The side garden — not the side with trash bins and potting bench but the far side, with a tree-hung chair half-hidden from the street — is a favorite destination of mine in winter. Tentacle-limbed live oaks gain even greater presence when the rest of the garden quiets down post-freeze. I like to sit in the hanging chair and look up.

Sturdy live oak trunks support the nearly evergreen canopy that shades my garden year-round.

Mediterranean fan palm, ‘Everillo’ sedge, and squid agave add texture and more evergreen color to the understory.

The squid agave is growing in a hollowed out limestone rock — like a sea urchin on coral!

Looking toward the gate and the beloved ‘Blue Ice’ Arizona cypress beyond

Out front, ‘Bright Edge’ yucca erupts from a steel-pipe planter — one of three that provide visual separation from the street.

The possumhaw, a deciduous native holly, is laden with bright red berries and awaiting a lunch date with mockingbirds or cedar waxwings.

Come and get it, boys.

‘Adagio’ miscanthus grass has gone tawny orange, its feathery plumes inviting fingers to trail through them. While it’s not native, it’s a survivor in this north-facing, under-eave location along a dry creek — a tricky spot, I’ve found.

In the back garden, ‘Little Grapes’ gomphrena has freeze-dried but still looks pretty. Masses of dried burgundy flowers hold on among the brown leaves.

And a pink abutilon continues to bloom, even after several nights in the 20s (I did cover it with a trash bin).

Even with the crazy cold snaps that we get in Texas, winter remains one of my favorite seasons in the garden. Beauty is still out there if you look.

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Digging Deeper

Attend the annual Budding Out Plant Sale & Festival on March 15th at the John Fairey Garden in Hempstead. Shop for rare plants from the garden’s nursery and select plant vendors. Local artists and artisans as well as food, drink, and demonstrations will also be featured. Admission: $5 for members, $10 for non-members, children under 12 free. Hours: 10 am to 4 pm; members get early admission at 9 am (memberships available on day of event).

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Read all about the Season 8 lineup here!

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