Waiting for Plumeria

Red robins, red robins

2012-02-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

For a couple of hours around lunchtime today, several flocks of birds flew into the neighborhood to feed. My cherry laurel had been mostly decorative until dozens of robins and a handful of pushy starlings made it into a whirling dervish of activity. And the possumhaw is pretty picked over this afternoon, with just a few berries left after everyone had their share. A group of cedar waxwings (second photo from the bottom) watched from a tree across the street but didn't venture into the fray. Really an amazing sight to see! Guess it's migration time already.

A late foliage follow-up: January 2012

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

From the top: a kale & paperwhite bouquet from the garden; geranium leaves; succulent close-up; broccoli & italian parsley; veggie garden; kitty and kale; babies from the donkeys ear I moved inside for the winter.

Winter whites

2011-12-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

A whooping crane near Rockport, TX from our family outing Christmas afternoon (I've got many more shots on my illustration blog). And a bulb surprise when I got back to Austin yesterday, just hanging out near the A/C unit.

Beginning of a garden

2011-11-21T13:04:00.001-08:00

So, I had some help yesterday removing concrete bits and leveling the backyard topography. The goal is to put pea gravel in the path and "conversation areas," and then start planting beds in spring when I have a better idea of light and seasons at this house. My sister and I used some materials leftover from construction to make a winter veggie bed; it is a comfort to have some green in the dirt pit. And just to get a good idea of the starting point, here's a before shot of the concrete yard at the beginning of the remodel.And after the Bobcat came through and foundation digging of the back apartment had started.And that same area nowThe bricks are from a planter box that ran along the edge of the concrete and iron rail fence, next to the old staircase. I don't know why, but I love the D'Hanis bricks.Where the bricks end here, there's going to be a terraced level (necessitated in part by the fact that a strip of concrete still runs across there...plus, I've always wanted a terraced effect in the garden).And here's some inspiration from Big Red Sun, a stop on this past weekend's East Side Studio Tour. The pea gravel is what's going into the hardscape areas. But I'm also weirdly attracted to their artificial lawn...who knew? Maybe it's the softness underfoot, maybe it's the possibility of going into stage 3 watering restrictions next year.And I think this might work to shade the parking area next summer...or maybe it's too tough looking.Anyway, I'm enjoying looking at other yards for inspiration and slowly building my garden plan. And if we can get a few more good rains like the storm early this morning, that would be a cold season gift.

Foliage Follow-up: November 2011

2011-11-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

Some foliage, berry, and pine cone goodness from today's walk around the neighborhood and from the yard. I'm still figuring out what the new-to-me yard actually has in it, and what I want to keep. I'm not a shrubbery person, but I love the cherry laurel and the possumhaw that are both fruiting right now. And the former owners must have been big bulb planters because iris and amaryllis and daffodil-type foliage keeps springing up everywhere, despite renovation trauma to the landscape. Bulbs are serious survivors. As for the neighborhood, the crepe myrtles and tallows are all shades of amazing red!Check out more fall foliage at Pam's Foliage Follow-up.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: November 2011

2011-11-15T12:57:00.001-08:00

We had a beautifully heavy, much needed rain this bloom day. It's been a while since I've posted for GBBD, especially since the new house landscape is more dirt pit than garden. Ah, but the possibilities...

I do love the big patch of four-o-clocks (I think?) in the front, which look a little like popcorn when they open in the afternoon. And the fact that a ladybug larvae decided to join in the photo.

Happy Bloom Day, and don't forget to check out everyone else's yards at May Dreams Gardens.

Bee in the trumpet

2011-08-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last night my potted brugmansia (aka angel's trumpet) bloomed for the first time in months; the scent when it first opens is amazing, but this fuzzy visitor doesn't seem to mind the morning-after pollen.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: August 2011

2011-08-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Not much color in the garden these days, except for green and brown; but since it's the last Bloom Day before I move, I thought I'd share a few images. From the top: rock rose, chaste tree (this has been a dependable source of nectar all summer for the bees), the front garden (the chaste tree is on the right, mountain laurel thriving on the left), basil flowers, and oregano blooms (really, these are flowers, though they look more like foliage). I know it's still a month or two away, but I'm looking forward to the end of the blazing heat. Sigh.

To see what's blooming in less fried gardens around the world, visit May Dreams Gardens where Carol hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

A welcome visitor

2011-07-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

First caterpillar (Queen) I've seen in a long time on the milkweed. And a few aphids keeping him company.

More summer blooms and a near miss

2011-07-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

From the top: Tropicana canna, thryallis 'rain of gold', a small but happy rock rose, geraniums enjoying a new part shade spot under the bird feeder, and pride of barbados looking very hot in the midday sun.

Not sure what happened here, but these look suspiciously like cardinal feathers. Can't imagine what a cardinal would be doing that close to my back door, but I hope he or she is okay....

High summer

2011-07-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

Rock rose

Mountain laurel seeds

Tropicana canna

Zinnia seedlings

Russian sage

Standing cypress

The last of the water at Walnut Creek on this morning's walk

A morning of purple and pollinators

2011-07-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

I tend to think of hot colored blooms in mid-summer (flame acanthus, firespike, tithonia's velvety orange, pride of barbados), but when I looked out this morning, my front garden was dominated by cool purple flowers. Most striking of all is the sage bush (did we have a drop in barometric pressure last night? they're in full bloom all over town).

Below: a bee in the sage; another bee mid-flight choosing between sage and chaste tree blooms, another favorite with pollinators; and a moth on the wild Mexican petunias.

Eggplant flower; russian sage; and blackie sweet potato vine.

Close-up of chaste tree flowers; more sage bush; and wildflowers (ironweed?) on this morning's walk at Walnut Creek.

Foliage Follow-up: June 2011

2011-06-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

So, I've been wanting to do a foliage follow-up post (hosted by Pam at Digging) for months now, and I've finally gotten around to it.

From the top: Tropicana canna, paddle kalanchoe, virginia creeper, lemongrass, coleus, pride of barbados, feathergrass with a knot in its "hair", blackie sweet potato, new hanging basket (I think it's creeping jenny).

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: June 2011

2011-06-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

It's bloom day again over at May Dreams Gardens. And it's hot, hot, hot here in Austin. I'm in the process of leaving one garden behind (selling my house) and trying to figure out what is growing at the place I'm moving into.

At the new place this morning

Trumpet vine, mystery plant (anyone?), Mexican petunia, and crepe myrtle.

