Holidays

October 26, 2010 Dia de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday known as Day of the Dead, is embraced in Austin each year with a street festival and parade. Unlike the macabre spectacle of Halloween, Day of the Dead is traditionally about remembering and honoring departed loved ones by creating altars ...

April 03, 2010 with all the frills upon it you’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade. I’ll be all in clover and when they look you over I’ll be the proudest fellow in the Easter parade. Have a happy Easter! Song by Irving Berlin. To see Bing Crosby ...

February 14, 2010 Four years ago I found gardening to be a solitary pursuit. Four years ago I didn’t have conversations with gardeners all over the world. Four years ago I didn’t know I could take a photo that other people would enjoy. Four years ago I couldn’t have imagined ...

February 14, 2010 Four years ago I found gardening to be a solitary pursuit. Four years ago I didn’t have conversations with gardeners all over the world. Four years ago I didn’t know I could take a photo that other people would enjoy. Four years ago I couldn’t have imagined ...

December 25, 2009 Wishing you a warm, flower-brightened Christmas Day with family and friends… …and the promise of good things to come in 2010. Thank you for being here, for reading and for all your wonderful comments! Merry Christmas! All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction ...

December 10, 2009 Christmas is a-coming, and we’re decked out at home. I’m not a big seasonal decorator, but I always like to have a pot or two of amaryllis in addition to wreaths and a Christmas tree. Browsing in Target a few days ago, I found two silver tins ...

December 24, 2008 While the Zilker Christmas Tree and the Trail of Lights attract thousands of light-peeping visitors each December, for sheer Austintatiousness, the most famous Christmas display has for 20 years been on 37th Street just east of Guadalupe. Politics and humor mix saucily with creative lighting. This year, ...

December 07, 2008 We always spin under the Zilker Christmas tree at least once between early December, when the lights are turned on, and New Year’s Eve, when they go off. Even before we had kids, my husband and I would take a spin. Since they were born we’ve made ...

November 01, 2008 The dead, dressed in their finest, their hair adorned with real marigolds, led a cheerful procession down 6th Street and Congress Avenue this evening, celebrating Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday for remembering and honoring friends ...

December 24, 2007 Last night the family trooped down to Zilker Park for the Trail of Lights. My favorite tree in Austin, this majestic pecan, was encrusted from trunk to twigs with thousands of colored bulbs—a magical vision! Other trees glowed beautifully too. We also took turns spinning under the ...

December 22, 2007 Is Santa a winter gardener? Often he carries a fir tree over his shoulder instead of a sack of toys. M. Sinclair Stevens, Tom Spencer, and I were interviewed for an article on winter gardening published today in the Austin American-Statesman . Check it out while you ...

December 21, 2007 It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in garden-blog land, with numerous posts about holiday ornaments. Last night Layanee’s question, “What does your Christmas tree say about you?” made me pause to consider our tannenbaum. As you can see in the photo above, we hang ...

October 31, 2007 Happy Halloween! ...

February 14, 2007 This Valentine’s Day, I’m giving my husband something different. It’s a sweet botanical arrangement from Big Red Sun. Isn’t it beautiful? In January I posted a photo tour of this hip nursery and mentioned, but did not photograph, their to-die-for arrangements of succulents. A few days ago, ...

December 03, 2006Early Friday morning we got our first real freeze, and another light freeze is expected tonight. Then it should warm up for the rest of the week, so I plan to uncover the tender potted plants tomorrow and maybe prune back the frost-nipped basil, yellow bells, and Salvia ...

October 30, 2006 Please, sir, may I have some more? On Sunday evening we attended Goblins in the Garden, an annual Halloween event at the Wildflower Center. The city’s little haunters were out in force, and it was fun to see the volunteers running the event dressed in the spirit ...