October 19, 2009 Kermit sang, “It’s not easy being green.” But actually it is, especially if you gravitate toward textural and architectural plants, as I do. In Austin’s subtropical, zone 8b climate, many plants stay green all year, keeping the garden “alive” even in winter. From my October Bloom Day …

October 19, 2009 Kermit sang, “It’s not easy being green.” But actually it is, especially if you gravitate toward textural and architectural plants, as I do. In Austin’s subtropical, zone 8b climate, many plants stay green all year, keeping the garden “alive” even in winter. From my October Bloom Day …

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 …

October 16, 2009 Before I ever went on safari in Tanzania’s national parks, I traveled with my family to Yellowstone in mid-May of 2000 and saw so many large mammals that I felt as if I were on safari in the American West. Winter had only just released its grip …

October 15, 2009 I’m taking a break from posting about national parks today in order to participate in Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. But I’ll be back with one more park post tomorrow. If you’d like to join in the celebration of national parks, there’s still …

October 14, 2009 Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming If you can widen your window, please do so you can see the whole image. Grainy though these scanned prints are, their panorama width gives a much better feel for the immensity of Grand Teton than a regular-size photo could …

October 13, 2009 Bierstadt Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado After Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which figured prominently in my childhood travels, Rocky Mountain National Park is the one I’ve visited most often. New Yorkers head for Florida in the summer, right? Well, Texans head for Colorado. If you …

October 12, 2009 The world is full of beautiful places, and proclaiming one the most beautiful is, I’ll admit, as capricious as crowning one person the most lovely. Still, Yosemite National Park has to rank near the top. My husband and I visited in October of 1995, on a side …

October 11, 2009 The mule doesn’t want to die either. That’s what I keep telling myself as I ride Buttermilk down Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, 4,000 feet and 5-1/2 hours below. Her sides are broader than the trail itself, so when I lift my …

October 11, 2009 Aspens along Alberta Falls trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Last week I invited other bloggers to post their favorite stories or pictures of a national park they’ve visited. I’d just watched Ken Burns’ series The National Parks, which illustrates how America’s attitude toward its national parks …

October 11, 2009 Aspens along Alberta Falls trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Last week I invited other bloggers to post their favorite stories or pictures of a national park they’ve visited. I’d just watched Ken Burns’ series The National Parks, which illustrates how America’s attitude toward its national parks …

October 08, 2009 Yesterday I showed a close-up image of golden thryallis. I can’t get enough of this plant in full bloom against a backdrop of purple heart. What a gorgeous yellow and purple combo. Putting on a cooler show are ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia, ‘Macho Mocha’ mangave, and the sinewy …

October 07, 2009 Golden thryallis (Galphimia glauca) Last week, as my family and I watched the celebratory Ken Burns series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, I thought back over all the visits to national parks that I’ve made with my parents, my husband, and my children over the years …