Sago Archives | Page 2 of 2 | Diana's Designs Austin

We’re back!

I’m back to blogging after a few weeks of taking care of family, and what to my wondering eyes should appear?

No, not eight tiny reindeer!

But a slew of new plants and blooms popping out in the garden — back after the winter’s hiatus to show off for me.

Above, a full 3 months ahead of schedule, I have a beautiful blooming Pride of Barbados. Our incredibly mild winter kept it from dying all the way back and so it got a big jump on growth. Which is great with me, because I just love those wispy, exotic blooms.

Caladiums are popping up in the shady beds in between other things.

This tiny Lobelia is a volunteer that decided to grow in the crack on the edge of the steps to the rock bed.
This is a salmon/pink Gladiola that is growing with a cluster of others behind the greenhouse and in the cutting flower bed. It’s the first one to open and I can wait to CUT it!
Here we have a cluster of Larkspur, given to me by MSS of Zanthan Gardens. In spite of my late planting of the seeds, they have proven to be winners and are so pretty — the first seeds to bloom in the cutting garden.
Here is a new bloom on my Carefree Beauty rose, also known as a Katy Road Rose.
Another shot of the amazing and HUGE display of Winecups in the rock path. They are growing so much that they have obliterated the entire pathway! I am happy to step out of their way and into the grass, though my DH thinks it’s quite foolish.
This Sago palm is very excited that it’s spring and that summer is on its way. This male is producing its cones, which are torpedo shaped and produce pollen. In the wild, the male pollen is spread by wind or insects to the female cycads, which produce a cabbage shaped reproductive organ with seeds that receive the pollen. Cool, huh?!

The Mexican Oregano is blooming profusely. It loves our sunny climate.
The black Elephant Ears are happy right now, but they may have to be babied some in the heat of the summer.
I love the orange bloom on this purple canna that showed up this week.
And these daylilies are lining one side of the pool bed with their deep, burgundy, velvety blooms.
Some Esperanza or Yellow Bells, have already been blooming around town, and mine have caught up. But it’s still pretty early for them.
My Rock Rose is showing her pretty flowers, too — next to the Indigo Spires Salvia.
These little Veronicas are growing nicely in their second year.

So, these are all my new friends that are back in the garden this year. So nice to be able to see them while walking around.

And my Mom is home and healing nicely ~~ thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:45-06:00May 18th, 2009|Bird of Paradise, Blog, caladium, cannas, carefree beauty rose, elephant ears, esperanza, gladiola, larkspur, lobelia, Mexican Oregano, Sago, Sharing Nature's Garden, veronica, winecup|0 Comments

Back-breaking…

Oh – it was a back-breaking day in the garden today.

I brought home 10 bags of mulch and compost yesterday in my DH’s truck, and he was going to haul it to the back in the mower and cart for me.

But a bad mower battery but a monkey-wrench in that plan. So after getting a new battery today and a mower driving lesson, I set about to haul 18 plants and 10 giant bags around to the back of our property.

Thought about taking a picture of the mower and cart, but I was too focused on getting the hauling done before it rained on me.

Which, of course, it did not, because it’s not ever going to rain here again — I’m quite sure of it!

So, I survived big rocks and a lumpy path and even backed the mower and cart on several occasions to get my #$%&*@ stuff where it needed to be.

The first photo is a bloom on my Tangerine Crossvine — I found it by accident while standing next to the corner bed thinking about what a good place it is for Oxblood lilies.

So, this is the bed I ripped the two giant, over-grown Primrose Jasmines out of last week. (Well, if you read my blog, you know that I didn’t really do it, I had it done!) As you can see, the grass is dead where the vines covered it up, so it needs to grow back up.

And, Dakota Blue, Missy Hound dog that she is, thinks this bed of dirt is JUST for her! She’s been digging holes in it, so I’m in a big rush to get it turned into a bed. And I sprinkled Cayenne pepper in it yesterday to try to keep her out. I think she got a snootful yesterday as I saw her rubbingher nose in the grass and pawing at it, so I am hoping that helps.
I got two big plants – a nice Sago palm and some black Elephant ears to be specimen plants on this corner that you see more often.
I am also planting two Maggie roses, since this is a full sun bed with no deer access! They smell just wonderful and I am so psyched about getting to have roses. They have bright pink blooms. I hope I can keep them happy in there. See the hold back there where Dakota was digging? A toad lived there. He’d be wise to move!

Across the yard, I have a nice collection of tomatoes coming. I had to shoot this up inthe air as they are in cages about 6-8 feet tall and trailing down!
And it’s finally cooled off enough for the nasturium to bloom a little. I just like having these little guys in my garden and some of my window boxes. They’re perky — and sometime we eat them!

