1st garden–2007

October 29, 2007 Silver ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea ) spills like a waterfall over the edge of a galvanized cattle trough, sharing space with a silver-green Manfreda maculosa and gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida ). The fuzzy leaves and purple spires of Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha ) pair beautifully with silver ...

October 29, 2007 Silver ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea ) spills like a waterfall over the edge of a galvanized cattle trough, sharing space with a silver-green Manfreda maculosa and gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida ). The fuzzy leaves and purple spires of Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha ) pair beautifully with silver ...

October 27, 2007 Until the clock strikes midnight and turns the gilt coach of these beautiful, sunny, cool days into a bumpy, lumpy, old pumpkin, I’ll be out in the garden every day. And get this—I’m just sitting in it, not working. Yes, it’s true. Those garden seats are actually ...

October 26, 2007 “Central Texas Gardener,” a popular, 20-year-old television series produced by KLRU, Austin’s PBS affiliate, filmed my garden on Wednesday. What a thrill! In the photo above (left to right): Tatiana Miller, Jerin Crandell, and Linda Lehmusvirta—the “CTG” team that made me and my garden feel like a ...

October 25, 2007 Driving home at sunset, I saw the biggest full moon I’ve seen in a long while rising over a house on a hill. It looked immense and weighty, as if it could crush the house. Here it is, moon fans—the biggest full moon of the year. It’s ...

October 25, 2007 Driving home at sunset, I saw the biggest full moon I’ve seen in a long while rising over a house on a hill. It looked immense and weighty, as if it could crush the house. Here it is, moon fans—the biggest full moon of the year. It’s ...

October 22, 2007 Gulf muhly The last few nights have been cool enough to leave the windows open. But early this morning, a blue-norther rainstorm gusted in, clashing the window blinds, dampening the curtains, and dropping temperatures by the double digits. That’s how fall usually arrives here in Austin—hot one ...

October 21, 2007 Monarch on Gregg’s mistflower (Conoclinium greggii ) October is monarch migration season in central Texas, and I’ve noticed a few stopping over in my garden recently. The blue mistflower especially tempts them, as does the (not long for this world) vitex tree. Though I enjoy them and ...

October 20, 2007 Gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris ) The siren song of a big, full Gulf muhly grass on sale at Red Barn Nursery proved irresistible last week, and I bought two to fill a bare spot in the front garden. I’ve tried growing this muhly before, with little success, ...

October 15, 2007 ‘Little John’ dwarf bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’) October Bloom Day in Austin should be quite lovely. But my garden peaked early this year, and I spent yesterday cutting back my salvias and roses to try to stimulate one more good bloom cycle this fall—completely forgetting about ...

October 15, 2007 ‘Little John’ dwarf bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’) October Bloom Day in Austin should be quite lovely. But my garden peaked early this year, and I spent yesterday cutting back my salvias and roses to try to stimulate one more good bloom cycle this fall—completely forgetting about ...

October 11, 2007 Squid agave (Agave bracteosa ) For those who ooh and aah over spiky drama in the garden, as I do, check out Ivette Soler’s agave love-fest at The Germinatrix. Man, she’s inspired me to try to squeeze a few more agaves into my tiny garden. I particularly ...

October 05, 2007 Purple coneflower If you can call them fall flowers, it’s only because they’re still blooming after summer’s official end. Here in Austin, temperatures remain in the 90s, and many of the summer perennials act accordingly. Echinacea hangs on. As does yellow bells. Yellow bells (Tecoma stans ) ...

October 04, 2007 Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’ Two weeks ago, I posted a preview of my ornamental grasses, which were just beginning to bloom. Though not yet at peak, most of them now wave their feathery flags, so I decided it was time for a follow-up. Miscanthus ‘Adagio’ is my current ...

October 03, 2007 Unfolding like stiff petals the parts add up to something spiky yet beautiful. ‘Whale’s Tongue’, one of my favorite agaves. Queen Victoria agave (Agave victoriae-reginae ), daintier and more refined. Gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida or E. biglandulosa ) offers softer spikes. Even the spiders are getting spiky ...

September 29, 2007 What honeybee shortage? The bees were a-buzzin’ on the ‘Carefree Beauty’ roses this morning. After a hot and muggy week, a cool front moved through early this morning, lowering the temperature by only a few degrees but blissfully drying out the air. The fresh breeze enticed me ...