Oxblood and rain lilies bloom after late-summer rains

It’s oxblood lily time, baby! That excitement you hear is my delight over the early and unexpected end to Texas’s interminable summer. Late last week, two inches of rain and a welcome drop in temperatures made it feel like early October rather than early September. As soon as the rain ended, up popped the crimson trumpets of oxblood lily.… Read More

Late summer stars of the garden

Like a starfish clinging to a rock, this soap aloe (Aloe maculata) I stuck in a pie-pan planter has grown more beautifully than I expected. It seems to love the crevice life. … Read More

Circle Garden’s shades of green

Our elevated back deck offers a nice overhead view of the Circle Garden. But as I recently discovered, when you climb a stepladder on the deck, you can get almost the whole garden in the frame, including the new rose and salvia planting at the base of the deck.… Read More

Midsummer garden walkabout

Midsummer has never been my favorite season in the garden. It’s hot and humid. Mosquitoes are fierce. And yet this summer, perhaps because I’m spending more time at home and in my own garden than usual, I’m also appreciating it more. Here’s what’s caught my eye lately on strolls around the garden. … Read More

Drive-By Gardens: No-lawn front yards in South Austin

Driving through Bouldin and Zilker neighborhoods in South Austin, I cruise slowly to check out the diverse styles of architecture among the many, many remodeled homes. It’s just as interesting to see what people have chosen to plant in their front yards. Many have opted out of the traditional lawn in favor of waterwise alternatives, like a simple meadow of Mexican feathergrass.… Read More

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