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

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.

In a Vase on Monday — still cheerily waiting for winter…

While our nights are now close to freezing temps, we still haven’t hit the hard 32 here at our house yet. My dad was here today and returned the vase from the bouquet of garden flowers I took them a few weeks ago.

Since it was a beautiful, sunny day here (60F) and there are still blooms in the garden, I refilled the vase and sent it back again – with flowers!

Today’s arrangement included lion’s tail, coneflowers, indigo spires salvia, celosia, rosemary and duranta seeds.

To see what other gardeners are putting in their vases, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:38:48-05:00January 4th, 2016|Blog, celosia, Coneflower, cut flowers, duranta, In a Vase on Monday, indigo spires, lion's tail, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

December Tip: Gardening can heal and strengthen

According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, spending time in nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and relieves muscle tension. Gardening can also help people who are recovering from physical illness by strengthening muscles and improving balance and coordination.

Read the full article.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:26:57-06:00January 4th, 2016|Tips|0 Comments

Before we get our first official freeze here in Central Texas, I went wandering through the garden and gathered up a box of cuttings from some of my favorite annual plants and then spent a few hours in the greenhouse.

I got my tools and materials together and set about prepping the cuttings, trimming leaves, making long, clean cuts and giving everyone a dip into the rooting hormone.

Nice and toasty warm, with plenty of humidity and a controlled temperature, the cuttings should grow happily in the greenhouse over the next few months of winter.

When spring arrives, I’ll enjoy having some great little starter plants to replace the annuals I lost through the winter, or to expand planting of some of my favorites.

Can you tell what I planted?

Some plants are easier to identify than others.

This one is an easy ID, but also one of my faves.

Now let’s see if I can keep them all alive all winter. Fingers crossed!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:38:48-05:00January 3rd, 2016|Blog, brugmansia, butterfly weed, Cuban oregano, Iochroma, Persian shield, Pride of Barbados, propagate, Royal Queen, Sharing Nature's Garden, Swedish ivy|2 Comments

Use gardening to strengthen and heal

Gardens inspire us, they provide spaces for family and friends to gather, and they ARE the proven curb appeal icing that raises our property values.

Beneath the surface of beautiful blooms and stunning structure, lies a hidden gem that can also become a vital component of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Studies continue to demonstrate that working and spending time in a garden can improve our well-being – both physically and mentally.

Exercise

We all know that gardening is hard work. As we approach the New Year, there’s no need for an expensive new gym membership to go along with your list of resolutions. Making a commitment to a healthier you is as simple as walking outside your own back door. You can design your own workout routine, taking less time and avoiding the interminable Austin traffic. From basic movements to strenuous activities, gardening offers the right exercise, no matter what your needs.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), “Gardening is an excellent way to get physical activity. Active people are less likely than inactive people to be obese or have high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, depression, colon cancer, and premature death.”

The CDC recommends being active for at least 2 1/2 hours per week, and including cardio and muscle strengthening activities. Gardeners are also more likely to exercise about 40 minutes longer on average than those who walk or bike. We know what that means – we set out to tackle one gardening chore, only to get sucked into pulling just a few more weeds or deadheading just a few more flowers. Be sure to start out slowly if you aren’t used to that kind of activity and always check with your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you to undertake.

Gardening chores can provide any level of activity from serious cardio – hauling bags of mulch and soil, digging and shoveling to simple reaching and stretching will pruning or raking. Raking leaves for just 30 minutes can burn 225 calories – and this exercise provides weight training and tones all the major muscles groups in your body.

Before you head out to garden, do some stretches to warm up, just as you would if you were starting a workout at the gym. Core strengthening like Pilates or yoga stretches will loosen up your muscles before you tackle garden chores.

It’s important to remember to bend and lift properly when you’re gardening. Bend your knees and keep your back straight when lifting and keep your feet shoulder width apart and hold objects close to your body. And be particularly mindful not to twist as you garden while pulling hoses or reaching for things. This can lead to back problems if you aren’t careful in your movements.

