2008—A Year in the Garden at Digging
When 2008 began, I was frenziedly planning for a little shin-dig we dubbed the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling. As the year closed, I found myself saying goodbye to my beloved garden and starting over at a new house in a different part of town. The two events arose from a shared impetus: Going For It. I’m not always brave enough, but I do try to go for it whenever I get the chance. It makes life more interesting, even when things get hairy.
In the spirit of the season, here’s a look back at a year in the garden at Digging. What a trip! Thanks for taking the journey with me.
January
As the number of Austin garden bloggers exploded, we were meeting up for margaritas, lunches, and touring each other’s gardens. Why not invite all garden bloggers to join in the fun, I mused, and the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling was conceived. By January, Diana, MSS, Bonnie, and I were planning madly for April’s national meet-up, and I was drumming up excitement and RSVPs on my blog.
February
Early spring flowers brightened the Dallas Arboretum, which I visited after a design class. But the muscular, naked limbs of an allee of crepe myrtles stole the show. Meanwhile, a record high of 92 F (33.3 C) had Austin in a sweat on the 25th.
March
Bluebonnets are practically sacred in Texas, but my bluebonnets surprised me by blooming pink. Also this month I twice welcomed scouters from Gardener’s Supply Company to my garden, and even though they didn’t pick my garden for a catalog shoot I had a wonderful time talking with them. By the end of the month, Spring Fling preparations were at a fever pitch.
April
Spring Fling fun began for me with meeting May Dreams Carol in the beautiful garden of Rock Rose Jenny. That evening, I met 30 more garden bloggers for dinner. What an amazing reunion of people who’d never met in person but felt as if they already knew each other. (I believe it was at this dinner that I suggested to Mr. McGregor’s Daughter that the Chicago bloggers host Spring Fling in 2009, and she astonished and delighted me by saying yes.) The rest of the weekend roared by, filled with conversations with new friends, Spring Fling and post-Fling garden visits, and the spirit of community.
A few days later I gave my first garden-club talk, and I enjoyed 15 minutes of fame on KLRU’s “Central Texas Gardener.”
May
Summer arrived in Austin, and I visited Hill Country Water Gardens, a pond nursery in Cedar Park. Writing about my first home and the garden I inherited, I titled a post “Leaving your garden to strangers,” never guessing that I’d be doing just that in a few more months.
Mid-month I posted about the Wildflower Center-sponsored Gardens on Tour 2008 and fellow blogger Tom Spencer’s garden in particular. I was honored to win two Mouse & Trowel Awards, for Best Photography and Best Garden Blog Design. Naturally, I immediately altered my design with a new header and a few other tweaks.
June
In June I wrote about making more-stylized garden designs with native plants. Gardening Gone Wild’s Nan Ondra sent photographer Rob Cardillo to my garden, which was a thrill. And I took a photo tour of the lovely grounds of Switch Willo Stables.
July
We took off on a 4,600-mile driving trip up to Maine, down the Eastern Seaboard to Washington, D.C., and back to Texas. Along the way, Layanee of Ledge and Gardens invited me to call in on her radio show, “Garden Guys,” where I had an enjoyable chat with her and her co-hosts and managed to stumble over and forget my own URL. (Ha! This is the risk of Going For It: making a fool of oneself. But it was a fun experience I wouldn’t have missed.) To my delight, the highlight of the entire trip for the kids (and myself) was our tour of Chanticleer Garden.
August
While on a visit to Oklahoma to see my mom, we drove over to Red Dirt girl Dee’s garden to admire her lakeside eden and enjoy a pleasant visit. Mid-month, I continued to laud stock tanks in the garden with an article in the Austin American-Statesman. Then I surprised myself and some of my readers by announcing that I was moving and leaving Green Hall Garden behind.
September
As we tried to keep house and garden spotless for would-be buyers, squirrels chewing on the cedar elm created a big mess. Meanwhile, I dug up some treasured plants to take with me, including my big ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave in the front garden. I was honored to receive Blotanical Awards for Best Photography, Best Drought-Tolerant Blog, and Most User-Friendly Blog this month.
