Dusky blues in the garden
While photographing the owls a few evenings ago, I pointed my lens at the Circle Garden for the umpteenth time. This view makes me so happy!… Read More
Drive-By Gardens: No-lawn front yards in South Austin
Driving through Bouldin and Zilker neighborhoods in South Austin, I cruise slowly to check out the diverse styles of architecture among the many, many remodeled homes. It’s just as interesting to see what people have chosen to plant in their front yards. Many have opted out of the traditional lawn in favor of waterwise alternatives, like a simple meadow of Mexican feathergrass.… Read More
Summertime plant whacking
Whacking — it’s what I do in summer as plants grow bushy or tall or lean where they shouldn’t. Let’s start with the Verbena bonariensis.… Read More
Reopening at San Antonio Botanical Garden, part 2
A wildflower meadow studded with Yucca rostrata in bloom kicks off my visit to San Antonio Botanic Garden and a path into the cactus and succulent garden.… Read More
Verbena explosion
A 6-foot-tall stand of Verbena bonariensis is all you need to dispel traces of coronafunk, and a mass of it in the Circle Garden delights me.… Read More
Back garden walkabout
While I’m missing visits to other gardens right now, I am enjoying time spent in my own. Let’s take a tour around the back garden.… Read More
Lauren’s Grape poppy pops open
Yesterday the first ‘Lauren’s Grape’ poppy flower opened, and I’m in love. Those purple-red petals! Those seafoam stems and frilly leaves!… Read More
Penstemon and passionflower
My old stock-tank pond garden is filling in quickly with lavender-flowered Gulf Coast penstemon (Penstemon tenuis) and airy Verbena bonariensis blooming inside a circle of ‘Micron’ yaupon hollies.… Read More
Mexico City: Bosque de Chapultepec botanical garden and more
One morning during our stay in Mexico City we explored the city’s “lungs”, the Bosque de Chapultepec, or Chapultepec Forest. At 1,695 acres, it’s one of the largest city parks in the Western Hemisphere.… Read More
Early spring flowers, some are memories now
Two weeks ago, give or take a few days, the ephemeral pink flowers of Mexican buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) began blushing on bare branches.… Read More
Peckerwood Garden renamed for founder John Fairey, who passed away this week
The Hempstead, Texas, garden of plant explorer and collector John Fairey has long been known by the titter-inducing name Peckerwood, but last week it was renamed in honor of its founder. Just a few days later, John G. Fairey passed away, and The John Fairey Garden now remains as a living tribute to the adventurous, talented, and soft-spoken man who created it.… Read More
Springtime garden glow
Responding to warm temps and a good rain this week, the garden is awash with new growth and pockets of spring color, like glowing yellow bulbine.… Read More
Winter garden flowers thrive in cool weather
Winter brings the sweet flowers of ‘Bartley Schwarz’ abutilon, my favorite for its glowing, cantaloupe-colored flowers that dangle like Chinese lanterns.… Read More
Red and yellow autumn foliage in my garden
Fall color in Austin was surprisingly good this year, including the show put on by the ornamental trees in my own garden, like the species Japanese maple (Acer palmatum).… Read More