And my current garden, at the end of a long, hot day:

Birdseed sunflower, geraniums, oregano hedge, chaste tree, larkspur in two shades of purple, flame acanthus shrub (hummingbirds & bees love it!), and parsley.

Garden blog catch-up and the power of pressure washing

2011-06-12T04:18:00.000-07:00

Some blooms from the front garden this past month:

Amazingly, the angel's trumpet bud above still bloomed, after I relocated the caterpillar to another plant. The standing cypress (top two photos) are so self-sufficient and full of fireworks, I can't help but be a fan.

Big news and one of the reasons I haven't been blogging: my house goes on the market next week. I've been working for a while on getting it looking its best , which would be much more pleasant if it weren't so hot and humid outside! It's funny how all these little things you put off doing add up, but once you do them you wonder why you didn't do and enjoy them earlier. Like washing all the windows inside and out or changing out a broken hammock swing. Or pressure washing the deck, which is actually a huge job, and I am lucky enough to have a dad with a pressure washer and a great work ethic. And a sister who doesn't mind taking a turn vacuuming up cottonwood fluff. Actually, we had a really lovely work weekend Memorial Day weekend, with most of my family here (thank you!); we all took on projects and took turns playing with my adorable nephew (8 months old tomorrow). And all agreed that we should do something similar at my parents' house next time.

The deck before (cottonwood, you monster! you look so beautiful now, but I know what you can do, especially once a little rain sticks the cotton fibers to whatever surface they touch):

And after (even the cedar cabana looks better with a little wash):

I'm trying not to think about saying good-bye to my first garden of my own, and instead to focus on the next wonderful garden adventure (post about that soon). And to keep plants and lawn looking their best in very hot weather with extreme drought conditions...a challenge. I do a lot of dragging around a hose with a soaker attachment on very low pressure, which is a bit tedious. Next garden is definitely getting a drip irrigation system.

Neighborhood garden tour

2011-05-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

I'm inspired by this garden in my neighborhood. So many great modern-meets-mid-century ideas here. And I think this is my favorite rain barrel set-up ever.

The days of rain lilies

2011-05-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

I have never seen so many rain lilies en masse all around Austin. Guess the drought followed by a good rain followed by cool-ish weather (for May) make the perfect conditions for a lily explosion. Plus, there's something funny about the cactus/rain lily combo.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: May 2011

2011-05-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

Happy GBBD! Here's a look at the blooms in my yard today...sprinkled with the neverending cottonwood fluff. For more flower photos from today, visit May Dreams Gardens.

Standing cypress working its way into chaste tree blooms with russian sage at its base.

Larkspur

Indigo spires

First copper canyon blooms of the year

Butterfly weed

Lantana and firebush

Parsley

Geranium

Thursday's rain washed away the cottonwood fallout, but it's been snowing heavier than ever since then.

One day's worth of cotton on the patio.

Bridesmaid bouquet from my friend's lovely wedding Friday night.

Let the cotton fall where it may...

2011-05-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's that time of year when the 40 foot cottonwood tree in my backyard is seriously snowing. Nose-itching fluffy snow that falls in drifts with the breezes. I just learned that only the female trees do this, which makes sense...and makes me wish I had a male tree.

Does anyone else have a cottonwood in their yard? I've decided (again) that I love them best near rivers, although they are fabulous shade trees (provided they get enough water) and the sound of their rustling leaves in summer make me want to curl up in their shade with a good book.

Today's wildflowers at Walnut Creek

2011-04-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: April 2011

2011-04-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Happy GBBD! Here are some things blooming around my yard. For more garden photos around the world, visit May Dreams Gardens.

In pots: geraniums, bougainvillea, and dianthus with coleus.

The showy primroses are still putting on quite a...show, with larkspur joining in for contrast.

Cut leaf chaste tree is just starting to put out new buds.

Autumn sage, coreopsis, and indigo spires salvia are ever-dependable.

I've only got the one California poppy blooming, but it makes me happy to see every day.

Last of the freesia, butterfly weed, and coral nymph salvia.

This shrub volunteered in front of my rain barrel, conveniently screening it, so I never got around to pulling it out. No blooms but this year it's produced berries of some sort.

Flower power

2011-04-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Lena, the garden warrior, all painted up in pollen

On the morning hike at Walnut Creek, the honeysuckle was taking over the landscape, and I found a variation with rosy color on the outside of the flowers.

Lloyd enjoying some not-so-fresh creek water, and more wildflowers in bloom.

From the weekend

2011-04-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

Above: I'm not very good at potted arrangements, but I like the way the burgundy flecks in the dianthus bloom ended up matching the coleus foliage. Got lucky there. Below: Lots of cedar sage at Turkey Creek this weekend, mixed in with the poison ivy and spiderwort (for a patriotic color combo)

Today's blooms around the yard

2011-04-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

California poppy in the granite mulch near the curb; first of the larkspur to bloom; honeysuckle taking over back gate.

White blooms at Walnut Creek

2011-04-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

More spring garden blooms

2011-04-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Coreopsis

First bud on the Indigo spires

The front bed is filling in thickly

Two shades of red autumn sage are happily blooming

I took a pitchfork to the roots of this self-planted flame acanthus last fall trying to remove it (bad location), but this plant is a tough survivor. At least the butterflies will be happy.

Chinaberry tree blossoms on my walk this morning

This morning at Walnut Creek

2011-03-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Survivor stories

2011-03-30T05:16:00.000-07:00

So, there are certain plants in the landscape I was sure hadn't made it through those stretches of below freezing weather this winter. The Pride of Barbados that went in last summer looked like a goner, and one gardener suggested I just replant because I wouldn't know if it was alive till May. Well, last week I saw this:

And then I noticed some new growth at the base of the firebush, another one I thought was beyond hope.

The comeback of the sweet potato vine also surprised me.

And as I got ready to pull out a dead geranium (this is what it looked like in Feb) to put in a new one, I noticed this:

What can I say, I love a plant with survival skills.

Behold my bejeweled yard

2011-03-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

Finally: a rainy morning! I could be wrong, but this feels like the driest spring we've had in a while. Of course, officially spring is just a week old, but we've already had several days in the 80's with full sun. And I'm just happy to have a light rain this morning and coolish temps. If we get a thunderstorm this afternoon, even better.

Above: artemesia, mountain laurel, kale, Texas sage, standing cypress, honeysuckle (first of the season), and Tropicana canna.

