouse -- it would not have liked our few light freezes. The warm humidity of the greenhouse provided great conditions to help it ripen. It's the first year for the orange (with me) and it produced 3 oranges. We've eat two of them and they were sweet and juicy and had very few seeds. I can't wait to eat the third one! Doesn't it look tasty?
Growing happily, I can't wait to eat the cauliflower with a creamy bechamel sauce, just like my mother made it and my German Oma before her.
The red cabbage adds a burst of color to the winter vegetable garden and brightens it up. Naturally, I'll make German red cabbage with it.
I've already harvested some small broccoli florets, but there are just a few still hanging on. Next year, I will plant many more of them.

Also growing in the garden right now, I have artichokes, Swiss Chard, parsley, sage, cilantro, and strawberries.

Now it's time to start seeds in the greenhouse. I know I will be ordering a variety of tomato seeds to try, but there is a world of other vegetables that work well started as seeds before the last frost in a warm indoor environment.

I can't wait for the spring garden. But I have to eat the winter vegetables first!

Are you eating vegetables from your winter garden?

Bloom Day Blue Bonnet ...

2011-01-15T15:36:00.006-06:00

It's a sad state of garden affairs here in Central Texas as we celebrate Garden Bloggers Bloom Day with our friend Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

Earlier in the week, when the sun was shining on our cold winter days, there were a few perky little blooms hanging on. Despite freezes last weekend, some lonely survivors still brought us some color.

But today is dreary and rainy and the blooms are few and far between.

EXCEPT for one lonely blue bonnet.

I think this little plant must be confused. It certainly hasn't been winter long enough for it to rise from its sleep. Winter only really arrived last week.

And it's not inside the greenhouse, it's outside where all its little friends are still nothing but slowly growing foliage...biding their time to bloom far later into the spring.

In fact, last year I was posting about blue bonnets on the April 15th Bloom Day, and here it is January and already this single blue bonnet has sent up it's banner.

I'm not complaining, mind you. A bloom is a bloom. It delighted me when I first discovered it last week. And it held on for me to share it with you on Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

I suppose it's just a small reminder that spring really isn't that far away.

Sunshine sprouting in my garden...

2011-01-13T08:31:00.003-06:00

The days may be gray outside right now, but the promise of spring is sprouting in my garden. Many different bulbs are peeking up out of the earth.

Most of my bulbs are daffodils. I love that bright yellow against the backdrop of winter. And since there are deer roaming here, this is one of the bulbs that they generally leave alone.
This is a fragrant yellow Muscari, Muscari macro 'Golden Fragrance.' While I strayed from my daffodils on this planting, I did choose a unusual yellow muscari to keep with the color theme.
Welcoming seasonal surprises is part of the fun of gardening for me. (Sometimes it's part of the frustration as well!) I don't remember what I planted here. Though I wrote down all the bulbs I planted in this whole bed last year, I don't remember what went in this specific spot.
I do know that these are passalong irises from one of my many garden blogging friends.
These are my new favorite daffodils -- they are teeny-tiny and the blooms are just precious. They are Daffodil Jonquilla 'Simplex.' I wrote about them last spring in this post.

So while I am bundled up inside reading seed catalogs and planning the vegetable garden, my bulbs are outside, getting ready to shower the spring garden with a little sunshine.

On a winter's day...

2010-12-31T09:58:00.005-06:00

Most of my perennials caved under last week's freeze. Some are only 1/2 dead, but most are pretty pathetic. I don't want to prune them now, though. Pruning now will encourage growth on warm days like today, and we don't want that. With more freezes to come, the plants would be stressed by going in and out of dormancy.

So, there isn't much to do in the garden.

Maybe stare at some of the bulb greenery that's coming up. Maybe water a few evergreen plants. Maybe pull out the dead veggies that weren't winter-hardy. Nah - that sounds too much like work.

Maybe I will just take the stack of seed and plant catalogs that arrived the day after Christmas and dream a little.

I could dog-ear some pages, make a few lists, maybe even place an order for some seeds to start in the greenhouse.

Yes, I think that's exactly the kind of gardening I will do today.

Are you gardening today, or are you dreaming of gardening?

Big Texas sky...

2010-12-22T07:46:00.005-06:00

As the saying goes, "Everything's bigger in Texas."

