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Sorry I’ve been AWOL for a while. Between a root canal and a miserable cold, I haven’t even had the will to blog or surf for about a week, but I am glad to report that I’m mostly well and back at the keyboard!

More than one garden author has speculated about the inherent masochistic tendencies of most gardeners. And when they write about us beating our heads against the wall repeatedly, and even with fervor, I have to laugh out loud — at myself.

That’s me. I’m a control freak. There — I said it! Seriously, it’s a problem. And it seems so ironic to me that I would take such delight in a hobby over which I clearly have such little control. Maybe it’s nature’s way of trying to balance me out — a higher power sending me a message, if you will.

But I keep at it, in spite of the fact that I know in my heart, that whatever “success” I might enjoy, I’m really, ultimately, not responsible for it!

So, today, I share with you some of my little garden reminders that “I am NOT in charge!”

The first photo above is the lovely, but unwanted trumpet vine that keeps trying to insinuate itself in many, many places that it is NOT wanted and was NOT planted!

This is the Crossvine, winding its way up into the oak trees, and not, all along the right side of the wrought iron fence, as I intended!
On the other side of the Crossvine, we find the beautiful, but precocious Wisteria, who was supposed to grow LEFT along the wood fence, but now, instead, has chosen to chase the Crossvine down the iron fence. Silly girl!
This is an unidentified salvia, planted by the previous owner. I foolishly thought I had eradicated it from its inappropriate location 3 years ago, only to find it back in full force this Spring. I’ve moved some of it to a better spot where it can grow wild and rampant, but I’m sure that it will DIE there because I planted it!
This is a grape vine that my neighbor gave me and I unitentionally killed last fall. And I have no good place to plant it, but it’s alive and begging me for help.
These are morning glories that have come back from last year. However, they waited until I bought new morning glories in a 1 gallon pot and planted them in the same place!
This is a cypress vine that took over the fence and the plants and the air conditioner and everything in sight last year, not JUST the fence by which they were lovingly planted. I’m systematically ripping these new shoots out the minute I see them now! I did plant 2 in a pot to try to contain them. Wonder how that will work out for me? Wanna guess?!!
And, this is a lovely and healthy New Gold Lantana that was NOT planted in this spot that invades the patio by several feet by mid summer. Just don’t have the heart to rip it out of there.

So. I’m not in charge. Enough said.

So, clippers, multi-colored bread twist-ties,hammer and nails in hand, I ventured out into the sweltering, humid 86 degree afternoon yesterday and tackled the chicken wire.

You know, it’s not hard. And I’m glad to have it as a resource that I can handle. It’s just a pain. But, I now have an extra layer of protection for my garden fence and I hope the baby bunnies will soon be weaned and ready to move OUT of our yard in search of food. I am just crossing my fingers that they don’t snack their way all the way down the rock garden path, enjoying the sweet delectable blooms of the purslane, wine cup, allysum, sedum and other snacks!

There is no way to protect the path (at least no way that I can think of other than netting). And, just to warn you, I will cry shamelessly if they attack it, as it’s taken me a long time to nurture it along to mostly full coverage of plants between the rocks and path.

So, I’m just not gonna think about it. There – that works for me!

*** I’m sad to add to my report that Tanner brought me one of the baby bunnies today — into the house, alive but hurt from being grabbed by a dog with big jaws. I put him back into the nest, but checked on him after lunch and he’d gone to bunny heaven. So, I removed him and tucked the other little fuzzies back into their nest and I guess I will go out with Tanner EVERYTIME for about the next 2 weeks> (Based on the development of the baby bunny, that’s how long I think it will be before they leave the nest.) So, not only are they liable to eat me out of house and home and garden, but now I can’t leave the dog outside alone for 2 weeks. Sheesh! ***

On a much happier note, I had some more radishes from the garden in my salad last night – French Breakfast Radishes. They were delicate and crispy and yummy. (Though my 5-year old, enticed to take a trial bite with the bribe of a roll, pronounced them, “DEE-sgusting!” But she tried one, and that’s a good thing.

Here we have the first little paper “lanterns” of the Tomatillo plant. For those of you not from Texas or the Southwest, the Tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica) is from the Slanaceae or nightshade family. It has small, round, green fruit and it is surrounded by a paper-like husk that splits when the fruit matures for harvest. Tomatillos are the source of Salsa verde, or green sauces and salsas used in Mexican food. My DH make delicious fresh salsa with them, with roasted garlic and peppers and onion and cilantro. Ummmmm … makes me hungry just thinking about it.

