November 02, 2018
Screech owlet makes a surprise June appearance
Last evening we watched the dark shapes of swooping owls feeding their chick. It makes me so happy to see owls nesting in our garden again! …
Drive-By Gardens: No-lawn front yards in South Austin
Driving through Bouldin and Zilker neighborhoods in South Austin, I cruise slowly to check out the diverse styles of architecture among the many, many remodeled homes. It’s just as interesting to see what people have chosen to plant in their front yards. Many have opted out of the traditional lawn …
Summertime plant whacking
Whacking — it’s what I do in summer as plants grow bushy or tall or lean where they shouldn’t. Let’s start with the Verbena bonariensis …
Cactus flowers and 3D-printed agaves
Ka-pow! Colorful cactus flowers are knocking my socks off this spring. Check out these orange and pink beauties, as well as 3D-printed agaves my son made …
Postcards from COVID-era Austin
It’s a quieter, COVID-era Austin, even as the city opens up again. One tiny silver lining: less traffic and more parking spaces …
Beebalm, skullcap, and more wild creatures
The early summer flowers like ‘Peter’s Purple’ monarda are strutting their stuff, so come along for a virtual tour of my garden! …
Oakleaf hydrangea blooming but wants acidic soil
After years of coveting oakleaf hydrangea, I found a shady, relatively moist spot to plant one of my own. But this year it shows signs of chlorosis …
Fawning over this baby
Curled up behind an ‘Everillo’ sedge, a tiny fawn held still, hoping its camouflaging spots would keep me from seeing it …
Reopening at San Antonio Botanical Garden, part 2
A wildflower meadow studded with Yucca rostrata in bloom kicks off my visit to San Antonio Botanic Garden and a path into the cactus and succulent garden …
San Antonio Botanical Garden reopening, part 1
San Antonio Botanical Garden marks its 40th anniversary this month, and the gardens are looking lovely with a red-hot color scheme at the entrance …
Plant This: ‘Old Mexico’ prickly pear
‘Old Mexico’ prickly pear, also called wavy-leaf prickly pear, sports lemon-yellow, ruffled flowers that glow like cups of pure sunshine in late spring …
Xeriscape in bloom at Wells Branch Community Garden
Lemon-lime retama trees in bloom caught my eye recently as I drove by the Wells Branch Community Garden and its native xeriscape …
Wildflower fiesta at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The Wildflower Center reopened to members last weekend, and the late spring wildflowers like purple coneflower, firewheel, and thistle are looking glorious …
April visit to Antique Rose Emporium garden
An early April stroll through the gardens of The Antique Rose Emporium, where fuchsia pennants of Byzantine gladiolus were flying …
