Fall color

November 29, 2009 After a decadent Thanksgiving Day feast of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie on Thursday, we needed a little fresh air and exercise, so on Friday we headed out to Pedernales Falls State Park, about 35 miles west of Austin in the rolling green Hill Country ...

November 27, 2009 Queen butterfly in the Wilkerson Center’s native-plant garden The siren song of beautiful fall weather, combined with school holidays last week, pulled us, unresisting, outdoors every day to enjoy local sightseeing in Austin. On Wednesday I took the kids to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) on ...

November 27, 2009 Queen butterfly in the Wilkerson Center’s native-plant garden The siren song of beautiful fall weather, combined with school holidays last week, pulled us, unresisting, outdoors every day to enjoy local sightseeing in Austin. On Wednesday I took the kids to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) on ...

November 19, 2009 The ‘Twinkle Pink’ cuphea* has never looked better than it does right now. In partial shade, with more afternoon than morning sun, it looked decent all summer. But with cooler weather its color has intensified, and it’s covered in cute, hot-pink, tubular flowers. I just love it ...

November 08, 2009 A monarch and honeybee share space on a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundiflora) Twelve Austin garden bloggers caravaned to San Antonio on Saturday to visit San Antonio Botanical Garden and the Antique Rose Emporium, with a stop along the way at Madrone Nursery in San Marcos, a native-plant ...

October 18, 2009 Aspens, Rocky Mountain National Park, September 2006 Garden bloggers love the great outdoors and are an adventurous bunch. That’s what I learned this week while reading about visits we’ve made to national parks, national monuments, and other special places that have been set aside for the enjoyment ...

October 18, 2009 Aspens, Rocky Mountain National Park, September 2006 Garden bloggers love the great outdoors and are an adventurous bunch. That’s what I learned this week while reading about visits we’ve made to national parks, national monuments, and other special places that have been set aside for the enjoyment ...

September 16, 2009 Our red-hot summer has faded into an unseasonably cool and, so far, rainy September. Now come the red-hot oxblood lilies (Rhodophiala bifida). I wonder if MSS of Zanthan Gardens has any idea how much happiness she has sown among Austin gardeners who delight in seeing these bulbs ...

December 09, 2008 Just a couple months ago, when we moved into the new house, I wondered what color the Japanese maple would turn in the fall. My question has been answered quite satisfactorily this week. Red! Even yesterday there was a tinge of green around many of the leaves ...

December 02, 2008 Aside from the red roses I showed you yesterday, the red Autumn sage (Salvia greggii ) is also blooming. Not as prolifically, mind you, but there’s some color. The skittish sulphur butterflies continue to flutter in for its nectar. This airy, little plant was growing under the ...

September 24, 2008 Like this bee on blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum ), I’ve been buzzing around the garden, dividing a few plants and taking down garden decor, all while keeping the garden looking good for prospective buyers. (Hello? Are you out there? The stock market may be scary, but it’s ...

December 08, 2007 I spotted this beautiful curbside garden at a house near St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and had to stop to admire it. While my own garden is cottage style, with a combination of drought-tolerant natives and tough cottage favorites, I find myself drawn more and more to this ...

December 08, 2007 Snowy, white, December gardens work so much better with holiday decor than my gaudy garden, now decked out in a mix of late-summer and (finally!) fall color. Those beautiful orange leaves on the new crepe myrtle? They just don’t work with the red-and-green Christmas wreath by the ...

December 01, 2007 The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a must-see destination in all seasons, but an autumn or winter visit is always delightful—and less crowded. Today was especially fun because Jill Nokes held a book-signing in the gift shop. Here she is holding a copy of her new ...

December 01, 2007 The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a must-see destination in all seasons, but an autumn or winter visit is always delightful—and less crowded. Today was especially fun because Jill Nokes held a book-signing in the gift shop. Here she is holding a copy of her new ...

November 06, 2007 Bigtooth maple in Lost Maples State Natural Area Leaf peeping can be a disappointing pursuit here in central Texas. Absent the flaming oranges, yellows, and reds of eastern hardwood forests, our trees either stay green all winter (live oaks and junipers) or their leaves color faintly before ...