Below: not quite as jewel-like, but definitely benefiting from the rain, a newly potted bougainvillea, bed on the north side of the house with everspreading inland sea oats, sea oat seedlings in the patio and spent blooms from the neighbor's honey locust tree, one of the freesia blooms has fallen into the gregg's blue mist, more freesia (the scent of the damp blossoms is pretty amazing), and a soon-to-bloom butterfly weed.

Garden scenes from the weekend

2011-03-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

Blank spots in the front bed got planted with lambs ear, wooly thyme, gaura, and hummingbird sage seed.

Love the color on the Sunlover's Coleus and the dianthus has sent up its first bud.

The primroses are filling in and hopefully the larkspur will bloom soon.

Wildflowers on this weekend's hikes:

First evening primroses of the year

2011-03-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be a couple more days before they opened, but this morning I saw about a dozen pink blooms in the front bed. Pretty soon: hundreds! In the second photo, they're mixed in with larkspur and copper canyon foliage. Below: the zucchini started blooming yesterday.

Today's harvest

2011-03-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's broccoli day everyday right now. And the cilantro from seed just started to take off this past week; now it wants to bloom. These sunny 80+ degree days are taking us right into the next season a little faster than I'd like. Ah, well, just roll with it, right?

Now, what to prepare with these non-complementary ingredients...

My iris finally bloomed!

2011-03-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

In fall of 2009 I picked up some iris bulbs from Boggy Creek Farms along with my vegetables. I wasn't sure where to put them in the landscape, so I just threw them in the backyard 'test garden' bed. This morning, for the very first time, one of them bloomed. I knew it was going to be apricot in color, but it's so much more beautiful and exotic than I expected. What a nice surprise.

And here's the iris abstracted:

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: March 2011

2011-03-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

In the backyard, my neighbor's pear tree ("shared" blooms) against the backdrop of my cottonwood; last of the redbud flowers; arugula; geranium; and spring groundcover looking cheery while I put off mowing.

Mountain laurels, freesia, and autumn sage in the front yard.

In the house, a decaying flower arrangement catches the morning light; christmas cactus trying to go for another round; and cut freesia bloom in an "elegant" apple juice vase.

For more on what's blooming around the world today, check out Garden Blogger's Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

A fan of freesia

2011-03-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

Last fall I planted the double white and double blue (actually more like fuschia) freesia shown here.

I first picked up a pack of mixed freesia bulbs as an impulse purchase from Lowe's about 7 years ago. This was my first year of gardening in the ground, and I had never planted bulbs before. Or much of anything besides herbs in pots. This is the first spring that those original bulbs (a mix of single red, yellow, purple, and white) haven't produced blooms, mostly due to a freeze in February the killed the foliage. They may still bounce back.

When I look at gardens around Austin, I always wonder: why don't more people plant freesia? It's low-maintenance (sometimes I remember to add a little bone meal or compost to the soil, but it still blooms if I forget) and has low water needs. It likes our winters, as long as we don't dip into the 20's for an extended period of time (rare here). A single bloom stalk in a vase makes a dramatic presentation and lasts for days. Plus, the scent is amazing: clean and floral, but not overpowering. Maybe it's just my kind of flower, but I highly recommend planting a few.

Garden scenes from the weekend

2011-03-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

Faux-hydrangea

2011-03-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

One of the mutant bloom stalks on my mountain laurel is in full bloom. It was creeping me out before, but now it's gorgeous. More like a hydrangea than like the single stalks (below).

Spring Forward

2011-03-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

Every day there's a new discovery in the garden. This morning I noticed that one of the mutant bloom stalks on the mountain laurel was loaded with buds.

The freesia I planted last fall are close to blooming (either double whites or double blues)

My redbud tree is attracting its fair share of bees

And every year I mean to drive around the neighborhood with my camera and take photos while all the spring-blooming trees and shrubs and bulbs are making life so beautiful. This is the first time I've actually done it.

Spring Fever

2011-03-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

My phone camera went all wavy for this shot, like it was overwhelmed by the rapid arrival of spring and the scent of the blooms on this tree. Wish this gorgeous-ness could last.

Growth again in the garden

2011-02-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

It might still be February, but you wouldn't know that from the warm afternoons this past week. Straight from cold, dry winter to humid, warm spring. Daffodils are out in full force, trees are starting to bloom, and dead looking perennials are coming back to life.

In the backyard, things are a long way from lush, but there are definite signs of life:

A redbud in bloom

Pineapple sage

I didn't think the lemongrass would come back so soon (if at all)

Lemon balm

Iris and strawberry runners

The geranium has been cheerfully blooming while awaiting a bigger pot

Tropicana canna seems to be a survivor (year 4 in this pot)

First winter I've been able to keep one of these succulents alive

New stuff to plant

In the front yard, more green things:

Butterfly weed coming back at the base

Freesia that were covered during the freezes (the others lost foliage but are slowly coming back)

A mix of coreopsis, standing cypress, larkspur, evening primrose, and weedy seedlings

Some coreopsis and standing cypress that jumped out of the bed and into the gravel

I've had to cut broccoli every day lately, but it's too pale and close to blooming in this warmer weather. Cold weather, sweet flavor. Onions and hollyhock seem to like it, though.

Cilantro has doubled in size the past week, and the kale looks bigger. I could stand to replant most of this bed.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: February 2011

2011-02-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that it is 75 degrees and sunny outside, this rosemary is the only plant in the ground currently blooming. Way too many freezing days this winter for zone 8 vegetation.

Picked up the hot pink geranium on the right at Home Depot yesterday. The red one on the left was brought inside for the cold weather, but his brother in the large pot did not fare so well covered outside.

Inside a christmas cactus and bromeliad provide some color.

To see what else is blooming around the world today, check out GBBD at May Dreams Gardens.

Last of the snow

2011-02-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

All but deepest shaded snow is now melted as it has warmed up to over 60 degrees! Seriously, weather: you are just messing with us now. My plants don't know what to think, esp. with more freezing temps ahead. But I'll take a cool, sunny Texas winter day and run with it. These are some photos from the yard this morning.

Last weekend, the bees were busy on a healthy bok choy. Now, it's mush, but the bees are still trying to extract nectar from the limp blooms.

Some pics from this morning's beautiful and brisk walk at Shoal Creek:

It might be winter

2011-02-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

We've been in the 20's since Tuesday night, and now a snow day. A beautifully pristine inch of snow over everything. And a chance we'll get above freezing this afternoon! Tomorrow should get up to the 50's...so I can see what this weather has done to my garden.

