Diana C. Kirby

Winter seems to have blown into Austin! I think we got a double-dose of Summer this year, and truly just skipped Fall. My spooky hanging grove of goblins seems none the worse for the wear — don’t you know I put them out Sunday afternoon — JUST in time for the rain and the vicious storm that got me up at 4:30 a.m.

I can’t say the same for my plants. The new big bed is a little worse for the wear. I had an abelia pulled completely OUT of the ground – I literally had to replant it. And my tree and other abelia were being whipped mercilessly even this afternoon, so I had to find some quick remedies. Not sure how sturdy that stake is, but it seemed to help a little. And the chair is providing a little cage so that this abelia doesn’t meet the same fate as its neighbor did! Necessity …

More bloom day! A few more shots I got today in the nice sunshine. This is a hibiscus with a lovely yellow and magenta butterfly on it – kind of abstract….
Canna
Look at the dirt past the fence! That’s the new “wild” bed where we just cut back the 2 foot high weeds and I’m going to start planting agaves and Sagos! It’s a blank canvas — how fun! I got out there too late to catch the “before” weedy picture.. but this looks soooo much better…
Blue Daze
Hibiscus
Datura

I’ve missed Bloom Day! Well, not technically, since, being a night-owl, I’m still up and it’s only 11:12 p.m., but taking photos of things blooming in my garden is out unless I try to capture the Datura! Can I place a tardy post tomorrow? Will points be taken off? Will this affect my BPA (blog point average!)? I’ve been negligent and I’ve just looked at all the Austin blogs with their color and seasonal harvests and they are wonderful. Tomorrow, tomorrow, Scarlett!

I was so hoping for some rain yesterday or today, but it was not meant to be at our house. Makes me kick myself for all my compaining about the rain earlier in the summer. Things are getting kind of dry and I’ve had to resort to watering since I have tender new plants that need a drink.

The Fall plant sale at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center was delightful last week. I bought several things, as much as I could carry since I foolishly forgot my wagon. (and my trunk was also full of plastic pots to donate, anyway.)

My favorite find was a gallon-sized Maximillian sunflower – they are the tall, sturdy stalks with multiple sunflower blooms climbing up them that we’re seeing on the side of the road everywhere right now. There were several gigantic ones at the Center and I just had to have one of my own.

That’s what these 3 sneaky little toads were, making a lovely, dirty and damp home in the slightly open bag of potting soil in my garage. I hauled it out yesterday to plant my new agave and thank goodness I LOOKED in it first, because there was a whole family of 4 toads burrowed down in the soil! At first I could only see their eyes. So, I had to shuffle the bag over to a shady flower bed and jiggle and cajole them out of there. Three adults and 1 baby. Even after I’d checked and double-checked the bag, I was a little leery about sticking my hands down in there — unsure of “who” I might find! They all borrowed down in the mulch together, hiding under some leaves for a while. I hope they found a new home to their liking! The lesson here is clip your bags shut in the garage!

And, sadly, a doe and buck came through our yard last night, knocking over a few pots not yet planted but placed, and I assume they are the ones who also knocked over the bucket with the frog eggs, so we won’t be watching those tadpoles hatch.

Don’t you LOVE this weather? Fall has finally (almost) arrive here in Austin, Texas. It was upper 80s today, but at night it’s been in the mid 60s and just delightful. Makes me want to garden and clean and nest. (Which is a good thing since we’re having a garage sale (ugh) in 8 days.