Conscious Gardening

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T05:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a little photo journal of what's blooming here at CG this Thanksgiving holiday!

Yum...and so pretty!

Greg's greens garden is coming along. He decided to try 'no till' method of planting and it seems to be a slow go.

Nasturtium are coming up all over the place and the Rosemary is in bloom and covered with bees!

Mums from Julie's yard.

The flower on the Silverado Sage is so lovely and often overlooked because when it blooms the entire shrub is purple!

Cone Flower looking a bit pale...this is the last one left!

The delicate veins of the Arugula flower...so simple and elegant.

Thyrallis in her new location!

The Fall Aster is looking a bit haggard after being cooked and ignored this summer...but she's still shining like snowflakes!

The sage is also a big bee magnet!

We've had quite a few butterflies this fall, but nothing like we have in the past.

All of the roses are blooming, but none smell so sweet as Cecille Bruenner!

Hopefully we won't get a hard freeze before the Loquats arrive...we didn't get any last year.

Mexican Honeysuckle

Shrimp Plant

Butterfly weed still covered in blooms

And there are two favorites for Thanksgiving in my yard, Mexican Tarragon and Copper Canyon Daisy...I've always made a big yellow bouquet for the table of them...but alas the daisy didn't make it this summer...neither did the kids so things just didn't seem quite right.

Nevertheless, we woke to find screech in his box and he made a very fine guest! I hope your holiday is fantastic! I for one, and thankful for tiny flowers that brighten my day....yearlong in Tejas!

Happy Gardening!

CBC Update

2011-11-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

Even in a horrible drought year...somethings are improving in spite of neglect...Mother Nature prevails!

This is one of the before shots, taken in 2008...horrible ugly square building. My goal was to improve our street by making it tree-lined and help the awful heat island effect caused by the massive concrete parking lots of the two churches across the street from one another.

It was two projects over the course of a year...one, a 17 tree planting session and two, the rose garden with pergola. The largest tree an evergreen oak for the corner, that was designed to be the most efficient by shading the building and hanging out over most of the street was butchered in April and is permanently stunted. The cypress, that was to be decorated for Christmas...is growing by bounds due to the sprinkler system...and the roses are amazing.

Only one tree actually died and has been replanted, all the oaks, butchered I suppose will become shrubbery.

This Saturday is the fall workday for Brentwood Park where over 100 trees were planted last year. Over the summer we added mulch and we will be adding more, as well as pruning. It is such a joy to care for the environment, I hope everyone who reads this participates in their own community in some beautiful way!

Happy Gardening!

Miraculous Recoveries!!!

2011-10-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

So, this was yesterday...I got home from work and popped open a RangerIPA, headed out to my favorite spot in the back~back yard. I sit in that green chair in the middle, It's my favorite view of the yard and where I sit with my bestest~besties. The only thing missing is the chickens.

I had my journal and I was drawing blind contours of a Mockingbird that was going to town with his song when he dropped down and I saw something fabulous...
And realized that the yard was full of minor miracles! Like this Patricks Abutilon...that came up from where I lopped its...what I thought was a 'dead' body off. I stuck the sign in the "Good Times Spent" wall art. I'm so excited...and check it out...BUDS!!!!
Can you tell what you're looking at? That's black bamboo, with 3 new baby shoots!!! It's spreading Hallelujah! I've been wanting to make stuff with it since I put it in the ground 3 years ago...why would it choose to send out new shoots on a year like this?
The last year I worked at Zilker's Green Garden I transplanted this Cherry Barbados pup and this is the first year it bloomed! Why????
A few posts ago I commented that out of 6 spots where I'd planted Oxblood Lily, only 2 had come back...guess what??? They are ALL coming up!!! Whoop, Whoop~whooooo!
This Red Beauty Rose died DEAD the ground and I snipped that crunchy brown crap off...and from the mulch she rises, she's a Zombie RoooOOooose!
So, what you are looking at is truly amazing...these are baby Lady Banksia Roses...they chose this spot on their own...blew me away, I thought it was weedy herb thing and then she put on blooms. I'm letting her get a little bigger while I wait for Bob Pool to make me an arbor for her highness!
What you're looking at here is my front arbor with the skeleton of my Anniversary Wisteria, 9 years old...never got a bloom, dead, with a coral vine going wild in the bramble.
And here is a new sickly plant coming up from her toes!!! I had plans...PLANS!
This is one of just a few transplant survivors...Thyrallis, stunted, but blooming!And this is a much happier transplant, not stunted but filling out Russian Sage!
Best bird shot of the day...Orange Crowned Warbler! This is a danged lucky shot because she's a flittery thing!
And...back inside to blog. All and all, a terrific Autumn...I love this time of year....

Happy Gardening!

Baby Greens

2011-10-26T15:28:00.001-07:00

I'm going to try to be more present with my idea of an online journal about my yard and ideas. So, last blog entry I mentioned that we were planting without disturbing the soil in our raised beds. Below is the the image of the baby greens that are coming up amongst the okra stalks that were not removed but simply cut off. We poked one inch holes and dropped the seeds in and they've come up...without tilling. We did sprinkle a fine dust of our own compost and have kept the babies moist.

Here's a shot of the other bed...arugula, Swiss chard, cilantro and something else...I can't remember.

Here is the pathetic Fall Aster in the back yard...

And here is how it looked in '09.

The fabulous Philippine Violet and mini-Pomegranate, with the Persian Lily all confused and coming up like it's spring.

Ooops, I forgot how many School house lilies I planted...some may be under the pot...oh well.

Autumn mums that I planted after the garden show in '09...still plugging along, I love that Autumn burst of warmth!

The fresh green of new growth on the sago palm!

Purple Mexican Petunia...so fresh!

Loving spouse planted beans in pots...they came up first, I've planted them all over the yard...in the ground to try and reinvigorate the soil with nitrogen...nada...but he did plant a few weeks ago...

One more thing, I had the most luxurious bath with my luffa, jeebus...it smelled delicious and left my skin fresh and not dry. I will never, ever buy a damn loofah again! All the B.S. with the bleaching and perfume...remove the vegetable oil that make it wonderful! Plus it reminds me

of "Caddy Shack," only those of us who have all the words memorized will get this. Don't you

just love how many ways there are to spell sponge?

I hope you all are enjoying this most delicious planting season! I'm so happy to be in the yard and not in the classroom! Have a great day!

Happy Gardening!

October Update!

2011-10-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I blogged, mainly because I've gone back to teaching art...temporarily that is. Anyway, the summer nearly killed us all, the hottest one on record...since record taking began and between last winter and this summer I've had to say goodbye to a lot of plants that I thought were tougher and came to find out that "drought tolerant" is really an iffy idea. I have been looking at my fellow bloggers list of survivors and I feel like I have lost a lot but that my intuition early this spring to water deep and mulch 16 cubic yards did more than abundant watering could have. I watered minimally, only on my days, and kept hand watering to things in pots, transplants, roses and food only. So, the natives and supposed "drought tolerant" plants I lost have left me puzzled about this name. The other thing that seems to go against my nature is this idea that we should be planting now. Every time I think of digging up and turning the earth...this poor earth that has been baked hard and is so depleted of nutrients, microbes and structure, I feel uncomfortable...a little sick. I am very sad for the independent nurseries, but I have to be true to my intuition; stop and consider history.

My yard art homage to everything we've lost from the coldest winter in 50 years...last winter to the hottest summer on record. We love you lost souls of the soil!

Emily Wilson, my sweet friend and neighbor gave me a luffa she grew for Christmas last year, complete with seeds, so I planted three of them. I had blooms and vines galore, but for some reason only got one...but it was full of seeds!

I was surprised as all get up when I squatted down to catch a photo of a bloom and saw three eggplant, yahoooo!

This is one of our two 4 foot square gardening boxes we built after loosing last years winter greens crop. Greg and I have been working our way through Gaia's Garden and changing a lot of the way we used to do things. The photo shows what's left of the spring crop of Arugula, we're hoping it'll go to seed, and he just cut down the stalks of the okra and planted new greens in small holes he made with his finger, not turning or disturbing the soil.

Two of the 6 spots I have been working on spreading the Schoolhouse Lily survived. Both I'm sure were just fortunate to be near other things that got regular water...I had totally forgotten about them.

Autumn color among the onions!

Sweet Cecile Brunner! My favorite little tea rose smelling beauty!

Miniature Pomegranate flowers!

The Autumn and Texas Sage are blooming profusely with the little rain!

The bees are loving this!

Skullcap blooming under the American Elm.

Tropical Sage and Gregg's Mistflower are keeping the butterflies happy!

Gregg's Mistflower with several herbs coming up inside the patch.

One lonely Cross Vine flower lying on the ground.

Late bloomer, Mexican Honeysuckle.

Possumhaw Holly for the birds; I planted one in the front yard early this past spring.

The best, most healthy looking rose through the drought was no doubt Martha Gonzales.

Of the pink and purple varieties of Mexican Ruellia, the purple blooms last longer.

Pink Mexican Ruellia Island looking the healthiest she has in months! Thank you rain!!!

It was so shocking to see the Heartleaf Skullcap come up even before the rain, she's tough.

Another shot of the Shallots we forgot to dig up, coming in around the Autumn Mums.

Tick weed, so cheerful!

This is one of 3 Chili Pequin, and I always avoid white flowers...but noticed this morning that I have quite a few....

Pigeon Berry, going strong. This is a super easy plant to propagate...I just break a piece off, pinch off the blooms, scratch up the base and stick it where I want it. She faints for a few days then perks right up!

Philippine Violet, the only one that survived the freeze of last year...now the drought!

Datura, Moon Flower, Jamestown Weed, Jimson weed....whatever you call her, I'll always keep at least one of these deadly dreamers in my yard...so fresh and lovely!

My neighbors have the traditional Red, orange, yellow Lantana blooming like crazy in their yard...but the white and purple are the ones thriving in mine. In fact, my New Gold didn't bloom once this summer. I think it's because it's on the hell zone, and this year they repaved my street and the hell zone plants that have always thrived pretty much pooped out...including Four Nerve Daisy, she's shriveled up with nary a bloom in sight.

I put my Almond Verbena in the wrong place and this year she took off...mostly because she's in the shade. Anyway, whenever I step next door to visit my neighbor I brush past her for a delightful scent!

We've got several vines that fight for the sun space in the back yard, but the

Autumn Bridal Veil Clematis made it to the top and is lighting up the corner.

She lives! The Sago Palm never fails to impress me, she's died back completely several times but she always prevails!

This little Crown of Thorns is blooming, but her leaves are so pale it's hard to see her brightness...I need to give her a jolt!

RIP...the hops never came up. We were at Austin HomeBrew Supply yesterday and I asked some of the folks in line if they'd ever had success growing them in Austin. One dude said he planted 6 this year and 4 were thriving, covered in flowers. Pisser. Then, it turns out...he ordered his online from an organic grower in Oregon, he said they were monster rhizomes...ping...thank you sir!

Over half of the Iron Plant baked in the sun...

This is so sad to me, the Fall Aster is barely holding on when at this time, it should be a mound of purple blossoms. I'm going to hit it with some compost tea...hopefully that'll help.

Yuck...the grass has really suffered...even though we regularly watered this area since this little patch is the center of several drip zones for our backyard trees.

If I put the camera down and shoot the grass from this angle, you can't see the horrid brown spots!

We only got one wheel barrel of compost...which is pathetic. Also, due to the extreme heat and probably lack of food, for the first time ever, we found a rat in the pile! So shocking, it scared the crap out of me!

This is one of the most exciting summer gains...I bought this little plant a few years back at Peckerwood Gardens and have been watching it carefully for a few years now, and I finally broke them down and transplanted them and they are thriving!

Here are a few things that are blooming but not pictured here:

Coral Vine

Fern leaf Verbena

Mexican Oregano

Purple Cone Flower

Passionflower Vine

Chocolate Plant

Turks Cap

Blue Mealy Sage

Flame Acanthus

Mexican Sage

Russian Sage

Cherry Barbados

It's been a horrid summer here in Texas, but the cool weather is on it's way...today it's only supposed to hit the mid 80's and the mornings are delightful. I hope to blog again...before Christmas, I hope. Oh, and a shout out to the Garden Bloggers on Bloom Day! Thank you Linda at May Dreams Gardens for puttin' this here blog roll together!

Happy Gardening!

The Fabulous Bob Pool!

2011-07-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

Bob Pool came to my house 3 years ago when we were on the Master Gardener Tour in '08...I think it was '08. Anyway, he marched up and introduced himself and his lovely wife and reminded me of our conversations over blog chatter. He's loud and boisterous and funny and off color about lots of stuff and doesn't care and, that's just part of his charm. He invited me out to visit his garden and a few months later, my old garden buddy Randy and I took the drive out to Georgetown to check it out. It IS wonderful...all of it, the log cabin that he and his wife built, the pristine land, awesome pond and of course garden. We had a great time, we went out for Mexican food, threw back a few margaritas...wait...that was me (Bob had tea...he had some welding to do that afternoon so he stays clear of mind).