The birds have been swarming the feeder the past couple of days. A cardinal tried to chase off a gang of sparrow toughs, but there were too many. Plus, my little feline lurker was not so camouflaged in the snow.

Bees and Bok Choy

2011-01-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Finally, some sun! And the bees are going crazy on one of the few things blooming right now. And below: sweet pea vines. I've never succeeded with these, but maybe this is the year.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: January 2011

2011-01-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

Not too much blooming on this rainy, winter day: trailing lantana, butterfly weed, geraniums, bok choy, and christmas cactus with a second round of buds (the second one is part of the cactus that dropped off the main plant in December and got replanted); not flowering, a donkey ear kalanchoe collects rain on the back steps (it's been in and out of the house every night the weather dipped into the 30's).

Nandina color this week

2011-01-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

A Year in Flora and Fauna: Fall & Early Winter 2010

2011-01-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

We had some beautiful leaf color this November, and I discovered an amazing sculpted metal tree on the East Austin Studio Tour. The new vegetable plots out front produced a batch of radishes (delicious on toast with goat cheese), and soon I'll harvest spinach, chard, and broccoli. On Christmas Eve afternoon, my mother and I went on a three hour tour, I mean hike, in the pineywoods of Bastrop. We thought we were going on a little loop, but it turned out to be 5 miles long one-way, 10 miles total without any water or snacks (but perfect hiking weather!). Long hikes have now made my resolution list for 2011. Happy New Year everyone!!

A Year in Flora and Fauna: Summer 2010

2011-01-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

The highlights of the long, hot summer: a garden design project in the front yard and a road trip from LA to San Francisco (incl. a hiking trip near Monterey and stops at the LA zoo and SF park garden).

California:

A Year in Flora and Fauna: Late Winter/Spring 2010

2011-01-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's nice to look back at all that's bloomed over the year. These are some of my favorite images from my garden and hikes around Austin (the wildflowers were so amazing this year).

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: December 2010

2010-12-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd start with a few photos of blooms that are doing well right now.

The rest of the blooms are pretty much the same as the past couple of months, but with some cold weather damage (and by cold weather, I mean a few nights that got around freezing). A lot of leggy, scruffy perennials...can't wait to cut them back after a real freeze. Also, excuse all the leaves. Wednesday afternoon is raking time.

To see other gardens on this bloom day, go to May Dreams Garden, where Carol hosts this monthly event.

Easter Egg Radishes

2010-12-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is an example of planting seeds because of the name. I don't actually eat radishes, but I'll attempt to do something with these. I think I let them get too spicy, but maybe sliced thin with some goat cheese on bread? Mostly, I just like how cute they are. Planted some rainbow chard (transplant) in its place in the square foot garden. Also put in some Italian parsley, a hollyhock (only one of my seeds came up), and mint, which I hope will jump the corner of the bed to the granite. We'll see.

A monarch caterpillar journey

2010-12-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

This caterpillar was sitting motionless on a broccoli leaf (in the bed below) for an hour. When I moved him to the butterfly weed, he went right into action.

More fall color at Walnut Creek

2010-12-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: November 2010

2010-11-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

Flame acanthus is enjoying another round of color after I cut it back a little last month

These wooly caterpillars are really into the indigo spires salvia

Copper canyon daisy

End of the Mexican bush sage

Diamond frost euphorbia

The butterfly weed is back after being stripped of every leaf by caterpillars in August

Gregg's mist flower with sweet potato vine

Coral nymph salvia (I thought the lemongrass next to it was dead from a freeze when I planted this guy in spring, but it snuck back in over the summer...definitely not complaining since I do love to make to make thai soup with lemongrass when it's chilly)

Firespike (some of the foliage has gotten a little wilty from the low 40's nights)

Rock rose

Still so excited about my pink turk's cap! Although it picked a strange time to start blooming.

Golden thryallis

Okay, these aren't blooms, but don't these pyracantha berries look amazingly colorful? Saw a mockingbird making off with one this afternoon.

For more gardens around the world today, visit May Dreams Gardens, where Carol hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Fall in the garden

2010-11-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

The copper canyon is blooming alongside artemesia, indigo spires salvia (which the bees and fuzzy caterpillars are loving), and flame acanthus.

The tropicana canna foliage is beautiful, which makes up for the fact that it didn't bloom this year.

Another non-bloomer for the year: plumeria...time to move it to the shed.

The Mexican sunflowers are still producing flowers, but have become scraggly and are mostly gone to seed. However, when I pushed them back, a pale pink Turk's cap bloom was hiding underneath. This plant came from a cutting from my mother's garden and was a small transplant this spring. And it just started blooming in November...very confusing.

The pyracantha berries are bright red now.

And all the veggies in the back and front square foot beds are ready for some fall weather. All the seeds in the front two beds are up now, more or less, with the radishes (last photo) in the lead at week 3. Maybe I should have used more transplants in the front, but I'm hoping all the seedlings survive this stage!

Pyracantha glory

2010-11-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Someone planted this pyracantha bush in what is now a partially shady corner of my yard, so it's gotten a bit leggy; but it's in all its berry glory this time of year. Sometimes I get a flock of cedar waxwings traveling through that snack on it, which is a seasonal birdwatching highlight...except for the presents they leave behind on the deck.

Seed madness

2010-11-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Next week my kitchen table will be cleared of fall garden chaos. This week, I'm just embracing it.

Do you ever find yourself daydreaming over a stack of seed packets, envisioning what the garden will look like in a few weeks (veggies) or months (wildflowers)? As usual, I've got more seeds than I know what to do with, but I love this time in fall when the possibilities seem endless. Later I can worry about keeping everything watered correctly, covering things if we get a freeze, checking for insects...right now, I can dream a little dream of orange poppies, Tuscan kale, heirloom fennel.

Also did a little seed collecting from the cosmos and other flowers. And made some little seed envelopes from wrapping paper scraps (got the idea here).

Landscaping update: phase 2

2010-10-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

Back in June, I hatched up a plan for the front yard, which would replace bad lawn with hardscaping and include two vegetable beds (to be planted in the 'square foot garden' style). And Tim of San Isidro Designs brought it all off the page and into my yard. He's done some really great landscaping with similar materials, and I thought it looked even better than the plan. The above photo is from mid-July. Because it was so hot then, the pride of barbados is the only plant that went into the decomposed granite area curbside, but I had some plants in mind to put in either fall or spring.

