More faux bois at San Antonio River Walk and Witte Museum
June 14, 2024 I went on a faux bois safari in San Antonio in April, hunting down all the faux bois — locally known as trabajo rústico — that I could find in one day. And I found a LOT. Check out my faux bois post here. But there’s far ...
Cowboys and cowgirls ride to glory at Snowmass Rodeo
August 09, 2021 Every Wednesday evening all summer, cowboys and cowgirls saddle up to compete at the Snowmass Rodeo, just outside of Aspen, Colorado. During our mid-July visit to Aspen — and since we were staying just minutes away in Snowmass Village — we saddled our Subaru and got there ...
Austin shines brightly at Trail of Lights and Zilker Tree
December 13, 2017 Five years have slipped by since we’ve walked Austin’s beloved holiday light display at Zilker Park called Trail of Lights. When our kids were little we went every year, and our last visit was in 2012, but this year it was just me and my husband keeping ...
Leaf-peeping, zombies, and Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
November 03, 2017 Last Friday my husband and I drove up to northern Arkansas for an extended weekend just before Halloween, hoping to see colorful fall foliage while making a first-time visit to Eureka Springs. I didn’t know what to expect from Eureka Springs aside from hilly terrain, natural springs, ...
Pumpkins in the land of Oz at Dallas Arboretum
October 12, 2017 Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! But the woman in front of the curtain? That’s Diana, my friend and fellow explorer last weekend at the annual Pumpkin Village at Dallas Arboretum. This year the Arboretum carries you off like a tornado to “The Wonderful ...
Dia de los Muertos parade brightens Austin once again
October 30, 2016 Every autumn I look forward to the season of the dead. I enjoy both Halloween for its macabre playfulness and the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, which superficially resembles Halloween in its skeleton imagery but is actually a non-scary, celebratory event. Dia de los Muertos, as ...
Visit to Quinta Mazatlan, birding, and Planta Nativa Festival
October 27, 2016 Texas is a big state, and living in the center of it means that whichever direction you travel, it’s a long drive to the state line. Last weekend, that meant a 5-hour drive to the Rio Grande Valley, where Texas shares a border with Mexico. My destination? ...
Catch me on CTG, at Wildflower Center book-signing & more!
October 13, 2016 It’s back-to-the-garden time in Texas, and it’s also garden-talk season! I’m making a few appearances around Texas this fall (see below), and you can also catch me this weekend on Austin’s own Central Texas Gardener TV show. Last fall, right before my garden was on tour, CTG ...
Catch me on CTG, at Wildflower Center book-signing & more!
October 13, 2016 It’s back-to-the-garden time in Texas, and it’s also garden-talk season! I’m making a few appearances around Texas this fall (see below), and you can also catch me this weekend on Austin’s own Central Texas Gardener TV show. Last fall, right before my garden was on tour, CTG ...
Fired up for WaterFire in Providence, Rhode Island
July 22, 2016 Who says fire and water don’t mix? Not the city of Providence, Rhode Island. On July 9th, my daughter and I happened to be there during WaterFire, a free summer arts festival along the three rivers of downtown Providence, and we were excited to attend. What is ...
Come to my talk at Cedar Park nursery festival this Saturday
April 26, 2016 This fun flower, held aloft on a 6-foot stalk, is blooming right now in multiple spots in my garden: ‘Chocolate Chips’ manfreda (Manfreda undulata ‘Chocolate Chips’), my absolute favorite manfreda, with ruffled, succulent leaves covered in chocolatey freckles. It’s a beautiful, dry-loving plant that’s perfect for a ...
Thanks for coming to Zilker Garden Festival
April 04, 2016 Despite Friday’s surprising chilly rainstorm, the weekend turned out to be perfect, weather-wise. And gardening enthusiasts turned out in droves to attend Zilker Garden Festival, which is Zilker Botanical Garden‘s big fundraiser — money that goes toward keeping the gardens maintained and beautiful in this era of ...
4 fun events for central Texas gardeners
March 22, 2016 Spring has sprung, and that means garden events are happening every weekend here in central Texas. Amid all the excitement in your own garden, it’s easy to miss hearing about something that you’ll kick yourself later for missing. So here’s my round-up of 4 upcoming garden events ...
Zilker Holiday Tree lights Austin skyline again
November 30, 2015 Last night Austin officially got into the holiday spirit with the lighting of the Zilker Tree. A spectacle of 3,000 colored lights strung from the moonlight tower at Zilker Park, the tree stands 155 feet tall and will glow every night through New Year’s Eve. Our family ...
Flower-adorned skeletons at Dia de los Muertos parade
November 02, 2015 Today is the final day of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a 3-day Mexican holiday that’s celebrated here in Austin too. My daughter and I attended the Day of the Dead parade in downtown Austin on Saturday, part of the 32nd annual Viva ...
Wildflower Center aglow with the spirit of the season
December 15, 2014 Luminarias glowed and tree lights twinkled throughout the native-plant gardens at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center during last weekend’s annual Luminations event. I’ve been several times over the years, but this time the lights extended all the way to the new Family Garden. We got there ...