Gun rack for my pellet gun. I painted them bright orange...still need to get 'em hung!

So...we became friends. But more, because he inspires me...a rare friend indeed. If you go to his blog Gardening at Draco and read his profile, he claims that folks say he's the hardest working man they've met, and I agree.

Spider web arch-way for Cecile Bruenner rose to climb.

The second time he came over, I asked him if he wouldn't mind making something for my garden, since he's a welder and makes cool garden stuff and he said "well, let me take a look and I'll see what I can do." I showed him my giant rose with no place to grow and explained that I'd like a spiderweb type arch and I scribbled the drawing on a napkin and held up my hand as to how high I'd like it to be.

Bob on the phone to a perspective client...doing the math on my stump!

With my napkin and a few measurements he was gone. A few days later, I came home and found my idea, only better...with attachments that allowed for the difficult angle of the vertical part, sitting on the front porch. A year later, the rose has jumped in a different direction and Bob did the same assessment...a few scribbles from me and he was back! The pictures don't do it justice.

Rescue bench that Bob made a stand for!

Bob loves to do this stuff, and loves a challenge! I've had him fix things and design things as well...he's wonderful! I cannot sing the praises of this man enough...I only wish he lived closer and that more people took their jobs as seriously as he.

I did make him share a beer with me when he was finished!

Happy Gardening!

The Blooms of July

2011-07-19T04:23:00.000-07:00

I just had to take a stroll this morning and catch the blossoms before they wilt n' melt in the sun!

Datura

Plumbago

Crown of thorns.

Not a great shot, I know, but I was trying to get several blooms in one...yellow and orange

pride of Barbados, sunflowers and majestic sage, in the shade.

Up close they look ratty, but from the road, they're cheerful as ever!

Okra! Destined to part of dinner tonight with the last of the tomatoes.

Pigeon berry...spreading from the one that remained after the garden tour 3 years ago. I had planted 6 small 4" pots that I'd found on sale...only to have them trampled by wee ones. Anyway, of the one that made it, several have sprung up!

Inland sea oats...for the birds.

Empty chilli petin caps...burdz done et 'em.

Texas Hibiscus...hummer food!

Passion flower vine...for the Fritillary butterfly.

Butterfly weed... Monarch butterfly food.

This is the Rocket Crape Myrtle that I planted across the street to replace one of the trees that didn't make it. Isn't she a lovely color?

People food...figs, arugula and persimmon...squint hard or enlarge to see.

Beans!

My first cantaloupe ever!

I was unable to get a great shot of the buddleia or butterfly bush and the Chaste tree with the cantaloupe vine climbing up to the top...but you get the picture. Two truckloads of mulch has really made a difference! I hope you are out in your garden in the wee hours of the morning...the best time of the day! Plus, today I got the extra benefit of watching the purple martins do their acrobatics while petting my sweet orange porch cat Sappho Moon.

Happy Gardening!

Home again...

2011-07-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? I've spent most of the summer on the road with one or the other of my daughters, traveling to see 6 National Parks, family in 3 different states and several friends from all over. My loving spouse has done a great job keeping things alive and I'm having a hard time feeling motivated to get out there and continue moving the mountain of mulch...which still sits in my driveway (I'm sure my neighbors are less than thrilled.)

This past week I was in Kansas City, via Stillwater, Oklahoma to see my wonderful friends, the Homer's at their homestead...21 acres of wild native plants, chickens, bees, a fabulous garden and a wonderful blog...Meadow Sage. We had a fantastic time on all of the travels.

While I was gone though, I lost my beloved cat, Man. This morning was the first day I woke up before dawn on my own...which is my normal rhythm, but I've been so "off" due to traveling that it hit me hard. Man was part of my morning meditation, a big part. I'd make the coffee and sit down to check the computer and pet him. Quiet, cool mornings with my loud mewing Man-cat, no more. He was my oldest pet, the sweetest and most social, without being aggressively so. Before I left last Friday the vet assured me that he was on the mend and delivered, what we thought was the immediate bad news, that our other cat Sappho Moon is dying of cancer and most likely won't make it through the year. Then, the day after I left, Man took a sharp turn.
I miss him dearly.

"The Man" (Rasputin Swirl) 1999-2011

I'm ready for 2011 to be over. I'm ready for fall and the excitement of cool weather and planting season...I'm not going to bother with summer plantings...it's just too cruel out there. So, what to do? I need to finish the mulching, dig the swales (I'll document that) which involves a lot of rock hauling...gotta get these girls moving, and break down the spring flowers and disperse what's left of the seeds. I've already said goodbye to half of my peach tree that bifurcated on my first trip...that tree was the first thing we planted when we bought this house, my mother and I...while each of us was recovering from our own divorces. Mom left Austin 5 years ago...so in a way it's fitting. She's the one who wanted the peach tree in the first place. It's been the center of my culinary garden for years and the new view is still shocking. On a brighter side, we've got cantaloupe, beans, figs and eggplant still producing...and a few struggling tomatoes. The figs are perfect...just a few a day, makes for a lovely snack! The greens garden is doing great, the Malabar spinach is all over the place and the okra has topped the vines and is covered in flowers and bees! Yea!

I've missed the last two months of Bloom Day but here is the unofficial tally today:

plumbago

Mexican Oregano

cone flower

passion flower vine

butterfly weed

black and blue sage

Autumn Sage

Texas hibiscus

butterfly bush

Chaste tree

pink and purple ruellia

Gregg's mistflower

dwarf pomegranate

shrimp plant

Mexican hibiscus

Indian blanket

datura

Turk's cap

trailing purple lantana

tick weed

cedar sage

sunflowers

also, the loufa, pumpkin, beans and cantaloupe are flowering!

I'm most excited about the figs and the Texas Hibiscus because we've still got our male and female black chinned, and male ruby throated hummingbirds around!

It's good to be home, even if it's too hot to be outside.

Happy Gardening!

June Update...

2011-06-12T07:50:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm leaving tomorrow for a 2 1/2 week drive up through the Pacific Northwest and haven't really had time to blog due to my daughter graduating, company, the loss of several people and planning this mother-daughter escape. But, I did want to throw out a few photos...more than are here, but Blogger isn't cooperating this morning so this is all I got!

The fabulous Bob Pool came by and built some stuff for me, but I'll be doing a story on him when I return. He did bring me these, supposedly Native Texas Tomatoes...seen above. He couldn't remember the name, but someone had passed the seeds onto him....and so he was passing them onto me, they are sweet and delicious and I'll be giving it a go next season.

This here monster is Chocolate Stripe...they are all this big and ugly, and outrageously tasty.

This is the Japanese Black Trifle, also mouth wateringly delicious.

Left to right, circular Purple Cherokee, Eva Plum, garden peach (yellow one,) Japanese Black Trifle, Brandy wine and in the center, First ladies.

Leaf miner damage has been minimum, but in the last few days the stink bugs have arrived...and in the side garden, I've got some mottling thing that's causing the leaves to turn brown and shrivel up...I don't have time to research this...and I hope they make it while I'm gone. We cut off the dead and threw away the carnage, did a deep watering and I foliage fed what was left with Alaska Fish Emulsion...cross your fingers!

I've also in the last two weeks had some splitting. We deeply water the tomatoes every morning, EVERY morning, and they are now mulched and sit in a terra-cotta tray that gets filled up to help maintain the temps...but 100 degree days, for weeks on end are just too much!

I am so going to miss this while on the road!!!

Because it's my favorite fruit! These are also my onions and basil...YUM!

Other things of note that I want to remember about what happened in June are we got our second delivery of mulch! I'm working on really building it up deep for future projects. We had a mystery plant bloom...it is an orange Pride of Barbados...I have the yellow one, so this must have drifted from my neighbor Regine's yard and our square foot gardening beds are full of greens! Yea!

The beans are still in production, the peaches are ready but riddled with worms...since I'll be gone most of the summer, another trip in July as well...we're leaving them to the birds...and the fig and persimmon are looking mighty fine.

I hope you all are enjoying the cool mornings and I look forward to checking your blogs when I return!

Happy Gardening!

More Mulch Please...

2011-05-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

So, as I've said, I'm making my way through Gaia's Garden, this time slowly, as I apply what's needed in order to transform my lot, make it more sustainable, tackle problems and consider healing and restoring the soil.

How about this cool old bench? I love Davey's Trees...that's where all this cedar mulch came from, for free! The bench was sentenced to death by mulcher, but I saved it and am having the talented Bob Pool of Draco Gardens make me a metal stand. I also had my neighbor Dana get the same ginormous load for her house so we could mulch the trees across the street at the church. It's become disgustingly obvious that even though the minister apologized and said they would do "whatever was necessary to remedy the situation"...they intend to do NOTHING, and have done NOTHING.

Back to my story...chapter 4 "Bringing the Soil to Life" is fascinating and I'm taking it to heart. This load is just one of several I plan on using. The idea, for those of you who don't get the beauty of mulching, is to pile 8-12 inches, YES that much, to both stop the light completely from reaching weed/seed and to cool thoroughly the ground-bringing the microbes, earth worms and bugs to the surface to begin munching, tunneling, pooping, dying and generally aerating and packing your soil with nutrients while you do...nothing. We are giving one last deep watering before piling the mulch up, then watering the mulch on top as well.
There are fabulous stories about the genius of sheet mulching but I quit getting the newspaper years ago (I'm not a fan of the Statesman, and can read the Times online) and just don't accumulate enough cardboard and other stuff quick enough...plus Davey's is FREE. Just had to say that again...and here's the way to get some for you:

email Daniel at treemd@msn.com; be nice, be patient...they get it to you when they can, so know where you want it dumped, and how much.

The next chapter in the book discusses 5 steps to "Catching, Conserving and Using Water." How about this little lake that was the result of the giant mulch pile stopping the mad rush of rain from leaving my property? It would otherwise be wasted down the drain storm system of our fair city...taken out to sea, when we so desperately need to keep this free, clean water. At this point we have 6, 55 gallon drums that go bone dry very quickly...the best place to store water is in rich soil...which we don't have so we mulch...mulch...mulch...

Then....SWALE!!!

We are planing on digging 3 additional "fish scale" style swales in an attempt to stop the rush at varying intervals...the photo above shows the location of one such swale, yet to be built.

This is the same rain, there will be a fish scale swale in front of this gate, which right now creates a waterfall into the greens garden below.

Here's my loving spouse watching the Crocks set sail in our upper lake. This rain was only 3 inches. The phrase I've taken out of this chapter, that makes the most practical sense is "the cheapest place to store water is in the soil." Storing above ground is expensive, storing in the ground is labor intensive.

This photo may be confusing but, it's showing the far side of the front lawn...missing, yea! We have been letting the St. Augustine die for nearly 2 years...silly, silly grass in the wrong place...now that the Sycamore isn't providing full shade. This is a long term plan to turn the front yard into an edible forest!

And this is what lawn I have left. I recently moved the steppingstones, which led to the church but that friendship is long gone...whereas the path leading to the next door, that the postman, neighbors and I use, is beaten down so, use dictates change here.

We're having a huge graduation party next Saturday for my oldest daughter so the sprucing up of the garden continues, amid transformation. I will try to snap a few photos of the merriment...until next time...happy mulching

and...

Happy Gardening!

Three For Thursday...SayyyyygoooO!

2011-05-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

I just love to watch a Sago cycas revoluta...re-grow.

They're such an old specie...hardly changing for 200 million years now and are related to conifers and the Ginko tree. The new set of swirled leaves are called a "break."
They're like living fossils...

and can live for up to 100 years!

They will occasionally put out new growth at the base...when they decide to reproduce...I hope I'm around to see it happen.

Happy Gardening!

The Pink Island

2011-05-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

The pink island...with this years tomato crop

So, I'm reading Gaia's Garden...this time, from front to back and taking notes. I have Autumn's graduation party June 4th, then a few trips this summer and when I return, the work will begin...probably in late fall. We need two additional swales dug to stop pooling and waste. One will be under the rose arbor in the back for the new keyhole gardens that will replace the giant Mexican Ruellia massing in the middle of the yard. The other in the front yard extending from the side~greens garden to the walkway in front of the pergola.

When I moved in, the pink island was about 3'x3' and it just kept growing. I pull up and recycle at least the size of the island yearly...it's that aggressive. Plus it's traveled under the east fence and made a home in my neighbors yard and has to be pulled out of every bed in the yard. I'll take it down to a "C" shape around the Buckeye and the rest will be for food. I'll be employing a slow "sheet mulch method" after cutting down what's there (if anyone wants some of it, let me know and I'll give you a call in the fall before I begin.) This space is perfect for a food garden because it is protected from the West Sun by the American Elm in Summer and has beautiful Winter sun. I'll be facing the entrance directly aimed at the blue gate...from where the hose will come for watering and a second keyhole will be just across the walk.

