Diana C. Kirby, Author at Diana's Designs Austin

Happy Holidays

We wish you a Merry Christmas (or the celebration of your choice) and a Happy New Year. Just a few quick pictures around the house — today I am Sharing our Decorations instead of Nature’s Garden!
This is my favorite new decoration — given to me by my dear friend — it is a hand-painted image of our beloved Sierra, who passed away in March. She snuck into my house to borrow a photo for the artist and had her paint this for me. I cried when she gave it to me. This is the true spirit of the holidays — a true gift of love that I will treasure forever.

These are my two doggie angel ornaments. We’ve had the Sami ornament for 9 years, and I added the Sierra likeness this year.
This is my garden advent calendar that holds these little treasures for every day of the month until the 25th.
This is Kallie’s advent calendar – almost all the doors are empty! She opened today’s door after I took these pictures and she got a big ‘ol ring with a purple stone.
This is our collection of carolling Byer’s dolls, given to us by my DH’s parents for years.

We wish you all a wonderful and peaceful holiday.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:51-06:00December 24th, 2008|Blog, christmas, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Ice sculpture…

well, sort of…icicles, for sure. I thought the ice on my fountain made a lovely sight, in spite of the bitter cold that caused it.

You know, it’s not that we Texans can’t handle the cold, it’s the 30+ degree change in the span of ONE day that makes it just a little difficult to adjust.

Last night it was 29 here at Nature’s Garden. But on Saturday it reached almost 80 degrees. Bizarre. I guess it gives us something to talk about.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:44:43-05:00December 22nd, 2008|Blog, fountain, ice, Sharing Nature's Garden, winter|0 Comments

Snow!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:44:43-05:00December 10th, 2008|Blog, Sharing Nature's Garden, Uncategorized|17 Comments

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeet………

You’d think this was Minnesota the way the weather acted tonight!

I shot this 10 minutes ago out the back door — this is my dark green patio!

Sleet loud enough to pelt the windows and howling winds can gusting through here tonight. (33 miles per hour!)

We also got about 1/10 th of an inch of rain – maybe some more moisture if you add in the sleet.

We sure need the water, but I could have done without the freeze damage only 4 days before the party.

How much you wanna bet all the lovely plants look like…well,… crap, tomorrow?

But, I have to say, it’s right on time. We always get our first good freeze the week before our Holiday Party.

I set my watch by it, so I guess it’s good to know that all is right with the world, even if it’s a little chilly for us here tonight!

Brrrr…..

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:44:43-05:00December 9th, 2008|Blog, Sharing Nature's Garden, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Hi from my hiatus…

No photos today, but I’m going to try to snap some tomorrow.

I’m thrilled to report that the Double Pink German Brugmansia is growing new leaves like crazy already! She likes the greenhouse and adapted faster than I’d have ever guessed, give the roughshod way I handled getting her out of the ground. I thought she was a gonner for sure.

And while I was spreading out 3 flats of green tomatoes to ripen in the sun out there, I had to rescue 5, yes 5, butterflies in about 10 minutes. They were all interested in checking out the plants but couldn’t find their way out. They would have eventually — the 4 windows and doors were open, but I hated watching them all aflutter.

It dropped 21 degrees while I was running errands this afternoon in about 2 hours’ time. And the gusty-gale-force winds are back, too. Sigh. I really could live without the wind.

Tested chicken salad to go into the puff pastry shells for the party today – yummy. With craisins, pecans, and some grainy mustard with the mayo. It will be really tasty. And I made two pans of Buckeye Bars. They are essentially homemade peanut butter cups in the shape of a bar. Omigosh. They may not make it to the party 🙂

I’ll try to post some party pictures if I don’t get anything photographed before Saturday.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:44:43-05:00December 9th, 2008|Blog, brugmansia, christmas party, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Phase one – Texas style, or Brrrr!

Carol of May Dreams Gardens told us about all the complicated preparations for winter that they undergo up north before the snow comes and the ground freezes.

She wrote of bringing in bird baths and patio furniture and lots and lots of, well, work.

Here in Austin, the ground doesn’t freeze. But sometimes the air does,and so there are a few things we have to do to protect our plants, pipes and pets (as the weather folks are fond of saying!)

Last night is was 30* at my house. Brrrr.

The plants were already in the greenhouse, so I took some sheets out to cover my lettuce and my leeks, and I picked all the remaining green tomatoes and lemons.

I brought in an overflowing bowl of tomatoes, probably 80-90 of them, and 25 more variegated lemons.

While I was picking the fruit, I talked to the plants — thanking them for their bounty and letting them know how much we enjoyed our harvest. (It seemed the right thing to do, knowing the tomatoes at least were facing imminent death).

While carrying the haul in, I realized with horror that the Brugmansia – German Double Pink, was still blooming and I hadn’t yet dug it up for potting and overwintering in the greenhouse.

GASP.

So, I put on my clogs and got out the shovel and dug ‘er up. (Boy, did she have some roots for a 9-month old.) And she almost didn’t make it into the greenhouse, she cleared the peak of the ceiling by only about 2 inches! I hope she survives so I can find a better home for her next year. Her blooms are a pretty color, aren’t they?

I ordered her from ebay (I know, don’t laugh!)

I found her on a google search and fell in love with the picture, so I forked over way too much money for one big ‘ol bulb and clicked, “BUY NOW.”

She’s my first, so I had no idea what to do with her and I just stuck her in a hole where I could see her and where I had some room (and safe from deer).

I put her next to the Datura, as they are similar, but it turns out that was much too sunny a spot for her to be happy. I watered her by hand daily in the 100 degree heat and she looked very sad many days.

Then someone (probably a grasshopper) ate all of her leaves all the way up the stalk. How rude!

There’s Tanner, in his favorite perch, watching over his property as I prepare to dig.

I’d hardly call her blooms pink, though. They are very peachy. And now they are full of beetle bites. These little yellow and black beetles the size of lady bugs have been having their Thanksgiving feast on her.

After being overheated and too hot in the sun all year, she has to suffer the indignities of bug bites just as she’s finally coming into her own. Oh well, maybe it will make her stronger! Ha ha.

But my Christmas Cactus is about to burst into bloom. Just in time for our humongous holiday party. Oh, and I made two pans of ginger bars today. Tomorrow I’m testing out some chicken salad filling in puff pastry shells…I’ll let you know how it goes!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:51-06:00December 5th, 2008|Blog, brugmansia, Christmas cactus, freeze, Sharing Nature's Garden, tomatoes|0 Comments

Diana C. Kirby

About Diana C. Kirby

Happy Holidays

Ice sculpture…

Snow!

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeet………

Hi from my hiatus…

Phase one – Texas style, or Brrrr!

Escape in the garden