Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Happy Spring....



Spring has sprung!

It's been pretty warm here, the last few days.
Monday, we got up to 94 here at Patchwork Garden.
A 'cold front' came through, and yesterday was only 86.

Last night, there were storms in the area.  
Some got pretty good sized hail.
We didn't.  But, we did get .16 inches of rain.
It all helps.

Spiderwort

We have very few blooms, so far.  Those nights in the 20s, do take their toll.

Turk's Cap

But, there's lots of new growth going on.


There are several new fans on this palm.
I didn't write the name down.   
So, we just call it the 'Island Palm', since it's in the Island Bed.


And, I think the Yucca Rostrata is getting bigger.


We have a lot...A LOT...of Mexican Feathergrass babies.
Some will be moved to other places. 
 But, some will just end up in the compost.


Speaking of compost...
I dug out some from the bottom of our pile to spread in the Veggie Garden.


I poured out a bucket-full, and found this guy.
I know...he looks like a regular grubworm.


But, this guy is a little bit bigger.
Usually the size of one of those leaves, this guy was about THREE INCHES long!
I put down my glove, so you could see the size.

I think he liked the compost.
Sorry.  I didn't want to even imagine the June Bug he might become.
So, he became bird food.

*******

I hope you're having a wonderful first day of Spring.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Monday, March 11, 2013

Rain!....





We're singing for joy.
We got some rain!

Not much....only six tenths of an inch.
But, that's THREE TIMES more, than we got in February.

It was cold (29F) here again this morning.
Cold lows forecast for the next few mornings.
But, we're going to warm up.  Maybe this yoyo weather will soon end.

Spring is right around the corner.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Friday, March 8, 2013

One More Time....


Here we are at Friday again...already.

We've had another busy week.

You know how little kids love to be swung around?
How they don't want to stop, and yell, "One more time!"?

Well....I'm beginning to feel like the gardens here are little kids,
and we're the adults swinging them around.
And, they keep yelling, "One more time!"


This is the way the front looked, the first time we visited this house.
This is July, 2008.

Don't you just love that power box thing?  Great addition to curb appeal.

But, we're here to look at that front bed.  Lush groundcover (vinca),
 boxwood, an old Viburnum, and some old Nandina.
I knew right away I wanted to change all that.

The previous owner must have poured a LOT of water on this...
and the St. Augustine grass...
to make it all this green in July.

2010

Fast forward to 2010.  
2009 was spent mostly upgrading the inside of this 40 year old house.

The groundcover didn't fair too well, during the drought and heat of the
summer of 2009.  I wasn't too sad about it.  I wanted something different.
But, most of what you see above didn't make it, either.

2011

So, the Miscanthus that didn't make it, was replaced with a Soft Leaf Yucca.
The Blue Fescue was traded for some dwarf Yaupon Holly.
Not a very good photo.  You have to look closely.

2012

Last year, we redid the Island Bed.  Ripped out the groundcover that always looked ratty,
and planted some really drought tolerant things.

2011

And, we built the Driveway Bed.  That's changed since then, too.
But, I digress....

Late March, 2012

The front bed was looking pretty good.

2011

I was feeling pretty smug.  This all made it through the 
2011 'Summer From Hell'. 
 (Sorry, but that's how it felt.)

What do they say?
Something about pride going before a fall?
Well, Fall here didn't look all that great.
Another dry, hot summer.  NOT as bad as 2011.
But, bad enough.  It all adds up.

And then, there are the sweet little deer.



Remember back in January when I was whining about the deer...again?
Well, I didn't show you the Viburnum and Nandina.
Yes, they...or she....chomped that, too.
I wanted them out anyway, but this pushed us to decide.


So, Mr. P. ripped them all out.
Lovely, huh?
I especially like the downspout thing running across the bed, that we should have had buried...
but, didn't.


Then, we hauled off to that garden center on South Congress.
(Hint: Great Outdoors)


There's still a way to go, before we're finished with this round.
But, it looks better.


There needs to be something behind the Sabal Minor.
I'm thinking Bamboo Muhly, but haven't decided.
What do you think?

The boxwood are staying.  It would look just too naked, without them.

Need more mulch, and redo the soaker hose.
We're taking the stepping stones along the house, to the porch.
There's that much room....

I'm hoping those dwarf hollies finally do something.


But, so far, so good.
No chomping, no shredding...semi-success.

But, it's never DONE.
There could possibly be "One more time!".
This starting over EVERY YEAR, does wear one down.

Then, of course, there's the other bed I want out here
(I'm a glutton for punishment.),
and, the path around the house, and.....


So, we'll probably 'stick' to it.

  I'm pretty sure this yucca won't get to stay here.
Hmmm....center piece for the new bed?

*******

Whew!  I seem to have made a novel out of this post.
Sorry about that.


It's misting here.  And, we have a chance of rain for the weekend.
Hope they're right this time.

Have a great weekend.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Friday, March 1, 2013

Happy Friday....


And....Happy March 1st.

OK...I know you've heard me say this time and time again, but...
where does the time go?



Today dawned clear and cold....in fact, 24F cold.

I showed you another moon, just like the one above,
a month ago, today.

We had a full week....


We had a sunset party, at Driftwood Estate Winery.



The night before, a sad thing happened in Wimberley.
The Ace Hardware burned down.

A complete loss.  Nobody was hurt.
But, thirty-four people will be out of work, for a while.


We have Longhorn Baseball tickets.
So, we took in some games.
Do you know there are thirty-one home games?


Nice car, in the parking lot.



We had a very windy Monday.  Gusts up to 55 mph, here.
Now....lots of clean-up.

Thankfully, those winds didn't come the night of the Ace fire.


That same system, brought a second snow storm, to our Kansas kids.
Lots more snow and strong winds.


Our daughter sent these pictures.  As she said, "Nature made her own snowballs."
The wind blew that hard!



And, we spent some time here.  Locals will recognize this garden center on 
South Congress.

Now....more garden work is under way here.
Stay tuned...

It never ends.

Hope you had a great week.
And, have a wonderful weekend.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~