Anyway, that's what's going on now...observing and planning. The front lawn is dying off without the shade of the Sycamore tree and wildflowers have taken over. I didn't get the trees planted that I'd planned on, now it's a blessing since the plans have been updated. I do need to find a source for native edible trees...I'm looking for che, pawpaw, Mexican plum and juju and will be researching more native edibles to be mixed in with the standard veggies.

I am very excited about the idea and in spite of projected plans to relocate in a few years...I'm soldiering on. I'm loving all the birds and butterflies that are finding a temporary home in my garden and am thoroughly enjoying spending more time, not less setting things up...hoping that one day the plants and arrangement will feed itself (and us) and require less of me and resources...but for now, I must stockpile mulchable stuffs!

I'm only halfway through the book...and still in the "observation" stage of planning. I'm thinking that the transformation will take several years because I work and am using the slowest method of building my soil. That being said, I'd like to put a shout out for organic material...I'm willing to drive out and pick up stacks of newspaper (we don't take it) and bags of "Texas Gold" ya know, oak leaves...but only send me a message if you have enough bagged up to fill my pickup. I'm aiming to turn my plot into an edible forrest for critters and people...cool my property and enrich the soil.

I hope you've got something exciting going on too! Thanks for dropping by and as always...

Happy Gardening!

Two for Tuesday

2011-05-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

According to my fabulous Audubon Bird Guide Mikael Behrens who blogs at
Birding on Broadmeade, this first week of May is the best time to catch rare birds in your yard, Central Texans! I caught these two last night at supper time....

Male Ruby Throat flashing his gorget!

Male Painted Bunting

Whose visiting your garden this week?

Happy Gardening!

Tomato Island...an update

2011-04-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

This is my first time to grow tomatoes in pots. I've been planting them in various places around the garden for years and have decided that I would like to use the space for other things and give the soil a rest from the nightshades. For the last couple of years we've been buying tomato starts at Sunshine Gardens spring sale, this year I sent my daughter Autumn Sage to do the buying as I was at the "It's My Park Day" and devoted spouse at CAMN. She bought 12 plants, 8 are in pots, 4 on the side of the house in the greens-garden along with 3 eggplant and half a dozen basil.

Brandywine

Brandywine was the first to fruit this spring. I filled the base of each pot with my own compost, then added a mixture of organic potting soil and Texas Organic Compost, and topped 'em with Dark wood Organic Mulch.

Cherokee Purple

I stripped the bottom leaves and scrapped up the stem with my fingernail then spiraled them into the pots leaving only the top leaves above the soil. I've used the "trough" method that I learned in the Master Gardener Class for the past two years and wholeheartedly believe that this method is the best for shallow Central Texas soil. I also sprinkled organic plant fertilizer at the time of planting then spritzed the leaves with Alaska Fish Emulsion.

Cherokee Purple is my favorite tomato for taste and overall beauty! We've got 2 plants going this year.

First Ladies

Growing tomatoes is a joy and something I didn't think I'd ever get into...I mean I liked tomatoes and all but didn't get hooked until I had my first bumper crop and ate fresh heirlooms with basil, mozzarella/Tillamook cheddar, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh cracked pepper daily for lunch...now I can't wait 'til July!

Garden Peach

The biggest frustration I've had over the years is with bottom rot...last year I was vigilant and kept the watering regulated, that was the key! The other problem is of course the nasty stink bug, which after seeing the damage, I got tough and started popping them in the early morning.

Japanese Black Trifle

I've put fresh compost on the top once since planting and have tried to hit them with the Fish Emulsion every 10 days to 2 weeks. With them bunched together I'm reminded of my cannery days in Alaska...P.U. I don't have any of the companion plants nearby but so far, no real pests to be concerned with, save a few leaf miners. Of course, the sparrows and wasps seem to be hanging around for a free meal, so thank you to them!

Eva Purple Bell

Except for the Purple Cherokee and, Green Stripe all the varieties are new to me this year...good going Autumn Sage, I'd have been more conservative in the selection process...gotten some Roma's and more cherry tomatoes.

Golden Cherokee

I should also mention that I pinched off the first set of flowers on each plant to encourage root growth, I forgot to pinch off the first new leaves after planting to encourage branching...but I never seem to remember all of the tricks...oh well.

Tomato Island

Green Gage (cherry tomato), Chocolate Stripe, Dona and Carmello are the plants on the side of the house, they don't seem to do so well because they have less light, but this morning I noticed that they all had fruit, and no pests. They haven't gotten the daily care that the Island gets and they are smashed between the fig and pomegranate trees that have now leafed out. The poor little 'maters don't have much sun...so we'll see how that turns out.

It's overcast today and we've got a 40% chance of rain, which we desperately need...this has been one super dry April and the pots require more water than plants in the ground, but I'll have trays under all the plants soon. I plan on filling the trays with water to help keep the roots cool through the hottest of days...yet to come!

Happy Gardening!

Three For Thursday

2011-04-28T05:10:00.001-07:00

Just 3 of the goddesses in the garden...this one in the butterfly mix!

and in the birdbath,

and on the window box!

Happy Gardening!

Two for Tuesday, a Poem and Fingerwag

2011-04-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

I love before and after shots. This isn't the beginning and the end, but two shots of Earth Day. We planted 9 Martha Gonzales roses and 3 Cecile Brunner's on a pergola that I designed for the back entrance of the Baptist church across the street from me. I moved into my Crestview Bungalow in '97 and watched 5 mature trees die and NOT be replaced and approached the church several times about replanting. They didn't have the interest, but I found one minister and he had one fellow, Melvin who were willing to work with me to help their space.

This shot is Earth Day '09, two months after we cleared and planted the tiny roses on Valentines Day. It was me, my husband Greg, my neighbor Regine and Melvin...Melvin's wife made coffee for us, it was a bitter cold morning!

Regine, another neighbor Susan and I spent 3 hours pruning, for the first time just after Valentines Day this year, and here are the mature roses on Earth Day '11.

The reason I'm focusing on this success story is that on April 9th, this year, the church decided to "clean-up" the garden. The minister that we'd worked with, long gone had been replaced by a fire and brimstone fellow, then another and Melvin had gone back to not talking to me because I don't share his beliefs. The only garden they have, outside the central beds that are not visible to the neighborhood, are the rose garden and the 17 trees I wrote a grant for and organized neighborhood volunteers to plant and care for, 3 years ago. No one spoke to me, even though many of the church members know who I am, and Melvin is still the grounds keeper.

With dull tools they systematically butchered 13 of the 17 trees, some with fruit and blossoms and topped 4 oaks. The oaks were strategically placed to relieve the heat island effect caused by the enormous parking lot and to cool the building like the mature trees they'd let go, and not replaced. A few of the trees were donated by neighbors, that they had nursed before and after planting that held sentimental meaning.

My two neighbors to the east, Regine and Dana and I have been caring for the trees, pruning when necessary, buying our own compost and watering for the obligatory 2 years as said by the TreeFolks contract. After we realized what had happened, we cried. We wrote letters to the new minister explaining the situation and he replied with an apology and a promise to repair, what they could, of the damage. I asked him to call me, said that I'd put together a packet of information about gardening practices but to please, immedately compost and deeply water the poor trees that had just lost their spring growth and to replace the oaks, now topped in the fall.

To date they have done nothing.

Thank goodness we were able to save the roses.

What is still puzzling to me is why? How can it be, in this day and age that anyone could not find "when to prune and how to prune" information within minutes on the computer? I am sickened everytime I walk out my front door, but am not surprised that the church is not keeping their word.

I leave you with one of my favorite poems by Joyce Kilmer printed in 1914.

Trees

I think that I shall never see

a poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest,

Against the earths sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robbins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

I hope your EarthDay was rewarding, there is much to do.

April Bloomday 2011

2011-04-15T16:58:00.001-07:00

Bloom day, the blog roll for gardeners world wide is the creation of Linda at

May Dreams Gardens, and you're one step away from having a look at gardens in bloom across the world. Thank you Linda! Now here's a quick peek at some of the things going on here at Conscious Gardening!

Red Yucca One of 12 tomatoes currently in bloom, I pinched off the first set to encourage the plant to set out more roots, I'm giving the ground a rest from the nightshades and have put them in pots! One of the multiplier onions blossoms in the onion bed. A pass along Canna from a plant swap, years ago at Elaynes. A gulf fritillary caterpillar munching away on one of several pass along Passion Flower Vines from Randy Case's garden 3 years ago. Spiderwort, coming up all over this year! Cecille Bruenner Rose with this years booming crop of blackberries! Also in bloom are my first Dewberries and Boysenberries! Summer ice cream fun on it's way! I am in love with the Peggy Martin Rose! I've planted two and they have been stunning. I'm not sure if they officially changed the name to the Katrina Rose, but I call her that too. This was the first rose to return to New Orleans after the hurricane, and she's a hurricane of pink!

Baily's Red Rose

This is another pass along rose that I picked up a few years ago and this is the first year it's done anything. I think it's a climber, well...a fainter actually. She's sent out several sprays that creep on the ground but put out these beautifully colored blossoms...this is the last of them unfortunately, now to get a trellis!

Katrina Rose, up close.

I don't know this lovely ladies name. I ask every year when she blooms for some help on an ID but have never heard back from the rose aficionados. So, I'm going to simply call her "Red."

Knock out!

Oh yea, she's a Knock out!

The fernleaf verbena and santolina have taken over the south end of the mound.

Fernleaf verbena

This is a long shot of the hummingbird and butterfly mix I threw down in my culinary garden, why? So I could watch my favorite garden faeries from the window in the Bird blind Bar through the summer, and stay nice and cool with a frosty Margarita in hand! I'm no dummy! Summer's upon us!

This is a portrait of the first cosomos in the mix, by afternoon several others had opened up.

Confederate Jasmine, and there's that sole cosmos in the background...so rich and lovely!

Frida's larkspur, a volunteer from my deceased neighbor that comes back each year in my yard.

She was a great gal, and I have fond memories of her quirkiness. Everytime I see a larkspur I think of her. I don't see people in too many flowers, but this one belongs to her.

The common pittosporum, covered in bees each year is one of my favorites.

The first blog entry I did over 3 years ago now, was about my amazement and love for the

Pride of Barbados, she's nearly 6 ft. tall now and no longer needs to be covered in winter...thank goodness, because I forgot all about her!

My sole poppy, I'm envious of those of you who have them return year after year.

Gold Lantana and pony's foot.

Simple marigolds and such in the boxes, but check out the height of the river fern and

heartleaf scullcap...they've come back with a vengence!

Jerusalem sage

This last shot is the promise of winter...a persimmon blossom, my favorite brown flower.

Here's the rest of the shy bloomers, whose photos didn't turn out so well...but deserve a mension just the same:

Iris

Gulf Coast Penstamon

Texas Sage

Rosemary

Oxalis

Autumn Sage

Cherry Sage

Lipstick Sage

Gregg's Mistflower

Mutabilis Rose

Pansy

Indian Blanket

Mexican Sage

Blue Mealy Sage

Alyssum

and volunteer Squash (?) flowers

Now, I've got 4 cubic yards of compost stinking my neighbors out, so I've got to get busy! I hope April finds you in blooms wherever you are! Thanks for stopping by, and do a little rain dance for us here in Central Texas...will you?

Happy Gardening!

Happy Birthday, Fool!

2011-04-06T04:43:00.000-07:00

I meant to write a post on Fools Day, because it was Conscious Gardening's 3rd birthday...but I drank too much beer celebrating, and the weekend was a lot of gardening and more beer drinking. But I've been thinking about it a lot. Fools Day has become the beginning of the calendar for me as I like to challenge myself and start something new without the pressure of success...purely for the fun, fool and life of it. So, this years project is truly foolish...I've learned...more on that in a minute.

During the sunlight hours I've been spending most of my time doing the gardening chores...the stuff that's not really fun, but that makes a difference in presentation...pruning, raking, edging...I do all edging by hand, repainting, fixing stuff, transplanting...the list goes on. It's amazing how the garden is always in transformation, a living, breathing work of natural art...that I get to mess with.

But in the evenings I've been geeking out on YouTube watching countless home and professional videos about growing your own hops. Spouse of my life, is a beer enthusiast and home brewer. I, his devoted assistant am more of a cheerleader and micro-manager..."make this beer, make that one...I want to have a bitter beer that I can add my sage to, or brighten with some coriander"...etc...etc...so goes the weekend conversation, over many a beer and laughter, it's one of the reasons we work so well together.

Anyway, typical me, before doing the research, I'd already jumped in with both feet and ordered hops from the Austin Home Brew Store. Now, after countless hours of reading and watching I realize that I've bought the absolute wrong kind...meaning, any kind at all because hop growing in Texas is...well...foolish. Hops grow in cool, damp conditions...with up to a 30ft bine (that's what they call the vine) needing both full sun and an enormous vertical structure. I am no less in love with the idea of growing them mind you...just hyper aware of my probable doom.

