This and That....

It's been busy around here.

 Getting ready for Christmas.

Every year, I say I'm going to start early.

Every year, I don't.

Hmmm....I'm sure some expert would have some answer

for why that happens.

The weather's been nice.  This was yesterday's morning sky.

The day before was colder and the moon looked crisp and cold, in the morning sky.

 I've been spending a lot of time inside....getting the decorations put up.

We put down some stepping stones, in the New Front Bed.

Maybe a little too straight.   But, they're there.

.

I finally got the pansies planted.

I'm good at buying bedding plants.

Not as good at getting them planted.

Of course, the ever-present deer are still here.

They look so nice, don't they.

Yeah...don't believe it.

So....

We still have shopping to do.

We still have some decorating to finish.

And, we have family and friend events to attend.

I think maybe Santa (above) has the right idea.

Let's all run away to the beach.

That's what's going on here.

Hope things are coming together for all of you.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

The Last Week....

The last week of August.

In my mind, the last week of Summer.

Yes, I know...even though the official last of summer is

Labor Day Weekend,

in Texas, the heat will continue.

These guys will still be hungry, and chomping my plants.

But, there's hope in the air.

Well...maybe not today.  It's forecast to be 102.

But, soon.

Actually, we've had MUCH worse summers lately.

But, age and other incurable conditions, have made me more and more

heat intolerant.  Just can't hack it as well I used to.

But, a gardener's gotta garden.

So, I hauled (with muscle from Mr P) some rocks from the creek.

I had an artemisia Powis Castle up and die.

So, decided to replace it with an agave Lophantha.

About the only thing you can plant this time of year is cactus, agaves,

and ROCKS.

I put extra ones around this to hold it down.

Things get pulled up here, if not anchored.

Speaking of pests.

Yep...Leaf Footed Bugs on the prickly pear.

Research says the best way to get rid of them is pick them off.

Sorry....not on a cactus.

This is the only cactus they're on.

I haven't seen any on any other one....big or little.

We still have some tomatoes getting ripe.

They set long ago.

No bugs on them, and the squirrels have left them alone this year.

Even though I haven't been too happy with the way the garden looks, 

all in all, it's been a good summer.

We sit on the porch every evening, once the heat lets up.

Fans help.

But, I'm ready for fall to show up.

Just hoping to keep things alive until then.

Stay cool....

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

August!?!!......

Since last we met, we've been busy.

We did some traveling.

Back to Mississippi, to visit friends.

We go through Luling, TX, to get to I-10.

This time we stopped, so I could stand in the street and take a picture of this sign.

It's hard to tell in the photo, but it's 3 dimensional.

One of our friends retired, and he wanted to celebrate in Biloxi.

So, we went....again.

Back home, you can see we have been missed by the summer rains,

that have hit other areas around us.

The Grass Bed is doing ok.

Not as much growth as I'd like.

The Hyacinth Bean and zinnias are doing good.

The Pride of Barbados is finally blooming.

Love those blooms.  And, inside the fence, the deer can't get to them.

The tomatoes are blooming.

But, not setting fruit.  There are some that set earlier.  

Taking their time getting ripe.

For the first time, we had ripe figs.

Not many, and not big....but, they tasted good.

This Agave Lophantha had been chomped by the deer.

I took it out of the planter it was in, and put it in the ground.

Then, it started developing two crowns.  Very interesting.

We turned this firepit into a planter.

We put in a Soft-leaf Yucca.

Looks better than a bunch of limbs piled in there.

It's being protected by this resin Horned Toad.

So far, so good.

We'll soon put some wire up.  The bucks have lots of velvet to rub of their antlers.

And, last but not least.

Yesterday, my daughter and I went to Market Day, here 

in Wimberley.

I got two plants.

 A Dyckia 'Burgundy Ice'

And, a variegated agave.  I think Agave American 'Mediopicta Alba'.

There were no labels.  The seller just knew they were an agave and a dyckia.

Hope my research is right.

Now to find containers for them.

So...that's what I've been up to.

How about you?

Hope your summer is going well.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

The Grape Update....

Back in May, I told you how excited we were that

the grapevine we planted a few years ago was finally

putting on some fruit.

We had buds.

The blooms.

 Then, little baby grapes.

Just last week, they were beginning to turn color.

Now this week, they're ripe.

The birds have left them alone.  We've tasted a couple.

They're a bit tart, but taste good.

We're taking a private vineyard tour this weekend,

at Driftwood Estate Winery.

We'll be asking questions. 

Maybe next year, we'll have even more grapes.

So much enjoyment, from ONE grapevine...LOL

Gardeners are indeed a breed apart.

Have a great weekend.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

It Says It All.....

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~