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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.

Bowl full o’ berries…

They tried to hide from me in the garden, but I saw them peeking out from under all that foliage and all those little white flowers!
See them there, being sneaky? But I’m smarter than they are, plus, my mouth was watering looking at those juicy, ripe berries. They’re going to be breakfast tomorrow.
Look at this beautiful variegated leaf on the base of the Eureka lemon tree. It makes me so happy to see the pink tinge on that cream and green leaf. It may be a long road back, but it’s coming right along. I’m going to fertilize it this week, too, to give it a little extra help.
This beauty is on the Carefree Beauty Rose bush – Katy Road. There are buds and blooms all over it.
This profusion of trumpets is my Crossvine that grows on the back fence…
…and way up into the neighboring oak tree! The fence is 6 ft tall, so you can tell how high those vines have climbed.

By |2016-04-14T02:42:32-05:00April 6th, 2010|Blog, carefree beauty rose, cross vine, eureka lemon tree, Katy Road rose, Sharing Nature's Garden, strawberries|0 Comments
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Happy Day…

Here’s wishing you a warm spring Sunday and a Happy Easter, if you are celebrating that today.

In the spirit of rebirth and renewal, I wanted to share with you these beautiful Texas wildflower photos taken by my sweet husband this week.

Even though we are weeks behind in the emergence of spring flowers, thanks to our unseasonably cold winter, most things are making up for it now.

With a wet fall, winter and spring, our wildflowers here in Central Texas are bursting forth right now.

They are prettier and more widespread than they’ve been in years.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.





By |2016-04-14T02:42:33-05:00April 3rd, 2010|Blog, blue bonnets, Easter, Sharing Nature's Garden, Wildflowers|0 Comments
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Take my advice, I’m not using it!

Every year, I give myself advice and I say:

“I’m not going to buy a bunch of pots this year – they are too much work to water every single day. I’m going to be content with what is in the ground.”

I say it in the spring, I say it in the summer, I say it in the fall and I say it in the winter.

And then, I buy a whole bunch of little pots.
Why?
Because they’re cute.
Because I just have to have that particular plant.
Because that would look just great in this particular spot.
Because it looks a little empty over there.
Because they call to me in the store … “buy me, please, please, buy me…take me home with you”
Because I am weak.
Because I have no will power.
Heck, I don’t know why.
I don’t know why, really, but I seem to be incapable of exercising even the most limited amount of restraint.
But, they are pretty.
And they do brighten up counters and corners and tables.
And it’s nice to collect certain plants.
And they allow me to have certain tropical plants that would die in the ground if I couldn’t move them in during the winter.
And some of them were given to me as gifts – I have to put plants in those.
And some have very sentimental value like this beautiful white Duranta tree that I was given 13 years ago in honor of my sick dog.
And, well…they make me happy.

Do you have more than a few pots sitting around your garden?

By |2017-11-29T23:27:31-06:00April 2nd, 2010|Blog, pots, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments
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Big Burly Bur Oak


This is my big burly Bur Oak, leafing out and shedding delicate little wisps of pollen. Hardly looks like the giant that it is.

Quercus macrocarpa, also called Burr Oak, is a slow-growing, tall tree that lives a long life. It develops a massive trunk and is a great shade and windbreak tree. It is very adaptable, and its leaves turn yellow, lime green and rust in the fall. Research shows that the tree will bear acorns in the nursery in 10 years.

My Bur oak is now 10 years old, and dropped one lone but very large acorn for me two months ago.

By |2017-11-29T23:27:31-06:00March 31st, 2010|Blog, Bur Oak, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments
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Zilker Garden Fest

I had a delightful day yesterday with my parents at the Zilker Garden Festival. It’s the plant event of the year in Austin, and my favorite thing to do. We’ve been going for at least 20 years and I never tire of it.

Vendors come from all around to sell plants and pottery and garden art and other crafts. There is a kid’s corner and music and food and it’s just the most wonderful time.

I filled my wagon this time (I usually do) and am so pleased with the interesting things I found:

Ming Fern
3 Homestead Verbena
2 sedums – 1 variegated no-name and 1 pulchellum Sea Star
1 Mock Orange Philadelphus coronarius
1 spotted Bromeliad
1 Dragon Tongue Bean
2 bags of Tulipa Clusiana bulbs (gave one to my Mom and Dad)
1 Aloifolia Yucca (pink and lime green variegated)

I like to buy unusual things at ZilkerFest, because the nursery vendors tend to bring their best or most interesting specimens to show.

Today I planted bluebonnets, 3 tomatoes, 1 pimiento pepper, horseradish, chamomile, and my Space saver cucumber seedlings. I also planted two passalong Baby Blue Eyes that Bob at Draco Gardens brought to the Design A Go Go.

I still have some Society Garlics from my friend to passalong for any Austin area gardeners who need some. Let me know if you want some!

Another beautiful day is on tap for tomorrow … wonder what trouble I can get into the garden tomorrow? Do you have garden plans for Tuesday? Or the rest of the week?

By |2017-11-29T23:27:31-06:00March 29th, 2010|Blog, bromeliad, dragon tongue bean, ming fern, mock orange, sedum, Sharing Nature's Garden, tulipa clusiana, verbena, yucca, Zilker Gardenfest|0 Comments
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