Here's what came in the brown bag:

I think I picked this one because it sounded Alaskan, a temporary home for me, familiar...and totally wrong for here...doi.

And here are my two dead sticks soaking in some water and Alaska Fish Emulsion to try to bring them to life, and pump 'em full of good stuff before burying them...where they will most likely die a sad horrible baked death in our black land prairie mud. I was only able to find a few brave souls that have tried to grow hops here and they did it in 20 gallon pots, watering twice daily. I'm gonna take a more foolish approach, bury'em high on a mound (like they do up north) but with about 6 inches of mulch. I'll water them in the pre-dawn hours, but that's it. I've been fantasizing about wild success and building new elaborate arbor/pergolas on raised walkways like Mr. Miyagi's garden in Karate Kid to support my massive beautiful hop buds...once again, his garden is in a prime hop growing environment, ah...dream on. The only pre-existing structure that could hold the weight of the bines, should they actually grow, is my poor, sad, unused chicken coop, which doesn't get full sun but dappled, and I'm thinking of July and August and hoping that I'm right about protecting my northern roots from our hotter than hell crazy summer sun...we'll see. What's the fun of being a gardener if you don't take chances, right? Even if I get one hop bud, I'm celebrating! Join me on my foolish quest, I'll be planting tomorrow and staring at the ground, beer in hand for the weeks that follow. I feel like a kid who plants corn believing in a popcorn tree! What crazy risks have you taken in your garden lately? Happy Gardening!

Three For Thursday

2011-03-24T06:52:00.001-07:00

The Lady Banksia is my favorite rose right now. We planted her before we built the deck and pergola, then added Old Blush just over 3 years ago, they're almost meeting now.

Front pergola from below.

The front deck and pergola from the driveway.

The Lady Banksia up close.

Happy Gardening!

Equinox Project!

2011-03-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

I've had a nasty patch of nandina that keeps coming up from under my neighbors yard. 'Said' patch has been removed 3 times over the last few years...always thinking I got the heart of the plant but nay...today I think I got it...isn't that color beautiful?...like agarita, so yellow.

It even looks like a heart. I actually think it's a pretty, but common little plant and I love the berries but it's so invasive, so difficult to get rid of that I took the step that I've sworn never to do...I donned gloves and touched a sponge soaked with RoundUp to it's severed root stem. I feel kinda sick about it but digging wasn't working and my neighbor doesn't mind it so...

I've had a plan for this area for two years now, ever since we lost the Red Bud that was at the center of the nandina patch. Today, the equinox was the day that all the work got done!

Loving spouse and I hit Lowe's and bought cedar, PVC pipe and all the hardware to set up two planter boxes. I'm not a fan of straight lines, especially the square as a design feature...but, it fit the space and I've always wanted a convenient way of using shade cloth and a place to grow winter greens safely and also be able to lock out the nasty squash vine borer early start stuff... shoot, so many versatility's...plus it's easily dismantled and moved!

One box constructed...look at that proud smile!

All along the fence I carefully snipped the roots, but still we lined the box with cardboard and probably won't plant until fall...I half expect the battle to continue, that patch was there when I moved in 14 years ago, it's the last of the invasives in my yard! Yea!

After the second box is constructed it was time for the classic prairie wagon hoops.

We just got the 10ft. 1/2 inch thin plastic ones...they are sturdy but bend easily enough...I picked the stuff and place and got to do all the design/bossing around but loving spouse wielded the power tools on this project!

It takes two to get it done quickly...not two Boston Terrorists, though they seem to approve.

So satisfying to see it all come together...

And this is what it looked like this morning:

I honestly didn't think we'd finish that fast, or we would have gotten soil! Hmmm, soil. Last time we used Natural Gardener, I think it's time to give Geo Growers a try!

I hope you all are having a wonderfully productive spring and a very happy equinox to you all,

Happy Gardening!

Bloom Day March 2011

2011-03-15T15:09:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful today. 64, light breeze and sunny. I hope you all are having a wonder-filled bloom day, Thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting GBBD and being the inspiration behind the sharing. Welcome to my zone 8b garden in the heart of Austin, Texas, in the tenth year of my marraige to the love of my life, in this hear yard...Thanks for stopping by.

Rosemary and my favorite "hell zone" plant, hymenoxis.

I get so excited just before the buckeye bursts into coral blooms for a short visit.

Hello Martha Gonzales, the first rose to bloom this spring.

We are hoping for a beautiful crop of apricots due to the snowflake blossoms just fading now.

Oh peaches, you will be welcomed freshness in my morning yogurt smoothie, and Margaritas.

The Mountain Laurel in her gorgeous hues has perfumed my front yard like a sweaty palm holding purple Sweet-Tarts...that's what it smells like to me anyway.

By this afternoon, the cross-vine had opened a few of her flashy blossoms...she's calling to the hummingbirds, but we haven't seen one...yet.

Oh Lady Banksia, you are my buttery-popcorn favorite cheer right now...but you are oh so hard to photograph in all your showering delights

Old Blush, this is the first blossom, but this afternoon...over a dozen opened up.

Lady Banksia

It just doesn't translate...she's anchored the West side of the house.

Terrible photo, I know...but both figs are lookin' great...and this is after a transplant!

The simplicity of the arugula flower...the remaining plant from the entire winter garden, lost this year to weather...first time ever in my yard.

Loriapetilum or Fringe flower, from the Hazel family...so, since I have a new neice named Hazel...this is her flower and I'm reminded of her sweet spark when I see it.

Well..here's the rest of my list:

Iris

Autumn Sage

Oxalis

Spider Wort

Carolina Jesamine

Fernleaf Verbena

Daffodil

The more exciting things in my garden have to do with what made it through the winter without help. I didn't pamper, other than watering thoroughly before the worst of the freezes and pushing the leaves up around the base of things. I brought my house plants in, but that was really it and I thought I'd lose more. The most surprising things that are coming back are the brugmansia and the Philappine Violet...I just figured they'd had enough. Part of being saved has to do with the many microclimates in a dense suburban yard and

enriched soil...which I am really bad at keeping up with.

I hope everything is magical in your yard!

Happy Gardening!

Love in the Garden

2011-03-11T15:34:00.000-08:00

Me and Greg

So, this is Greg and I standing in front of our Mountain Laurel that we planted on this day, ten years ago March 11, 2001...it was a Sunday back then. After we planted the tree, we went to Stubb's Gospel Brunch with our closest friends and family, came home and got married in the backyard.

That's how slow a Mountain Laurel grows.

I love you sweetheart,

Happy Anniversary and Happy Gardening!

March! Already?

2011-03-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

Spring onions and compost tea.

Well, it's obvious that I've NOT been blogging, but I have been doing a lot of gardening...even though my goal is to (un)garden in order to help the upcoming renters along...but it's hard, really hard when the weather is nothing short of perfical and that mesmerizing green glow of the new sprout is shining through the setting sun with that flash of faerie dust that makes you think that winter was all a dream. I stood fast this winter, didn't pamper, cover, in other words...prepared for the worst and I lost big time. I am so very sorry that I didn't bring in my 1o year old Stag Fern, RIP you beautiful weirdness...long gone also are ALL my hanging plants...how on earth could they have made it? So, I have lots of hanging baskets if any of you are in the market. I just can't be bothered. The teens are doing their best to drive me insane and I know that we are leaving so I send a metaphorical kiss to everything I pass...I've become an urban farmer, thinking only of what I can eat...and what's tough enough to survive.

Still, I tarry. Pruning everything..as if a renter will? Luxuriating in the miracle of return...why does it mystify so? Something deep inside us all must scream...see you didn't kill me, life goes on! The soul of a gardener cannot be still. Even when I try to take steps away...I can't. Gardening is an addiction to life, the cure.

Happy Gardening!

My Gooey Valentine Garden

2011-02-14T14:34:00.001-08:00

I tried to get excited about cleaning the garden yesterday...but just couldn't bring myself to give up a perfect sun-lubber day...and seriously, I didn't have the stomach to face the goooooo.

Goodbye beautiful plants...that I've had for many years....

I can't believe that plants, south facing, in a rock bed, against the house...for Pete's sake, that have never succumbed to the cold...have meeeellllted!!!!

The Peruvian Lilly was knee-high just two months ago....

Lovely African succulents...drained, flat...smoooosh.

More gooo...it just goes on...

3 year old Bulbine, that made it through last winter...remember "the coldest winter on record since the 50's"...sure.

Guess what this is?

Looks kinda like my elbows this year...crinkle, crack, split...

I've nursed this gelatinous bulb for 3 long years...goodbye you beautiful blob of jelly.

See the sun glowing through? Not the way this former forest green zebra plant presented her pattern.

Sago was lost last year for the first time, and ohhhhh, here you go again! Seriously...I have doubts.

The browns of winter...beyond the norm.

Day Lilly...I'm soooo sorry.

No Kale for me!

Wait, is that spring green in the midst of all this terror?

Life!

The winter birds don't seem to mind...thistle please!

So, lesson learned. Texas is changing. 13 years of moderate winters are clearly over. I have to get serious about saving things, even though I'm in the middle of the city...even plants up against my house have not been able to take Global Warming. It's real. It's here. Thank goodness for hard scape and yard art. We are blessed, aren't we? Let's not mess it up.

Happy Gardening.

Petin and Persimmons

2010-12-08T05:37:00.001-08:00

Howdy! It's been awhile, and I had fully intended to write a "November Update" but a world of sickness this Autumn has sort of kicked me in the lungs and left me wheezing on the sofa watching the colors change from inside. Super spouse has been keeping the winter greens alive and mother nature has been doing her part...so, what am I good for?

Gathering peppers, chili petin.
I added 5 of these babies to some soup the other day and nearly burned my tongue out of my mouth! Jeebus. They are destined to become infused oils for "Festivus" gifts.

Looks like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree doesn't it? It's our sweet fuyu persimmon just before I relieved her of fruit.

First year's December bounty! We have 4 chili petin and one persimmon tree. My Mom made persimmon pudding for Thanksgiving from the local ones in Kansas, which are tiny by comparison, but very tasty. Mine are destined to be cut into Marinara sauce for spicy Northern Italian pasta dishes this winter. They are currently softening up in the kitchen.

Both of these plants are an excellent addition to your central Texas Garden. How ever you want to call your "bird pepper" petin or pequin...there is a difference you know, one being round vs. pear shaped, and orange vs. red...both come from the Family-Solanaceae, Genus-capiscum
both grow wild and often along fence lines, which is why they are commonly known as "bird-pepper," believing that they had to pass through a bird to germinate...which isn't true. But, if you have it in your garden and watch closely, you'll see that the birds fight over them! They are colorful and draught tolerant and mighty tasty! I've found some interesting suggestions: mash up a few and stir them into scrambled eggs, add 3-5 in your crock-pot with beans, torture foul mouthed children...while at the same time teaching them a valuable lesson,

don't eat red berries!

They rate 30,000 Scoville Units of heat and WILL bring tears to the eyes, so be sure to wear gloves when handling.

I also can't sing the praises of the fuyu enough! They are, as far as I know...fairly disease free and uber low maintenance! Some folks say they are the best fresh persimmon, but I prefer the cooked flavor with garlic and oregano...it's very complex and unique. Try it!

I guess, that's what I'm good for...bossing the family around and doing something with the stuff we grow!

Happy Gardening!

Three For Thursday

2010-11-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

Look who we discovered, Randy and I while having a Bourbon on a perfect November night...

Otus Asio, Eastern Screech Owl

Isn't it sweet? The 2009 class of the Travis County Master Naturalists built boxes to be distributed around town...I brought several cedar boards from my old fence to recycle and we pulled the pattern off the internet.

It's been just over a year! He woke up tonight around 5:20 and came up to watch over our yard.

Wildlife Habitat...check!

By the way, birders...you've got 2 days to sign up for the Winter Bird Watch through the Cornell Orinthology Lab...check out this site: http://store.birds.cornell.edu/Project_FeederWatch_s/42.htm

Thanks to The Violet Fern for the suggestion!

Happy Gardening!

Photos by my daughter Autumn Kervella

Happy HalllllLLLLLOOOOOooooowwWWEEEeenn!

2010-10-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

OOOOooohhhh! Isn't it perfect out there? Top of the season to you! It's been a glorious day and I simply must share! Evil, skeletal, rocking, unicorn is all dressed up to scare the ba-jeebus outta little-ones and I can't wait to see 'em out tonight in all their scary finest! Devoted spouse aka... Beer-man is dutifully working on his computer after our busy morning of hunting and planting.

The beautiful Autumn berries are out tempting the fall migration and the wind is blocking out the traffic noise just enough to make the bird-song sharp!

