A bad case of spring fever in my Austin garden
Winter has ceded ground in Austin, and I’ve caught a bad case of spring fever. The garden and I are showing distinct symptoms. What are they, you wonder? Well, doctor, I’m seeing…
New plants!
This is the worst symptom of spring fever: the unchecked buying of new plants at our many wonderful independent nurseries, like Barton Springs Nursery, the Natural Gardener, and the Great Outdoors, which are fully stocked and supremely tempting. And especially after the hard freezes we had, the brown garden seems to be calling insistently for fresh color.
Well, hey, spending is good for the economy, right? And we all want to support of local nurseries, right? Right!
But don’t be like me and buy a bunch of tender annuals yet. Now I’ve got them in a holding pen on my patio in case we get a late-season freeze and I need to run them into the garage. I don’t think it will happen at this point, and we in central Austin are at the average annual last-freeze date. But “average” means that some years freezes occur later than this. Better safe than sorry.
Flower buds!
My new ‘Valentine’ shrub (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’) is blooming its head off—the only plant really blooming in my garden yet. I’m loving the burst of bright color right now. (Update: This desert plant did not survive long for me here in Austin, and so I can’t recommend it for our climate.)
‘Blue Elf’ aloe is getting ready to pop.
“Asparagus-spear” bloom spikes will soon open with coral-red, bell-shaped blossoms.
Aloe saponaria isn’t letting a little freeze damage slow it down either. And you can’t overlook gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida), pictured at top, as it bursts into chartreuse bloom in the sunny spots throughout my garden.
New hardscaping projects!
The wise gardener would have tackled all her hardscaping projects over the winter, when she wasn’t distracted by new plants in the nurseries and busy designing other people’s new gardens. But wisdom is in short supply when the weather turns sunny and warmer, and the realization hits that soon the Death Star will be blazing, and if those projects are going to get done, they need to get done NOW.
I’m putting in a second hillside path on the west side of my garden. Last week I had the grass removed and I hauled home two trunkloads of small boulders for the edging. Yesterday I cut 4×4 treated-pine posts and drilled them on each end, and today I’ll hammer rebar pieces through the holes to pin them to the ground. Tomorrow the gravel arrives for filling in the sloping steps, as with the sunny hillside path I made last summer.
And look—a curvy swath of grass has gone missing out front. A new garden bed is in the making!
So, all you northern hemisphere gardeners, are you stricken with spring fever yet? If so, what are your symptoms?
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Great post, Pam. We had a major bamboo rhizome eradication project in our backyard which involved a small tractor, lots of manual labor (my husband and myself) and 90 feet of bamboo rhizome barrier along our fenceline. It has since rained alot and the area is a big mud pit! That said, it IS an opportunity for redesign, more garden beds, more veggie growing area, etc., but it’s a very large area and it makes me “feverish” just thinking about all the work to come. Wish us luck!
Good luck! Wow, eradication of a running bamboo is a big job. Kudos to you for getting it out of there. And happy digging in your new beds! —Pam
Oh, I’ve got a bad case, as well. But sadly, mine will have to run its course because I can’t be out there gardening for 5 more weeks. Hey- 1 week down. Well, that’s better than last week. Love your new plants and I’m excited about the swath — can’t wait to see the transformation ahead.
Oh, Diana, this is a hard time of year not to be able to garden. Luckily you’ll still have good spring weather in which to garden in a month, when you get the go-ahead. —Pam
That new garden bed looks like lots-o-fun waiting to happen!
Yes, lots of fun indeed! But it’s waiting on a few projects in the back garden right this moment. —Pam
You said it Pam. Spring has sprung around here and I’m off to Barton Springs nursery this afternoon for some Spring therapy. 🙂 Looks like you have another large project for the front yard. Looking forward to seeing your plant choices with the deer only steps away.
