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A little rain and a little motivation

It’s amazing what a little rain will do for the garden … and for the gardener’s soul.

I am totally invigorated by the recent two days of steady rain that totals more than an inch. In our drought stricken area, this is a real blessing.

So yesterday, after a lovely lunch with Robin, of Getting Grounded, we went to Barton Springs Nursery to see what we could see. And we — rather — I — saw some bluebonnet PLANTS that had to come home with me!

I have not been successful with seeds because I have too much mulch in most places they would like to grow. So yesterday I painstakingly amended the soil with crushed granite in 3 little spots and pulled back mulch and made them a home. And then fenced them in immediately so my deer friends, Emmy and Lulu, wouldn’t come snack on them! (Did you notice that Madame Daffodil has invited a friend to her Spring Party?)

I also planted a Potato Vine and I bought an Abutilon that will get planted today. I’ve been eyeing everyone else’s and been green with envy. Unfortunately mine was mis-labeled, and when I called they just didn’t know what kind it was because it was a gift to them from a friend. I guess nurseries get passalongs, too. So I will post a picture tomorrow and you can help me ID it.

I also got a few Rain Lilies that Robin picked up from Annie at The Transplantable Rose when she was passing-along. I didn’t get in on the offer quick enough, but Robin shared hers with me and I am so excited to have some — I’ve never had any — thanks to both of you!

And the rain has also prompted these little Crocosmia above to pop right up out of the ground in search of sunshine.
This lovely Hibiscus was waiting for me when I went into the greenhouse yesterday to open it up and let some humidity in from outside. Wow. It’s really very intricate. My photo doesn’t do it justice.
And here is the Bougainvillea that Robin gave me last Fall. Blooming happily — in February! She must think she is in Mexico!
As does this Desert Rose, happily blooming away in the greenhouse.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:49-06:00February 11th, 2009|Blog, blue bonnets, bulbs, Crocosmia, daffodils, greenhouse, Potato vine, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Full for the Freeze…or, I blew bloom day!

Okay, everyone is inside, all cozy and getting heated up for the impending freeze tonight.

Yes, you read right, Central Texas has a freeze warning for tonight. In the city, we are expecting a low of 37, but the surrounding areas will be colder.

Even though we have been unseasonably warm this fall — (all year, really), this is very early for the threat of a freeze.

In anticipation, though, I loaded up the greenhouse and my DH put a fancy, new-fangled thermometer with a humidity reading on it that I can see from inside the house. How cool is that?

Then, instead of taking pictures for Bloom Day like I was supposed to (Sorry Carol, I’m skipping this one), I was picking an amazing crop of tomatoes and lemons. I picked 65, YES, 65 red tomatoes. I left countless green ones on the plants. Since I don’t really think it will freeze, I’m taking the chance. But the reds were really almost all ready, so I’ll have to find something to do with them anyway!

Then I went around the corner and crawled carefully under the Lemon tree (because there are lethal 1-inch thorns all over it). I picked 30 lemons from my Citrus limon variegated. I only picked the really big ones, and again, left countless littler ones in the hope it won’t really freeze.

Don’t blink and think you’ve been reading blogs too long, the next photo is out of focus. (I was too lazy to get my DH’s good camera when mine didn’t fully focus where I wanted it to.)

Can you tell what I am photographing? It’s my token bloom in honor of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day — yes, I have blooms all over my lemon tree!

Our plants are so confused. I guess tonight might set them straight.

Ironically, yesterday as I was putting some plant into the greenhouse, it was 85 hot and sunny degrees outside. Even with the 4 roof windows open and the doors open and the fan/vent running, it was 110 inside the greenhouse!

Yep. So it isn’t going to be the cold that gets me — I’m just praying it stays under 75 until sometime in the Spring! What an odd wish that must seem for those of you in parts north of here.

Happy Fall!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:51-06:00November 15th, 2008|Blog, freeze, greenhouse, lemons, Sharing Nature's Garden, tomaotes|15 Comments

Merry Christmas!

My DH took this picture of me in the greenhouse as I was giving him the tour after it was finished today! (Not the best photo, but he took it with his Blackberry – I’m just glad to have it!)

So now I am itching to be able to put plants in there…which will be very limited until our hot weather cools off. Plants would broil in there now — it’s 85 degrees for the highs these days.

Electrician and plumber come tomorrow and pea gravel for the ground on Monday and then some agaves and cacti and succulents are going in there. I’m sure I will put some cute little doo-dads in there pretty quickly, too!

Merry Christmas!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:06-05:00November 5th, 2008|Blog, greenhouse, Sharing Nature's Garden|16 Comments

Oooh, oooh, oooh…

Well, here they have finished the base and are putting it in and making sure that it’s all level. (Remember, I dug out the 4 inches of grass X 9 feet in the front — SEE? See my hard digging work? I know they were talking about my red floral rubber garden boots behind my back!)
There’s the frame, just sitting in the yard assembled and waiting to be placed on the wooden base for support.
Here’s where I got it. So far, so good! They’ll be back tomorrow to install all the glass panels.

Then comes German, the sprinkler guru to put a station in the bed that goes around one side of the greenhouse and put a faucet inside of it and the electrician to set up the power for the fan and the heater plugs.

Then pea gravel and soil/mulch for the beds on Friday or Monday. Then I have to figure out what to do with the bed.

I wasn’t planning on doing it until the Spring, but I would have to pay twice to have people come out here for the bed and the sprinklers so I figured I’d get it set up now and just think about it. I really want a cutting garden in there somewhere, and that’s not happening right now, though I can plant some seeds soon.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:06-05:00November 4th, 2008|Blog, greenhouse, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Greenhouse prep!

Yesterday I had help digging out for the new green house and for the bed that will run along side it and beyond.
All ready to go.

Well, not quite. I measured wrong and just came in from digging out another trench of grass 4 inches by 9 feet. Ugh. I’m sure the green house guys thought I was a signt, in my red flowered boots, grunting and digging!

They are assembling the frame now. Once they get the base in, I’m gonna run out and take a few more pictures!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:06-05:00November 4th, 2008|Blog, greenhouse, Sharing Nature's Garden|9 Comments

I am NOT in charge!

See that pretty little yellow bloom? That’s a Mexican Mint Marigold. Just started blooming yesterday.

It’s pretty and the next photo shows you that it will soon be full of bright blooms.

BUT. (There’s always a but, isn’t there?) I planted these 3 little plants last summer when we put in this bed. The purpose of the bed was to provide a place for lots of colorful vines to cover the fence. This picture below is what it looked like last September — everything behaving according to PLAN. See the beautiful orange Mexican Flame Vine behind the little Marigolds? Nice, isn’t it?

Well, this is how it looks now. NO Flame vine, spindly leftover morning glories. All thanks to the thirsty, overgrown, block the sprinkler Marigolds who have hogged the bed.

So, after they bloom – OUT they come, to be replaced in the Spring by something much lower and slower growing so that the Flame Vine – which is still there, but just 6 leaves at the base of the plant – can reach up to the sky along the fence. I don’t know WHERE they are going, mind you, but they ARE going. I will have things according to plan, I will, I will!

And here are some signs of our cool 55 degree night last night. The Plumeria is not happy about those cool, damp temps — see the yellowing leaves inside there?