Yaupon Holly

Pigeon Berry

I love it when the peppers turn red on the vine! We put in the last of the fall plants: parsley, dill, sorrel, more Swiss chard, cilantro, winter kale and I had to replace the thyme.

Yikes! Wild outfit for a faaAAaancy Butterfly to wear for Halloween! She's one of many on the Shrimp plant.

Swallowtail

There's an abundant late influx of caterpillars this year! The butterfly garden is full of these beauties nibbling on the bronze fennel!

Our lovely old fashioned, native Fall Aster, feeding the pollinators and providing some cheeriness!

Ruby Grass

The grasses are in tip-shape around town, and in the back yard waiving in the breeze.

Patrick-O'Lantern? hehehe...

Burgundy beans

Spouse found out from reading the last post that I was snorfeling up the beans, so it's become increasingly hard to find my afternoon snack!

Chili pequin (petin)

This is the first year I decided to collect the chili pequin, the birds seem to be ignoring them this year...so spiced oil has been put on the to-do list.

Texas Pecan

We went out early this morning to do our "big people" trick-or-treating and gathered a few bags of pecans that had fallen onto the sidewalk and street!

Mexican Marigold

This is the craftsmanship you get when you let your daughters boyfriend carve the pumpkin...something I'd never do, but I must give a shout out to the Rangers who have put my neighbors in an exceptionally good mood, especially when the Longhorns seem to be "asleep at the wheel"...hehe...local flavor, if you know who lives in this hood.

I thought I'd unveil my new blog name on Halloween...as we're taking a turn for the slacker here at Conscious Ungardening...slacker-gardening is quite scary to the uptight gardener...Boo!

I hope you stick with me as I take a giant step back and consider what can do without me, in my garden.

Happy UNgardening!

Sunday Morning in the Garden

2010-10-27T04:35:00.001-07:00

Truth be told, I've been spending a lot of time in the garden and just "being there" has been trumping writing about it. Homestead TV isn't the same without the chickens, but I'm putting my time in never the less...noticing the backyard birds and mentally moving things around. The three year downsizing plan is underway and the fantasies about moving and being someplace else are so intoxicating that my head is swimming...I wonder where we'll go? Spouse says, "someplace with a Research University...a policy program"...in my mind I just see trees.

View from the Bird blind Bar

Camera in hand, I headed out to see what's up in the yard on Saturday morning. We've had an abundance of fall harvest fruits and veggies and it was one year to the day from last years tour...so I was mentally calculating the losses and blossoms.

Philippine Violet

I lost two Philippine Violets, this is the last one. 3 trees are gone and I'm afraid we'll be loosing a 50 year old Vitex this year. Some would say "Not a loss" because they're invasive, but she is glorious and covered with bees and butterflies when she blooms; I hang my snake graph from her branches and she keeps my Bird blind Bar cool. When the American Elm is gone, I know my heart will break. The years of drought are taking their toll.

Clematis

I've long forgotten the actual name of this hidden beauty, I had to move some over grown Gregg's Mist flower to see her...she's not in the right place to thrive.

Yaupon Holly and Desert Willow Vine

This is the best of the photos I was able to get in the wind. The Yaupon is covered in berries and the DWVine is decorating her with silly pink trumpet shaped flowers. I think it was Diane of Sharing Natures Garden that recently asked about what is in the wrong place in your garden and I've been blowing that, through my mind as well.

Fall Aster

The Fall Asters just keep on coming...I'm so glad I brought them home from the Green Garden several years ago, the native white ones get so tall and fall over...but I love them for the bees.

Burgundy Beans

Yesterday I stood by the beans and ate the first of the seasons harvest! 3 tender purple pods!

(You have to celebrate the small victories...I was alone, chewing and smiling with closed eyes facing the sun...counting my blessings.)

Japanese Eggplant

I brought in the first of the fall eggplant harvest, 10 perfect slender fruits, the leaves are laced out but the bugs must find the skin bitter, as do I. We'll be making Baba ganoush for supper!

Fuyu Persimmon

The Fuyu's have all turned a lovely halloween orange! Still a few months until harvest, but we dug into the last of the pomegrante this morning...delicious!

And then, something gold caught my eye.

Hiding in the middle of a 3ft. Chili Pequin was this jade beauty!

Lazy me has yet to figure out how to use that micro-setting on the camera...but you can still make out the baby form within.

Sunday morning, I went out to check on her and there she was, gently expanding and contracting her new wings!

She hung out for quite some time before moving on, her chrysalis casing remains.

Monarchs, some of my favorite magical garden friends.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day October 2010

2010-10-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Carol of May Dreams Gardens invites gardeners around the world to share what is blooming in their gardens on the 15th of each month. I'm a day late this month, due to a nasty bug that I'm still suffering...so here are the shots, sans commentary. Hope everything is lovely in your garden!

Pigeon Berry
Mexican tarragon, one of the predictable yellows of Autumn.

Due to the beautiful rains we've been having the rose, Cecile Bruenner is having a lovely flush along with the Canna's which are towering over my head.

Delicate chocolate flower blooming in the shade.
Turks cap

Shrimp plant

Canna lily

Mexican sage, cuphea, rosemary and Texas sage are buzzing with bees.

Thyrallis and Texas sage

New gold lantana and pony's foot

The blues...plumbago and rosemary

Hymenoxis

The umbrella shaped blossom of eggplant.

13 fruits by today's count. Eggplant

One of 4 tomatoes still in production this fall.

Fuyu persimmon, 17 on the tree now and there were only 2 perfect pomegranates. This is the first year of production. I put them in last spring and snipped the fruit off so the roots could get established. We've also been eating figs daily off the two tiny trees that died to the ground this past winter.

Peppers!

Geranium, companion plant to roses, she came back to bloom with them.

Peggy Martin in profile.

Knock out

Pouty Belinda's Dream

Echenacea, purple cone flower.

Thanks for dropping by...here's the list of bloomer's not shown:

Autumn Sage

Butterfly Weed

Butterfly plant

Passion flower vine

Purple trailing Lantana

Black and Blue Sage

Blue Mealy Sage

Majestic Sage

Mexican Petunia

Fernleaf Verbena

Goldeneye Skeleton

Skullcap

Bulbine

Crape Myrtle

Chaste Tree

Cross Vine

Society Garlic

Fall Obedient Plant

Fall Aster

Tick weed

Old Blush Rose

Oxalis

Coral Vine

Tropical Sage

Rock Rose

Desert Willow Vine

Esperanza

Cherry Barbados

Yaupon Holly (berries)

Martha Gonzales

Philippine Violet (white)

Gregg's Mistflower

Patrick's Abutilon

Happy Gardening!

Autumn Showers

2010-09-23T07:01:00.001-07:00

After Tuesday's storm the weather station pronounced this to be the second wettest September on record for Austin. There are new blossoms daily in the garden and I just wanted to showcase a few lovelies of the season...

Man's perch for rainy September days.

My suburban paradise.

Majestic Sage in her Autumn glory.

New growth on the Japanese Maple.

Martha Gonzales

Finally the Mexican Sage and cuphea are going wild, but what is hidden from this view is blooming curry, rosemary and cannas.

New gold lantana, ponys foot, crape myrtle, Mexican oregano and bulbine.

Pigeon berry, that came back from the garden tour last year. It was trampled by unaccompanied children and I thought it was gone!

Shot of the side garden...jungle...the passion flower vine has now reached the roof.

It's almost time to make the second batch of pesto. I use mostly the sweet basil but like to toss it up a bit with Thai and lemon basil as well.

The magically re-appearing sorrel...third year now. I always think it's finished in July, then...after a good rain, she lives.

A volunteer Datura on the mound, with bean sprouts in front of the cedar fence.

Eggplant flower, from the spring planting.

First of the fall fruits.

Autumn clematis in her fall bridal colors.

What's happening in your garden? It's a gorgeous day...I'm going to get out there and plant some more fall veggies and soak up some sun!

Happy Gardening!

September Bloom Day

2010-09-15T04:07:00.001-07:00

I was up early this morning, couldn't wait to get out there and take photos...I wrote a whole story that was lost between uploading images and getting the kids off to school...oh well. I missed last month's GBBD because we were in the Davis Mts. and Big Bend participating in the Texas Hummingbird Roundup which was wonderful. I'm so happy to be back home because Autumn is my favorite time of year, when the relief from the heat makes everything magical again and the summer growth is deep and green and mature and the long wait for Fall color is on the verge of happening...any minute now...oh wait, we're in Texas. Scratch that.

My view of the culinary garden, where I take my morning coffee, and contemplate the day.

It's almost a year now that I've been watching the garden change, trying not to meddle too much. I put in 18 months of work to bring my garden to a point of readiness for a tour and the last 11 months I've been considering the next move, literally...we'll be moving in 3 years and I need to have this space, renter ready...easy to maintain, because I don't expect anyone to spend the time I've been spending in my garden. Loving spouse, and the daughters will all be finished with school and we will, as a family...in our own directions, disperse, to return to this home at a much later date in time. So...I've watched things die, a lot of things. I haven't tried to help. My St. Augustine lawn, now in full sun refuses to give up...the bane of the neighborhood I'm sure (note to self: I should probably take down the "Conscious Gardening" signs as I do this...) and the Sycamore tree that was destined to become a goddess sculpture, decided to don a green dress and is unrecognizable. I intend to transform the front yard into a wildflower prarie with fruit trees. We'll see if that happens.

Heralding my favorite season...Fall Obedient Plant.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with this months show...it's not too shabby for what's going on around here. I just love the monthly tally and for those of you who haven't checked out Carol's blog:
May Dreams Come

you must do so as she is the keeper of the list...the list of all of us gardeners who love participating in, and seeing what is blooming all over the world each month. This is her idea, and a fantastic one at that.

Pecans!
Mexican Sage, cuphea and Rosemary.

New Gold Lantana, pony's foot, white lantana and Mexican oregano.

Fall Obedient plant, Thyrallis, Texas Sage.

Plumbago

Magestic Sage

Red Yucca, skullcap, Autumn Sage and Provincial Lavender.

Forgive the fuzziness of this shot...the bumble bee was so fast! I missed the hummingbird that was working this same barometer bush, Texas Sage. Below is fall obedient plant and in the background blooming...almond verbena, which smells delicious.

Autumn Sage

More blooming sage...

This is a cheat...I snapped it yesterday afternoon because the Passion Flower Vine doesn't open it's blooms until the sun hits it...

This is the same vine this morning...it has 9 flowers on it, which you can't see yet. Also blooming in this shot are, purple cone flower, butterfly weed, and bulbine. The reason I put this in is to show how the passion vine has taken over a rose bush...and is halfway up my house. When Randy gave me a few of these last summer, I didn't believe him when he said they were invasive...I have them all over my side garden and backyard now, I can't bring myself to take them out though, they're so happy and the butterflies love them.

My Bob cat, garden cat.

I got a new digital camera for my birthday and haven't really taken the time to play with it properly, but this is it's "pinhole" feature on some bronze fennel.

Red Okra

Red Okra flower, I think they are stunning!

Check out the aphids on this Butterfly Weed!

Beans, I can't remember what kind...I just put them everywhere...I hope these will grow up the tree house, they get a fair amount of sun...we'll see. Dorothy has spotted a squirrel.

Eggplant

Oxalis and a simple philodendron, which came back from the roots.

A chewed up Turks Cap.

Pink Island, Mexican Petunia, or ruellia

Blooming onions and a tiny row of arugula. You can also see culinary sage, new onions, Melissa, Gregg's Mistflower and Rosemary in this shot...none of which are in bloom presently.

Tobasco Pepper

This is the spider web arbor that I drew up for Bob Poole of Draco Gardens to make for me...he took my chicken scratch of a sketch home and this showed up on my porch a few weeks later. There is nothing this man can't do with metal! I love it and can't wait for Cecile to bloom!

Volunteer Moon Flower or Datura. I lost my double purple frill this winter, but the white one returns yearly.

Other things blooming but not photographed:

Mexican Honeysuckle

Hymenoxys

Russian Sage

Purslane

Fern leaf Verbena

Purple Lantana

Flame Acanthus

Rock Rose

Blue Mealy Sage

Chili Pequin

Basil

Crape Myrtle

I'll add what I've forgotten in the coming days to this list. There's just a lot going on, though my guiding thought is: simplify...things need to change. In June I found a home for the bunnies, and last week, Cat of Amlo Farms welcomed my chickens into her fold. We now have 4 cats (one feral porch cat, that will stay with the house) 2 dogs and a long line of beta's "Flash the Birthday Fish" will be our last one. The number of plants who can handle the Texas Sun and unpredictable winters will continue to diminish. There is an end in sight.

What's blooming in your garden?

Happy Gardening!

Hi-hoe Hermine!

