Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Welcome to Spring


The calendar says it’s Spring. 
Around here, we seemed to have gone from late winter,
straight to Summer. 

We had one morning low last week at 30 degrees,
and the last few days highs near 90. 

Welcome to Spring in Texas. 



The Spring Leaf Clean Up is about to begin,
when the Live Oak trees drop their old leaves, 
and put on new ones. 



The pansies are still blooming. If this heat keeps up,
they’ll begin to wane. 



The Snapdragons are finally starting to bloom. 
Almost too late. I’m thinking they prefer cooler weather. 



My neighbor, Ellie’s Viburnum is blooming. 
I didn’t get these limbs peeking through the fence,
trimmed back. Now I’m glad I didn’t. 
It’ll have to be done though, after the bloom is over. 



There are little fruits, on the Elaeagnus. 
We’ve seldom seen these, even though we notice the tiny blooms. 



The white Cemetery Iris has been blooming a lot. 
There are buds on other colors. All Pass-Alongs. 
The ones I bought, have not done well for the second year now. 



Inland Sea Oats are spreading, just as I wanted. 
The ones all over the rest of the yard, were not exactly my wishes. 
I’ll be moving them around. 
The deer don’t bother them. That makes them a favorite plant. 



Out in the Deer Grove, another plant the deer don’t bother...
Agarita. 
Pretty yellow flowers. 
There are supposed to be berries to follow. 
I’ve never seen them here. 
Maybe something gets them before I see them. 




 Again in the Deer Grove, these yuccas are colonizing very nicely. 
I think they’re Twisted Leaf. 
I’m thinking of trying to move a couple to the house. 
It would be nice for them to take up some room in a flower bed. 
No care...and, deer don’t touch them. 



Of course, the weeds keep coming. 
This will be fun to clean out. 
I tried a little. Ouch!
It’ll take tools and gloves. 
I use some kitchen tongs. They usually work. 

And, lots more weeds and clean up to come.





But, evenings find us sitting on the porch. 
A glass of wine, and conversation. 




And, catching a little light in a bottle. 

Life is good. 

Weeds and all. 

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

This and That...





Well...the roller coaster weather is still here.

The last week, it’s been warm enough to sit
on the porch, in the evening. 

Even with the drizzle and fog, it’s been nice. 
And, the frogs are out and singing their songs. 



This could be some of the reason. 

We finally had some real rain. 
The runoff put some water in the pond,
behind the house. 



A lot of things are as happy as the frogs. 

The rosemary...which is picky about blooming here..
has some blooms. 



Pretty...



And, even an iris is blooming. 



And, Primrose Jasmine. 



And, weeds. They love the gravel...and the rain. 

Oh well...
You can’t have everything. 

We’re promised more rain. 
But, who knows WHAT the weather will do. 

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Saturday, February 10, 2018

February Weather...




We've had some roller coaster weather here, lately. 

First, it's warm and spring-like. 
Then, wham!  
The bottom falls out, and it's freezing...literally. 


There are still some pansies blooming. 
They're not so crazy about the cold. 
They sometime get set back. 

But, the violas seem not to mind. 























Their smiling little faces just keep popping up.  
Sometimes they droop a bit, huddling together maybe, to conserve the heat. 
But some warm sun and they perk right up. 

We're about to have another blast of cold. 
Rain is what we need. 

At least, we're getting closer to spring, every day. 

Hope you're safe and warm. 

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~



Thursday, May 4, 2017

Inside Austin Garden Tour...2017...


Last week, a few members of our Austin Area Garden Bloggers
got the chance to do a preview tour of this year's
Travis County Master Gardeners'


First up, was Peggy Hart's beautiful, hillside
garden, in west Austin.



The front is designed with lots of shade loving, deer resistant plants.



The back deck offers a comfortable place to enjoy a beautiful view.


And, below is a vegetable garden and an iconic Austin symbol.


Next, we visited Daphne Jeffers cottage/zen garden.


The front cottage garden is a riot of color.  Lots of beautiful spring blooms


Daphne explained how she turned a grassy yard, into a garden beauty.



In back, they've turned this area into a calm, zen-like garden.
Lots of bamboo and a quiet rock fountain.


Also, this clever re-purposing of a play area.
A fenced in bird feeding station.
Keep out those pesky squirrels and larger birds.


We moved on to the garden of Velia Sanchez-Ruiz.


Velia's front garden is chock full of beautiful daylilies.



 The back is cool and lush, with lots of shade plants.


Then, we headed out west, to Dorothy Thering's garden.


Dorothy has a lot of room to garden.  Twenty-five acres.
Of course, they haven't made the whole place gardens.



But, they have done a lot.
Look at this fabulous vegetable garden.

And, on the other side of the house...



..this wonderful garden shed/green house.


With paths for a stroll in back.

I really liked this place.



Last, but certainly not least, was Shari Bauer's whimsical garden.

Shari has taken re-purposing to the ultimate.
Something to see, everywhere you looked.


Shari's house overlooks the Pedernales River.


Her comfortable porch is a good place to rest.



On the other side of the house, Shari has terraced the steep hill and planted
a lush, shady garden.  


She's placed a shady dining table...


...under a teapot chandelier.


My favorite thing is this pond, with the grill of an old jeep as the waterfall.
The lights work.  
In fact, this whole garden has lots of lights.


How often do you find a piano, all planted up, in a garden?


More found objects.


Over the bridge,


...to the lavender garden.


Pause for a moment, under an up-ended sailboat.


And, back down to the house, through the lavender.


Some of us (where are the rest?),
paused for a group photo with Shari,
in her lovely greenhouse.

It is an amazing garden.


We had a wonderful day.  Gardeners in gardens.
Always fun.

Saturday, May 6.
Follow the link for more info.

You won't be disappointed.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~