Sharing Nature's Garden Archives | Diana's Designs Austin

A few little garden early birds…

Most of my garden is awash in a sea of browns, grays and deads. Everywhere you look, there are dried limbs, waiting, desperately waiting to be pruned.
But thank goodness for my passion for early spring bloomers. They never fail me. There are daffodils scattered all about … Yellow Fortune, Tete a tete, Dutch Master, Double Campernelle, Jonquil Simplex. These are Dutch Masters above, also known as King Alfred.
And here we have one of the newer Hellebores. I believe that this one is Phoenix, but I’m not sure because the two about to bloom are not tagged, I didn’t keep the receipt, and I didn’t blog their names or record their names in my master notebook.

I hate it when I do that! I do have two that have tags, but they are sad and pathetic and not blog-worthy! That’s how it goes, isn’t it?!
This is the Double Campernelle Daffodil. See how fluffy and full it is?
And right behind it I have this lovely Japanese Quince that blooms and heralds the spring every year.
Not sure which one this is. I keep meaning to take photos of them all and try to pin point which is which, but that’s low on the list of garden-to-dos!
This one I can ID – it’s the Tete-a-tete. They are tiny little Daffs with a nice upright shape and lovely, neat little blooms.
Unknown variety hyacinths from a grocery store bulb planter I was showing off inside the house two years ago — see it here.

So, while I’m waiting to prune, purge and plant in the garden, I can always count on these pretty early birds to perk me up.

Who’s perking you up in your garden? Any signs of spring yet?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:24-06:00February 28th, 2011|Blog, daffodils, double campernelle, dutch master, Hellebore, hyacinth bulbs, hyacinths, Jonquilla Simplex, Sharing Nature's Garden, tete-a-tete|0 Comments

The grass is always greener … in the spring!

Well, this sure isn’t grass, but it is very green for the Foliage Follow-Up day, when Pam, of Digging, entices gardeners around the globe to share what’s green and growing in their gardens.

My greenery is actually in the greenhouse – safe from several long and hard freezes we’ve suffered this winter.

The unusually cold temperatures have turned many of my favorites outside into mush or kindling.

I almost missed the lovely bloom on this little succulent, shoulder to shoulder with other heat-loving plants in the greenhouse like the geranium that’s cozying up next to it.

The geranium is a passalong from Robin, of Getting Grounded. But I can’t remember the name of my succulent though. It grows from little corms and spreads like crazy. Any ideas on what it might be? — My friend Ronnie tells me he thinks it’s a Silver Squill, and that’s exactly it! How nice to know. Aren’t garden bloggers wonderful sources of shared information. Now I can sleep at night knowing my mystery is solved!

It reminds me that the new growth of spring really is right around the corner.

And it’s nice to have a little peek at it ahead of time, isn’t it?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:24-06:00February 16th, 2011|Blog, FFU, Foliage Follow Up, Sharing Nature's Garden, spotted leaves, succulent bloom, succulents|0 Comments

Faith in the garden…

I’ve been given reason this week to reflect on my faith. My faith in many things.

My faith held me strong in the face of despair and I was heartened by a miracle.

My faith gave me comfort in the face of sadness – a peaceful knowing that all is right with the world in spite of sorrow.

And I am trying to have faith (if trying is something one can do to with faith) about a loved one’s critical illness.

All this reflection has been percolating around inside of me this week. Swirling around me as I water the plants inside the greenhouse and as I contemplate the winter damage in the garden.

Gardening is also about faith. Faith that the blazing heat of summer will end and winter will come…and the bitter cold of winter will end and summer will come — again and again.

It’s about knowing that the birds will return to build their nests and our precious plants will burst forth from the roots again after being devastated by the changing seasons. And if not, new plants will bring new pleasure, fresh ideas and creativity to the garden as well.

I had a little flash of faith today in the garden.

In the big pots on the back patio, among the dead and dormant plants, sits an Autumn Joy Sedum — its stalks tall and gray and crackling.