I hope you had a nice time at BSN, Shannon. Nothing beats a nursery trip at this time of year. —Pam
Up here in the North we are ordering plants and starting seeds but the snow prevents us from getting into the yard and seeing anything yet…soon I will be prostrate on the ground looking for signs of anything blooming…
I was on hands and knees, planting in the garden this afternoon, Donna. You’ll be there soon. Hang in there! —Pam
Pam, did you have to protect your Aloe ‘Blue Elf’ during the recent cold temps there? We here in northern Calif are also in zone 8B, and we occasionally get down into the teens. If you did protect it, did you move it, or cover it? I would like to aquire this Aloe, but am curious about your experience with it. Great pics!
Karen, I threw a sheet over the pot and that was it. But you can see that the pot is positioned against a protective and heat-retaining stone wall, which also helps. It did sustain some minor leaf damage around the edges, but nothing too bad. ‘Blue Elf’ aloe seems to tolerate light freezes very well, and it is pretty good even with harder freezes like we had this winter. The tricky thing is that it wants to send up bloom stalks when we typically get a hard freeze or two, and I always worry about losing the buds. —Pam
Oh yes, doctor, we’re all very sick over here on the northwest side of town too!! New plants are in a holding pattern and a new Martha Gonzales has been planted. The tiles have been glued and are waiting for grouting (which I will get around to this time!). I’m going through my pond today…is it time to fertilize the water lily yet? March or should I wait until it warms up a bit? It bears repeating, I seriously can’t wait to see that succulent wall!
I already divided and fertilized my water lilies, Cat. I’m hoping it’s not too early. Congrats on the new M.G. rose (a favorite!), and I look forward to seeing your tile work. —Pam
Dang fireants got into my potted zigzag plant…I knocked it over and got the plant out and stuck it in the ground in an appropriate location…they’re baaaack.
Blech. Fire ants. True, a sign of spring but not one to look forward to. —Pam
The economy does need a jump start in spring and we all need to do our part. Spring is a bit of a ways off here in New England but there are signs. Small, subtle signs. Hope!
I’m definitely doing my part, Layanee. Soon you will be too. —Pam
I do the same thing…sit on butt all winter long because hate the cold and now I’m out there doing the biggie projects because soon enough it will be too hot to do ANYTHING out there.
Yes, the heat sure comes early here. But still, we can count on many pleasant days through May. Today was absolutely perfect in my book! —Pam
Was that some flavor of variegated abutilon I spotted in the 3rd/4th picture?! If so, where’d you find it? If not, then what is it and will it grow in the shade?
Yes, RBell, I finally found a variegated abutilon at the Great Outdoors last week. They had 2 or 3 different varieties of variegated ones, actually. I assume that, like all abutilons, it will prefer morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled shade. —Pam
I am jealous of your last frost date, but you may keep the Death Star. I made my first plant purchase of the new year today and bought one of the new Gold Series Hellebores which arrived at the garden center last week on one of the first trucks of the season. People and plants are waking up here.
BTW, I am hosting a Winter Walk Off challenge at my blog and would love to have you participate.
Are you sure you won’t borrow the Death Star for a least a couple of weeks at the end of September, Les? That’s when it wears on one the most. I’ll check out your challenge. —Pam
Yep, definitely some spring fever in the air. I did the same thing and bought some tender annuals (zucchini went in yesterday), but I’ve got my garden covers ready to go in case winter returns. Can’t wait to see what happens with the curvy swath in front!
Me too, Amy! —Pam
Great post Pam. That Spring fever sure has a hold on me. Cleaning out flower bed & putting more plants in. Started some of my veggie seeds.
I love that 2 seater. Looks like an original.
It’s a reproduction, Lola, but thanks. 🙂 —Pam
I haven’t ventured to the garden centers yet. Hope you left a few plants for me! Love those succulents. I’m busy starting seeds and tonight I pulled everything back inside. I am not going to risk a freeze tonight or later in the week. When they say freeze in the Hill country I think of my garden. My citrus are all in bloom and I do plan to have lemons this year. Tomatoes are back in the greenhouse.