Then about a month ago, as fall vegetable planting time approached, it hit me that there was a mere 3 feet of unobstructed granite between anyone walking their dog along the street and the beds for vegetables. Not ideal. So, I started scrambling for planting ideas, with some help from Tim again. I was really influenced by how gorgeous the fall grasses are over at Mueller, so it was grasses and a few specimen plants.

Parry's rosette style agave from Barton Springs Nursery, purple prickly pear and low-growing artemisia from Great Outdoors

Veggie beds with new dirt, just before the granite areas were planted last week

The long view of the planted curbside area. Not particularly impressive at this size, but most of these plants should fill out by next summer. I'm trying to be patient. The grasses that are mixed in there are Mexican feathergrass, gulf muhly, and the big one is seep muhly (I think).

My adorable agave. This one is supposedly slow-growing and maxes out at 3 feet in diameter, which is about all the space it has. Side note: the green groundcover in the decomposed granite is spurge, which I've tried picking out by hand...but not enough. It should die off with the colder weather.

Waiting for Fall

2010-10-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

So, according to my handy Travis County planting guide, these plants and seeds are going into the fall garden right now. And I am extra excited this year to have 2 full sun beds with at least 8 inches of really good soil, fresh from Natural Gardener. Last week I planted one of these 4'X4' plots, mostly with seeds but also with a six-pack of spinach. However, the afternoons have been sunny and hot (86 degrees right now).

And I'm hoping the seedlings I saw for the first time this morning make it. The spinach plants are getting a little stressed, despite getting a good watering this morning.

You may notice my lazy gardener way of cat/bird-proofing the planted areas. It's not pretty, but it's a good way to recycle those nursery trays and some random green flexible mesh I had. My neighbors are probably eyeing it dubiously. With a little luck, the bed will be full of young plants within a few weeks. I want the fantasia orange chard to turn out to look as fabulous as it sounds.

Mostly I'm trying to keep my expectations low with this front yard vegetable experiment, at least for this first season. But it's got to be better than the last 7 years of growing veggies in the shade, right? And the forecast has some cool nights starting tonight, and slightly cooler days...soon, fall, very soon.

The Other Lady Bird Wildflower Center

2010-10-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

So, the Wildflower Center is full of flowers and grasses at their peak of interest, but did I come back with photos of soft blue stands of mistflower covered in butterflies, ethereal clouds of gulf muhly, or the saffron stalks of goldenrod? Of the nifty stock tank planters? No. Just like in Neil Gaiman's Coraline, I found the "other" wildflower center.

From the top: mini Cathedral of Junk, a soldier butterfly (or queen? does anyone know?), and a quirky garden sculpture.

This is just the second time I've visited the center, and since the other time was during the spring madness of the plant sale, it was really my first time to look around. Can't wait to come back in spring and see it at its blooming best.

Late bloom day

2010-10-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

So, I missed Garden Blogger Bloom Day this time, due to my adorable nephew's birth and lots of family time. But I still think it's fun to keep track of what's blooming each month.

The fall asters are doing their (short-lived) thing right now. And looking pretty good against the artemesia, if you ignore the bermuda grass peeking through.

The indigo spires salvia (more than 7 years old) is looking pretty haggard, but is still covered in blooms and bees. The grasses are looking great right now.

The mistflower is covered in buds, and the sweet potato vine is a nice contrast.

The Mexican sunflowers are covered in blooms.

Pineapple sage just started blooming yesterday.

I don't know what is up with all the mutants this year. My mountain laurel has several mutant buds, and now this firespike has one, too.

Only got a few zinnias to come up from seed, and the plants are looking leggy and unattractive. But I do love the flowers.

These freesia bulbs were the best purchase I ever made at Lowe's. Assuming they make it through the winter, this spring will be their 6th bloom season. And they are among the lowest maintenance plants in my yard.

Garden Conservancy Open Day: East Side Patch

2010-10-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across East Side Patch's blog a while back, so I was really excited to see it as a stop on the Garden Conservancy tour. Totally my kind of garden. And much more fun to see in person. The gardener-owners Philip and Leah were very gracious, and it seemed like I wasn't the only visitor to make a second or third loop around to try and take in all the goodness. And I got some tips and ideas for the plantings that are going into the decomposed granite areas.

Fall wildflowers

2010-10-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Spring is the real wildflower season, but there are so many blooms in purple and yellow right now that are beautiful. Blazing star in purple (and white); sunflowers; small floaty yellow blossoms (bitterweed?) form drifts all over Walnut Creek; and goldenrod. And Lloyd, the pollinator.

LCRA & Drip Irrigation

2010-10-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

The grounds at LCRA Redbud Center (lots of cool demo areas to explore)

Okay, I know the title is less than riveting; so if you've read this far, you must really be interested in drip irrigation, eh? I'm not sure why, but assembling a drip irrigation system for my flower and vegetable beds has always seemed a little mysterious. Like I might get it wrong and end up with non-potable water backing up into my plumbing system. And there just seem to be so many little pieces, like legos for gardeners.

Well, Dotty Woodson, a water conservation expert for Texas AgriLife Extension, shared a lot of good information about drip irrigation in a free seminar this morning over at the LCRA Redbud Center. And followed it up with some hands-on practice for everybody. It's not so mysterious after all! And looking at the percentages, even an imperfect drip irrigation system would be more efficient than a sprinkler system.

The most important things I learned (that you may not already know):

Drip irrigation works at low pressure, 15-25 or 30psi (apparently soaker hoses can bust just like an overfilled tire, and if you've ever run them at high pressure, they're probably already busted...good to know)
The order I would attach things at my faucet is: backflow preventer, splitter (optional), filter (also can be attached at the drip irrigation end of things), timer (optional), pressure reducer
The filter must periodically be cleaned and best to drain for winter
Tubing and soaker hoses both should be flushed initially to make sure there are no rubber or plastic bits to clog things up
Dotty recommends a screwdriver to test the wetting pattern of your system. To do this, run the system for 30 minutes and see how far the screwdriver will easily enter the earth (and how far away from the tubing). Ideally you want to water 6 inches deep per watering.
She also recommends a looped system (perimeter of tubing with lines of tubing across the middle) rather than lines coming out from a straight line of tubing. It helps even out pressure.
Fitting the 't's into the tubing takes a little elbow grease (and a 'rocking motion'). Apparently some people use a hair dryer to heat them up and they become more pliable.

I'm excited to try out on one of the veggie beds in the back. I'm always trying something slightly different with watering (by hand, by various sprinkler, by soaker hose), which is probably the worst thing you can do. This might help me get a little consistency in watering. And lower overall water use!

