Welcoming the Winter Solstice

japanese maple :: 2017 winter solstice

Who Says Foliage is Boring?

Inspiration

Visit the gardens of others and let inspiration take you by the hand.

The Truth of the Matter

And The Tree Was Happy

And the tree was happy. 

                                                                       Shel Silverstein

Owl Update :: There You are Regal Fella!

There were six days of no owl sightings, no familiar trills in the evening, nothing.  I was sure something horrible had happened.  I fretted and pondered, coming up with all kinds of ill fated scenarios. 

A few days ago while glancing up into the branches of the windmill palm I was rewarded with the sight of the male perched proud and regal.  I love his new digs as I can catch quick glimpses of him as I work around the garden.  He sits high above the garden within clear sight of the box and his mate.   I'm wondering if he changed the location of his perch because the photinia (in my neighbor's yard) bloomed and smelled to high heaven? 

The female has been noticeably absent.  I'm guessing she is now sitting on the eggs.  She emerges for brief moments to gather some fresh air and then she tucks back into the nest. 

From The Owl Pages:

Owls lay between one and thirteen eggs, depending on the species and also on the particular season; for most, however, three or four is the more common number. The eggs are rounded and white; there is little need for cryptic markings given the concealed nature of most nest sites, and the vigor with which they are defended. Incubation of the eggs usually begins when the first one is laid, and lasts, in most species, for around thirty days. During incubation, the eggs are rarely left alone. Female owls, like many other birds, develop a sparsely feathered area on their bellies called a brood patch. The almost bare skin has a higher density of blood vessels than other parts of the skin, providing a direct source of warmth when in contact with the eggs.

Momma owl is going to be putting that brood patch to good use the next couple of days.  We're experiencing a late cold front.  It's raining as I type (yay!) and the north wind is howling.  Lows are expected in the 30's-40's tonight depending on location.  My garden is usually a few degrees colder than the central city.  I'll be covering a few plants just in case. 

There's never a dull moment in a Texas garden.

A Broad View Reveals Micro-Climates

Here in zone 8 Austin, Texas it takes winter a while to arrive.   And it's not long before spring is hard on it's heels.

So in an effort to live more intentionally, I ventured out after our 2.7" of blessed cold rainfall and took a look-see.  It's a lot easier to really look hard at your surroundings when you're not so worried about stepping on a rattlesnake.

The soft, subdued winter hues were relaxing and it was so quiet ... no ac units humming, no noisy lawn equipment; just the trickle of water, bird song and the gentle breeze.

Taking my time I took note of how different everything looks after a winter's soaking rain.

I love the skeletal forms of the flame leaf sumac amongst the heavily textured grasses.  I even like the contrasting dark green background of juniper although its pollen makes me constantly clear my throat (which is mild compared to others who suffer 'cedar fever').   I love the evergreen quality that is Austin with its numerous Live Oak trees and junipers.

Coming back into the garden it was easy to see it.  Really see it.  While we've had several freezes, micro-climates throughout the garden have left pockets of tender plants to stand until the ultimate freeze comes along.

My garden is in this strange, wondrous state of in-between.  

Tender variegated flax lily (foreground),  dwarf palmetto (middle), nearly dormant Turk's cap (rear middle)

With the Turk's cap nearly dormant the flax lily is really stealing the show.  Although the lily is tender, it has escaped damage so far.  When frozen in the past, it has come back from the roots.

The palmetto is new, added last spring, and will eventually grow into the space serving as a nice textural, evergreen shrub visually softening the wood fence.  It isn't a dense shrub so the other plants will be able to grow amongst its foliage.  As it grows larger, the Turk's cap may need to be relocated but as the palmetto is a slow grower, they are fine for now. 

The shady garage bed; rear from left to right : Japanese yew, forsythia sage, cast iron, philodendron, variegated ginger, Japanese aralia, Japanese yew.  Middle from left to right:  pineapple sage (view obstructed), flax lily (struggling), yellow columbine, variegated ginger, Japanese maple, heartleaf skullcap, cast iron, sparkler sedge, oakleaf hydrangea, river fern, mondo grass.  Front left to right: yellow columbine.