And this, to my surprise, is a yellow Skullcap. I didn’t know that’s what I’d gotten until it started to bloom this week. I’m very excited, because it grows so well and the deer leave it alone. I’ve been looking for a lavender variety with no luck. I’ll keep my fingers crossed – sure wish I could remember at which nursery I bought this.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:52-06:00October 6th, 2008|Blog, elephant ears, nasturtium, new bed, roses, Sago, Sharing Nature's Garden, skullcap, tomatoes|8 Comments

Transformation…

Well, the wonder guys came and did my big project work yesterday and boy did I (rather, we) clear out some stuff! It’s hard to tell, but now there is nothing behind the pool wall until you get to the line of cedars outside our fence. There used to be huge overgrown vines encroaching on the wall and covering up the Hibiscus pots. I dug around and found an old before picture to give you some perspective — two or three years ago I planted two primrose jasmines on either side of the back of the pool. And they grew into monsters!

Can you see the HUGE vines behind the 3 pots and how tall they were? And they went all the way across to the other side of the pool.

So this is all the space I’ve opened up. And I’m really excited about it because I’ve come to realize lately that many of my garden beds are becoming shadier. Which is hard for me because I haven’t historically been a shade gardener.

The is the new bed out behind the wrought iron fence that I meant to put in last Spring and instead I let the heat beat me down. So, on the left side is a variegated Agave that is a passalong plant from my neighbor that has a big agave collection. The lovely pot is flanked by two trailing Lantanas. There are three pink Skullcaps in the front, three little Blackfoot Daisies on the right in front of a Sago Palm, and there are also three Feather Grasses scattered about. In the pot, I have a toothless Texas Sotol. I also plan to put in some Aloe pups that were given to me by Pam at Digging

This is the back corner bed where I had them pull out the three Viburnums. They were just taking over the bed and I wanted some more room to plant other things, so I passed them along to Robin, at Getting Grounded, where she has given them a good and loving home.
This is what they hauled out of here!!! Plus a truck bed full of stuff and the 3 Viburnum that went to Robin’s.
And, besides the empty spaces and clean beds, they left me 350 pounds (yes, 350 pounds!) of crushed granite for me to refresh my pathway because every time I weed I throw about granite bits. And since I can’t carry all that, they put it in buckets for me all along the path so I can put it out as I weed. So, now I have another job to do!

Whew, I’m tired just looking at all that!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:08-05:00September 27th, 2008|Agave, Blog, new beds, Sago, Sharing Nature's Garden, sotol, viburnum|11 Comments

Back to the grindstone

All the preparation and worry is over — hurricane Ike sent us a little wind yesterday, but not much else. So, today it’s back to the grindstone — putting all the plants back, along with the patio furniture and “stuff” I put away just in case things would be whipping around.

And then it’s on to pulling WEEDS. Ugh. They have gotten ahead of me and I just can’t squat fast enough to get them back under control. That’s what happens when you go on a long vacation.

Look – look! This is from one of the Sago Palm seeds I harvested from my neighbor’s female plant! I can’t believe it is actually growing! I’ll probably be dead before it’s big enough to put into the landscape, but I’m very excited at this little success. I started by soaking the seeds back in February.

And this is the night bloom from an exotic plant that I got at the Zilker Gardenfest. I can’t remember the name of it — anyone know? It has long leaves that are like tongues – and very flat. Help?

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:09-05:00September 14th, 2008|Blog, hurricane, Sago, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Sago seeds

Posted Friday, February 22, 2008

Meet my “Big Guy.” This is my biggest Sago palm, cycas revoluta. He’s a beautiful specimen, and he’s got lots of pups (which I’m happy to share if you are willing to brave getting them OUT!) My Dad had a long battle with him one day when he didn’t want to give up any pups, but I’m glad to say that Dad won and the Sago was none the worse for the wear.

My neighbor has several Sagos, but she has both male and female specimens. And a week ago, she gave me 4 seeds from her female plant. (The cluster of seeds is an amazing sight if you haven’t ever seen it. I’ll try to get over there and get a picture for you.)

So, I soaked them for several days, and today I removed the outer shell of the seed to prepare them for planting. I’m thrilled that they floated in the water, which is the sign that the seeds have been pollinated and will grow. The outer shell was remarkably thick, but relatively easy to remove with some gloves (the shell is a nasty orange substance that will stain your hands) and my thumbnail.
Now they will sit in a cool damp place to dry out and then I will rehydrate them (seems odd to me, but that’s what you’re supposed to do.) And then they are planted – sideways of all things. not with the point up or down, but on its side.

I have a big new bed into which two of these babies are going to go soon, along with a variegated agave that another neighbor passed along to me. This is the bed behind our iron fence that doesn’t really get watered. I have pots close by that I drag the hose out to water daily, so I can give them a drink periodically, but they will prefer it on the dry side. I’ll be adding some other native grasses and xeric plants to the bed as well.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:47:53-05:00February 21st, 2008|Blog, Sago, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Sago

We’re back!

Back-breaking…

Transformation…

Back to the grindstone

Sago seeds

Escape in the garden