The slow progress of Mountain Laurels

2010-09-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me the other day whether the mountain laurels had always been there. Which made me wonder how much they'd grown over the years I've been here, so I went looking through past photos. The picture above is from 5 or 6 years ago. Below is from today.

Well, no wonder I feel like I can't see the birds and butterflies in the curbside bed from the kitchen window anymore! These guys are all grown up, with the tallest at the level of the eaves. But in real time, it felt like these shrubby trees were hanging out at the same size forever.

So, hang in there anyone who's wondering if their mountain laurels are doomed to stay small!

Morning dew and post-season blooms

2010-09-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's walk at Walnut Creek was bejeweled. Dew drops on the long grasses, caught in the morning sun...gorgeous! Also, the moon stayed visible the whole time. My main complaint is that my iphone doesn't take the same quality photos as it did this spring. An update between then and now changed the touchscreen focus to touchscreen zoom, and I haven't figured out the new trick to focus. Anybody?

In the backyard, the mystery sage and obedient plant are blooming...at the same time! That's a first (sage usually stops by early summer). And the obedient plant is putting out a lot of buds along its stalk for a second round of flowers. A little scraggly, but I love having them.

Morning walk at Mueller

2010-09-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Everything looks so healthy and happy right now, and there are so many great planting ideas along the paths at Mueller. The kidneywood shrubs were covered in bees, and I've never seen Turk's cap so packed with blooms. I like the feather grass next to the yellow coneflower-type plant...may have to do something like that in the front.

The reflection on the "lake" was beautiful. Stopped by Elixer after the walk for the most amazing plum ginger scone (my first choice was lemon nectarine, but it had sold out). Yum.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: September 2010

2010-09-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

From the top: indigo spires salvia; Turk's cap and inland sea oats; thryallis (aka 'rain of gold'); Mexican sunflower (aka tithonia); firespike (which the hummingbirds visited last week); 'golden' cosmos; cypress vine; 'coral nymph' salvia; end of season obedient plant; chives (a baby anole lizard has been hanging out in them the past week, catching visiting insects); firebush (planted in July) and trailing lantana; Mexican petunia; 'hot lips' autumn sage; Mexican sage and Texas sage. Not shown, but blooming: Russian sage, chaste tree, flame acanthus.

Interesting how many of my plants have 'Mexican' or 'fire' in the name. Thanks to the Hermine deluge last week (my rain gauge only measures up to 5 inches, but we got a couple more than that), everything looks pretty happy right now. And I haven't had to water anything in the ground since, which is such a luxury for summer. Despite the fact that school has started, the day-time weather doesn't realize that it's fall yet, and we're still hanging out in the mid-90's.

To see more gardens around the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens. It's been so much fun to participate in the monthly look at what's blooming and a nice journal of what's going on in my own garden seasonally. Happy Bloom Day!

Angel's trumpets

2010-08-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

For all the subtle coloration on the buds yesterday, these datura blooms are white. They opened up last night as soon as it was dark and had a lovely plumeria-like fragrance (floral but clean & not too sweet); very fleeting though.

Buds and bugs

2010-08-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

So, I bought 3 angel's trumpet plants (4"pots) a few years ago at the Ladybird Center plants sale...and did nothing with them, except move them to slightly larger plastic pots every year. Only one made it through this last winter, and FINALLY it looks like I'll get blooms from it. I had no idea the buds were so tall (they grow inches in a day, and are almost 10 inches at the moment). Also, I assumed they'd be white, but these seem yellow with a dusty mauve. Very exciting!

On the less glamorous side, 4 queen butterflies stripped the milkweed I planted in July and are furiously searching for more milkweed-y goodness. Sorry guys! I'll have to plant some more this fall. I'm hoping they got enough to get to cocoon stage.

And these horrible cactus bugs showed up on my prickly pear not too long ago. I guess they're pretty common, but I can't say I'm a fan. (The up-close shot was pretty fearsome, so I settled for a bit further back)

Hot color in the garden

2010-08-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's summer...hot, hot summer. And the flowers in the back right now are, appropriately, blooming in flame colors. Mexican sunflowers (top) have the most gorgeous, velvety petals, and this is the first one to bloom. Below that: Turk's cap, firespike (started blooming this week), and golden cosmos.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: August 2010

2010-08-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, summer's in full swing, and even the prolific bloomers, like flame acanthus are not very photogenic right now. It's just too hot (up around a hundred everyday) to look pretty. But the obedient plant on the north side of the house (just a couple of hours of morning sun) started blooming this week and is a refreshing spot of color.

Close-up of obedient plant; golden cosmos with tiny pink butterfly; the chives in the front just sent up buds this week; and this caterpillar on the milkweed is new...maybe a Queen caterpillar of the monarch family.

Also blooming right now: turk's cap, chaste tree, russian sage, flame acanthus, indigo spires sage, mexican petunia, standing cypress, firebush, and thryallis. And to see what's blooming around the world today, visit May Dreams.

Seedpods and squirrel nest

2010-07-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Picked up the top seed pod rosette on this morning's walk (something like sensitive plant); wish it would keep, but the seeds are already popping out. The second is horsemint gone to seed. And below is one of two nests built by squirrels about a week and a half ago in my hackberry tree. I noticed small branches all over the lawn, and when I looked up, there was the squirrel pruning, catching (sometimes), and carrying up the branches to the work-in-progress.

Strange, colorful harvest

2010-07-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

The suyo long cucumber is being fairly productive right now (the flavor's really great for salads). The regular cucumber is a little bitter-skinned. Most of my backyard "harvests" are so small that I just wash and eat straight off the plants. This purple beauty pepper is sort of backwards in that it starts out dark purple, goes green, then red when it's sweeter (here it's a bit of all three). I've been hand-pollinating the cukes with an old paintbrush, but I'm hoping the addition of cosmos and a few other blooms in the back bring more pollinators.

Landscaping project update

2010-07-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

So, all the hardscape was finished on Tuesday (Tim of San Isidro Designs put in the flagstone and last of the granite mulch), and this is the first day that the grass has been mowed and no cars have been parked in front of the house...good day for garden photos. I'm really excited about the look and the future planting; but right now I'm happy to let everything settle in till fall while I dream and scheme.

I think it'd be nice to ease the transition between limestone block and path...I'm keeping an eye out for some found object or stone.

These square beds (4'X4') are for veggies. Right now I've just got clear plastic in there, hopefully solarizing away the bermuda grass and weeds. In the fall, I want to plant some Mexican feather grass in the granite area, and maybe some cactus next to the Pride of Barbados. Summer heat actually makes me not jump into a bunch of plant choices I might reconsider later.