Well, not really. We just like to think that all the lore surrounding Texas makes us bigger than life.

But there is one thing that's indisputably big, and that's the big Texas sky.

Sometimes it just takes my breath away. Last night I broke a land-speed record running back inside after closing the greenhouse. The sky was lit with flowing ribbons of pink and orange. And I just had to have my camera.

As my Oma would say, "Die Angel backen Kuchen."

That's an old German saying for "the angels are baking cake."
The mid-day sky is no slouch, either. Peering up through the row of majestic Crape Myrtles that line our driveway, the big blue sky looks like someone opened a can of "Vivid Blue" Martha Stewart premium paint and poured it all over the ceiling.
The 'Maggie' roses seem to pop out of the picture when given the big blue sky backdrop for their photo shoot.

We may not have snow this holiday season. We may not even have cold weather (it was 82 at our house yesterday).

But we have a spectacular big blue sky.

I'll take it.

Summer keeps hanging on in the garden...

2010-12-15T07:26:00.005-06:00

It's December 15th, and it's not beginning to look even a little bit like Christmas here in Central Texas!

Unseasonably warm days have my garden confused.

Many summer plants are still thriving, or even putting on a second bloom.

While we've had a few close calls, I haven't had a real freeze at my house yet this season.

Some plants had a few leaves turn and die but the lowest temperature I have measured is 33F.

I love living here -- where we can garden almost 12 months a year. Sometimes that means the plants and I don't get a long winter's nap.

Having lived several times in much colder climates, I would like to see a little snow in the winter.

That's why there are airplanes!

The dogs, Tanner (the tan one!) and Dakota, don't mind one bit. Indian summer suits them just fine as they enjoy watching me work in the garden.

In the cutting garden, I've had these daisies blooming for months.

The Katy Road Carefree Beauty rose is very happy and producing wonderfully fragrant blooms.
Mexican Oregano is flourishing and has bloomed non-stop since the Spring.
The fall-blooming Mexican Mint Marigold, which began blooming in September, is also experiencing a long bloom season. I normally have fewer Fall-blooming plants in the garden, but this year, the Mexican Mint Marigold has had to compete for the spotlight.

This creeping Wegelia perennial groundcover, whose bloom is winding its way through this variegated grass, seems to come into it's own very late in the summer and doesn't last long. I've seen more growth than ever this year with these warmer days.
My Black and blue salvia was overshadowed by other growing plants this summer and had virtually died back. This brand new shoot came up from the roots a few weeks ago and burst into bloom.
Exotic red blooms cover my Bottle Brush tree, blowing in the breezes above a blue agave.
And, the ever-reliable button mums just keep coming back year after year to put on a big Fall show.

For a garden tour of what's blooming all over the world, you can visit Carol, at May Dreams Gardens, where she hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th of each month.

Beautiful bursts for fall foliage follow-up...

2010-11-16T08:30:00.005-06:00

Fall has arrived in Central Texas.

Thank Goodness!

We've been eagerly awaiting its arrival, having tired of endless summer.

But the days are in the 70s and the nights have even dipped down to 40 a time or two.

Our prodigious perennials have begun to wane, blooms fading, leaves yellowing and stalks turning spindly.

I love fall.

It's a great time to grow fall vegetables. And I'm always amazed at the fall color.

We certainly don't get the brilliant displays of color like gardeners in the north and east, but we do get some small bursts by certain trees and shrubs.

This small Crape Myrtle in my front bed has transformed itself with these beautiful hues of yellow and orange that almost make it look illuminated.

The big Burr Oak has some warm color, too, though it's a little slower to change -- perhaps this lumbering giant is slow to do many things. But it does drop the biggest leaves on the planet! (I might be exaggerating just a bit here.)
The Loropetalum love the chill - their deep plum-colored leaves provide a wonderful contrast in the garden.
My other Crape Myrtles - at least 15 feet tall - are reaching into the big blue sky with their fall colors and seed balls.
This Dwarf Pomegranate is still green as green can be, but the fruit is ready to ripen and bringing on its own fall color.
And one of my favorite color combinations - a coleus and a potato vine. Both seem unfazed by the cooler weather and I'm so glad.

Pam of Digging invites us to share our fabulous foliage photos on the 16th of each month and this month, there's much to see.

