Maple on fire at last
December 19, 2017 Under a soft blanket of fog yesterday, the Japanese maple’s blushing leaves glowed amid the greens of river fern and sedge. Dampened by the fog, its graceful limbs were like dark strokes from a calligrapher’s pen. So after walking the dog, there I was, crouching amid the ...
Fall color and grassy plumes for December Foliage Follow-Up
December 16, 2017 Despite our one-day snow last week, it still looks pretty autumnal in my garden this Foliage Follow-Up. The Japanese maple stubbornly refuses to acknowledge fall until December, when the Christmas lights go up on the house and red balls go up on the agave by the door ...
Snow day in Austin! It only takes a dusting
December 08, 2017 The flakes started hitting my windshield at 2:30 pm over in central-east Austin. By the time I got home I thought it was all over, but the heavy, gray sky and cold temps convinced me to start pulling pots of tender succulents up against the sheltering walls ...
New roof and Sway Your HOA article in Wildflower magazine
November 28, 2017 Exciting developments around here. For one, we had our old, hail-beaten roof replaced, and not only does the new roof completely freshen up our home, but the workers took great care not to damage the garden in the process. If you’re in the Austin area and need ...
Wavy scaly cloakfern for November Foliage Follow-Up
November 16, 2017 “I got a rock,” Charlie Brown complains while trick-or-treating. But I was happy to find this holey limestone rock at Redenta’s in Dallas last month. Yes, I actually bought a rock as a planter. Later, at The Natural Gardener, I happened upon this unusual plant — wavy ...
Autumn stroll around my garden
October 27, 2017 Autumn is my favorite season in the garden, when the Death Star abates and cool breezes blow in from the north, pushing that Gulf Coast humidity back to Houston where it belongs. The sky goes china blue, fall perennials burst into bloom, and fall-blooming grasses incandesce in ...
New foundation bed, sedge lawn update, and fall color
September 29, 2017 The front garden by the house has undergone some major changes since we lost a tree last winter. But after some summer angst as formerly shaded foundation shrubs burned up, and some fixes, I’m feeling good about it again. Here’s how it looked before, with the live ...
Evergreen combos (mostly) for Austin
September 16, 2017 A local reader asked me about evergreen plants that grow well here in central Texas, and as I was putting together today’s Foliage Follow-Up post, I realized it’s a good opportunity to share some of my faves. I use a lot of evergreen plants — though not ...
Oxblood lilies trumpet summer’s end
September 12, 2017 Whoo-hoo, we made it through another summer here in Texas! For almost a week, lower temperatures (80s and low 90s) with even lower humidity, combined with recent rains, have rejuvenated my gardening spirit. The plants are feeling it too, perking up and starting to bloom again. But ...
Oxblood lilies popping up after Hurricane Harvey
August 30, 2017 Hurricane Harvey dumped nearly 10 inches of rain on my garden between last Friday and Sunday, and high winds littered the ground with leaves, twigs, and ball moss. A Texas mountain laurel fell over in the sodden soil, and we lost power for 6 hours. A weather ...
Hanging on through summer’s end: August Foliage Follow-Up
August 16, 2017 By mid-August this Texas gardener is looking for any shred of hope that summer’s heat will be waning soon. But even though I’m barely hanging on — along with this shed cicada skin — many of my plants are soldiering through, including yellow-striped ‘Color Guard’ yucca. It ...
Datura’s morning glow
August 11, 2017 The datura (Datura wrightii) I planted in the front garden a few years ago has petered out and needs replacing. But this volunteer that self-seeded in the back garden is growing beautifully. Moreover, it asks nothing from me except an occasional pinching back of stems that threaten ...
Potted patio where succulents rule
August 08, 2017 Shaded by a big live oak, our back patio stays relatively cool, even on hot days. That shade also makes it a good spot for a variety of potted plants, especially succulents that prefer bright shade in our blistering climate. Agave parryi var. truncata is one of ...
Plant This: Paleleaf yucca shines in dry shade
August 04, 2017 Like a woman who’s grown tired of covering up the gray, I’m letting my silver self shine — in the garden, that is. Instead of bemoaning the dominant silver-green to olive-green palette that comes so naturally to Austin’s hot, often droughty climate, I’m letting it rip. And ...
Red dragonfly and golden spider, beneficial garden predators
August 02, 2017 Here be dragons! I see a lot of dragonflies in my garden each summer thanks to the stock-tank pond. Last week I watched this beautiful red dragonfly guarding his mate as she laid her eggs in the pond, dipping her tail repeatedly in the water. He flitted ...
Silver ironweed in bloom
July 31, 2017 Unirrigated and thriving in decomposed granite, West Texas native silver ironweed (Vernonia lindheimeri var. leucophylla) powers through the depths of summer. I enjoy its silver sheen and purple pom-pom blossoms and its Texas-tough attitude. For more info, click the link above, which will take you to a ...
