It may be peanuts, but that’s a good thing when it comes to peanut cactus. My peanut (Echinopsis chamaecereus) erupted with starry orange flowers last week, and they’re still going strong.

They are eye-poppingly orange-red, like molten lava.

Cacti have such stunning flowers. This one was a passalong from Ragna in San Antonio.

Another passalong, my St. Joseph’s Lily amaryllis (Hippeastrum x johnsonii) is blooming too. It was shared with me by Tom Ellison, whose lovely cottage garden I revisited yesterday. Look for photos soon!

My husband spotted this relaxed anole lounging on an agave leaf. Aside from his wary side-eye, he looks entirely comfortable, living the life.

Silver Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis var. argentea) is flowering in stubby, golden clusters closely held among spiny-stemmed, jazz-hands leaves.

I had only a couple flowers on my lavender bearded iris this year, a shame because they are so pretty.

The ruffles, color, and satiny texture remind me of a fancy ball gown.

Purple oxalis is looking pretty too. I pop this shade lover into pots and into the ground anywhere I need a filler of rich color.

With eggplant-colored leaves and delicate lavender flowers, it’s a beauty.

While watching for the owl one evening, I heard a rustling in the leaf litter and assumed it was an anole or Texas spiny lizard. It grew noisier, so I walked over to investigate. Two skinks were battling, biting at each other and tussling in the leaves.

One broke free and wriggled away for cover, while the other paused and then pursued. What drama!

A wren flitted past and then stopped with a quizzical look.

One of my favorite little garden birds

Here’s a fiercer one — the screech owl nesting in the owl box.

I’ve taken to sitting on my front patio at twilight to watch her appear at the opening.

I’m quiet, and she knows I’m there but doesn’t seem to mind. She looks all around, talks to her mate in the tree, and flies out for her evening constitutional. I’m hoping to see owlets in a few weeks. We found a dead rat snake recently — not under the box but not far away — with what looked like puncture wounds on its head. We conjured a story of it trying to steal the owls’ eggs and finding out just how fierce these little owls are.

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Digging Deeper

My new book, Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State, is available for pre-order at Amazon and other online book sellers. It’ll be released on October 14th, and while that’s several months away, pre-orders are tremendously helpful in getting my book noticed by readers and reviewers. Please consider pre-ordering if you’d like to read it this fall; more info here. Thank you for your support!

Tour 5 unique Houston gardens on Saturday, April 26, from 10 am to 4 pm, during the Garden Conservancy’s Open Day Tour for Houston. Tickets must be purchased online in advance through the Garden Conservancy.

Shop the Spring Native Plant Sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center each weekend through April 27, 9 am to 1 pm (last entry at 12:30 pm). Plant sale admission is free. Bring your own wagon or cart to transport your treasures.

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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