2010-09-07T19:25:00.001-07:00

Well, after a summer of a lot of nothin' by way of gardening I mean...loving spouse and I roused ourselves just in time for the big one! We're terribly late, but just yesterday we finally put in our tomatoes, planted beans and chard and greens and did a whole lot of necessary cleaning up of the yard and today the storm hit!

I thought Friday's rain would have soaked the ground enough to stop the flooding...but my Croc's went floating off into the backyard just a few minutes after I snapped this shot!
I hope the seeds don't just float away!
Aw shucks, they're just beans!

I broke my rain gauge earlier this summer, but my neighbor says hers is showing 7 inches...I've been listening to the storm all day and it's been so nourishing to my dry bones! Yippie!

Happy Gardening!

Way Out West

2010-08-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

August, the perfect time to get outta Dodge...and head for the hills...or rather the mountains, the Davis Mountains and Big Bend. Hubby and I participated in this year's Texas Hummingbird Roundup and took in some much needed adventure. I'll spare you the entire itinerary and just say that before the Roundup, we went to Balmorhea, hiked in the Chiuahuan Desert at the Research Center and laid out under the stars to see the Perseid Meteor Shower, whilst drinking some Hoptober and enjoying our friend and fellow CAMNer, Bill.

Female Black Chinned Hummingbird in the cage. Christmas Mountains

Female Black Chinned Hummingbird

Male Lucifer Hummingbird

Flowering Huisache

Christmas Mountains

The roundup took place in and around the Davis Mountain Resort, on 3 private properties including the above Christmas Mountains and our final destination was a hike to the bottom of the Chisos Basin at Big Bend.

Tuna, the fruit of the Prickly Pear was abundant.

All over the Chiuahuan Desert cacti were in bloom, like this Century Plant on the hike down the basin. This is another favorite of hummingbirds and bats.

Nicotiana in bloom, the preferred food of the Blue Throated Hummingbird

Ocotillo outside of Big Bend.

The beautiful Texas Madrone tree, in all our hiking we only saw 3 in the mountains, but we saw a few at Sul Ross that had been planted in honor of Deans.

Emory Peak, Big Bend.

One of many blooming mallows.

The trail behind Indian Lodge in the Davis Mountains State Park, it's a relatively easy hike.

The clearing after a brief storm outside Alpine, Texas.

Well, I went through the pink flowers in the "Wildflowers of Texas" book and didn't find this beauty, I'd love an ID.

Indian Lodge trail.

The Indian Lodge from the trail.

The Indian Lodge was built by the CCC, a troop relocated from Bastrop. They made the bricks, built the lodge and also made a lot of the original furniture which still remains. I think it's one of the nicest of the CCC lodges I've been to, and I always try to stay at them whenever possible. However, the bed was lousy, the shower had no pressure and there was no complimentary coffee. The restaurante left us unimpressed, but I must say it was reverently quiet. We ventured into Ft. Davis and found a wonderful Mexican Restaurant, BYOB across from a liquor store and a darling natural food market that resembled a manageable WholeFoods/Central Market in a SunHarvest size, it's attached to Stone Village Tourist Camp, where we stayed for 3 nights and it was wonderful! Organic gourmet coffee free to the guests, pool and they had hummingbird feeders that were packed!

Top of the trail.

Milk Thistle

I love the rock piles created by hikers over the years...this one was huge and had wildflowers growing through the cracks and around the base.

More view from the hike, which took us about 2 hours. We saw javelina, jackrabbit, roadrunner and a bunch of butterflies and other birds, and the cacti were all blooming like this Spanish Daggar.

One of many, many DYF's (damn yellow flower) on the trail.

The clarity of the puddle and the single butterfly wing in it was poetic.

Though I've heard about the dung beetle, I'd never seen them in action. We stopped and watched these two roll this perfectly round ball of dung a few feet...they were amazingly quick.

This jackrabbit didn't seem to mind us watching him snack on tuna.

It was really wonderful to see wild Esperanza! This is taken from the top of the hiking trail off Skyline Drive, overlooking the town of Fort Davis.

Our favorite resting spot on the hike, we went back later that evening to just sit and take in the beauty and silence.

These barn swallow nests were everywhere we went! I totally admire the building style.

Watching Mama Barn Swallow go in and out feeding her kiddos!

Well, this was the last hike we took and we were the first ones on it that morning...made me feel guilty walking through all those spider webs. This hike is rather hard to find as it's tucked behind a picnic rest area about 10 miles from the McDonald Observatory off the road completely. Well worth the time it took to find it.

I wish I knew what this Dr. Seussian thing was! Not knowing her name didn't stop us from admiring her blowing in the wind! Thanks to Lee and Christine, who live way out west...for the ID...it's an Apache Plum!

My favorite rock pile on the Madera Canyon trail.

Not the largest grass hopper we saw, but he was very balanced and strong, the wind was blowing and he just went about his business swaying with the DYF.

This is the last view I'm going to leave you with, it's the last place we sat down for a rest on the hike. The trip was magical, the hikes were invigorating and gorgeous and I think West Texas will go on the calendar for next August as well. It was expandingly beautiful and cool in the evenings and though hot during the afternoons, it was not as hot as Austin! I hope you enjoyed the photos from our only escape from town this summer!

Happy Gardening

North Austin Funk...Numero Dos

2010-08-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

I don't remember the dimensions of "The Wall" but the message is clear. Jean Graham is the Brentwood artist who had the idea and it was a long process. The wall runs along Woodrow Ave behind the neighborhood MiniMax (located in Crestview) one of the coolest places in the 'hood. The first meeting of minds happened at El Mercado years ago, Linda Anderson, the wonderful art teacher at Brentwood Elementary School, myself and Jean made the first sample pieces that sold the idea to the hood. It's a massive piece of historical art.

Hedrich Michaelson is a dedicated gardener with a beautiful yard and her husband Phil, a great sense of wonder. They have toys tucked in here and around the veggies and native flowers in their xeriscaped front yard. It's always fun to walk by and see what's new.
My friend Ellen's house is on the market (check it out here) one of the coolest, biggest houses in Crestview...but you can still see the shadow of an artist if you're paying attention to detail. She threatened to "shoot my ass" if she found me in her yard...hehe. I love the turquoise balls on the Redbud tree out front. Hi Ellen, ya missed!

Charming gas lamps painted by children, or someone with a childlike perspective. (Note to self: repaint your pathetic lamp!)

I had to hang over the fence to capture the wonderful metal art below.

Wabi-Sabi and I have been walking the 'hood all summer and I'm only showing a few of Michele's playful charms with permission of course!

Every time I try to write something, some bone-head has stolen the Sharpie!

Pan, the goat-god with breasties, sits beneath the Oak tree out front, playing an invisible flute. The story is a good one as to how she acquired it...but not necessary...it's a delightful, melancholic, blast from the past, on its own.

In order to present our neighborhood in full spectrum, I'd need a turret entry, a color entry, a this isn't art but trash entry and many more...There's a lot of new construction and many houses on the market. I think some may still consider this part of town "transitional" but then again, what isn't? Featuring my 'hood is hopefully a great way to draw artists to this part of town...we have a plethora of creatives, but I'm always open to meeting more cool people...it's all part of the dream. Stay cool and...

Bloom Where You're Planted, if you're not planted...transplant yourself here.

Happy Gardening!

Three For Thursday

2010-07-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

I've been gathering images of original artwork in Crestview Neighborhood for an on-going blog posting series and decided to jump in on Cindy's of My Corner of Katy's 3 for Thursday idea.

Scarecrows of Crestview:

The Robot

The King

The Garden Head

I need a Scarecrow, well...actually I need a Scarestinkbug...something I'd like to figure out.

Have a great day,

Happy Gardening!

Beautifying Crestview...Firestation #16

2010-07-24T11:16:00.001-07:00

8am Saturday and we're all up and ready to work on the Fire station! This is the best of possible ripple effect scenarios. Emily Wilson, my friend and neighbor, was my first client, ever. She lives on Cullen street and she wanted a "cottage garden like my grandma's." How fun is that? I drew it, she built it, it's in and she loves it but she didn't stop there.

That was just the start. Last year she coupled with another client, Hedrich Michaelsen to form FOBP, Friends of Brentwood Park, our neighborhood park. She pulled me in to help with the design, and I volunteer of course, but she and Hedrich do the grant writing, organization, newsletter writing and volunteer round-up.
She didn't stop there.

She lives a few houses down from Crestview Fire Station #16...our neighborhood Fire Station.

I've wanted to do something with the Fire Station since I moved here...but simply never got around to it. When she called a few months ago and asked if I would do the design, it wasn't even a whole second before I said, or rather shouted into the phone YES!

She's a fabulous organizer, I'm not and I get to do what I love...design. We're going to turn it into a Wild Life Habitat, but also install several beds for the guys to do square foot gardening!

We had a few meetings about the logistics, she did all the phone and foot work, and today was the day!

Volunteers from both Crestview and Brentwood neighborhoods showed up along with a few Habitat Stewards and CAMN members...around 15 folks in all!

We covered the hell strips with cardboard and layered about 4-5 inches of free mulch from Asplundh. The city dumped around 2 cubic yards of dillo dirt, and that was spread over the lawn and around the base of the existing trees, after we pulled up the grass.

I'd say we got about 1/2 of the hell strip done before we ran out of material but we still had an extra 20 minutes of our original 3 hour time slot.

Here are a few volunteers taking a break beneath one of the huge Pecan trees.

That's Emily on the rope there, when it was finished several folks took a turn climbing the rope for fun...one, two, three!

Go Mark!

This isn't the whole bunch 'cause a few folks had to cut out a little early but most of us stayed through 'til the end! I'm never sure what or why anyone gets a spark and runs with it, but image a world full of people who want to make it a better place....hmmmm.

If you would like to donate time, money or supplies to either FOBP or the Crestview Fire Station #16 Wild Life Habitat project you can e-mail me at greengardener@grandecom.net or Emily Wilson at pamelagrierrocks@yahoo.com

There will be several workdays before we plant in the fall and we'd love to have you come help!

Happy Gardening!

North Austin Funk...Crestwood/Brentview (numero uno)

2010-07-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Since I moved to Crestview 13 years ago next month, I've been told by dozens of people that "you belong in South Austin." I didn't know what that meant, but by the nature and timing of the comment, I took it as a compliment. Last year, when my North Austin property was put on the "Inside Austin Gardens Tour" hosted by the Travis County Master Gardeners, that idea got tossed around ever more and I was told by many a folk in my yard that day that the word had gotten out that my house was the "funky yard" destination and when Central Texas Gardener reviewed the tour, my house was again mistaken for "South Austin Charm" by the host.

(All photos taken in Crestview and Brentwood Neighborhood.)

I'm not from Austin, I'm a transplant who means to stay. I've never called anyplace on this blue ball "home" but here. Here's where I've lived the longest, reared my daughters, taught school, worked as a professional gardener on both sides of the river, learned to brew beer, where my first big public artwork is, started blogging, found the love of my life, married him barefoot in the backyard and well...it's just plain easy to stay where folks are just down to earth, environmentally conscious, liberal-minded, free and kind as all get up...most of 'em.
But South Austin, really doesn't have anything up on my hood. We've got trailer-food, Alamo Drafthouse, Threadgill's, Lala's Little Nugget, Poodle Dog, Shoal Creek Nursery, Toy Joy, Ruby's, Mann's, Mayfield Park, The Triangle, Brentwood Pool...which is still free, my favorite little Mexican restaurant La Casita, The upcoming BlackStar Coop, The Homebrew Store, and appropriately named Crestview Station, the center of "the Line." I'm sure if you're a North Austiner your mind is tallying up all I've left out, ohhh, Genuine Joe's, Spider House, all that cool stuff off North Loop and of course Sunshine Gardens, Patchwork Farms...so the list goes on...
A few years back, local artist Jean Graham applied for a KAB grant and her main point was that our neighborhood "78" didn't have a public work of art. Since then artists, musicians, story tellers, gardeners etc. have been crawling out of the woodwork en masse...a few of us in the hood are biting our nails waiting to see if this years KAB grant will shine on us...again.

Well, my idea is for a neighborhood sign art project and we'll see if we get the dollars to do it, if not...it'll happen some other way. But, until it does, I'm still walking the hood with my best gal, Dorothy Belle...you can see her sweet squished face in the lower right hand corner of the shot above...checking out what we think is just plain "cool."

You gotta love the Barbi-car. So, I'll be puttin' up shots from my walk occasionally, because we've just got some real funky treasures here in the hood, and I'm all about sharing. Take a drive through our hood sometime...stop by the Minimax for a 6 pack of micro-brew and grab a pie at the Little Deli...this is home.

Happy Gardening, and keep it cool folks!

It's a Cool, Cool Summer! GBBD

2010-07-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted and it's not because I've been busy working in my garden. No, I haven't been doing much outside at all. This most amazing Texas summer (so far...knock on wood) has been taking care of my yard for me. Regular rain along with cloudy, breezy days makes me feel like I'm on vacation. The barometer bush, seen below seems to have been in constant purplidge (I think I just made that up.)