Seeing this bed in partial dormancy is really unusual and it struck me the other day how pretty it is like this.  Still lush with lots of nice texture and color.  Typically the pineapple sage, philodendron and ginger would be dormant as are the forsythia sage, oakleaf hydrangea, Japanese maple and river fern.

The pineapple sage continues to draw in winter bees and butterflies on warm, sunny days.  

Tighter view of the heartleaf skullcap (just beginning to revive for it's spring show), Japanese aralia (behind the stump), sparkler sedge (right) and oakleaf hydrangea (lower right).

Cast iron (left), Japanese aralia (rear right) and sparkler sedge (lower right).  I love how the variegated foliage is brightening up this shady spot. 

The face of the coffee root sculpture watches over this part of the garden with a sage expression.  She stands out nicely against the brick wall and is more salient with the leaves of the maple (left) now scattered at her feet. 

Across the garden, the beautiful, silver bark of the native Texas persimmon grows amongst river fern (foreground of fountain), variegated ginger (behind the gate), star jasmine (trellis left) and Martha Gonzales rose.   Salvia mexicana stands tall at the back of the photo.  All the tender plants show a bit of damage but not enough to distract from the lush verdant display of the plantings.

Micro-climates are making a huge difference in my garden this winter.  It's the perfect marriage of a semi-dormant garden and no mosquitoes!  We've been finding a little bit of time here and there to relax out here and enjoy the unique view these micro-climates have offered.

What's growing in the micro-climates around your garden?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Color Drain

Word of the Year 2013 ~ I Like It

If you're a long time reader here (thank you), you know that I don't go in for New Year's resolutions.  They tend to get broken which in turn leaves me feeling disappointed in myself.  Too much pressure for this gardener.

Instead, I choose a word to guide, motivate and ground me throughout the year.  That's not really true ...  the word chooses me somehow.  Like an old, soft and comfortable sweater, the word settles on my heart and I instinctively know that it is the word.

It goes something like this:  wandering down a multitude of mental bunny trails in a distracted sort of way and then believing that I've found the perfect word only to be hit with a mental mind slap by the word that has found me. 

Some of the words I've claimed and tried to honor include:  espy, stretch, freedom, forgiveness, discipline, balance and spontaneity.  (My family definitely wouldn't say that I claimed (or honored) spontaneity - I tried -  they love me anyway ♥). 

The closing of this swiftly moving year finds me enjoying a satisfyingly cold and drizzly day by the fireplace.  Jotting down ideas and words, I thought several times that I had the right word, several words in fact teased  and tempted.  Completion (for the numerous incomplete projects), grace (to honor those who share it with me and to offer it to those who need it), light (because we live in a dangerously dark world that begs for more), encourage (because it makes others feel cared for and nurtured and it makes me happy to see them grow)...

But none of these words settled comfortably.  The word was just out of reach, out on the periphery of my mind's edge.  And it wouldn't be summoned. 

And then the word appeared ... and I knew it was right.

Let me share a few of it's synonyms with you:  accidentally on purpose (my personal favorite), awake, deliberate, cognizant, insightful, observant, gratuitous, premeditated.  It's a good list. 
 
It's a good word.  Solid and full of purpose.  It's all encompassing and motivating.  It's not a quiet, subtle or lazy word.  It has bite.  I like it. 

It allows room for action on all the other words that were swimming around my mind.  With intention I will offer grace, light and encouragement.  And come hell or high water, with intention I will get some of these projects completed.

 

intentional

I like it. 

 

North Wind Blowin' - Winter Eve

"A cold wind was blowing from the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things."

                                                                                                                          George R.R. Martin

                                                                                                                                

Even After All This Time

Even

After

All this time

The Sun never says

to the Earth, 

"You owe me."

Look

What happens

With a love like that.

It lights the 

Whole 

Sky.

fourteenth century poet Hafez

 

The Importance of Turning Around ...

You can't underestimate the importance of turning around.  I don't know why the view always looks so different, but it does.  While walking in Lost Maples park last week I was admiring the gorgeous sunlit grasses and thought to turn around to see how the light might be playing upon them differently to my back.  And I saw this amazingly lit tree.  It's always worth it, on so many levels, to turn around and see from where you came.

Inside Austin Gardens Tour: Get Your Inspiration!