What's your favorite foliage in the garden now?

All ready for a long winter's nap ...

2010-11-11T20:09:00.003-06:00

Last week's cold weather scare sent many gardeners (including me) scurrying for sheets and towels and shoving plants up against the house.

And of course it did not freeze. Not even close. But that's the nature of, well...Mother Nature.
Because I heard the freeze warning late in the day, there was no way to get all the plants into the greenhouse, especially the big monsters that I simply cannot budge.
So, today I got some help to move the giant pots to get the hardest part of the move situated. Then I spent most of the day putting in the rest of the children...I mean, plants...
The biggest challenge is using sun-lovers to provide enough shade for more delicate plants that spend their summers under the part-time protection of the back patio and the cabana. So plants have to be carefully placed so as not to scorch or get leggy. Then there's the issue of enough room for me to get in there and reach back windows and have some space to work.
This is the work space - just enough for repotting, cleaning up plants and preparing seeds.

The daily watering starts again now -- with the cooler weather, these plants have gone up to 3 days without water around the back patio area. In the greenhouse, it will be too warm yet during the days to let most of them go more than a day.

With a forecast of 60s for the low tonight, they are sleeping with the windows and door open tonight. The cold front arrives tomorrow - 58, and next week we'll be in the low 40s at night. Then the plants will be very glad to be in the greenhouse with the heater on.

Let the winter begin! Are you ready?

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-11-10T07:06:00.002-06:00

Fall bloomers and a few surprises...

2010-11-08T08:31:00.004-06:00

As temperatures drop and it begins to look a little like fall here in Central Texas, new things are blooming in the garden.

There are the traditional plants, like these beautiful mums.

They disappear during the scorching hot summer, but puff up and explode with flowers when it starts to get chilly outside.

And there are the Mexican Mint Marigolds with their beautiful yellow blooms and the Fall Asters that I wrote about two posts ago, all reliable fall bloomers.
There was beautiful light when I went out with the camera this morning.
The oak in the front yard was aglow like a flaming tree with its golden leaves in the rising sunlight. We have so little fall color here because it's just not cold enough, so we really appreciate it when we see it!
But I was surprised to find these Shasta Daisies in the cutting garden -- blooming for the second time this year.
And the roses are loving this cool weather -- especially my Katy Road or Carefree Beauty rose.
Another sign of fall -- dead things! I'd better get out there and remove all these seeds from this dead morning glory vine or I won't have any cutting flowers at all in the spring as they will be choked out by vine-y groundcover!
And these precious little Marigolds came from seeds and volunteers in the vegetable garden, where I plant them to keep bad bugs off the tomatoes. I simply moved them to the cutting garden where they are very happy.

Any fall surprises in your garden today?

Halloween

2010-11-07T08:46:00.002-06:00

I'm testing a new version of iPhoto -- and this lovely photo of my daughter on Halloween is my test item!

Signs of fall in my garden...plants and projects...

2010-11-06T07:47:00.007-05:00

There are several signs of fall in my Central Texas garden. The Mexican Mint Marigold is in full bloom after a summer of green. I can always count on their bright and cheerful flowers after the temperatures begin to cool.
The fall asters are look like lavender firecracker bursts with the fine little petals.
The end of summer also brings out these sunflowers - Helianthus Maxmilliani. They are rather leggy this year from getting too much shade under the oak trees, but I still love their statuesque 6 feet tall form.

Blooms are the only thing that comes with the fall garden. As the temperatures drop, I get the itch to start a garden project...or two!
This little bed on the edge of our woods was pure happenstance. After laying out the bed below, I had quite a bit of leftover recycled glass and decided to make use of it, clearing out little understory scrub oaks and cedars and making a proper place for the birdbath that was tucked in the brush.
But this was the real project. This very large terra cotta pot (not my favorite) had been sitting at the edge of the woods gathering dead leaves, because I kept forgetting to water it and the deer kept eating my plants.

So I decided to move it to the crushed granite path entrance as a focal point and surround it with some recycled glass so it would look like a pond leading into the dry river rock dry creek.

Inside it, I planted a volunteer agave, from a passalong given to me by Phillip of East Side Patch . (One of many, I might add! He's renown for sharing his agaves.)

