November 02, 2018
![White rock, green river at Pedernales Falls](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/09_Pedernales_cliff_cave.jpg)
White rock, green river at Pedernales Falls
Winter days in Texas make good hiking days: cool (or at least not hot) temps, sunny blue skies, and no bugs. We drove west to Pedernales Falls State Park last weekend to explore and scramble over the exposed rocky riverbed and admire placid green water …
![Snow in Austin sugars the garden](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Snow_back_patio_garden_2.jpg)
Snow in Austin sugars the garden
Crazy Texas weather strikes again! After a high of 79 F on Tuesday, this happened Wednesday night: snow — okay, a dusting — in Austin …
![Floral decor at Tribeza Interiors Tour 2020](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Camellia_Pine_bouquet.jpg)
Floral decor at Tribeza Interiors Tour 2020
Tribeza’s annual Interiors Tour offers a voyeuristic opportunity to explore 8 beautifully decorated private homes throughout Austin. My eye always goes straight to any floral elements …
![Winter garden flowers thrive in cool weather](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Leopard_plant_flowers.jpg)
Winter garden flowers thrive in cool weather
Winter brings the sweet flowers of ‘Bartley Schwarz’ abutilon, my favorite for its glowing, cantaloupe-colored flowers that dangle like Chinese lanterns …
![Burrowing owl makes a rocky home in Austin](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Burrowing_owl_4.jpg)
Burrowing owl makes a rocky home in Austin
A burrowing owl, rarely seen in Central Texas, has taken up residence in a pile of boulders in an Austin field slated for development …
![Winter stroll at Zilker Botanical Garden](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Moon_bridge_Stream.jpg)
Winter stroll at Zilker Botanical Garden
In need of a garden fix a couple of weeks ago, I stopped by Zilker Botanical Garden with my daughter, looking forward to strolling around the gardens for 45 minutes or so …
![Graffiti plant](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Plant_graffiti_bridge_support.jpg)
Graffiti plant
Last weekend I spotted this graffiti of a flowering yucca or palm on a bridge support at Lady Bird Lake …
![Ganador grackle now rules the roost at Austin City Hall](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Ganador_grackle_sculpture_1.jpg)
Ganador grackle now rules the roost at Austin City Hall
Christy Stallop created a monster-sized grackle in a Mexican wrestler mask, and now Ganador resides at Austin City Hall as part of its People’s Gallery …
![No Stone Unturned: Read my article in Country Gardens magazine](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Country_Gardens_Early_Spring_2020_cover.jpg)
No Stone Unturned: Read my article in Country Gardens magazine
“No Stone Unturned” in Country Gardens magazine shows just how much you can do with artistic stonework and shade-loving plants …
![Laid-back living at Lake Livingston](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/06_Lake_view_dawn.jpg)
Laid-back living at Lake Livingston
Is there any place more relaxing than a lakehouse? On the way to New Orleans last month, we spent two nights at my sister’s little place on Lake Livingston, about an hour north of Houston in East Texas …
![Bloggers, let's go to Madison Garden Bloggers Fling](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Madison_Fling_Logo-1.png)
Bloggers, let’s go to Madison Garden Bloggers Fling
January 15, 2020 Garden bloggers, mark your calendars for June 18-21, and join me in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin, for the 13th annual Garden Bloggers Fling. Three days of garden tours include diverse private gardens — prairie gardens, an Asian-style garden by Linda Brazill and Mark Golbach of Each Little World …
![Supersized sculpture at Mueller's Southwest Greenway trail](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Spider_sculpture_3.jpg)
Supersized sculpture at Mueller’s Southwest Greenway trail
The only place I’m happy to see a supersized spider is on the walking trail at Mueller neighborhood’s Southwest Greenway …
![Tree of Life, architecture, and jazz in New Orleans New Year](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/21_Tree_of_Life_Audubon_Park.jpg)
Tree of Life, architecture, and jazz in New Orleans New Year
We rang in the new year in New Orleans, where we had a wonderful time eating, sightseeing, and exploring Audubon Park …
![Fortlandia is here for one more fortnight at the Wildflower Center](https://www.penick.net/digging/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/24_Flitch_Fort_Hatch_Workshop.jpg)
Fortlandia is here for one more fortnight at the Wildflower Center
Explore 10 unique forts at Fortlandia, an imaginative, interactive exhibition at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center …