2nd garden–2012

February 16, 2012 Hot on the heels of Bloom Day, we’re once again celebrating Foliage Follow-Up, praising the oft-unsung hero of all good gardens: plants with beautiful or intriguing foliage. My theme this month is bold foliage. Well, that’s my theme most months, as I have a weakness for plants ...

February 13, 2012 I just finished reading Elements of Garden Design by Joe Eck, a delightful series of essays on the theory and practice of garden design. It’s a wonderful book for beginners and experienced gardeners alike, and should be read while curled up on the couch during these last ...

February 11, 2012 We’re parachuting into spring here in Austin. This is white potato vine (Solanum jasminoides), a dainty little climber for shade or part shade. I had two of these until last summer. The survivor is perking up for a spring show. Chinese fringeflower (Loropetalum chinense) marks the landing ...

February 03, 2012 “After” pics—I’ve got some! When I was having some grass ripped out recently, my neighbor Donna wanted in on the action and took out this big chunk of drought-weary St. Augustine grass at the corner of her driveway, next to my yard. We edged it like mine, ...

February 02, 2012 This ‘Colorado’ water lily doesn’t care what Punxsutawney Phil sees when he pokes his head out of his burrow today. With a high temperature of 81F in Austin yesterday, the lily and many other plants in my garden think spring has sprung. It seems a little early ...

January 27, 2012 I’ve got it bad. This new garden bed—which isn’t even mine but my neighbor’s—is calling my name. Today was beautiful, sunny, and 70 degrees, and I did make one run to the nursery, but I didn’t plant a thing. My book manuscript is due in 5 days, ...

January 26, 2012 A few months ago Link Davidson, who has a talent for collecting and repurposing industrial leftovers in gardens (see the garden he designed for his neighbor, Wendy), sold me a piece of heavy steel pipe. He even delivered it to my house, and let me tell you, ...

January 21, 2012 Doesn’t everyone want to go to Margaritaville in the winter? I do, so I planted a Yucca recurvifolia ‘Margaritaville’ in a tall culvert pipe I’ve been hoarding for several months, waiting for inspiration to hit. Now it adds height to the drop-off bed behind the pool, next ...

January 18, 2012 Look, I’m as into self-empowerment as the next person, and I’m generally a DIY gal. But is there anything more thrilling than inviting several strong, capable men over to do your bidding…in the garden? I think not. I’m practically dancing with glee as I see how much ...

January 16, 2012 Looking out my window as I type this, I see Moby, my great whale of an agave—Agave ovatifolia, to be precise—caught in the morning sunlight. His structural, rose-like form is a matte, pale green that looks whitewashed in strong sunlight. But Moby can be moody, as in ...

January 05, 2012 Ornamental grasses are touted for their fall beauty, but they add a lot of interest in winter too. The leaves of this variegated miscanthus may be yellowed and raspy, but they still support fluffy clouds of seeds on long stems, which I admire daily. They remind me ...

January 01, 2012 Do you ever think about what a garden blog requires? Entertaining and informative writing, arresting images, and, for fodder, all those hours spent gardening or visiting other gardens. Keeping a garden blog “fed” regularly is like working a part-time job—for free. It’s also, of course, a creative ...