It's often said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and I promise you, if you venture out to the Inside Austin Gardens Tour you'll find tons of inspiration and ideas galore worth imitation.

The 2012 Inside Austin Gardens Tour, hosted by the Travis County Master Gardeners takes place on Saturday, October 20th, from 9am-4pm.  In addition to seven beautiful gardens to explore, there will be educational presentations and plant and book sales.

These gardens have so much to offer.  If you live close enough to visit Austin next weekend, I really encourage you to take the tour.  Each garden has its own unique story and personality.  I walked away from the experience with zillions, seriously, zillions of new ideas for my own garden. {Sorry, DJ ♥}  Some are easy to implement, others will have to be on the five year plan!

The "white" garden in Renee Studebaker's charming cottage garden. 

Looking for path ideas?  There are numerous designs and materials to contemplate.  A couple that I really liked:

Concrete slabs artfully arranged in the Donnis Doyle garden.

 A nice mix of materials is used for unique pavers in the Ann and Robin Matthews' garden.

The theme of this year's tour is Edibles in the Garden.  This is an idea that is attractive and practical.

A fairly easy way to add decorative, raised vegetable beds to the garden.  Soil filled stock tanks allow 

for easy gathering of vegetables in David and Jennifer Phillips' garden.

Several plants caught my attention and have been added to my "gotta have" list:

 Malabar spinach growing in the Phillips' garden.  It. Is. Gorgeous.

Salvia mexicana in Carolyn and Michael Williams' garden.  Anyone familiar with this cultivar?
The pale, lavender flowers are so unique and unexpected compared to the
commonly grown bright purple of 'Limelight'.

 The sunshine yellow flowers of butterfly vine spill over a weathered gate in the Phillips' garden.

Close up of butterfly vine going to seed.  These are as enchanting as the floral display.

Many of us desire to have beautiful rock work in our gardens.  This recirculating stream in the Hill Country garden of the Phillips got me thinking about how I could implement something similar in my backyard where we have water rushing through after heavy rains.  

I love how the plants play along the edge of the stone work giving a very natural appearance.

A simple display of rock using a variety of materials to enhance a few xeric plants in the Phillips' garden.

And every garden needs whimsy and these gardens are abundantly whimsical!

 

A sweet tribute of love to his wife... Ask Carolyn Williams about the story behind

 this tender demonstration of affection.

The Donnis Doyle garden is one of the most whimsical I've ever toured...colorful furnishings, handmade stars and hearts adorn the eaves and walls, unique bottle trees and screening ideas...the whimsy goes on and on.  Really.  Go visit!

I adore everything about this little vignette in Renee Studebaker's garden.  The stacked stones
rest close by three dainty, weathered chairs entwined with vines and foliage at the edge
 of her white garden pictured at the top of the post.  Simple and beautiful.

This rustic arrangement of dried artichokes and juniper in the Phillips' garden is captivating. The juniper is simply adorned with the artichokes and malabar spinach grows at it's base.

I said at the top of the post that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.  Well, let me just say that Renee Studebaker can make some mean ratatouille from garden fresh ingredients and I could hardly wait to get home and make it myself! 

I made this yesterday and between myself, my girlfriend and my husband, we ate the ENTIRE pan.  It's that good.  She will be giving a presentation on appetizers prepared from garden fare during the tour.  Go.

There is so much more I could tell you.  I haven't even touched on the wealth of information about rainwater harvesting to be discovered.  Really.  You should just go ☺

Let the Party Begin...Fall's Confetti

There is something immensely charming about walking amongst colorful confetti tossed willy-nilly by the breeze along a path...

A walk among aspens in Winter Park, Colorado two weeks ago.

Tropical Sage confetti at the front door.  Austin, Texas.

 Mexican Bush Sage confetti.  Austin, Texas.

Autumn Sage confetti .  Austin, Texas.

Esperanza confetti.  Austin, Texas.

Live Oak acorn confetti.  Unfortunately, my backyard.  Austin, Texas. 

Looks like we'll have plenty of new oak sprouts come spring.

What kind of party is going on in your neck of the woods?  Any colorful fall confetti?

In every walk with nature one receives far

 more than he seeks.

                                                                                                 ~John Muir

Wordless Wednesday ~ Colorado Shot At 50mm