Diana C. Kirby, Author at Diana's Designs Austin

Making room for spring…

It’s that time of year — the afternoon high temperature was up to 80 here yesterday. Thursday it’s supposed to be a high of 39. But at least we aren’t expecting a foot of snow like our friends up north.

But those warm, sunny afternoons make me restless. Especially when the extreme cedar pollen levels make it impossible to be outside. So, on my weekend list? Clean out some of the garden paraphernalia in the garage — including the old seed packets. I know that some were at least two years old, maybe older.

Why not, you might think, keep them and try them out? Maybe they’re still good and will germinate. And then again, maybe not. I’m just not willing to take that chance and have to start again or plant twice as many seeds to ensure some seedlings actually come up.

There they are – down in the garbage can – a plethora of vegetable and flower seeds. But don’t worry — they are going to be replaced, and soon. Saturday night I spent a nice, cozy evening trolling through veggie seeds and placed my order to get started in the greenhouse.

And that’s what spring is all about, isn’t it? A fresh start in the garden?

What will you be starting fresh with in your garden?

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:12-06:00January 21st, 2014|Blog, seeds, Sharing Nature's Garden, spring|0 Comments

Tillandsias – Get creative with color and texture

I spent some time out in the dreaded cedar pollen yesterday cleaning out and redesigning another tillandsia globe.

All the previous black sand, rocks and lichen came out and I washed the globe. Then I went to my tumbled glass pile and collected some beautiful green, clear, blue and gold pieces of glass to form the floor for my arrangement.

Then I wandered around the garden looking for some more interesting elements to add into the mix. I saw some lichen up high in the cedar elm tree. With the help of some high jumps and the broom, I was able to knock a few little bits of branch off onto the ground. Then I stole a piece from the fairy garden and took it all to the greenhouse to clean and assemble.

One piece of advice if you get yourself a big load of tumbled glass — don’t pile it up in the woods where it can get little bits of leaves and twigs in it — it’s a bear to get out of that glass. After a long spell with the colander and the hose, I finally called it good enough and made sure what was left was buried.

Another tip – have your tweezers and a paint brush on hand for manipulating things. Once I put the beautiful red tillandsia into the globe, it was difficult to position the lichens exactly as I had envisioned them.

I convinced myself that it looked natural this way!

Now to find the fishing line! I’m going to screw a hook to the back side of my desk hutch and hang it in my office.

Now I’m on the lookout for a container to make one for my daughter. And this, on a smaller scale, would make a great teacher/school office staff end-of-year gift, too, wouldn’t it? Or a hostess gift. Or…

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:39:28-05:00January 20th, 2014|air plant, Blog, houseplant, plant, Sharing Nature's Garden, tillandsia|0 Comments

Beautiful and easy tillandsias bridge gardeners’ winter boredom…

It’s winter and I’m bored. I don’t really want to do outside garden chores, even on a 70+ degree day like today. But I’m longing for something green and growing to tend. So I’ve turned my attention to one of the easiest plants you can grow — tillandsias.

If you struggle with houseplants, these are the plants for you. They require almost no care.

One of the latest gardening trends, you can find tillandsias in nurseries, boutiques and home stores adorning hanging glass globes, ceramic bowls and pieces of driftwood.

Tillandsia is an air plant — an epiphyte. It doesn’t need soil to grow, but rather gets its water and nutrients from the air. You can mount it or simply set it in a container. It needs bright, indirect light. You can mist your tillandsia with a spray bottle once a week, or submerge the plant in water and then remove it and turn it upside down so it doesn’t hold water in the crown, then put it back in your container.

These are my latest tillandsias, bought last week on a nursery outing. I have two beautiful glass globes for my tillandsias. I sometimes put lichen, rocks or sticks into the globe with the plants. In this globe, I have placed a tiny metal bird cage from our fairy garden to accent the two tillandsias.

I chose these because I like the contrast between the bold, bright green plant on the right and the feathery, gray-green plant on the left. And if you look closely, you’ll see that there is a bloom forming on the feathery one, arching just over the other plant.

I love their ephemeral look. I love that they are low-maintenance. And most of all, I love that these only cost me $1.49 each since I’ve killed several plants that came before them.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking – how hard is it to remember to mist once a week? Apparently, pretty hard! But, it also gives me an excuse to go plant shopping.

So, if you’re missing your garden in the middle of winter – find a fun container and adopt a tillandsia today.

Check back for another post about the other tillandsia container.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:39:28-05:00January 18th, 2014|air plant, Blog, epiphyllum, epiphyte, houseplant, Sharing Nature's Garden, tillandsia|0 Comments

Agaves – which ones were hardy enough to survive the surprise winter?

Have you been adding xeric agaves to your garden in an effort to be more water-wise in light of our extreme heat and drought?

Adding native and adapted xeric plants to the garden is the perfect solution to reducing your lawn and your water bill.

But, as with all plants, it’s important to do your research and know what you’re getting.

This cold and early winter weather had been hard on some agaves that can take the heat, but can’t handle the cold.