But we’ll have a while to wait for a full harvest with enough to make a snack. They love the hot sun.

They are often thought of as being a tomato sibling, and are mistakenly called “green” tomatoes, and while they are in the same family, they are a different genus.

And, here’s a shot of my bush beans – just because they are so pretty and I love that Tee-Pee (purchased at the Natural Gardener).

No, this isn’t an envy post! Actually, after looking at so many lovely GBBD posts of flowers, it made me realize that those beautiful blooms often overpower the other interests in our gardens. This Spring, in particular, I’ve been struck by the amazing hues of green bursting forth all around me.

From new growth that is dramatically different than its siblings to all the different greens in the color spectrum.

No, no flowers today.

Just green, green green. (I was humming that, then I realized that it was actually, “Dream, dream, dream…” so I couldn’t use that for a title — besides, I’d date myself that way, so pretend I didn’t write that!)

Japanese Maple

Yucca

Lavender

Little Gem Magnolia

Texas Mountain Laurel

Prostrate Rosemary

Daisies in my kitchen!

Bald Cypress tree

Native Texas Persimmon

Variegated Ginger

River Fern

It’s not quite pruning time in the garden yet again, but it was pruning time in our house this week! We waited until after the Daddy-Daughter Ball, and then we cut Kallie’s hair. We donated 11 inches to Locks of Love where they make wigs for children who’ve lost their hair due to various diseases.
She loves it, and while I was briefly traumatized, (I walked into the salon with a little girl and walked out with a big girl), it’s so stinkin’ cute that I’m thrilled. And no tangles. And it looks perfect from the minute she wakes up in the morning. Yeah.

NEW BLOG!

We have a new Austin blog, and I hope you’ll go check it out. It’s Austin Urban Gardener and looks great. Hope to see you there.

Anyone recognize these faces from our visit to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center last weekend during the Spring Fling?

I went back this week for the members preview of their annual Wildflower Days plant sale and picked up a few things for my garden. The lines are long (but move) and the parking is about a mile away, but it’s for a great cause and I love to go and see all the native plants in one place with throngs of people supporting the cause. Makes me smile.

I got some Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum), Four Nerve Daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa), Drummond Phlox (Phlox drummondii), and a Wild Onion (Allium canadense) — to add to the new wildflower bed to REPEL the deer!
So, now they just need to be planted! But, I am so proud to report that instead of planting them today, I actually WEEDED the vegetable garden. (This is my least favorite thing to do in the garden.) But since they are fresh, new beds, it’s easy and I know if I can keep on top of it I will be some much happier come Summer. Next I need to put some more newspaper down and mulch around the plants as the soil is warm enough now for everything.
These plants, ordered from catalogs, also need to be planted. They include toad lilies, Spiderwort, Crinum lilies and a few other unusual things.

Unfortunately, I am STILL waiting on my RUSH daylily order of a month ago, because they apparently don’t think I should be planting yet. I got an opportunity to email and request early shipping, but haven’t heard a word back from them since I did that 2 weeks ago. I think I am going to cancel the whole order and just try to find the plants locally. I met someone at the Zilker Garden Fest who was from Lockhart and grew and sold daylilies, but didn’t get a card. I ordered 8 different varieties, though, so now I will have to go on the hunt. Suggestions, anyone?

Here is the last little trickle of photos from the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling.

These photos were taken at the David/Peese garden that we toured on Saturday in the glorious Texas sunshine.

The garden was so rich and full of amazing sights, it’s actually quite difficult to describe in words. Which is why they say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, enjoy these pictures and I’ll let them speak for themselves.

We had big storms blow through here last night, with heavy rain and frightening winds waking me at 2:30 a.m. I spent the rest of the night 1/2 awake, worried that my tropical hanging baskets were being pelted and that the tall plumerias and the lime tree would have toppled over and be rolling around the patio. Luckily, it’s just wet and cool outside and the plants all survived. I think the tropicals are wondering where in the world that cold weather came from, but they should be fine. It’s supposed to clear up by noon and heat right up to 88 degrees this afternoon.

As the Spring Fling participants can now officially attest (with a cold dip to the 50s and hail Friday morning that schizophrenically morphed into upper 70s the same day), if you don’t like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute — it’ll change!