Leucophyllum frutescens, Texas Sage, Texas Ranger, Silver Leaf, Barometer Bush, Purple Sage, Silverado, Cenzio has more common names than 2222.

Two of my Cenzio's do this, the others just bloom a light lavender color, sometime after the rains. According to what I've read the trigger is either humidity level or soil moisture...and it seems to be true either way.

The mound is becoming less visible as the ground covers continue to spread. I've got purslane, fernleaf verbena and Santolina along with various grasses and the Ocotillo, which is shy this year...lots of leaves, no blooms.

Thryallis, Golden Shower

Mexican Petunia, ruellia gets a bad rap for being invasive, and it is...but knowing that nothing can kill it makes it a favorite around here. This 'pink island' will be waist high by October...guaranteed.

Canna Lily

Tobasco pepper, Capsicum frutescens

Gregg's Mistflower, Conoclinium greggi

Birdii dorkus
So, this is what has become of my homestead TV. Common sense drove me indoors, away from the mosquitoes and air thick enough to swim in. We were blessed to have my brother take my girls for a month and we happened upon a wonderful carpenter so years of planning took shape. The window seat I'm sitting on was one of 3 built-in projects that gobbled up the better part of June. The former "studio" which has been re-named "The Bird Blind Bar" has become our favorite roost.

And here is the West Wall, the actual 'bar.' 7 years ago my beloved husband built the studio out of the existing screened in porch...the window bar, favoring the little coffee bar in Amsterdam where we decided to marry was planned that long ago. The window seat was an obvious need.
Check out my carpenter Bryan Thomas' new blog: btcountry.wordpress.com

And here she is, Ursala, our little Black Chinned Hummingbird that has stolen our heart!

Last Sunday we spent 6 hours drinking Peach Margarita's and documenting her comings and goings. My teen aged daughters were mortified, proclaimed us 'the biggest dorks EVER.' I've been called worse. She goes from the back feeder, over the house to the front and I believe she's built a nest in the American Elm...though until winter, when the foliage is gone, I won't be sure.

Turks Cap, Malvaviscus arboreus is one of Ursula's favorites

To date, I've yet to put out the sprinkler. After the loss of our Sycamore, I decided to let the grass go...it's St. Augustine, shade grass. It's mid-calf now and due to the rain and clouds shows no signs of stress, if not for the chiggers I'd be rolling in it.

And the Green Goddess has decided to don a lovely dress rather than give up! It looks like a crazy Carnival Tango get-up!

There seems to be a lot going on here, but what I'm showing is the height of the bronze fennel, nearly 5 ft tall!

My neighbor feeds the doves sunflower seeds, spreading the joy throughout the hood!

Red Yucca, another hummingbird favorite!

The most profuse tomato in my garden is Early Girl, she's got a dozen or so green ones holding on. The first to stop putting on fruit were the heirlooms, Purple Cherokee and Oaxacan Stripe. But this one, Green Stripe is still going. It's very flavorful and the skin pulls off at the slightest tug, but she's suffering seam splits along her color changes. All of them have this brown scarring.

Great year for eggplant!

Tickseed, Coreopsis Lanceolata found her way into my yard via neighbors.

I'm going to guess that this is a Julia Heliconian caterpillar, let me know if I'm wrong! It's near the Passionflower Vine, its host. This is one of the shy Silverado bushes that waits for wet feet to bloom. The Crape Myrtle's are still going strong!

Butterfly Weed, Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica

We took a drive out to Fredericksburg this past Saturday and stopped in at Wildseed Farms
to pick up a hummingbird/butterfly mix and upon reading the label realized that there were just a few plants I was missing...according to them. So, I bought the mix and will put them out come October...we'll see how that goes. If you haven't been there, put it on your list. The hummingbirds were busy and butterflies amazing. They have a butterfly house, but we didn't drop the change to see what it was all about because the air was thick with them anyway.

I put in 3 bronze fennel plants last fall, this spring I ended up with 11. This one plant is the view outside my computer desk! I've been watching the swallowtails for nearly 2 months!

Passionflower Vine, host plant to the Gulf Fritillary finally bloomed. Randy gave me 3 babies last summer and I didn't think they'd make it. They not only made it, but they are popping up all over! The 'pillars have made skeletons out of several of the vines, but a few have survived into bloomage!

That's the update...there are lots more blooming things though:

Lavender

Hymenoxis

all of the Sage and Fennel

Indian Blanket

Skullcap

Buddleia

Plumbago

Second round of blooms on the Pride of Barbados

Rock Rose

Lambs Ear

Katrina Rose

Knock Out Rose

Belinda's Dream

Parsley

Oregano, and Mexican Oregano

Thyme

Society Garlic

Trailing Lantana

Chaste Tree

OOPS...forgot these:

Yarrow

coreopsis

Patrick's Abutilon

Curry

Cuphea (not the bat faced, but the "David" one...?)

Almond Verbena

New Golden Lantana

Next months Bloom Day will find me in the Davis Mountains counting hummingbirds with a group of Naturalists! I'm finding that my gardening interests are leaning farther toward sustenance and ecology and away from 'pretty plant' mindedness. I looove a gorgeous bloom but it's ever more precious when I learn how she fits into the greater web and I'm more impressed with strength and flexibility than ever.

Thank you Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting bloggers around the world! Check out her sight to see what's blooming anyplace on earth! And always,

Happy Gardening!

Hot Damn, Peach Jam!

2010-06-26T04:45:00.001-07:00

My mom and I planted the peach tree as soon as we got settled in our little house back in '97. It was to mark our new adventure here in Austin and nothing makes me happier than to see our little tree covered in fruit! I have no idea what variety it is, but I know that if we have a cold, wet winter, we'll have fruit! From what I've read, you need between 400-750 chill hours here in the hill country to set fruit and I'm guessing that mine is closer to 750.

I knew nothing about growing fruit trees back then and chalk the health of my tree up to pure luck. I pruned it whenever I felt like it needed a haircut, never once fertilized or watered it but for the past several years have stuck to the thinning, which leaves a mess of marble size balls all over the ground for the bugs n' birds, I always save a big bowl for my neighbor Hai, who is Vietnamese and grew up eating unripe peaches with salt! It's nice to share before they're even ready!

Dorothy is excellent company in the garden. After she's chased away any birds or squirrels she slows down and investigates the plants, she actually closes her eyes when she smells flowers, she's pure sweetness. She also snorfels up the rotten peaches that have fallen to the ground...it's nothing I encourage, but it's also something I can't control...plus she loves them...flies and all.

The bounty minus the 'greenies' still sitting outside on the table in the sun.
I didn't count them this year, but my last harvest was 3 years ago and I stopped counting then at 200. Thinning really makes the difference. The rule of thumb, is one peach per 6 inches...which means that you thin up to 92% and it seems crazy when you're doing it, but a mature tree simply can't hold the weight of all that fruit and you can damage the tree, mine is already bifurcated (when the main trunk splits) so I take this seriously. I fill the sink about halfway, then wash'em good before the dirty work begins.

And this is what I mean. I leave the peaches out for a few days to soften before I begin and once you move the bowls there are always a few worms that have jumped ship. The enemy: plum curculio beetle larvae...eating it's way through the peach flesh. I don't mind sharing though, it beats spraying or dealing with chemicals.

There's the little guy.

And this is more like what you find in each peach, several worms.
The chickens got 5 big cereal bowls full of brown peach flesh, pits and worms...by the last bowl they were getting kinda bored.

Once they're cleaned and de-wormed though, they're just the same as any other peach, only they're organic...and the processing is one of the reasons you pay more for organic food.In all the batch I only found one perfect peach...when I cut it open, sure enough...no worms. Hard to believe they missed it...they're so thorough.

Always have a secret ingredient...or it ain't yours!

So, in my big beer brewing pot, I fill it halfway with peaches, add a cup of lemon juice, and a packet of pectin...half the sugar, about 2 1/2 cups (organic), half a jar of pickled jalapenos and cook it long enough that the peaches are soft and 'gooshay' (that's for you Ellen!) After it's up to a good boil, I add another 2 1/2 cups of the sugar and drop the heat a bit. The secret ingredient goes in at the beginning as well!

mmmm, makes the house smell wonderful!

Spouse picked up a few dozen jars at the Minimax and that's just about right! I fill 'em right off the heat and turn them over to start the sealing process.

There's enough for another 'plain' batch or I can keep 'em for smoothies and Margaritas....hmmm what should I do?

What you see there in the Bonne Mama jar is all that was left over!

Just to be sure of the seal, I pour boiling water over the top and let them sit for a spell. The carpenter showed up just at the end and I got distracted...otherwise I listen to hear each top pop as they cool...I'm hoping they're okay. Here's my favorite sandwich recipe with CherylAnn's Jalepeno Peach jam add peanut butter, Tillmook cheddar cheese, arugula fresh from the garden on homemade bread...it's got everything! sweet, salty, nutty, creamy, spicy, cheezy, and fresh! Much improved from the plain ole PPJ of yester-year!

Yum! If anyone has some pickled okra or beans or such and would like to trade some of my yummy goodness for yours, lemme know! Making jam isn't a science, it's a passion and you can't really go wrong with good ingredients and an attitude of love!

Happy Gardening!

Whoosh, There Went Bloom Day!

2010-06-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

Dang. Missed it completely. The blooms from spring are mostly gone but there are a few stars that remain. This August will be 14 years that I've lived in my house and there are two plants that I don't think have ever looked this stunning in all of Austin and they are the Crape Myrtles and Beebalm. Here's a shot of Ms. Myrtle and her sister on the West side of the driveway. Between last month and now the Chaste Tree did her thingy, as did Belinda's Dream, the Mexican Oregano and Dianthus.

The Yarrow, white and yellow, in the front and back yards has multiplied profusely after just sitting dinky for 2 years.
And, above the Yarrow, the Peach tree is about ready to harvest...I'm gonna guess there's about 150 or so peaches on her. I'll be making a batch of Jalapeno Peach Jam and the rest will be frozen for smoothies.

The tomatoes are almost as tall as the peach tree in the back there...can you see 'em?

I transplanted 2 Buddleia that acted out a dramatic fainting spell for about a month, then are just blooming like mad. Seems the 3 I transplanted are actually performing better than the 2 I left in place. I've seen this happen with other plants as well...a little abuse and they send out flowers as if to say...'I'm worthy, don't yank me out of the ground again!'

The Canna's have reached the top of the door on the Garden Haus.

And I had to sneak one more shot of those Myrtles, but also show how the Pony's Foot...that completely died away (or so I thought) in the winter has come back strong!

Other things of note: the Confederate Jasmine and Cross Vine are on their second bloom cycle of the year, the Flame Acanthus has gone wild and put out several babies (I'm happy to dig them up if anyone wants one...not a fan of Flame Acanthus...one is enough,) this is the first year the lavender, other than Provincial has bloomed repetitively, best year yet for tomatoes, and if anyone wants me to save the seeds on the Pride of Barbados...let me know!

That's it folks...short n' sweet. Happy Bloom Day to all you mighty fine gardeners out there and a shout to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for organizing this ordeal!

What else is blooming at the Govumpella residence:

Red Yucca

Heartleaf Skullcap

eggplant

Gregg's Mistflower

Impatiens

Desert Rose

Larkspur

Purple Cone Flower

Katrina Rose

Cecile Brunner

Butterfly Weed

Mexican Petunia

Autumn Sage

Mealy Blue Sage

Pavonia

Columbine (second round)

Fern Leaf Verbena

Russian Sage

Black n' Blue Sage

Skullcap

Turkscap

Purslane

Happy Gardening!

Inseparable Sister Love

2010-06-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a bittersweet spring wrought with delightful discovery and an achy heart. I get overly sentimental about family because mine is so scattered and as a young child I knew something was very wrong (for me) with the way we moved around leaving pets and friends behind. I resented it as a child and my parents howled with laughter when we watched "Roots" on TV and I broke down crying "I'll never have roots!" (Insert image of Kunta Kinte collecting Kizzy's footprints.) I vowed to stay put while raising my children so they could have the roots I lack. It's been unusually hard fulfilling this promise because every few years I get the gypsy bug and have to struggle for stability...14 years later, I think I've found some.

Thanks for the seeds Mom!

So, I'm a week into my "Staycation" a term of endearment for me. My brother generously brought my girls to Vienna to see his family and welcome the last of the grandchildren for my mother (who is also in Vienna) and soak up the culture. We lived in Germany for 4 1/2 years when I was in Elementary School and I think he envisioned a family reunion of sorts. Well, if you follow this blog at all, you know I've got 13 pets and a few hundred plants and summer is really no time at all to leave them alone in hotter than hell Texas, and we were unable to find someone willing to put in the time to water the garden, walk the dogs and treat their daily disasters (Bud just came in with fireant bites all over,) collect the eggs and spoil little Blanca, let out the bunnies (BTW, I've found a home for the bunnies Linda!) pet the cats, lifting them to their perch to complain about the endless changing food, and feed the Flash the birthday fish. My passion and love or part-time job, however you see it. We're here, they're gone.