Oh yes, Jenny, there are plenty of plants left for you at the nurseries. Did you end up getting a freeze? You do get a lot colder than we do in town. —Pam
Enjoyed the post Pam. I too have a serious case of spring fever. I’ve been working tirelessly (11 hours on Saturday) removing old mulch to the beds I made last year, adding new compost to build the soil, and new mulch on top to finish it off. Then there’s some transplants and other projects to complete before it gets too hot. 80% of the plants around my yard are sprouting up new growth and this really causes the spring fever to run high. What a great time of year! Can’t wait to see the new completed path.
By the way, I’m curious what your new plants are. I think I can spot another agave, some asparagus ferns, but I’m curious what the pink flower plant is. Also, is that a variegated oak leaf hydrangea?
Hi, Jeremy. No, that’s a variegated abutilon in front. The pink flowering plant is an annual ‘Senorita Rosalita cleome, which I grow every year. Same with ‘Red Star’ cordyline. Yes, there are some foxtail ferns in there. The new agave is a collector’s purchase and a little experimental for this area: Agave colorata. I also have some pots of divisions from my garden. —Pam
I’m fighting it here, too, Pam! Still plenty to do around the garden without planting, though. Still, it’s hard to resist going to the nursery, just to check out what’s on the shelves…
I’m no longer fighting it, Susan. I’m going with it! —Pam
I’ve got it too in a bad way, but I’ve mostly held off. Believe it or not, I was perusing a nursery here, and they had bluebonnets. I bought five, and they’re in the garage waiting. I also found some cute little sedums like yours above. They are hiding indoors waiting. Seems we’re all waiting, but it won’t be long now.~~Dee
Bluebonnets in Oklahoma? How about that! I’ve seen a few blooming on the roadsides in Austin. They’re a little early this year. —Pam
Pam – do the abutilon do okay in dry heat? I know they were Victorian indoor plants, and that was a dry environment – but I’d hate to fall in love with one only to bake it on my patio. I have a good space in back – north facing – where I put a lot of more sun sensitive plants…
They do fine in summer so long as they have afternoon and maybe also midday shade. Morning sun is good. They won’t bloom in summer, but they seem fairly tough otherwise. —Pam
I have a couple friends moving from San Diego to your city. I’m glad to see that at least one of the plants they have in their garden now, the Aloe saponaria, will do will for them in their new home. Even with a comparatively mild winter climate we still crave the new energy the warmer season brings. I always look forward to the floral craziness that April will bring–only a month to go!
Please tell your friends “welcome to Austin” for me. They’ll find a dynamic gardening community here. And yes, Aloe saponaria grows well here, though it does get nipped back when we have a series of freezing nights. —Pam
Lots going on at Tecolote Hill! I spent all day Wednesday supporting local nurseries and stimulating the economy. I hope our fellow Americans appreciate our efforts!
I know I do, Cindy. I’ve been doing my share all this week and last. 😉 —Pam
I have achieved a variegated Agave Weberi! \o/
Now I’m poking my head in again to inquire where you got those 4″ pots of foxtail fern. I didn’t see any at BSN and I need a bunch.
I got them at Lowe’s at a very good price, Lori. It was a few weeks ago. —Pam
Same thing here — buying plants. But in this case it’s on-line. They will arrive in April and I’m hoping I won’t have to baby them indoors too long before they can be planted. At the moment, the garden is still mostly snow-covered.
Well, that gives you time to pay attention to what’s going on in the Capitol. I’ve been digging and planting like crazy and haven’t even had time to blog. I’m going to collapse on the sofa right now, in fact. —Pam
For a few hours today I got to see a few of my plants and a little garden soil where the snow had melted. It was thrilling! But the rain changed to snow and our blanket of white is back. Sometimes in March we get to work on stone walls or paths, but not this year. Right now Ed is out plowing snow in the dark. Here the plants you have waiting to plant would have to wait indoors until June. I wonder if the snow will still look beautiful to me tomorrow morning?
I hope so, Becky. I’m sure it must be hard to see more snow when you’re ready for spring. Even though our winters are brief in central Texas, we gardeners get over-eager for spring too and buy plants (and plant tender ones) before we ought. I’ve been planting like crazy here, banking on the hope that we’ve seen our last freeze until next November. —Pam