And the small river rock outlining the tributary came as a donation from my neighbors -- left over from a project they did and sitting by the side of the road with grass growing in it! I asked to buy some and they gave it to me.

With the free rock, $5 worth of recycled glass from the city, and old pot and a volunteer agave, this was designing on a budget! My only real cost was labor for the help I had hauling and spreading the rock.

I'm happy with the result, and now I have some more space in the accidental bed for planting! Imagine that!
While we've had temps down to 40, the days can still get up to 80 here, so we have about another month to garden here.

What's on your fall project list? Or is fall already over for you?

Who knew?

2010-11-04T07:08:00.004-05:00

Who knew?

Well, maybe you knew!

But I sure didn't.

This is an Aralia that I planted two or three years ago. And this is apparently the beginning of a beautiful bloom stalk. I had no idea it would bloom.
I can't wait to see what it looks like when each bud is open.
Do you have an aralia? Did you know?

Fall Flowers for Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-20T07:45:00.003-05:00

Got a little garden bling?

2010-10-10T07:20:00.007-05:00

I love bling.

I loved bling when bling wasn't even cool.

Don't know what I'm going to do when clothing styles change, because I'm taken with the swirls and the sequins and the glitter that are so popular right now.

Then I got to thinking, I like a little bling in my garden, too.

And I don't mean gazing balls (I'm not so fond of them, actually).

Like this ginger I recently planted -- it's kind of like bling in my garden.

What's garden bling, you ask?

You know -- it's those one-of-a-kind specimens, the exotic plants or the plants that perform amazingly. The plants you and your gardening friends ooh and ahhh over time after time.

So here is an overview of the plants I think of as bling in my garden. For starters, there's this Carara Ginger -- a tropical perennial with reddish bracts with pale purple to greenish tips. It blooms for several months and like part shade. It's new to me, and I don't know if it will do well here, but it called my name at the nursery.

This "Phoebe" hellebore is another delicate favorite that is a shining star in my garden. It never ceases to amaze me that she almost disappears in warm months, but comes back in the cold of winter like a pale princess.
Even though the foliage is less than attractive at times, when it blooms, this Night-blooming Cereus is stunning. Sadly, you have to catch it late at night or first thing in the morning to enjoy its one-night bloom.
The cassia, with their tall, exotic structure and candle-like blooms is always a thriller in the garden. Especially the year before last when they didn't die back in the winter and grew to be about 12 feet tall in its second season.
Then of course there is the Moy Grande hibiscus -- phenomenal blooms as big as plates. On a mid-summer day, there were as many as 12 giant blooms open at once. It's a real show-stopper.
These irises are really exotic, but I'm so enamored with the color that I eagerly await their bloom every spring. It's a Louisiana iris, "Professor Neil" and one of my favorites.
The Bletilla Striata, or ground orchids are defnitely bling. Just the thought that I have "orchids" growing in the ground amazes me!

The plumerias definitely are exotics, but they love it here. It's been a particularly good year for them this year. They've liked the extra moisture in the air.
But on the same note, I've had to pull this Desert Rose out of the rain many times this summer because I wants to be dry, dry, dry. And it rewarded me with these great blooms.
These? No exotic at all, but the giant patch of wine cup that completely covers my rock path each spring is another jaw dropper. I walk around the path for months, because I can't bear to cut it back one little bit!
And this ia a perfectly ordinary Wisconsin ditch lily, brought to me in a bucket by car by Lori, the Gardener of Good and Evil . Hemerocalis experts frown at these common ditch lilies, but this amazing plant bloomed for me ALL summer long and at times had a dozen hot tangerine blooms at once.

I had a hard time limiting my choices because there are so many plants in my garden that I think are special. So, these are just a few of my favorite things.

Which plants are the bling in your garden?

One of these plants is not like the others...

2010-10-04T21:15:00.006-05:00

When I build a new bed and take the time to plan it out and do a real garden design (that means measure, plan, research and shop all at once), it usually works out nicely.

But, do I do that much? In a word, No.

I fall in love with something at a nursery, or in the glossy pages of a garden porn catalog, and I buy. Then I plop. Plop plants wherever there is room and the conditions are right.

We all do it, right? But then it comes back to haunt us.

Or, sometimes, invasive plants behave badly and stretch their limbs and vines to end up far away from where they once started!

