November 02, 2018
Gopher plant ‘Winter Blush’ is mini-hydrangea lookalike
April 14, 2018 The best plants look as good going to seed as they do in flower. I’d put ‘Winter Blush’ gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida ‘Winter Blush’) in this category based on its passing resemblance to fading hydrangea blossoms. Mind you, they’re on a whole different plane than the Prius-sized …
Sprout brings high-quality terracotta pottery to Austin
April 10, 2018 When Gardens closed in 2010, it left a void in Austin for a source for high-quality terracotta pottery. Landscape architect Jackson Broussard, who owns and operates Sprout, decided to fill that void by importing Italian Impruneta pots — the finest terracotta available — and selling them via …
Bonnie bluebonnets and a polyphemus moth
April 05, 2018 Who knew a patch of bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) by the front door could bring so much joy? Well, probably lots of Texans. It is our state flower, and we all take pictures of our kids and dogs sitting in fields of them every spring. My own personal …
Spring-fed waterfalls and swimming holes at Krause Springs
April 02, 2018 For years I’ve wanted to visit Krause Springs, a spring-fed swimming hole and campground in Spicewood, Texas, about 45 minutes northwest of Austin. Last Saturday we drove out there, past bluebonnets splashing ribbons of blue along the roadsides. We arrived early, and for a short time, while …
Spring flowering in Jenny Stocker’s walled courtyard gardens
March 31, 2018 When I spotted this pool-garden view from inside the home of my friend Jenny Stocker, I nearly tripped over my feet to get outside and drink it in. Jenny, who blogs at Rock Rose, is the owner of an exquisite garden that she designed herself and maintains …
Poppies popping at The Natural Gardener nursery
March 28, 2018 On the hunt at The Natural Gardener nursery yesterday, my eyes popped wide when I spotted rows of magenta poppies near the herb garden. Shazam! Thunderstorms rolled in overnight, and I wonder if the fragile poppies still stand this morning. I’m so glad to have seen them …
Spring flowerings in my garden
March 27, 2018 The mountain laurels and redbuds and plums are done. Carolina jessamine is done. But ‘Tangerine Beauty’ crossvine (Bignonia capreolata ‘Tangerine Beauty’) is hitting its stride as we move into mid-spring here in Central Texas. It looks especially fetching alongside the burgundy leaves of Loropetalum chinense ‘Sizzling Pink’ …
Meet Lucy, the red-headed screech owl
March 26, 2018 The female screech owl nesting in our owl box is a rufous, or red-feathered, owl. She gives me some funny looks when she hangs out in the doorway, and I’ve named her Lucy. Desi, her mate, hangs out in a stand of bamboo all day, and he …
Bluebonnets, buckeyes, and more in bloom at Wildflower Center gardens
March 25, 2018 Ahh, Texas bluebonnets! They’re turning Austin’s roadsides blue right now, and early ‘bonnets were in bloom last week at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I wish everyone could experience a good bluebonnet season at least once in their lives. California poppies were blooming too, their orange …
Flowering trees and Athena the owl at the Wildflower Center
March 22, 2018 Texas mountain laurel, one of our finest native flowering trees Whether you’re hunkered under a blanket of snow or your gardening season is well underway, let’s pause to appreciate the beauty of spring-flowering trees and other gorgeous native plants at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center here …
Read This: The Less Is More Garden, plus a book giveaway!
March 21, 2018 When I opened this book and saw the title-page photo of a tiny patio garden awash in chartreuse foliage and leafy texture, with two well-chosen pieces of garden art, a pair of acid-green chairs, and a steel fire pit, I knew I was going to love the …
Look for my articles in Garden Design’s Spring 2018 issue
March 19, 2018 It’s still exciting when an article I wrote appears in print, and in the current issue of Garden Design (Spring 2018) I have two! And one of them goes with the cover image. You can read about that garden in “A Place of Refuge” on pages 54-67 …
Owl’ll be happy to see you!
March 18, 2018 For 5 years in a row, screech owls nested in our owl box every spring. Watching them raise their chicks was an annual delight. But then they stopped coming, and for the past 2 years, no owls, which bummed me out. It’s nesting season again, and I’ve …
It’s spring-crazy nursery shopping season
March 17, 2018 I’ve been all over town at Austin’s wonderful nurseries this past week, shoulder-to-shoulder with other spring-crazy gardeners snapping up new plants to freshen up the garden and replace goners zapped by winter’s deep freezes. While I was after plants or soil for the most part, I couldn’t …
