I’ll take it
August 29, 2006 At last, rain. After teasing us with the smell of rain and the boom of thunder just to our northwest yesterday, the skies opened up this morning and drizzled about 1/4″ of rain over an hour or so. Not much, but I’ll take it. Even so brief ...
Mid-July morning
July 18, 2006 The seed clusters on the inland sea oats hang like fish on a line, their Granny Smith green now mixed with a toasty brown. I adore inland sea oats in all seasons. Their delicate, bamboo-like foliage reminds me of Japanese paintings, and their flat, hanging seeds are ...
Some like it hot
June 09, 2006 Whale’s Tongue agave Since August arrived early, I’ve been griping about the heat—like it doesn’t do this every year. There have been maybe two relatively cool, rainy summers since I moved to Austin 12 years ago, but let’s face it: this is not a hospitable climate from ...
Lions and lizards and pink, oh my!
May 25, 2006 In its second year in the kids’ garden, the Lion’s Tail has really taken off this spring. Lots of orange, wheel-shaped flowers complement the xeric Texas natives planted nearby: blackfoot daisy and zexmenia. The anole lizard might as well be my garden mascot. They’re everywhere—hanging out on ...
October 2004
October 15, 2004 American beautyberry in fruit October ushers in my favorite season. After the endless Texas summer, cool northern breezes begin to push back the Gulf humidity by the end of October, earlier if we’re lucky. As a child, I loved October because it is my birthday month, though ...