I’m always pushing the edge of the envelope (and not just in gardening, but we won’t talk about that here). So, that means I trial many plants in my garden that might not be a perfect match for our climate. And, sometimes it kicks me in the …trowel.

Here’s what did and didn’t make it at this winter’s current low in my garden:

The squid agave, pictured above, is always a tough cookie. They have survived for me down to 17 degrees in the icebox winter of 3 years ago.

The giant franzosini agave handled the cold with aplomb. It’s big and bold and still making way too many pups! Let me know if you want one! I’ll even ship! Seriously!

This was an experiment. This octopus agave is stunning when it’s alive. Trust me. However, I knew that experts report it hardy only to between 26 and 28 degrees. And that’s in the ground. Plants in a pot are much more tender because their roots get colder above ground faster. Sometimes it doesn’t even freeze here in the winter, so I was taking a calculated risk, knowing I might simply have to replace it when it warms up next spring. And I will replace it. I love the look and the sculptural shape so I will just take my chances and treat it like an annual in cold years.

This Arizona star agave looks pretty ugly now, but I think it will come back from the crown — it will just take a while to be big and beautiful again.

This standard weberii agave seems to be tolerating the cold just fine. It’s been scraped up by the deer, roaming around looking for places to rub their antlers, but that’s just a cosmetic problem for this agave.

I’m very surprised that this variegated agave Americana made it through. I’ve lost some in previous years’ freezes and I fully expected to lose this one at 24 degrees. There are a few ugly spots on the back side, but it’s doing great. Those that died in previous years were much younger, so I think this one did well because it’s well-established now.

This wicked sharkskin agave in the back xeric bed is hanging on just fine.

I think this sweet little quadricolor agave has struggle with some deer munching and the cold, but a little pruning will help it shine again in the spring.

You can see that the green goblet agave has some freeze damage on the lower leaves, but the rest of it looks healty. Another haircut and it will be pretty as a picture again.

And, finally, my whale’s tongue agave is hanging tough and looking good in the cold.

Just to set the record straight, I have learned some lessons from previous freezes. I have several desmettiana agaves in pots in my greenhouse – staying toasty warm for the winter. I use to have a nice one along the front walk and it died in a slight freeze. They are so pretty that I reserve those for pots now.

As long as this is as cold as it gets this winter, most of my agaves are safe. Hint, hint…. How are your agaves faring in the winter vortex this year?

Next post I’ll talk about how and when to prune out the rotting stuff.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:12-06:00January 10th, 2014|Agave, agave Americana, agave webberi, Arizona star agave, Blog, Franzosini agave, freeze, freeze damage, green goblet agave, octopus agave, Sharing Nature's Garden, squid agave, whales tongue agave, winter 2014|3 Comments

No lack of gardening chores, even in winter weather…

We’ve had some uncharacteristically cold days and nights in Central Texas this year. Winter arrived early and didn’t let up.

I’ll admit, I do enjoy a little garden break. But the garden still beckons me when the sun comes out and the weather warms just a little.

As I look out, I see:

shrubs and perennials I’d like to prune,

(don’t those look terrible?)

weeds that are taunting me by growing right through the cold,

leaves calling my name (even though I will leave them there to protect plants),
the see-sawing back and forth of deciding whether or not to do some larger projects while things are dormant,
and piles of empty pots, unattended seed packets and a few dead plants in the garage – breaking the rules of everything having a place in the new cabinets.

But I also see:

bulbs peeking up out of the mulch, growing just as they should, working hard to be ready for spring,

winter-loving plants like the hellebores and quince getting ready to bloom,

and the blue bonnet foliage growing and spreading.

I know what comes next, do you? The rationalizing…

I think … oh, I still have plenty of time go take care of those chores … oh, it’s still pretty cold out – I don’t really want to be out there yet … oh, I should be doing indoor organizing chores …

You know the drill, I know you do. Don’t those things go through your head as well?

Ah, the peace of winter and the promise of spring. (And just a little smidge of the guilt of gardening!)

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:39:28-05:00January 9th, 2014|Blog, Sharing Nature's Garden, Uncategorized|0 Comments

December Tip: How to find the right art for your garden, style and budget

garden sculptures

Sometimes finding the right accent for your garden is as simple as bringing your indoor decor outside. Perhaps you have some lovely metal lanterns or candleholders on your bookcase – a few more placed on your porch can create a cohesive feel.

Think about your personal style and think about traditionally-indoor home decor items for use outdoors if they are weatherproof or can be placed in a protected area. You may want to find a place for something that’s special to you, or you might want to find something for a special place in your garden.

Your choices should compliment your garden design and your personal style, and, most of all, make you happy.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:12-06:00December 28th, 2013|Tips|Comments Off

Diana C. Kirby

About Diana C. Kirby

Making room for spring…

Tillandsias – Get creative with color and texture

Beautiful and easy tillandsias bridge gardeners’ winter boredom…

Agaves – which ones were hardy enough to survive the surprise winter?

No lack of gardening chores, even in winter weather…

December Tip: How to find the right art for your garden, style and budget

Escape in the garden