October
The first month of fall weather in Austin brought the return of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days tour, which I enjoyed in the company of Annie in Austin. This only a day after moving into our new house—on which occasion 58 of you took the time to comment—thanks! It’s always fun to see what’s going on at someone else’s house and garden, and this month the Austin garden bloggers were invited into the beautiful and exciting gardens of Lee (The Grackle) and Philip (East-Side-Patch).
November
At last the Whale was unbeached and is settling swimmingly into its new home. One cause for celebration? Uprooting it, moving it, and transplanting this toothy monster drew not one drop of my blood. Having survived, I celebrated Dia de los Muertos by watching the downtown parade of the dead. A week later, two car-loads of Austin bloggers took a road-trip to the collector’s paradise that is Peckerwood Garden, and later I reviewed Plant-Driven Design, an excellent gardening book by local authors Scott and Lauren Ogden.
December
As this exciting year in the garden draws to a close, I’ve celebrated red roses at Christmas, spinning under the Zilker Christmas Tree, the 37th Street lights, snow in Austin, and the guilty pleasure of raiding one’s old garden for plants.
I’m grateful for all the friendships and adventures that 2008 has brought. Most of all, thank YOU for visiting and making Digging a place of conversation and community. Happy New Year!
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Such gorgeous photos! I just love seeing all your work! I especially love the photo with the rock wall/waterfall in the background and the stone wall with the agave on top. I’m so excited to be refocusing on gardening this year, and I’ll be back much more often! Here’s to a great 2009!
~Angela 🙂
Pam,
What and exciting year you have had! Here’s to 2009 being twice as nice!
Pam, you’ve certainly had a busy and eventful year! I hope that 2009 is a great year for you and your family!
You have had an exciting year! I got tired just reading about all that you did! LOL You ARE brave!
It’s great to have “met” you via the Blotanical world.
Cheers,
Cameron
I was too whacked out from arriving late to talk on Friday night. No, you waited til I was liquored up at your house to pop the question. It has been an amazing year. I like your go for it philosophy.
Meeting you and the other garden bloggers, and hanging out in your beautiful garden, were definitely highlights of my year, too! Here’s to many more such happy occasions in years to come.
Goodness, that was a grand tour of a great year. Thanks again for all you do to make the garden blogger community so much fun! Best wishes for a wonderful 2009!
I remain in AWE of your photography. And it was great hanging with ya in Austin – or more exactly, being chauffered by you. You all did a fabulous job entertaining us.
I enjoyed this post so much Pam – what an amazing community of gardeners you have in Austin! Your photographs are just wonderful – some are familiar to me but there are several I hadn’t seen before.
Pam, A delightful post Pam! Filled with memories of meeting wonderful bloggers, seeing beautiful gardens and big changes for you and your Whale’s Tongue Agave! It seems to me…he is thriving and so are you! I loved meeting you in Austin and have thoroughly enjoyed your photos all year. Happy New Year! Thanks for talking MMD into hosting the 2009 Spring Fling! Gail
You have had an exciting year Pam. It just makes me wonder what in the world you will be up to this year.
Thanks for bringing us along with you on your many excursions and move.
Are you serious? What an exciting year you have had. So glad I stopped by to share this……….
What a beautiful recap of the year. So many changes this year, and part of it due to the Spring Fling. I’m grateful you and your wonderful friends, like MSS and Diana hosted it. Otherwise, I’d never have met you all. I am so grateful for your friendship. I went back and looked at the photos you took of my garden, and it brought tears to my eyes. Hard to believe it was ever that beautiful.
When I think of you, I always think of your Whale Tongue Agave. So glad you got it to your new house. Beautiful photos too, Pam. I’m working on my recap.~~Dee
Sounds like you had a great year. I’m also not always brave, but I do try to go for it!
Pam–thank YOU for this great blog. You are the one that sparked my interest in trying my own garden blog, and you introduced me to Blotanical which gave me some precious blogging friends. Have a Happy New Year–can’t wait to see what you do with the new garden in 2009!
Pam, thank YOU for making 2008 much better for me, as a new gardener. You helped with advice, encouragement, education and inspiration. You invited me to join the gardening community as a blogger during a year in which I truly needed to reach out and connect with new people. Please continue “Going for It”, as I enjoy watching!
Hi Pam
This post has been such a pleasure to look at and read. your photos are gorgeous. It has been such a treat looking at the things I missed.