Sister Corn standing tall, Sister Bean sprouted with leaves, and I was late on planting Sister Squash...though I think it may have been wise...

Besides, I would have missed out on meeting my new sisters! My mom sent me a packet of seeds in February called "Three Sisters" that she bought in Kansas. My thumb is covering the real home base of Ashland, Montana...unfortunately the varieties are not labeled...it simply says "corn, bean, squash" on the little packets inside. Like most of us who paid attention in history, the Iroquois Indian Legend that helped feed the pilgrims held a unique fascination because of how they planted the seeds in a mound with a fish for fertilization. I seriously didn't give it much thought after hearing it...the fish part seemed weird, but I wasn't raised gardening and hadn't experienced the success and fallen in love with Alaska Fish Emulsion...yet! So it was filed...until I opened the package and read the instructions. This was a project, and I needed a new project because the 100 projects that lay around my house and studio just weren't doing it for me.

A few weeks later...here comes Baby Sister Squash!

I spent awhile reading up on some of the Iroquois stories and having read quite a bit of Sioux lore found them beautifully intricate and gruesomely fascinating. My own sister lives in Eugene, Oregon and I don't see much of her. My sister-in-law is the one in Vienna, a day over due giving birth to what everyone thinks is another sister. I'm at home falling in love with sisters that are here, rooted, inseparable and co-dependent. Why would I say that? Well, zoom down and have a look at my poor squash at the beginning of borer season. I missed the mark on the companion planting and every single one has been attacked, and yanked... save the squash growing at the foot of the mounds...coincidence? I think not. Though I have heard of successive planting that outlives the borer and maybe my baby sister was saved because of that?

My hard-headed self didn't bother researching what I was doing, I just read the directions and picked 4 locations as a trial. I've never grown corn and I was a bit skeptical of the dried up looking popcorn that looked like something that fell out of the bag at the movies. Now that we've harvested and eaten the corn, I will never go without it. But, I really don't want to grow the yellow stuff...sweet as it was. I want to grow the purple and blue, wild indigenous hearty stuff that seems as old as Turtle Island herself...North America to the Iroquois.

Every stage of the growth was beautiful. Here is Sister Corn in her pale green shawl, getting ready to let her hair down.

Sister Bean, the giver of nitrogen, a term unknown hundreds of years ago. I don't think I'm a greedy gardener, but I'll have to say that when I see a bean, I eat it. I don't run for the camera and I had to stop myself and save a handful to share with loving spouse! They were delicious and somehow I missed watching them grow. Seems like one day I saw the flowers and the next thing I knew, I was pigging out in the sun.

I did remember to grab the camera at mealtime though. This squash comes from the farmers market, Sister Squash has yet to flower at the Govumpella residence, but those are my 'maters n' beans! Whoohoo!

Disaster! squash vine borer...on my OTHER squash and pumpkin.

A few years back Bonnie, my first blogging mentor at Kiss of Sun wrote about the squash vine borer and I read it with disgust. Now I'm ready to dig the little bastards out with a knife too! Nothing makes me scream profanities in the garden like stink bugs and borers! My neighbors, I'm sure, think I'm a nut...standing there screaming and cussing! I'm simply not going to put poison on the earth so it's me against the bugs...and I aim to win! That being said, other than sugar ants on my corn...the sisters are safe.

Sister Bean loving on Sister Corn!

Look at that healthy squash! The corn and beans have been eaten...we're waiting for your heart to flower dear!

We just guessed as to when to check on the corn...the silk tassels had turned brown and they seemed pretty plump, sure enough...beautiful sweet corn!

Next year I'm going to plant a 10ft. x 10 ft. patch with as much variety as possible...I need to move the tomato patch anyway.

I'm pretty critical about American society being materialistic, fear based and scattered...but seeing this ancient tradition thrive in my backyard makes me feel home, rooted and okay. That was one fun, successful and delicious project...yum! I wish my sisters were here to share in the bounty...is there something strange about wanting your sisters to help you eat your other sisters? Just another day at Conscious Gardening.

Happy Gardening to you!

Putzing Around in the Rain

2010-06-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

I got out to see what wonders the rain brought this morning and discovered about an inch and a half in the gauge.

The lichen on the old umbrella is gorgeous with the saturated light...unfortunately the photo doesn't do it justice.
Yes!

Full to the top! It's been empty for a few weeks now. The weekend forecast is calling for 102-104 degrees so who knows how long this will last, thank goodness I have 5 others.

Lonesome Dove out on the arm of the Sycamore.

Bird baths magically full...

And blooming fungi overnight!

Note to self...find out the name of this stuff that comes yearly...

The girls are going to Vienna and Cannes this summer for a month to see family, and I've spent the past week making my summer project list...this fence is getting more flowers and cacti. They represent the children on our block.

Friggin' squash vine borer! Fun-spoiler...dag-gum pain in the arse! Okay, I'm fine now.

I had to bolster up the tomatoes that have outgrown their cages with bamboo.

The peppers look lovely in the rain!

The 'pillars are out on the parsley, fennel and passion vine in hoards!

I love the delicate flowers of bronze fennel.

I quick transplanted a few things to the mound. Lambs ear had come up in the path out front along with some prairie verbena...I hope they like their new home.

The bean clinging to the corn stalk.

This is a measurement of two things...The size of the baby Redbud and also the height of the Mexican Petunia. It was nearly 3ft in the fall and it froze to the ground...first time in 3 years.

I had to rush in because it started raining again and I found BobCat and Persephone crashed out on the fainting couch enjoying a rainy day as I plan to!

Happy Gardening!

Fairwell to Sister Sycamore...hello Green Goddess!

2010-05-29T04:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was stressful. Today I woke up with a fever blister and a vague memory of the noise and sickening feeling I had dealt with the previous day...throbbing in my lip. We had 2 trees, Redbuds, the stars of my yard in February/March taken out. They have been slowly dieing for years, but while removing the very last stand of Nandina in my yard, we found massive ant damage, that explained what was going on. Both trees leaned dangerously near the house, garage and power lines and had dead wood that creaked when the wind blew...it was time.

I posted this photo of one of the Redbud bases....Jacob made several new stumps for the imaginary tea party.

Look how old they are! I've found two saplings and put cages around them so their next generation can live on.

Toadstool tea anyone? I'll let these babies dry out before turning them into Amanita Muscaria.

This is the now bare site of the Redbud that had the worst ant damage, hidden by a 3 ft. tall stand of Nandina that stretched 9 ft. long. Jacob is carefully removing a nest with baby doves.

He was very quiet, and gentle and they were amazingly calm.

He offered to relocate them, but got busy with the other trees. Should you find baby birds out of their nest, do not touch them, or offer them food. If the parents are around, they will usher the little one into a safe area and within a few days, teach them to fly from taking off of the ground. If no one is around, you can try to relocate them (with gloves) to a bushy area, and make sure to keep all pets indoors until rescue plans are made. Austin Animal Rescue is a volunteer run and donation based organization that does not receive any government funding.
5401 East Martin Luther King Blvd. Austin, TX 78721(512) 472-9453
www.austinwildliferescue.org

This nest was inside the Sycamore tree, and had two entrances!

Here are the upper and lower holes leading to what appears to be an over 1 foot hollow home. The tree, was pretty hollow, and also had ants throughout.

I hope the ants will stay in the woodpile, a safe distance from the house!
And now for a few shots of the ant damage...warning, these are horrifying when you consider they were looming some 30 feet above my home!

and more....

more!!! They just kept coming!

Here's Salvador's truck with mulcher. What didn't remain as sculpture or firewood, now resides at the base of the other trees for a nice thick, nitrogen enriched (considering all the fresh leaves...it's nearly green!) mulch!

View from my porch looking up at the dead Sycamore branches.

You can see a little bird at the top. There were two huge dead limbs, that strangely enough, through all the wind, stayed put. It was the huge leaf covered, lower limbs that dropped. It makes me sad to take these limbs down because I've counted up to 17 birds in the upper branches at one time. It must be a fantastic perch for viewing.

And, they're gone.

Check out the woodpecker hole! This side of the limb was hit by lightning several years ago and just missed crashing through the pergola. The limb was huge and heavy but dropped, or rather slid down the tree at an angle and took out a few lower limbs. It was then that I saw the sculpture potential in this beautiful tree!

Can you see her form yet?

Here she is. I've been planing plantings of vines and a circular pattern at her base, which is a secret...if I committed to my ideas, someone might hold me to them! So...you'll just have to wait. Planting will begin this fall, and there are plans for the face/space between the V shaped top. I need to find a welder (I no longer have the equipment!) She will be a kinetic Green Goddess! Right now she's been called a few unsavory names..."upside down stick-person, unfinished...uh...what?" But you have to be patient...This is only Phase I.

When I stepped outside this morning, the Goddess had two birds on her, circling and surveying the neighborhood. There was a lot of activity, chirping, chip notes and what sounded like alarm calling. I wish I spoke bird...the noise was amazing.

Well, that's it. I'm glad it's over...of course tree work is non-stop, but so worth it! I love, love the sound of the birds in my yard...which is one of the reasons I became a wildlife habitat. If you have an organic yard and provide, water, native plants for nectar, food and shelter check into becoming certified at http://www.nwf.org/

And, they are currently seeking funds and volunteers to help with the oil spill!

Get Involved

and

Happy Gardening!

Also..shout out to Salvador's team of tree-monkeys, they were very professional!

Austin Tree & Lawn Service

Things of Note

2010-05-26T04:14:00.001-07:00

In the days before the crushing heat of summertime bear down and send me indoors sulking over a Margarita...magic happens, and there have been some things that I want to remember for next year.

The first apricot!

Last year my little apricot tree made one fruit, eaten by a squirrel. This year we got over 30! The stinkbugs tried to ruin my joy, but after I bit into this soft, warm, scarred beauty, I realized that I could share. They aren't pretty on the outside, but the taste is unbeatable!

Peruvian Lily
This is becoming one of my favorite flowers. She's been blooming since April and the end doesn't seem near. I can't remember how long she continues to show off, but I'll pay closer attention this year.

The first tomato was the cherry-heirloom Yellow Pear, she was ready for the tasting Monday, May 24. It was delicious. Everything is looking flush and full, though I'm afraid that harvesting the apricots will send the stinkbugs to my tomatoes! Some nasty red spidery thing knocked off 8 squash (not on the three sisters.) I never made it out to get dill for my companion planting...so I'll have to worry over the borer...daily. Last year the mum/dill combo did the trick.

The bean is passing up the corn!

I'm 5'3"...hardly "as high as an Elephant's eye" but I'm feeling mighty proud!

The Mexican Petunia is coming back predictably...but this shot has more meaning than that. The Redbud in the center will be down, transformed into yard art by the weekend.

Toadstool tea anyone? There will be one more seat for my new niece/nephew soon. I'm having 3 trees removed on Friday because they are dropping limbs and are infested with carpenter ants. The sycamore out front, the tree that made me fall in love with this old house 14 years ago will be forever transformed, and for that, I am truly sad.

The wild, garish color of the Canna Lily always makes me smile!

The darling of my heart, Dorothy Belle enjoying the lush lawn. I never thought it would come back after October's tour. We did loose our "honeymoon tree" an African Acacia that my husband grew from seed. I guess the honeymoon's over? Nod, nod, wink, wink. So, I've got a little empty spot...what to plant?

I like to get a shot of the window boxes early on because I know by fall the potato vine and sedum will be half-way to the ground and looking wild.

Impatiens
My friend Ila warned me about planting them in the ground..."they'll take over" she said. Well, she was right. Fortunately, like the Heart leaf Skullcap that tries to dominate the same area, they are both easily plucked out of the ground.

Black and Blue Sage, I've been seeing photos of her on nearly every other blog I visit...so I thought I'd chime in.

Buddleia

What a tough gal is Buddleia! I put in 5 little ones last fall, because I found them on sale. This year I had to move 3 of them because they got too big for their location and I was afraid I'd done the wrong thing because they were such fainting-ladies after the operation. Now they're blooming like crazy! Their blooms are just magical!

Sago Palm

Check out the size of the heart on this plant. Last year she took up a 5ft. area in my garden. She's coming back for an encore!

The baby fronds are soft enough to run your fingers through!

We're almost to the end of the spring planting/transplanting season and I have just a few things left to do before the girls leave for a month and spouse and I start working on the back fence, the lean-too on the chicken coop and...probably a bunny run. But, before the silence steps in and the workload increases, I'm enjoying the daily miracles in the yard and hope you are too!

Happy Gardening!