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

Foliage follow-up footage!

I do have some fun foliage in the garden right now. Thanks to Pam, at Digging, who has invited us to share our foliage fotos on the day after bloom day. This season, it helps make up for the lack of blooms in the winter garden. Above is some thriving lettuce that I will soon be picking in the vegetable garden.
The brilliant red and bronze leaves of my strawberry plants is almost as pretty as the little white blooms that precede the delicious fruit.
When these leaves unfurl, I hopt o have a nice little cabbage to cook — stuffed cabbage leaves anyone?
This delicate little foliage is from the mass of passalong Larkspur shared with me last year by MSS of Zanthan Gardens that is coming back for performance number two.
These delicate little leaves belong to my Katy Road Rose, who is ready to shed her winter wear and put on her Spring finery.

A few little buds here and there, and lots of little leaves sprouting…spring will be here before we know it!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:34-06:00February 16th, 2010|Blog, cabbage, FF, Katy Road rose, larkspur, lettuce, Sharing Nature's Garden, strawberries|0 Comments

A few early bloomers showing their colors…

This Garden Bloggers Bloom Day finds my garden rather sad, covered with the dreary blanket of winter that’s covered us for quite some time this year. In spite of that, Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, invites us to brave the cold and see who’s popping up in our gardens for a little bloom.

This Autumn Joy Sedum really should be named, Winter Joy, because she seems to love this winter weather. In spite of a freeze last night, today she’s still bright and perky and posing for me.
My grape hyacinths from last year’s indoor arrangement are still blooming strong, with lots of other bulbs yet to come from the original 3.
Ms. Phoebe Hellebore is still a sleepy little bud, but she’s so close, I decided to stretch it a little and let her join in our bloom day fun.
Several more Daffodils have opened up, but the best is yet to come.
The Japanese Quince is in full bloom and beautiful.
The Leather Leaf Mahonia still has the most interesting blooms on it — even more unusual with a reddish spent bloom on the stalk when the yellow bells are done blooming.

That’s all that’s blooming outdoors in my garden.

But I haven’t shown you the greenhouse this winter, so I thought today would be a good day for a little tour of what’s blooming there.
This Rose Kalanchoe has sent up a giant stalk and is blooming like crazy! And I have thousands of babies — that fall off the ruffle-edged leaves into every pot I own. (Austin gardeners, if you want one I’ll be bringing a bag ‘o them to our design event.)
This is the annual impatiens plant that my Mom and Dad gave me 2 years ago in March when our beloved Sierra dog died. I’ve managed to keep it alive this long and it is amazing to see it in bloom like this.
This is the Bougainvillea given to me by Robin, of Getting Grounded, so it would have a sunny home in which to bloom. It misses you Robin, but its happy!
This is a Cowslip that I bought a few weeks ago at the Natural Gardener. I have no idea if it will survive the heat or the deer in my garden, but I had to have it.
Here’s another close up of the Rose Kalanchoe – look at all those blooms!
And now we’re indoors. This is the bouquet that my son (26) brought me for Valentine’s Day. He came over yesterday and took his little sister (7) out to dinner for Valentine’s Day — just the two of them — as a special treat, and they brought me back flowers. So sweet, those two.
And this is a rose from the stunning bouquet I got from my husband for Valentine’s Day, along with chocolates and a singing card. I’m eating my chocolate right now as I post! I am so blessed.

Our temperatures have been about 10 degrees below normal on average here this winter, which put us down to freezing for several nights this week. Spring may be a little slower arriving here this year, but we have so much to look forward to.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:35-05:00February 15th, 2010|Blog, bougainvillea, cowslip, daffodils, echevarria, GBBD, Hellebore, hyacinths, impatiens, japanese quince, leatherleaf mahonia, sedum, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Surprise!

Imagine my delight when I walked outside yesterday and found that Miss Phoebe Hellebore is getting ready to herald her arrival! I love the delicate contrast of her soft petals and whisper pink color against the harsh winter surroundings. She clearly hasn’t minded this wicked winter.
Her cousins haven’t fared quite as well. These two Hellebores, purchased this year to join Miss Phoebe, were apparently yummy deer food at some point in the last few weeks. (Yes, they are supposed to be deer-resistant, but we all know what that means — nothing!)
They ate one plant down to the nubbins, but they’re both still green at the base, so I am assuming they will return in their own good time. (If someone doesn’t snack on them again, that is.)

