June 02, 2013 Grassy amphitheater in the Theatre Garden Lotusland is theater. It’s designed to thrill, seduce, and transport you. And, boy, was I thrilled, seduced, and transported during my visit over Memorial Day weekend. Lotus pond — no blooms yet. The lotus bloom later in the summer. This Santa …

May 30, 2013 Last Saturday my husband and I flew to Los Angeles, rented a car, and drove to Santa Barbara, where we spent a relaxing 3-day weekend and celebrated our 23rd anniversary. We visited Lotusland and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (my picks), as well as the historical Old Mission …

May 23, 2013 Sometimes my publicist lets me know ahead of time that Lawn Gone! will have a mention in an upcoming publication. Other times it’s just a thrilling surprise. Like when I opened my copy of Wildflower (Summer 2013), the magazine of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center… …and …

May 22, 2013 We knew that the screech owl in our owl box was raising at least one chick and that it was getting big. Mama owl had moved out but was still roosting nearby, as was papa owl. But any chicks were being shy about showing themselves, so this …

May 20, 2013 Austin’s lovely, unexpectedly extended spring appears to have faded into summer’s mid-90sF heat and humidity. While I may be complaining about the sauna-like conditions, my garden doesn’t mind. Take this cute little cactus for example. Last year it resided on a sunny windowsill in the kitchen, but …

May 19, 2013 I’m always excited to see a mention of my book, Lawn Gone!, in a magazine or newspaper article, and this week there are two. On page 41 of the June 2013 issue of Woman’s Day magazine, you’ll see an article about freshening up your patio garden, which …

May 19, 2013 Our final stop last Saturday on the Wildflower Center-sponsored Gardens on Tour was the Curt Arnette-designed Bonnell Garden in west Austin. If it looks familiar, yes, I posted about it last fall after the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Tour; check out my earlier post for images of …

May 16, 2013 I’m in the midst of posting about an Austin garden tour this week, but I’m taking a break today for Foliage Follow-Up. Still inspired by the garden at Highland Terrace West, I’m showing another view of this living still life — white, ceramic containers planted up with …

May 15, 2013 I used to walk by this house every day while picking up my son from kindergarten, and each time I’d gape at the lush, shade garden fronting the charming cottage with the welcoming front porch, wondering what the rest of the place looked like. Twelve years later, …

May 14, 2013 The homeowner-designed Placid Place Garden, located in north-central Austin’s Highland Village neighborhood, was the third we visited on the Wildflower Center-sponsored Gardens on Tour last Saturday. While the overall design was too unstructured for my taste, I did admire several features, including this double-arbor entry gate into …

May 14, 2013 The second garden I visited on the Wildflower Center-sponsored Gardens on Tour last Saturday was, like the first, located in south Austin’s Barton Hills neighborhood. The contemporary home on Westridge Drive, which is embraced by a wood of native trees and understory plants (many invasive exotics have …

May 13, 2013 Garden tour season in central Texas kicked off last Saturday with the annual Wildflower Center-sponsored Gardens on Tour, which this year featured five Austin gardens in which native plants play a predominant role. I toured with three other bloggers — Cat from The Whimsical Gardener, Shirley from …

May 09, 2013 Over dinner on the deck last night, we watched Mama Screech Owl sitting in the door of her owl box, looking for all the world as if she needed another nap before dark. We think she has chicks in there, as she spends much of her time …

May 07, 2013 I’m singing the blues with majestic sage (Salvia guaranitica)… …with a blue bottle tree, purple skullcap (Scutellaria wrightii), and ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave (Agave ovatifolia)… …with Texas bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis)… …and with more purple skullcap and bluebonnets, plus velvety mullein. Another view of the purple skullcap and mullein, …