Emotional well being

In a recent study by scientists at Essex and Westminster universities, as little as 30 minutes of gardening a week can improve self-esteem, reduce anger and ease depression. In the research, reported in the UK’s Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph in October, scientists found that gardeners were less likely to be overweight, were more energetic and were less anxious.

Based on their findings, researchers said, “We found that less than 30 minutes of gardening produces a measurable and beneficial health effect.”

Other studies have also shown that electronic devices demand our constant attention, creating ‘attention fatigue.’ Spending time in nature, whether gardening or just enjoying the outdoors, can help us recharge by using what’s referred to as ‘involuntary attention.’ Being in the garden or completing mindless and soothing garden chores help us fight stress and reduce ‘attention fatigue.’

Scientists in Colorado have also released preliminary findings that suggest that microbes in the soil may actually boost the release of serotonin in parts of the brain that control mood, similar to some anti-depressant drugs.

Healing

My fellow friend and gardener, Jenny Peterson, a cancer survivor, recently wrote a book chronicling her journey back from illness, highlighting how her connection with gardening helped her through tough times. In The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion, she credits her garden with clearing the mental fog of “chemo brain’ and helping her overcome pain, depression and physical limitations.

Her premise is that gardening is good medicine. The book outlines garden solutions for strengthening bones and muscles, improving circulation and keeping your mind sharp. According to Peterson, healthy eating, herbal remedies, aromatherapy, yoga and surrounding herself with a tribe of loving supporters all contributed to her recovery.

She even includes tips on how to use gardening chores to fit your mood. For example, if you’re feeling angry, it may be time to dig holes or hoe in the garden. If you’re feeling the need for hope and inspiration, sowing seeds and planting transplants can help boost your mood.

“…plants are proven blues busters,” writes Peterson. “…they are timely reminders of how life continues despite what we are going through.”

“If you’re feeling thankful, think about harvesting things from your garden, like vegetables or cut flowers.”

The book includes Survivor Spotlights, which highlight information about and tips from other cancer survivors. It also lists many resources for cancer patients and gardeners. While the book’s focus is on her own cancer experience, its broad message about the hope and healing to be found in nature is universal.

Peterson writes about the importance of drawing strength from nature, and using her garden to remain grounded as she went through treatment.

“We feel off balance when we are sick or even when we are stuck working inside at a computer all day. Going outside and literally walking barefoot reminds us to slow down and get reconnected at an elementary level. It allows us to draw strength from the world around us when we need it most,” said Peterson.

Whether facing a debilitating disease or simply struggling to find health and balance in your life, there are many hopeful lessons to be learned in the garden.

Peterson’s book will be released on January 4, 2016. It is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Local Landscape Designer and Garden Coach, Diana Kirby, provides landscaping tips on Facebook at Diana’s Designs, at www.dianasdesignsaustin.com and writes a garden blog at www.dianasdesignsaustin.com.

By Diana C. Kirby|2019-07-15T19:14:41-05:00December 26th, 2015|Articles|Comments Off

Old adages still guide today’s gardeners

If you’re a gardener, chances are you’ve been the recipient of items handed down or passed along to you. Whether from a grandparent, friend or neighbor, seeds, transplants and recipes readily make the rounds in garden circles.

Perhaps the thing most often shared among gardeners is wisdom. Countless tips, techniques, proverbs and sayings are shared each day around the world as older gardeners teach younger ones and experienced gardeners teach novices. The scope of such advice knows no bounds, running the gamut from adages regarding planting based on the moon cycles to signs that rain is imminent.

While many of the sometimes curious snippets of wisdom shared over the garden gate have proven to be myths or old wives’ tales, many of them hold true, even in today’s modern age.

I don’t remember where I picked up the adages that I use the most, they are just part of my vernacular and seem to have always been there. The one I most often share with my landscape design clients is intended to urge patience, helping them manage their expectations in the garden.

Of newly-planted perennials, I will say, “The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap.”

When first put in the ground, plants need time to build strong root systems in their new environment. Thus, growth above ground is generally slow, as they sleep, while the plant is putting energy into growing roots.