All that landscaping inspired me to weed and plant this bed along the front of the house, which gets dappled sun throughout the day and some afternoon sun. The purple trailing lantana (left side) has always been there, and I added the butterfly weed, blackie sweet potato, gregg's mistflower, and vitex trifolia last week.

There's something so satisfying about the wildness of the planted areas and the calmness of the hardscape. To give you an idea, here's a before (maybe 4 years ago, with the metal edge hidden in lawn) and after, with my dog Lloyd demonstrating how much better it is now.

All the areas now covered in decomposed granite used to be a mish-mash of bermuda grass, st. augustine, wildflowers, horseherb, you name it; basically, that's the area of lawn not under the tree that receives full sun from lunch time till evening.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: July 2010

2010-07-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Backyard: 'Golden' cosmos; thryallis (aka rain of gold) happily blooming for year 4 in its too-small pot; volunteer sunflower; coral nymph salvia; rain lily in the middle of the lawn (no rain since the weekend and I haven't watered, so I'm not sure why).

Front yard: Russian sage; volunteer Mexican petunias; indigo spires salvia; flame acanthus against a backdrop of blooming sage (cenizo); pride of barbados (just went into the new crushed granite area on Tuesday); firebush starting to settle in; 'diamond frost' euphorbia, the most dependable bloomer around...where have you been all my gardening life?

Okay, these last two are cheating a bit, but first is a rock rose (you can't see its 4" pot...I don't know why I buy pink flowers; I never know what to do with them once I get home); and a Bordered Patch (?) butterfly sunning in the chaste tree, with an end-of-season standing cypress in the back.

Not pictured but blooming: Turk's cap; cucumber, watermelon & beans; strawberry; butterfly weed; oregano & mint; pale blue mystery sage; pink ladyslipper; kalanchoe; geraniums; coreopsis; purple verbena. Visit more gardens around the world at May Dreams Gardens.

Bird blind

2010-07-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Do you see her?

How about now?

A cozy little spot for serious birdwatching.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she doesn't ever become a birdhunter; so far, so good.

Half-homegrown impromptu salad

2010-07-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

Went to throw together a green salad only to find the lettuce a little questionable. So, I tossed some cucumber and green beans from the garden in with locally grown heirloom tomato and fig, topped it with toasted walnuts and vinaigrette...way better than what I was originally going to make!

A few more wildflowers

2010-07-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Love the purple on the Western Ironweed (just started showing up within the past week or two); Texas greeneyes; some sort of gaura in bloom (the stalks are leggy and taller than me); and gaura going to seed (this part of the path is wonderful in the morning, when everything's all backlit and glowy)

Also, this site has been the best wildflower identification tool this spring/summer. The thumbnail index is uber-useful.

Lemongrass love

2010-07-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

Isn't it great when you pair up the perfect plant to the perfect spot? Lemongrass is so handy to have around in soup season, but it's not the smallest or prettiest plant for landscaping. And then I had this blank spot behind the rosemary, right next to the dryer vent, under the eaves, where nothing seemed to work. Plus, the soil was shallow and filled with rocks. But I put a 4-inch lemongrass in that spot this spring, and it's thriving. So nice when it works out that way.

Lemongrass peeking up from behind the giant rosemary.

Landscaping Project update

2010-07-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday was day 3 of the project, and the rest of the granite mulch and some flagstone will go in about a week from now. Which gives me some time to pick plants to soften the outside edges of the two square beds. Even unfinished, I'm really pleased with it (awesome job, Tim and Juan!). You can actually see the metal border of the original perennial bed, which was lost in the lawn before. Plus, we've gotten a little sun and no rain so far today, and the granite is actually looking pink rather than muddy brown. Here are some views:

So, yeah. Looks likes I need to do some major garden editing here. I don't know how things got this packed in there, but now that's there's a clean edge, it's noticeable. The cactus will be transplanted to the granite section, partially screening one of the square veggie beds.

Love the way the rock edge follows the original metal curve.

Plants for outside the square beds: pride of barbados, 3 pink skullcaps (on sale over at Barton Springs nursery), and possibly the gray santolina.

Landscaping Project: Day 2

2010-06-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Rain again this afternoon, but more progress was made earlier and the decomposed granite was delivered. Exciting! Side note: I really do trim back the virginia creeper on the front of the house at least twice a month, but it just explodes in summer. Now it looks like the creeper that ate my house.

Landscaping project: Day 1

2010-06-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

I've been dreaming about having my own full sun vegetable garden for years, and now I'm one big step closer. So far, I've grown my veggies in the back yard, in the shade of a 35 foot tall cottonwood tree and an even taller hackberry. Plus, the neighbors' trees and a couple of small oaks near the fence. This means that I have a decent winter/early spring garden, but everything's a struggle once the leaves come in. What I can grow well in the vegetable beds in summer: cucumbers and herbs. I've got lots of gorgeous basil and lemon balm. What grows but doesn't produce much of anything: tomatoes, peppers, and any other sun-lover.

My front yard, on the other hand, is full sun. Lots and lots of it. There was a flower bed along the curb/driveway and an herb bed along the front of the house when I bought the place; the rest was lawn. Now those are both full to the brim with plants: self-seeding flowers, mature plants that seemed so small when I put them in (I'm looking at you, chaste tree), a monster oregano hedge (over 4 feet across) that started in an innocent 4-inch pot. So, it's time for new beds in the front, especially dedicated to the sun-loving edible annuals.

I've been collecting ideas for a while and below is the plan for the front yard. And Tim (and team) of San Isidro Designs started work on it today. At a dinner party last year, I saw a residential landscaping project they did which was pretty fantastic (there are images on the site); that project used the materials I wanted to use in my yard. The front of the house is at the top of the plan.

And today a whole lot of lawn was removed (weedy bermuda grass is out, st. augustine under the ash tree is in) and some limestone blocks were put in as a border. I think it looks pretty great, and it's just day one. This is the view from my front entry area.

Of course, a thunderstorm rolled in shortly after and it looked more like this (don't know if Team Isidro can do much in the next couple of days).

Still trying to figure out the best xeriscape plants to soften/screen the beds from the street view. Probably lots of Mexican feather grass, some spineless prickly pear, and a red bird of paradise (which I've always wanted). So many exciting things to think about.

