12/29/09

foliage of Rose 'Caldwell Pink'

One of my newest roses 'Caldwell Pink,' performed like gangbusters this past season. It even out bloomed Knock-Out! The flowers are a light to medium pink that fade to mauve. They are minature in size but there are so many of them in bloom the bush is covered with color. The neatest thing I discovered is that in the winter the foliage is amazing. It turns all shades of orange, bronze, and maroon. This photo was taken the day after our 'White Christmas.'

12/27/09

White Christmas

There hasn't been a Christmas with snow in Dallas/Fort Worth since 1926. That means if you are 83 and you were here, it was your second experience. Wow!

12/23/09



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Sherman Library Gardens

Corona del Mar, California

Another place I got to visit while in California for Thanksgiving was the Sherman Library Gardens. A small plot of land but very charming to see. The succulent gardens were an inspiration.

12/19/09

NORTON SIMON MUSEUM GARDEN

Pasadena California

While visiting family in California for Thanksgiving, I got to go to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, my birthplace city. The art collection was amazing. I saw some Northern Renaissance paintings that I had studied in school, as well as many others from other periods. It is a museum you can not see in one day. The gardens were also a great thing to see. I can definitely see Monet's influence. To read about the history of the gardens, go to: www.nortonsimon.org/garden/

11/19/09

Tassel Flower (Emilia coccinea)

I ordered seed for this intriguing plant about 4 years ago. That is the last time I've had to order them because every year they re-seed themselves. This habit not only happens in the spring, but all through the summer and fall as well. There are great great grandparents in the same flowerbeds as their offspring. Of course anything red makes me happy, so I'm always pleased for them to pop up anywhere throughout the garden.

11/17/09

Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

I love love love my Pink Muhly Grass. Once fall arrives it mystifies my garden with its pink seed clouds. It is in seed right at the same time that my Beautyberry has its berries. This year the Tassel Flowers (Emilia coccinea) are also in bloom. They contrast with the grass in a most jarring way. I always like gate crashers in the garden!

11/14/09

Fried Green Tomatoes

Okay it's official, I'm a southerner! I picked a couple of my green 'maters and made me some 'shoot fire good' fried green tomaters! Perty dang good too!

BTW - the garnish is Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida).

11/11/09

Kelly's Path

Earlier in the spring I had this wild idea to paint all my borders bright colors. I didn't quite get around to it. Nell Jean left a blog message back on April 27th that suggested that the bright edging might compete with the plants in the garden. I decided she was absolutly right. I think I knew something wasn't quite working, but the color idea wasn't the right way to go. It dawned on me, when I had removed some of the old cedar edging, that the answer was no border at all. I plan on keeping the paths but in a much less formal way. Since there will be no borders the plants will be free to spill over into the path. It gives the garden a more natural feel. This path is an example. I've dedicated this path to my friend Kelly who passed away earlier this year.

11/10/09

Tomato vines

My tomatoes survived the summer. They have grown up and over one of my arbors. I'm hoping they ripen before we get a freeze. If they don't, I'll harvest them and let some of them ripen indoors. The ones that don't will be used for fried green tomatoes. Life is good!

11/10/09

K Key/Mexican Lime harvest

This is the first year my little Mexican Lime Tree (Citrus aurantifolia)

produced fruit. I had a total of fifteen limes to harvest. Three of them have already been used for making Limeade. Delish!

10/22/09

'Augusta Duelberg' Salvia

'Augusta Duelberg' Salvia is the white version of 'Henry Duelberg' Salvia. It has an elegance of its own. In the rain, it droops and to me looks somewhat romantic. It grows in my moon bed with silver and white plants. If you want to read an account of the discovery of these two salvias go to: http://www.plantanswers.com/salvia_arcadia.htm .

10/17/09

American Beautyberry

What can I say? Aren't the berries to live for!

10/16.09

Various Sedums and Mexican Feather Grass

Texas Aster, Lindheimer's Muhly Grass and Horseherb

One end of my Inferno Strip

My sidewalk/street bed is filled with mostly Texas natives. I also have other well adapted plants in the same bed. Farther down the bed I have Jewels of Opar that have happily seeded themselves (9.19.09). I decided since this other area of the strip gets full hot blaring sun all day, and this is the least likely place for me to water, it needed some real toughies.

10/16/09

Bling Bling in the Garden!

Rain rain rain rain and more rain! I'm not complaining! It is nice though to finally see some sunshine again! The rain brought a different kind of beauty to the garden. Even though most of the roses were dropping all their petals and the ground looked like mud, there was an unusual beauty to the plants. For instance, the Elephant Ears (Colocasia) by my front door.

As I approached my house, I was mystified at what I saw before me. It looked as if a bling bling fairy had sprinkled her fairy jewels upon the giant leaves of my Colocasia. I discovered from a closer inspection that these jewels were little droplets of water. I had been dreary from the cloudy skies but my heart lit up with fire at the beauty before me. scrrrreeech --- Am I writing a children's book? See what bling bling in the garden does to me!

10/08/09

Unamed Pig in a bed of Horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis)

I saw this little piggy made out of scrap metal and I fell in love. It was a birthday present from my dad and step-mother. It seems happy sitting in a bed of Horseherb, a Texas native groundcover. Someday her/his name will hit me!

10/06/09

Alyssum 'Royal Carpet,' Gomphrena haageana 'Strawberry Fields,' Cosmos, Sedum 'Autumn Fire,' Skull Cap 'Texas Pink'

Except for the Sedum and Skull Cap, all the flowers in this front yard bed are from seedlings from the previous years. I've allowed them to pop up where they may. The informality feels perfect. I also get exciting color combinations that I only had a small part in. In the second photo above, I got to know the Alyssum up close and personal. Sometimes we don't take the time to really see a flower, especially if it is low and acts like a groundcover. It really is a statuesque flower up close!