Wordless Wednesday :: Camouflage

The Promise of More

butterflyweed seed pod

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 ☺

Wildflower Wrangling

I'm a cautious sort.  This means at times living vicariously through others who aren't.  In this case, my friend Deb.

We were heading out of town to pick up some recycled glass mulch and I spotted these gorgeous purple wildflowers among the sunflowers along FM 1327.  While volunteering at the Master Gardener desk last week I was reading up on Texas wildflowers and came across wild foxglove in a book.  I hoped these might be them and we stopped to take a closer look.

I've written briefly about Deb before and alluded to her inquisitive, playful nature. She wasn't to be deterred from gathering up a few samples of these wildflowers. The home on the property was abandoned and the fence in disrepair.  It was as if the universe was graciously inviting her in...

Did I mention that I'm cautious?  And leery of snakes.

Stick in hand, swinging it to and fro to warn any snakes of her approach, Deb made her way out to the middle of the field.  She is clearly not cautious...careful, but not cautious. 

Cautious is still standing on the side of the road, iphone in hand, snapping pictures and prepared to call 911 if necessary for a paramedic.

Deb grew up on a farm and showed steers as a teenager so apparently has no fear of snakes and such.  Unlike myself who grew up in a big, metropolitan area on the east coast.  I watched, coached and cheered from the sidelines wishing I too was brave enough to tromp through knee high grasses in sandals and shorts.

A few minutes later, she returns triumphant and all smiles with a small cluster of flowers gathered to bring home to dry for seeds so she can spread the love of a beautiful prairie wildflower in a suburban landscape.

Turns out, these are not the wild foxglove we'd been hoping for but possibly bluebells, a Texas native.  Looks like she gathered a little something else there in the left of the bouquet. I'm not sure what that one is, maybe wild petunia?  Any ideas?

I learned a lot yesterday as I watched my friend carried by sheer joy into that field. 

One, always have my 'good' camera with me when I'm going on an outing with her because there is never a dull moment (these shots were taken with my iphone).  Phones have really come a long way, haven't they?!

Two, it would be a good idea to wear jeans and boots no matter the season or destination when in her company.  And, maybe carry a shovel and anti-venom.

And three, you can experience immense joy and satisfaction cheering on your brave friend as she marches forward to a task you'd like to do but just can't muster up the courage for. 

*By telling this story I am in no way condoning nor advocating wildflower wrangling*

Serendipity, Impulse and Joy

ser·en·dip·i·ty   [ser-uhn-dip-i-tee]    

noun

1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident

2. good fortune; luck

  

This sweet, little, completely unexpected volunteer sunflower reaches valiantly for the dappled sunlight as it lives amongst the foliage of Turk's cap and a sticker vine.  A beacon of bright yellow in a sea of shady green!

 

im-pulse   [im-puhls]

noun

1.  the influence of a particular feeling

2.  sudden, involuntary inclination prompting to action

3. a psychic drive or instinctual urge

adjective 

4. marked by or acting on impulse

5. bought or acquired on impulse 

 

 

While walking around Zilkerfest, (a local spring festival for all things gardening) I spotted a booth with beautiful glass twinkling in the sunshine.  Then I noticed this specific piece and immediately knew it would have a home in my garden.  The Canyon Lake artist uses found driftwood along with wine and liquor bottles to create the sculptures.  I love how it constantly changes as it catches the shifting light throughout the day.  

I'm seeing a trend here in re-purposed, organic art in the garden!  The new sculpture complements the carved coffee root nicely.

 

 

Another impulse buy at Zilkerfest, this datura seems happy in its new space.  It has plenty of room to spread and afternoon shade.  The flowers are short-lived but gorgeous!  All parts of this plant are poisonous and it is easily grown from seed so I'll be collecting them to keep it in check.  I've seen this in other gardens with white blooms and loved it.  In purple, it stole my heart.  

 

This plant is sometimes confused with Brugmansia.  The blooms of datura are upright and the fruit usually spiny whereas the Brugmansia's flower hangs on the branch and the fruit is spineless. 

Joy    [joi]

noun

1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying

2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight

Although not completely joyous about the photograph, the subject makes me giddy!  Do you see the monarch on the milkweed?  Look closely at the center of the shot...there she is.  I watched her for a few minutes as she flitted about the plant and I'm ever hopeful that she was depositing eggs.  She attached herself to the underside of leaves a couple of times before sipping the nectar.  Please, please, please let there be caterpillars!

I just love a garden - there is always so much to discover!  What are your discoveries of late?  Any impulses, serendipitous moments or joyful sightings?  Ah, that's a silly question; I know you have them all!

 

 

 

 

 

Free Visits in January ~ Lady Bird Wildflower Center

During the month of January, visits to the Lady Bird Wildflower Center are free!  We may have brutally hot and dry summers but our winter months give us a chance to get out and about in the sunshine and discover the subdued, quiet beauty that is Austin.

It's true you won't be carried away with delight by masses of flowers but it is a good time to get ideas for structural elements to add to your garden.   The bones of the garden take center stage this time of year and hardscape elements that are sometimes hard to see for the plants and people are clearly defined. You'll have a clear view of the paths that meander through the gardens and their construction, a myriad of vessels used to hold plants are clearly on display, and you'll see which plants add texture and color during these quiet months. 

Personally, the most important observation I made was the way some of the shrubs and understory trees are pruned. While dormant, you can see where strategic cuts have been made to allow the plant to maintain a pleasing, natural shape but at the same time, coaxing it to fit in the desired location.  This inspired me to try a couple of shrubs I've been wanting to add knowing that with some gentle persuasion they can flourish in my small garden.   Note:  I'm not talking about trying to grow a 20 ft tree in a space worthy of a 5 ft shrub...I'm talking gentle persuasion not tree topping!

If you're able, I hope you'll get out and experience the simple beauty the Wildflower Center has to offer this time of year.  I definitely wasn't disappointed!

Winter's Palette