Diana C. Kirby

About Diana C. Kirby

Diana Kirby is a lifelong gardener and longtime Austinite, who loves the Central Texas climate for the almost year-round opportunities it offers for active gardening and seasonal splendor. Known as an impassioned and successful gardener, Diana began by helping friends design and implement their landscapes. Soon, she was contracted as a professional designer by a popular local landscaping installation firm, where she designed landscapes for residential and commercial clients for several years. In 2007, her new passion blossomed with the launch of her own firm, Diana’s Designs. ... Diana is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, the Garden Writers Association of America, and she writes a monthly gardening column for the Austin American-Statesman. Diana teaches the Landscape Design classes for several county Texas Agrilife Extension Service Master Gardener certification programs and speaks about gardening and design for garden centers and other groups. Learn more about presentation topics, availability and speaking fees.

Touring the Denver area before the Garden Bloggers Fling 2019

As greedy gardeners, bloggers can never get enough of the annual Garden Bloggers Fling.  So, even before the official start of this year’s Fling, my garden pals Pam of  Digging, Laura of Wills Family Acres and Cat of The Whimsical Gardener, set out two days early to see the sights.

Our first touring stop was the nearby town of Golden, home of the Coors Brewery.  A quaint town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, we strolled along main street, perusing shops.

Then we moved on and drove through Genesee Park, home to two to three dozen buffalo (or American bison, technically speaking) roaming the grasslands  through the hilly park.

Populated with bison in 1914 as part of a conservation plan, they are the last few remaining wild bison in the world.

According to this Denver guide, “DNA testing indicates that the herd is indeed a rare vestige of the original American bison. Their behavior shows few cattle traits (rare for bison), and they engage in what is regarded as ancient bison behavior: They’ll form a circle with bulls on the outside if a coyote approaches, and if one member of the herd is cut, the other members will roll in the blood, presumably so predators don’t know which among them is weakened.

We only saw a few bison from a great distance, and then ventured to the grave and museum of “Buffalo Bill.”

It was a delightful adventure, and a wonderful start to the three days of garden touring at the Denver Garden Bloggers Fling.

We headed back to Denver where we checked out the city’s iconic 16th Street Mall, filled with open-air restaurants and filled with locals and other tourists seeing the sights.

We ate outside at a local pub — the temperatures during our Denver-area visit only reached the 80s for highs — a welcome relief from Austin’s 90-degree days.

Stay tuned for posts about more Fling adventures.

By |2019-07-15T19:01:08-05:00July 15th, 2019|Uncategorized|3 Comments

Spring flowers scattered around my garden on Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

We’ve had a tumultuous winter and spring.  Well, it isn’t officially spring, but here in Central Texas, spring starts in February.  We’ve already had a 91-degree day, then a week or so after that we had a low of 21.  It was the first hard freeze of the winter in my garden.  Of course, everything had already started to sprout and put on buds. We love the warm days, but then we pay for it.

Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, so we can see what’s blooming around the world today.

I covered for the 21-degree freeze.  I normally don’t do that any more — it’s just too much work.  But we’re getting things ready to put our house on the market and move up to northwest Austin and I’d really rather not have to replace plants and fill holes.  (And, I want to take some of the great plants with me!)

Nonetheless, there are things blooming in the garden, in spite of the yo-yoing weather. I planted these Ostespermum, African daisy, late summer last year and I’m getting another round be beautiful blooms.

These pass-along white cemetery iris bloom first among all the iris in the garden. They’ve made the rounds among most of the Austin garden bloggers so they brighten gardens all around town.

I can always count on the bulbs and love the daffodils in my garden.

I’ve had these in the garden for a long time.  It’s called yellow fortune.   The contrast of the almost orange cup with the bright yellow makes a colorful display.  I’ve taken to collecting different varieties of daffodils over the years.  It’s fun to see who comes up each year.

These ice follies have naturalized and definitely need to be divided.  Hmmm…a good opportunity to take some with me to a new garden once we find a house.

The flowering quince makes a lovely backdrop for these frilly, delicate daffodils, called double campernelle.  She’s getting lost in the quince and the primrose jasmine beside her, so I may have to rescue her and bring her with me as well. (See how I keep adding to my list?)

 

The native Texas Mountain Laurels continue to bloom – only the open blooms succumbed to the cold.

Some of the trees hadn’t even produced buds yet, so I will get to enjoy the Kool-Aid, grapey-goodness scent of these beautiful evergreen trees for weeks to come.  And, when brought into the house as part of a cut flower bouquet, I can continue to appreciate Mother Nature’s air freshener!

It was hard to cut back the roses when I had several blooms on Archduke Charles, but I brought them inside and pruned the rest.

The four roses in the new rose parterre aren’t all the same height at maturity, so keeping them similar requires careful pruning.