Looking around the garden as fall arrives, I can't help but think, many of these things are not like the others! It's sometimes hard to see in the photos, because both plants aren't always in focus, but look carefully and you'll see reds and pinks, oranges and lavenders, you name it. And I'm all for color and bright combinations, just not hideous ones!

But I'm not a mover. (Maybe a shaker!) But definitely not a mover by nature. Several of my garden blogging friends are always moving things around, trying to find the perfect spot, sun, soil for a particular plant.

Not me.

But I'm done with that. This fall the change of season also marks a change in my gardening habits. I'm going to fix all of the mis-matches in my garden. Or at least those that I reasonably CAN fix.

Because I have 2 Pairie Sun Rudbeckia, and 2 unidentified red plants and as I look at them sitting on the edge of my driveway, I realize -- I haven't planted them because I don't have a red and yellow bed. Well, I have a yellow bed and tried to have red with it, but the deer didn't like the color combination and ate all my Standing Cypress this summer!

So, with new resolve, I'm attacking my garden in an attempt to impose a Sesame Street style order to the most unruly of my plants.

What about you? Any mis-matches in your garden?

What an amazing biennial bloom!

2010-09-30T20:29:00.001-05:00

The Night-Blooming Cereus sure put on a show this morning. I assume she opened completely in the night.
When I got out there at 7:30 this morning, she was already beginning to close up some.
But she's still beautiful and just darn cool!
I missed her blooms in the early spring, so I'm very excited to have had the chance to get a glimpse this time.

The promise of things to come in the garden...

2010-09-29T11:43:00.006-05:00

As gardeners, we think of the spring as a time of renewal.

Plants awaken from their long winter's nap and begin the process of growing again.

But fall is also a time of renewal.

Here in Texas, our hot summer perennials are refreshed by ever-so-slightly cooler temperatures and a little bit of rain. Many of them begin a new bloom cycle until the first frost appears.

Fall bloomers, like fall Asters and Oxblood lilies also thrive.

And, our most precious Bluebonnets, the state flower and our February/March pride and joy, begin to grow delicate green foliage.

My Night-blooming Cereus is also experiencing a revival. This bud showed up 3 days ago and I've been checking it each night to see if I can capture it's beautiful flower. The last time it bloomed in the spring, I actually missed 3 blooms at once because I forgot to check it one night. (There is little more disappointing as a gardener than missing such an infrequent bloom, only to find a limp little goose-neck looking spent bloom drooping down.)
These variegated dwarf Satusuma oranges are growing rounder and rounder and turning a little more orange than yellow. I can't wait to taste them! (But it will still be a few months before our traditional citrus harvest here in Central Texas.)
And more Lycoris Radiata buds are forming in my flower beds. Some are hidden by other plants, and I have to push foliage aside to get a sneak peek at many of them.
I can only get a partial shot of this one, but isn't she pretty?

There are many more promises of things to come in the garden. What are you looking forward to in your garden?

What a happy garden looks like...

2010-09-28T08:05:00.005-05:00

My garden is pretty darn happy these days.

A little rain, a little break from the heat and the promise of a fall break has most plants beaming.

Plants that had almost disappeared have made a remarkable recovery and reappearance. And, those without blooms are now showing off.

It's amazing what a little moisture can do for the garden!

I hadn't seen this Bat-faced Cuphea in a while, (the deer munched it to the nubs earlier in the summer) but now it's bursting with color, even giving the unflappable Lantana a run for its money!

This Pitcher Sage that I bought at last year's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant sale has finally come into its own and is blooming profusely in this pretty, dusty cornflower blue.
The Senorita Rosalita Cleome that Pam of Digging trialed last year sounded perfect for our hot, dry summers. All this rain has made mine very leggy. But, in spite of that, she's still putting out delicate blooms.
This Pale Pavonia passalong, shared with me by Robin of Getting Grounded, is finally blooming after several months of adjusting to the transplant.
And, not so pretty, but very active thanks to the rains, our resident fire ants. This mound rises 3-4 inches high at the base of my Bi-color Iris.
And their monstrous mound has all but obliterated this little decorative rock that reads, Peace. (Well I can tell you that I didn't leave them in peace, I sprinkled a nice little dose of ant bait all around their pretty little hill!)

How does your garden grow these days?