Any Hellebores peeking out from under their little green umbrellas at your house yet?

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:35-05:00February 11th, 2010|Blog, deer, Hellebore, Phoebe, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Hope Springs Eternal…

Japanese Quince

Hope springs eternal was the first thing I thought as I captured a few more early spring blooms in the garden this afternoon.

Then I wondered, does this saying have anything to do with the spring season?

Sadly, no. It originates from Alexander Pope’s ‘An Essay on Man’ (1733-4), and speaks to human nature in general.

Nothing about gardening or bulbs popping up to surprise us.

Oh well. Hope really does spring eternal for the gardener, though.

And those of us in Central Texas are holding onto our hope with both hands these days. Just waiting anxiously for the official thaw to evaluate our gardens and determine which plants we can dare to hope might survive this brutally cold winter.

Mid March is our official last average freeze. (Average being the key word here, in a season and a state where we have seen nothing average for several years, in fact.)

Then we have to wait for things to grow. And many of these plants that were so damaged by the cold, may also be very slow to come back.

But we’re holding onto our hope, by golly. I have many plants for which I am holding out hope — my biggest concern is my Eureka Variegated Lemon tree.

For which plants are you holding onto hope?

Daffodils

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:36-05:00February 9th, 2010|Blog, daffodils, freeze, japanese quince, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Presents on the doorstep…

A big box from Gardener’s Supply Company arrived on my doorstep today.

I was excited and eager to learn its contents. But not as eager, it seems, as my bubbies, who stuck their big noses right into the middle of things.

They were so disappointed that there wasn’t anything in there for them — just boring old seed heat mats. (Maybe they will grow something we can eat later, they thought!)
They were only moderately interested as I modeled my new garden clogs. Not too interesting when they are on my feet.
(But Tanner was thinking…”oooh, I can snag one of those when she leaves them outside the back door and run off with it in the yard — now that might be fun!)

Silly dogs.

But I am psyched about my goodie box today.

Seed sowing soon!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:36-05:00February 2nd, 2010|Blog, clogs, Dakota, dogs, seed heat mats, seeds, Sharing Nature's Garden, Tanner|0 Comments

Plants with interest in Winter

With yesterday’s beating rain, and last night’s predicted freeze, I decided to cut my first two daffodils and bring them inside to enjoy.

It was just too painful to watch the only flowers in my garden lying prone on the ground in a puddle.

So I rescued them.

Now I can sit and look at them beside me this morning while I enjoy a cup of tea and blog by the fireplace.

They seem to be enjoying my company inside!

While looking around the garden at all the dead, dying and dormant plants, I found a few bright spots.
Like this native Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria, growing wild in our wooded area. It’s chock-full of beautiful berries – a splash of bright red against the palette of browns that’s overtaken the garden.
And then there is the Leatherleaf Mahonia, Mahonia bealei, which is most interesting in winter. In some other states, it’s been declared invasive, but not in Texas. It’s not for everyone, or everywhere, with its upright and prickly form, but does provide unique structure in the garden. Its new winter growth erupts into a few dozen spires of tiny yellow bell-like flowers.
Although the sedum in the hanging planter is long-since dead – a few little Hens and Chicks found their way into the pot and seem to be quite happy.
I kept hearing the Woodpecker outside this week and finally got a picture of him as he landed close to the breakfast room window while looking for his bugs.
This — not so pretty, huh? On the left – a big HOLE! On the right? the roots of a previously chewed up Agapanthus that have now been ripped out of the ground. I moved them all from the back so Dakota wouldn’t eat them, so now the deer are eating them! And if that weren’t enough, then they are coming back to rip out the roots! Argh.

So the big question is, will I try to plant them around the pretty bird bath in the front again or will I give in a go another route to spare myself the aggravation? What do you think?