Livin’ easy, grandma’s yellow and ebb tide show no signs of emerging buds yet.

 

Catmint remains one of my garden favorites.  Mostly evergreen with a compact, clearly defined form, it stays orderly in places where I want a small mounding plant.

‘Walkers low’ makes a pretty, reliable border plant, getting only about 12-14″ in my garden.  Advertised as getting up to 24″ tall, that’s not my experience and I’ve had them for several years.

I’ve enjoyed them in the front bed and last year expanded their reach into a few other beds as well.

The Mexican honeysuckle on the trellis behind the green goblet agave is awash with coral-y/salmon-y blooms.  They grow up into the air and over the fence, draping delicately onto the side of the greenhouse roof.

Hinkley’s columbine has started blooming and brightens up the woodland path garden.

The prairie verbena loves this spot by the street.  Hot and dry, this bed bears the brunt of the full, scorching Texas sun.  The perennial verbena provides a beautiful, soft contrast to the ginormous squid agave next to it.

I think we’re finished with freezes here in Central Texas.

I’m ready to start working in the garden and soaking up the spring sunshine.

How ’bout you?

 

 

Contemporary landscape creates comfort at Garden Bloggers Fling garden

Combining contemporary style with cool comfort, landscape designer, B. Jane, opened her garden up to the Garden Bloggers Fling held in Austin last summer.  Her straightforward lines and thoughtful plantings evoke a sense of calm and simplicity.

She uses a stone wall and steps to define the entrance.

Entertaining space is punctuated by brightly colored blooms and neon children’s balls floating in the pool.

Brisket, the official greeter, welcomed us to his backyard.  He didn’t seem to mind having company and sharing his oasis with us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Pam and I scouted the garden in 2017 as we developed our itinerary for the Fling, we had the pleasure of meeting Brisket’s siblings as well.  Brisket clearly knows how to cool off on a hot summer day.

B. Jane designed a variety of seating vignettes throughout the garden.

Foregoing the formal seating options, a group of bloggers enjoyed the shady view from this wall running along one side of the garden.

With cooling concrete walls and a canopy of shade. this was a perfect spot for bloggers to take a rest and enjoy the garden view.

Colorful cottage garden explodes with color and plants

One of my favorite Austin gardeners, Lucinda Hutson, welcomed busloads of Garden Bloggers Fling guests into her carefully crafted garden.  Surrounded by an explosion of color, gardeners wound through her sanctuary, taking in a rainbow of plants, benches, and ephemera designed to delight.

Lucinda’s garden reflects her love of the Mexican culture which permeates every corner of her garden and home.

 

Multiple seating areas offer welcoming areas for entertaining family and friends.

 

Her cat, Sancho, presides over his domain and took the time to pose for his guests.

Garden rooms are dedicated to different themes like the mermaid grotto.

 

Our gracious hostess joined us at the Fling closing BBQ Bash at Articulture, enjoying the live music and treating us to a dance.

 

Word can’t fully convey our appreciation for the Flingers and their kind words about the Austin Anniversary Fling.  We loved inviting them into our gardens and sharing some special pieces of Austin with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course we needed a shot of tequila to start the Fling off right!

Tour of Austin Garden Bloggers Fling’s beautiful gardens

I’m not sure I could pick a garden favorite at last May’s Austin Garden Bloggers Fling.  The itinerary included a taste of unique ecclectic, xeric, formal, contemporary, and cottage style gardens — a smorgasbord of landscaping styles to delight the senses.

My favorite shot, this picturesque view of the Austin skyline served as the backdrop of a bed running along the back of the Burrus garden.

This rustic stone water trough at the front of the house is surrounded by lush shade plantings.

 

 

 

A quaint cottage-style garden house was built using rock from the property, incorporating vintage windows, and serving as home to beautiful climbing roses.

This sweet dog quietly sat guard throughout our tour.

Flanked by a long driveway peppered with structural agaves and native trees, visitors get a glimpse into the xeric garden that awaits them above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jamison garden, with its cottage ambiance, provided a winding path along the sides and the back of the garden. Filled with ephemera, water features, seating areas, and secret spaces, it’s charm was enchanting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After running out of room in her own garden, Burrus began beautifying the land that divides her street that runs by an elementary school.  With no means of irrigation, she filled it with xeric plants and provided seating areas for neighbors and school children to enjoy.

When we arrived at this garden, the torrential rain that drenched everyone at the Wildflower Center and at my garden had abated and slowed to a light sprinkling. Special thanks to Laura Wills , Austin Fling co-planner, for the insight to order colorful ponchos for this rainy day.

The weather didn’t slow the tour as bloggers walked toward  the contemporary xeric garden filled with sculptural yuccas and agaves and Cor-ten steel elements.