Purple beauty

2010-06-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

I have a potted purple beauty pepper that is producing very small fruit (that's a lot of 'p's). The peppers are dark purple from early on, and apparently turn to red when they go sweet (I haven't let any go that long yet). The size means that I haven't been able to do much more than toss them in with other veggies into salad or pasta sauce, but the color's pretty fantastic.

On another garden note, my yard and plants are having just as hard a time as I am adjusting to the summer heat which set in last week. We're all a bit wilty. Except the flame acanthus, which seems to thrive on it.

New pinks and golds

2010-06-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Rain of gold (thryallis) with its first blooms of the year; 'golden' cosmos (seed from Boggy Creek Farm) in a new spot; a couple new plants I got over the weekend: coral nymph salvia and pink lady slipper, one of my favorite blooming shade plants

Garden notes from the Texas hill country

2010-06-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg: front gate, demo garden, and a hibiscus plant; Dora's Nursery in Leakey is filled with tons of healthy, blooming plants, like this golden shrimp plant, and an adorable daschund named Priscilla (not pictured); an 8-inch centipede crawling along my grandmother's stone wall...pretty creepy.

Zinnias and chickens

2010-06-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

Went by Boggy Creek farm for some produce yesterday morning (cucumbers, tomatoes, heirloom squash, melon). I usually like to do a little loop around after buying to see what they've got in their fields; this time some starlings, or possibly martins, made a few dives at me, hurrying me along my way. Loudly. But once I moved past their nesting area, I got a few shots of chickens, angel's trumpet, and zinnias. The fields in the front are almost totally zinnias and sunflowers right now.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June 2010

2010-06-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

In the back yard, potted geraniums

mystery sage

turk's cap (just started blooming yesterday)

volunteer sunflower

and cucumber

In the front yard, oregano (scrubby, but the bees like it)

a late primrose

first flame acanthus bloom of the year

the front view, looking healthy but a bit crazy (a flame acanthus planted itself front and center, and despite cutting it off to below ground level twice, it thrives and prevents me from getting to the center of the bed to weed and prune...sigh)

standing cypress: I love the red fireworks of flowers (can't seem to get my copper canyon to bloom)

the autumn sage is not loving the heat, but there are a few blooms

coreopsis

and the dependable euphorbia 'diamond frost', which apparently loves afternoon sun.

This morning's walk

2010-06-14T16:25:00.001-07:00

Shades of purple

2010-06-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Mexican petunia

Indigo spires

Chaste tree

Purple verbena

Russian sage

Fall asters (a few preview blooms)

Lantana

A surprise larkspur in the lawn

The only bloom in the backyard, some sort of periwinkle sage-type plant

The birdwatcher

2010-06-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

My kitty's subtle positioning yesterday; no birds have yet been fooled by her tactics. I put up the feeder over a month ago (not far above the birdbath) after deciding after a few years' study that she was a stalker, not a killer (with the exception of lizards and bugs). Hope I'm right. I've seen her stalk and chase a squirrel across the yard, only to have the squirrel stop running just short of the fence and start foraging again, back turned; and my cat just paused a moment and walked the other way.

On another note, such good rain this morning! If we could only have these weekly storms all through the season, summer would be a much more enjoyable time.

New blooms

2010-06-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

Burgundy okra and cactus

A handful harvest

2010-06-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to have a vegetable garden in the front with full sun! But for now, just small part-sun harvests. Chopped san marzano tomato tossed in olive oil and vinegar with farfalle pasta, goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and basil. Pretty tasty.

On this morning's walk

2010-06-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Still some spring wildflowers at Walnut Creek. And vultures. Also, bull nettle with its formidable defense system. If you ignore the incredibly humid morning air, a lovely walk.

Curlicuke

2010-06-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

So, I had to look through my plant tags when I noticed this cucumber start to go all spiral on me. It's a suyo long, something Great Outdoors nursery had in stock (I think they do well with heat). It's different (and a bit nibbled by someone), but probably not a great pickling shape.

This is the second year I've tried cucumbers in my shady backyard, and I just found out from Travis Co master gardeners that the reason I'm not getting more is a lack of pollination. I knew which flowers were female, but I didn't realize that the mini-cucumber on them still needed pollination. Here's the link they sent me for hand pollination, helpful because my backyard is green with only a few flowering herbs. All the pollinators are in front on the flowers. You learn something new everyday you garden. Especially when you ask questions.

The trouble with cottonwoods

2010-06-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, I may have complained here already, but enough already with the cotton snow! This is the worst cottonwood fallout I've ever been through, nearly 6 weeks of this stuff drifting down, coating everything, sending up seedlings in every pot or patch of dirt. Wednesday night's thunderstorm had the great effect of making a lot of it disappear from the deck and yard, but the next day it just started coming down again, in big clumps. Maybe I should be industrious and learn to make yarn from it. Sigh. I look forward to a summer of cotton-free shadiness and the sound of rustling leaves.

Wednesday evening, just before the storm blew in:

Post rain, this stuff ends up on all of us:

Making the most

2010-05-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Drove past this zinnia patch in Stockdale this afternoon. It's a couple feet wide by at least 25 feet long of the healthiest, most vibrant zinnias I've ever seen. And it's less than 10 feet from the highway that cuts through town. What if everyone just packed in gardens where they could, sort of European style? How great would that be... Also, I need to get my zinnia seeds in the ground pronto.

Tropical blooms

2010-05-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

I visited my parents in Corpus Christi this weekend, stayed in their newly renovated "guest cottage" (so serene), and got to see more gorgeous flowers than I could shake a camera at. These are all from their garden.
A new hanging basket with portulaca outside the cottage

Queen's crown vine

Bicycle as garden art

Bronze fennel in bloom

Pink turk's cap (I have one from a cutting started in my garden; hopefully it will be this healthy soon)

This creeping rangoon has climbed about twenty feet up the chinese tallow tree alongside my parents's house

A few feet away, this abandoned ficus totally outgrew its pot and is now taller than the house. Ah, the tropicals do love it in Corpus

Hummingbird moth

2010-05-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Saw this snowberry clearwing, a type of hummingbird moth, on the horsemint at Walnut Creek this morning. I noticed one last week on my chaste tree and had no idea what it was till I saw it identified on East Side Patch. This isn't the best shot of it, but it's the fuzzy bumblebee thing.

This morning at Shoal Creek

2010-05-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

From the top: love this gone-to-seed thistle; a little fuzzy fellow walker; and this proposal (of sorts) has been chalked on the trail for the past several days...I'd love to know the story behind it.