But behold below…little florets of sedum, green and fresh and succulent, as they should be, giving rise to the promise of a new day in the garden.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:40:09-05:00February 10th, 2011|Blog, faith, new day in the garden, sedum, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

The frost and the frantic freeze frenzy…

You know you do it…

Maybe you don’t talk about it, hiding it like a bad plant in the back of your garden.

When the cold winds blow and the forecasts foretell of frigid temperatures, do you do the…

…frantic freeze frenzy?

Sssshhh…I won’t tell any one, honest.

But I’m sure I’ve seen you — lurking about at night, all covered up in dark clothing, sheets, blankets, Christmas lights and rocks in hand. Furtively darting about in a futile attempt to keep wind, rain and ice off of your precious plants.

Fingers numb and stiff, ears red and raw, you’ve braved the elements.

You truly believe that man (or woman) can win out over nature. Surely your clever plan to secure your contraption will hold and save the day (or night).

Is this you? Do you see yourself in this post? Isn’t it time to step out into the light and admit it?

You do the frantic freeze frenzy to protect your precious plants in the winter. Don’t you?

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:40:10-05:00February 9th, 2011|Blog, cover, cover plants, frantic freeze frenzy, freeze, ice, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Plants were not the only ones who felt the freeze…

Here is another casualty of last week’s prolonged and bitterly cold weather.

This beautiful Mexican Talavera bird bath couldn’t handle the thaw with two inches of ice sitting in it. (At least it wasn’t the pipes in my house, I am thankful for that.)

Last year, I brought it in the garage to protect it from the hard freeze.

Sadly, I just didn’t think to do it this year.

I was contemplating super glue…but that won’t work.

I bought this a few years ago at our local HEB grocery store. They sometimes get special orders of pottery or garden furniture in the summer time and I grabbed this up the second I saw it.

Maybe I’ll run across another one somewhere — I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:40:10-05:00February 8th, 2011|bird bath, Blog, freeze, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

The wounded in my garden…

Last week’s unseasonably cold temperatures — down to 17 here at my house — left their mark on the garden.

I think most of these plants are simply damaged and not actually dead.

But I’m going to cross my fingers for a little good luck, anyway.

I didn’t cover anything this year. Too many years of running around on dark and blustery nights with sheets and blankets and rocks, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to cover plants.

First of all, the freezes this week were to hard and too prolonged to benefit from any covering.

And, frankly, I’m tired of running around on dark and blustery nights with sheets and blankets and rocks, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to cover plants!

So, come on a tour with me — and send some good karma my way as you look at my sad specimens.

The first one is an umbrella plant, (Cyperus alternifolius). Like many more tropical plants, like Sagos (cycads), the cold weather turns it pale and papery.

This big blue Agave is sad on the bottom, but the firm and standing center is an excellent sign.
This variegated agave will be getting a haircut for sure.
For the first time, the Society Garlics are all looking miserable. I know they will revive, but expect to sheer them after the danger of frost has passed.
This Mangave looks pretty squishy to me…
See, here’s a Sago (Cycad) that’s lost almost all of its pigment. It’s a pale version of its former self.
Two more squishy Agaves (that’s the technical term). The top one is a passalong – variety unknown.
This Agave celsii took a hard pruning last winter, but eventually came back. And now, it’s back to square one. Do you think they are tired of this? I sure am.

But I know my garden blogging friends anywhere north of here have it far worse in the winter. And, this is not our official whining season, it’s theirs. Ours is reserved for August and September.

How squishy is your garden these days?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:24-06:00February 5th, 2011|Agave, agaves, Blog, cyperus alternifolias, mangave, mangave macho mocha, Sago, Sharing Nature's Garden, society garlic, umbrella plant|0 Comments

Monthly Archives: February 2011

A few little garden early birds…

The grass is always greener … in the spring!

Faith in the garden…

The frost and the frantic freeze frenzy…

Plants were not the only ones who felt the freeze…

The wounded in my garden…

Escape in the garden