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That’s what I feel like I’ve done. Dipped my big toe into the water. I’m not sure what this bed will look like when I’m done and it’s approaching maturity. (That’s because I didn’t make a plan for it!) I swore that I would, but even though I design for other people, I rarely take the time to do it in my own gardens.

So, I’ve made a nice list of possible plants and have been nursery-hopping for 2 days. Today I found a nice dwarf variety of Abelias so I will be returning the 5 other abelias that I bought just yesterday at two different stores!

Thus far, my collection includes a Japanese Yew (Maki), and Anachoncha Orchid Tree, some trailing lantana, some prostrate rosemary, some cuphea, some variegated hostas, an umbrella plant, (Cyperus alternifolius) and a new discovery, Mickaela Euonymus. It’s variegated, low and compact and trailing, very unlike the traditional Euonymus I’m used to seeing around town. I’m excited about having found something new and fresh — I hope it doesn’t die!

Tomorrow I plan to head to The Great Outdoors and Barton Springs Nursery for a few specimen plants and whatever strikes my fancy.

Well, maybe not done, really, but for me, this was the really tough part. Taking out living plants and bird and lizard habitat. But it was inevitable — the oleanders had truly succumbed to disease and I wanted to get them out and new ones in before winter. And I did replant the bi-color iris in the back of the house outside our wrought iron fence.

The new plants certainly won’t be the lush bird condos they had before, but they’ll grow and we have lots of other places for them to live.

So, the plan is to LOOK at this for a few days and then bite the bullet and put in new plants. I have a good list, thanks to suggestions of my gardening friends and hours spent perusing my favorite garden books.

Ok–here are the long-promised Salvia Leucantha photos in full glory! I took these photos at two different times and was amazed at how different it looks in the changing light.

Sorry I’ve been remiss about blogging – we had family here from out of state and got to relax and actually enjoy our gardens and pool and plants all week without feeling compelled to weed or prune or deadhead. And how nice it is to listen to others appreciate the beds and comment on them. I realize I see them so differently than do guests. So, for a week, I’ve seen only the beauty and it’s been delightful. Next week I’ll be back to looking at them warts and all – and looking for leaf rollers and other pests!

And what a morning this morning was. I know it’s warm out there now, but there was that subtle hint of cooler air this morning as I walked the dogs and sat outside planning the new front bed. A lovely way to usher in the Fall — I sat in the Adirondack chair out back, listening to the gardening shows on the radio with Howard Garrett’s book and a pad of paper in my lap, taking notes on trees and shrubs for foundation plantings. I’ve decided not to buy the new plants until the dead oleander and others are all cleaned out, so I can look at if for while and get some perspective on it.

Here are some shots of the bed I have to excise, and a sad view of the Oleander. I feel sorry for it. One of the most difficult things I ever have to do as a gardener is to take out live plants. Somehow, it just runs counter to nature and even if there’s only one measley little lingering leaf, you can bet I’m not going to want to rip it out by the roots until all hope is gone!

We’ll have company all next week, so these guys get a stay of execution for at least a week, and I’ll be hoping for some inspiration (and taking suggestions!) about what to put in the new blank slate.

I hope this post does justice to the beautiful color of these Gerbera daisies. They are in a rustic metal pot on my back porch and are the most stunning salmon color. Not pink, not coral, but a delicate shade that just makes you appreciate nature’s endless palette.
This little friend kept coming out onto the patio where Tanner (the tomato-stealing dog) kept eyeing him. I shooed him away into the garden twice before having to leave. I sure hope he stayed put, because Tanner’s taste for tomatoes is only second to bugs!!

Ah, seeds. The beginning and the end. The end of the bloom season and the start of new possibilities. These wisteria beans hang regally from the young vine growing in the back corner of our yard. I love the few little blooms that brighten up our Spring here, but I am in absolute awe of the wisteria growing along Lady Bird Lake and Cesar Chavez that completely covers the top of a city building along the lake. It’s hard not to start the day with a smile on your face when you drive by that every day!

Here are a few more pretty pictures of things in my garden today, like this Texas sage along the driveway.

Our magnolia blooms are just about to open up again. They are certainly happy with the cooler, wetter weather reminiscent of their preferred southeastern habitats

Lucky for me, I had the macro lens on my husband’s camera and caught this beautiful swallowtail having some lunch while I was browsing the garden in search of photos!