The second year of growth, plants begin to creep. With more established roots, the plants will form new leaves, stems and blooms. The plants will also be a little less susceptible to environmental issues than brand-new transplants.

By the third year, with a strong root system, plants literally seem to leap as they begin to mature and come into their own.

Obviously, this folksy adage can’t be applied literally to each and every plant in every garden, but it’s a good reminder that growing things takes time. One of the most difficult lessons a gardener learns, patience often seems beyond reach. Holes and empty spaces in the garden simply beg to be filled.

In some of the more difficult spots in my own garden, I sometimes find that I have 3 different plants coming up in virtually the same space, because I haven’t been patient. I used to keep a sign on my desk: Take my advice, I’m not using it. It’s true.

I’m probably doomed to try new things when existing plants aren’t moving along fast enough for my liking. The lesson hasn’t taught me patience, but rather to buy bigger plants to start with.

Another of my favorite pearls of wisdom embraces the concept that much of gardening is beyond our control: “What you don’t fill, Mother Nature will.”

Gardeners often want to build a garden bed – excavate it, fill it with soil, and then sit back and pontificate about what might look great there. Or they simply want to add plants a few at a time or in stages. Kind of like sitting on the couch in your brand-new house and pondering for a while before hanging art work on the walls.

Don’t get me wrong, thinking and planning are critical tools for creating beautiful, well-designed beds. But once you’ve opened up the space and filled it with nutrients, every weed within a mile is going to want to grow there where it’s nice and lush. But, a new bed that’s been filled up with plants creates a bit of an obstacle course that helps prevent air-borne seeds from landing on the soil. A bed filled with plants will also help shade out existing weeds trying to come up from below. So, if you’re a thinker and you just can’t decide what to do with your bed, you’ll be able to entertain yourself by pulling weeds while you mull over your options.

The gardening acronym M.A.D. reflects my motto in the garden when plants don’t appear to thrive where I’ve placed them. Then I have to make a decision – should I Move the plant, wait to see if it Adapts after a little while or let it Die if it requires more babysitting than I’m willing to do to keep it healthy. Many Central Texas gardeners live by the adapt-or-die method where their garden conditions are particularly intolerable.

We’re used to drought and heat here, but with the unpredictable deluges and floods we’ve suffered through over the last few years, some plants are dying from too much water. Our clay soils can literally drown plants that need good drainage. When I diagnose plants in decline from excess water, I tell clients that certain plants don’t like to have wet feet. Some examples of those would include rosemary, grasses, yuccas and agaves.

Leaflets three, let them be. Hairy vine, no friend of mine. Around since the early 1900s in some similar form or fashion, these sayings have long warned people away from poison ivy or oak. If you’ve ever suffered from a reaction to either of these, you can be sure you won’t forget these little rhymes handed down for generations.

Countless proverbs, adages and myths continue to be passed along in the gardening world. While science may had disproven some of these expressions over the years, many continue to prove invaluable to today’s gardeners.

An ancient Chinese proverb best reflects my view of gardening: He who plants a garden, plants happiness.

By Diana C. Kirby|2019-01-08T17:04:58-06:00December 26th, 2015|Articles|0 Comments

Blooms bursting in my garden on a chilly December day…

It’s been chilly here in Central Texas. If you call 50s and 60s chilly, and we do. All the potted tropicals and succulents are in the greenhouse with night time heaters running.

But the garden is still full of flowers – invigorated by lots of rain and cooler days.

I’m not spending time in the garden right now, so when I went to water the greenhouse plants this morning, I decided to bring some of these amazing flowers inside so I can enjoy them more.

I gathered Lion’s tail, celosia, indigo spires salvia and coneflowers and made a beautiful bouquet for my kitchen island. There are many other blooms in the garden.

I might just bring in something else tomorrow.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:38:49-05:00December 1st, 2015|Blog, bouquet, celosia, Coneflower, cutting garden, indigo spires, lion's tail, salvia, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

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Diana C. Kirby