Stay tuned for more Austin Garden Bloggers Fling garden tour highlights.

 

Get kids excited about gardening

 

Over the past few decades, children’s connection with the great outdoors has been slipping away.  Kids no longer spend hours on end playing in the backyard or climbing trees.  Instead, they sit inside, expending their energy on increasing amounts of screen time, sucked in by ubiquitous electronic entertainment.

According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, children between the ages of 8 and 18 average 7 ½ hours of entertainment media per day.  Researchers report that so much screen time increases children’s risk factors for obesity, sleep disorders, social skills, educational issues and violent behavior.

In contrast, spending dedicated outdoor time results in healthy, well-rounded kids who are inquisitive about the mysteries of nature and the world around them.

Gardening provides a range of concrete benefits from increasing much-needed vitamin D to better quality sleep, fitness and mood.

As people eschew processed foods and seek local, pesticide-free, and home-grown fruits and vegetable, gardening can also open the gate to the outdoors for our kids.

Gardening:

  • Educates children about the life cycles of plants, insects and animals
  • Inspires creativity
  • Encourages healthy eating
  • Entrusts them to care for growing plants
  • Builds family time that ranges from planning to growing to cooking together
  • Highlights children’s senses – taste, touch, smell, feel, and sight
  • Provides opportunities for younger children to learn colors and colors, counting
  • Encourages imagination play with accessories like fairy gardens
  • Grows adults who appreciate and work to protect the world around them

There are limitless possibilities for planning a children’s garden and creating a fun, kid-friendly outdoor environment.

Start with the basics.  Smaller, child-sized tools are inexpensive and will make them feel grown up.  Little gloves, rakes and trowels make gardening more fun and give them tools to take care of as well.

Starting seeds – Research proper planting times for vegetable or flower seeds and set aside a sunny spot to create a garden, dedicate space in your own garden, or begin with large containers (with drains hole).  Having space of their own and personal responsibility will make it more fun and rewarding.

Go to the nursery – pick out live plants to transplant together.  Read labels and talk about conditions plants need to grow.  Start a math lesson by calculating how far apart to plant and average days to maturity and harvest.  Then, engage them in meal planning and cooking as well.

Create a container herb garden right outside your back door and ask your kids every day to pick what you need for cooking dinner.

Then load up on fun accessories like wind chimes, gazing balls, metal flower stakes, or painted gourd birdhouses to decorate the garden.

Invite wildlife into your yard as well.  Add a birdbath and let your child help or be responsible for keeping it full of fresh water.  Hang bird feeders and houses to teach kids about how the seasons change the types of wildlife in our area or those that pass through.  Teach them different birds have different songs and even eat different seeds or nuts or insects.  Plant giant sunflowers – have fun watching them grow and then harvest the seeds for the birds and squirrels to enjoy.

Teach your child about the importance of pollinators in our life cycle of our planet and your garden.  Grow pollinator friendly plants and watch how bees and butterflies get the nectar that nourishes them and enables them to pollinate vegetables and ornamental plants.  Watch as they flit from flower to flower, collecting pollen dust on their legs and passing it along again and again.

Create a personal space for your child to encourage imagination play and keep them entertained outside.  Find a corner or spot under trees to put a small bistro table and chairs perfect for a tea party or play with action figures.  Set up a train set, make a Hot Wheels car track, or create a doll or mouse house in the mulch.  Or, create a fairy garden with whimsical, miniature accessories to invite magical fairies into your yard.

For young children, a sandbox provides hours of entertainment.  Get a plastic one or buy a few wooden boards and build and paint your own – with your child’s help.

As parents who have or have had children in elementary school will all attest, exposing your child to nature may also provide fun and easy (easy being the operative word) ideas for dreaded annual science projects!

Then, use great books to explain the mysteries of nature.  Go with your child to the book store to read and choose books about things they’ve become curious about.

You can teach your child how to recognize birds in your backyard by listening to their songs in this book.  I love listening to mine over and over, trying to ID feathered friends visiting my feeders.

Backyard Birding: Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song by Job Dunn.

Another favorite of mine is A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston, that traces the life cycle of plants with beautiful illustrations of beautiful seeds.

Mrs. Spritzer’s Garden by Edith Pattou follows the gardening efforts of a school teacher.

For a host of inspirational ideas for all ages, check out i love dirt: 52 activities to help you and your kids discover the wonders of nature, by Jennifer Ward.

After your kids have enjoyed their outdoor fun, you can then channel their electronic activities with nature-focused websites and television shows.  The National Wildlife Federation and Nat Geo offer a variety of entertaining and educational games, programs and magazines about all aspects of nature.

Opportunities to learn about and enjoy nature span the seasons.  So, head outside and have some good, old-fashioned fun with your kids.

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