Warm regards, and wishes to you and yours for a happy new year filled with blooms,
Philip
I enjoyed the review, and remember most of the photos from previous posts! Best wishes for a wonderful New Year!
Aiyana
Hi Pam, what a wild ride is right! I had followed along faithfully but missed the Rob Cardillo session, must have been while I was at the beach! What a thrill and honor! All the planning and work certainly made the spring fling the big success that it was too. Thanks again for thinking of it and also to MMD for going next! You are a go for it gal, and I do hope you soon get it to have it all! You deserve it. 🙂 May your 2009 be the best year ever for your every endeavor!
Frances
Happy New Year, Pam. Thank you for all that you do in the community of garden bloggers, and for sharing so many garden adventures and reflections with us.
Happy New Year Pam! Life is an adventure isn’t it? It seems like that is so well represented in your gardening year in review. New friendships, new house & gardens, new opportunities, it’s all so exciting. Might as well “go for it” right? I am happy to have discovered your blog in 2008 and am excited to follow along (as funds permit) the progress at your new garden in 2009. I know it will be just as wonderful as your previous one if not better. Cheers to a new year and to new beginnings. PS I’m glad your husband is okay.
Thanks for the walk through 2008. You have had a busy and exciting year. I’m sure 2009 will be no different-just leave off that Christmas day happening next year. We all look forward to watching you new garden grow.Happy New Year
Pam, May you have a HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. Your other garden was lovely & so will your new one.
pam, happy new year! can’t wait to read about all your gardening adventures in 2009.
irena
It was a great year to be following you Pam. I can’t wait to see how your new garden grows. And as a surprise I will be moving into my first house around May 2009. Going through the process now (well my husband is) of getting everything set to close at the end of January. I’m excited because I get to see you start a new garden which will hopefully give me ideas and inspiration. The home we are buying has a nice start to garden but I have GREAT plans. I love to plan a new garden and home layout/decor.
Will there be another garden bloggers spring fling this year or no? I was so sad I didn’t get to go last time!
Pam, that photo of the infamous agave with the lizard is my absolute favorite of yours. And that is really saying something, as you have the best garden photography in blog land! And I love them all!
Brenda
Happy New Year, Pam – it was wonderful to be part of some of those memorable events of 2008. Your photography continues to inspire us and your ideas to delight us. Thanks for making sure I didn’t miss Spring Fling, the Conservancy Tour, the visit to the Eastside Gardens and most recently, the 37th Street lights.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
What an exciting eventful year you had in 2008, Pam. I regret that I wasn’t able to attend the Spring-Fling but you made us feel as if we were there with all the wonderful photos and stories.
I hope that we will have a successful gathering of garden bloggers here in Chicago for the Spring-Fling and I look forward to meeting everyone.
Wishing you and yours a very healthy, happy New Year.
Pam: It has been a great year hasn’t it? Talking with you was one of my highlights even though we have yet to meet. I also met a few other bloggers, Heather of Heather’s Garden and Gail from Clay and Limestone along with Kris, from Blithewold. Garden Bloggers are the best! I am keeping my fingers crossed for Chicago but one never knows what fate has in store. A wonderful re-cap of your year and thank you for taking part in mine! Best!
Happy New Year to you and your family! I can’t wait to see how the garden at your new house evolves in 2009. 🙂
P.S. Your photo of the anole on the agave is my favorite picture you posted last year.
Nifty blog; love the photos; will be back to peruse.
I love the way you’ve gone through each month of the past year. It was certainly an adventurous year … I am looking forward to seeing what you do with your new garden. Your photos are lovely!!
Pam, what a surprise to visit your blog and see you’ve changed gardens! Tell me you didn’t leave your bottle tree behind. Whoever buys your old house will be very lucky to get the gorgeous garden you made, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the magic you’ll create in your new garden. You certainly have an eye for doing just the right thing. Happy New Year!
Dear readers, thank you for your generous comments and compliments. I look forward to your companionship and insights in 2009.
And welcome back, Lost Roses. No, I didn’t leave the bottle tree behind. It’s in pieces in the garage for now, but one day it will bloom in the new garden. —Pam
Loved the post, Pam! What a year you’ve had – good luck with the new home and yard. So what changes will you make in this new garden? A different style, different plants, or not? Do a post and share your wisdom about having a fresh start with a wealth of experience to draw upon! Happy new year – VW