January 15, 2010 What are the beautiful, hardy “flowers” still blooming in my garden after Austin’s recent foray into the teens and low 20s (F)? Marvelous, multi-colored succulents, that’s what. I believe these are all Echeveria, and only the top two pictured (the ones in planters) were covered during the …

January 14, 2010 As you snap pics for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day tomorrow, don’t forget to take a few images for Foliage Follow-Up on the day after. Many of us in the Northern Hemisphere won’t have all that much blooming anyway, so this will be a good chance to show …

January 13, 2010 An Austin nursery landmark has succumbed to the ailing economy. Gardens — a boutique nursery, home-and-garden gift shop, and design firm located on 35th Street — announced a 40- to 70%-off sale yesterday. I heard about it on Twitter and then via a forwarded email from Gardens …

January 12, 2010 The deep freeze of the South has retreated, and now it’s time to assess the damage done to our plants. Native and well-adapted perennials and shrubs should be just fine, even if they look toasted. The best bet is to leave them alone for now, brown stalks …

January 11, 2010 On July 8-11, Buffalo, New York, is hosting the 2010 garden bloggers meet-up called Garden Bloggers Buffa10 (known in previous years as Garden Bloggers Spring Fling). Around 40 garden bloggers have already RSVP’d to attend. Will you be there? I will! Elizabeth Licata of Garden Rant and …

January 10, 2010 “Winter’s Beauty” is the theme for January’s Picture This photo contest over at Gardening Gone Wild, with photographer Alan Detrick judging. I submit this photo of my Agave ovatifolia, each thorn cradling a bubble of ice. Note for those worried about this agave: Agave ovatifolia is a …

January 10, 2010 “Winter’s Beauty” is the theme for January’s Picture This photo contest over at Gardening Gone Wild, with photographer Alan Detrick judging. I submit this photo of my Agave ovatifolia, each thorn cradling a bubble of ice. Note for those worried about this agave: Agave ovatifolia is a …

January 09, 2010 The wilted, shriveled, and browned plants were paraded across the screen yesterday for sympathy and our mutual edification on what record cold weather can do to plants on the verge (or far north of) their hardiness zone. With another record low in the teens predicted tonight, let’s …

January 08, 2010 This water lily leaf, frozen under a half-inch of ice, its cheeks rosy with the cold, seems to be saying, “I heart the cold.” Do I? While this cold snap is certainly keeping things interesting for Austin gardeners and I hope it will kill off a few …

January 06, 2010Gardening With a Sense of Place Today I join 12 other garden designers across the U.S. in posting on the topic Regional Diversity in Design. The idea of creating gardens with a sense of place is dear to my heart. In A Garden That Says “Howdy” (May 2007), …

January 04, 2010 There is such delight in being able to get one’s hands in the dirt no matter the time of year. Mild winters are one of the great pleasures of living in Austin, especially if you’re a gardener. Over the past two weeks of school vacation, I’ve enjoyed …

January 02, 2010 If your garden is buried under snow and you’re snuggled by the fire with your laptop and seed catalogs, you may be happy to rest for a season until spring arrives. But here in Austin, winter means you can garden most days in comfort with only a …

December 31, 2009 A new year is upon us, a fresh start, a chance to cast off the disappointments of 2009 and look ahead with hope for economic turnaround, world peace, and…more time in the garden! What better way to celebrate than with a few new goodies for the garden? …

December 31, 2009 A new year is upon us, a fresh start, a chance to cast off the disappointments of 2009 and look ahead with hope for economic turnaround, world peace, and…more time in the garden! What better way to celebrate than with a few new goodies for the garden? …