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

Gross … really gross!

Can you say ewwwwwww?

I moved the Agapanthus, so THIS is what Dakota dug up out of the grass this week.

Disgusting. Fat and juicy and nasty. With a long spiny thing on the end. It was about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch fat. Not sure if it is a caterpillar or what, but it gave me nightmares, seriously. I suspect it’s a Giant Silk Moth caterpillar of some sort. Seems they get dug out of the grass, but I wasn’t willing to scroll too far through Google to confirm the exact kind.

Sigh.
And then she went outside and found a mushroom somewhere and as a result, threw up twice inside yesterday afternoon.

Sigh.

WHAT is with this dog??!!!!!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:37-05:00November 21st, 2009|Blog, caterpillars, Dakota, digging, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Behind on Bloom day!

Hard to believe it’s Bloom Day again!

And while I’m late today with my post, I wouldn’t miss out on the invitation extended to all garden bloggers by Carol of May Dreams Gardens to post photos of our garden blooms.

We’ve had a little fall here in Central Texas, and while the nights are cooler – high 50’s, the days are still upper 70’s and 80, even.

Many summer perennials and annuals are still blooming, but I’m starting to see a real change in the garden.

Leaves are turning yellow, blooms are slowing, and many plants are setting seed as most prepare to go dormant.

This huge Duranta is still full of blooms, but there are also many little yellow seeds along the blooms.
This Cassia is still standing tall, but the blooms are a much smaller portion of the bloom stalk than they used to be.
The Alyssum loves the cooler weather, though. No slowing down here.
The Marigolds in the garden are still hard at work, keeping the evil insects from the tomatoes!

The roses have been loving these warm days and cool nights. Maggie has lovely blooms like this all over.

And the Hibiscus in this big pot can seem to stop blooming. Was she doing that when we had company out here? No…. she waits until there isn’t anyone to see her! So she had to go in my post.
The Texas Betony in the back shade bed is growing like a weed all of a sudden.
This little corner off the back patio is blooming – lantana, Euryops, Loropetalum, and some cannas.
My bougainvillea, a passalong from Robin of Getting Grounded, likes the night air.
The front bed, with many of the same plants as the photo above, including Salvia and Cuphea, hasn’t slowed a bit.
The vines on the fence and the Mexican Mint Marigold are putting on a show.
My little mums just started blooming.
I found this Mexican birdbath last week and had to bring it home. She how nice it looks with the transplanted Agapanthus around it? And the Agapanthus says, ‘thanks for rescuing us from that evil Dakota-dog-girl!’
And the Turk’s Cap in the woods is quite happy. The Turk’s Cap in my garden bed is turning yellow and losing leaves rapidly. It’s been too wet for it as we’ve gotten some regular rains.

It’s interesting to note the change of seasons in the garden. Next week we are forecast to get down to 39 one night. Yikes! That will change things around here for sure!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:36-06:00November 15th, 2009|Agapanthus, bird bath, Blog, bougainvilla, duranta, euryops, GBBD, maggie rose, mums, Sharing Nature's Garden, Turk's cap|0 Comments

A rose by any other name…

might be a Rudbeckia, or a Rhubarb, or a Ground Orchid! Those are just a few of the things that I brought home from our fabulous trip to the Antique Rose Emporium just outside of San Antonio last weekend.

I thought they just had roses, but they had a wonderful selection of other plants and vegetables and herbs as well.
It was a beautiful nursery and their roses were amazing. I did come home with one rose — Easy Living — with a fabulous tangerine color and a lovely scent.
The nursery was also full of lovely garden art and trinkets that would make great gifts (for me, too!) I might have to make a trip back there to do some more shopping when I have more time.

I’ve never known a blogger to miss a plant-shopping opportunity, and this was no different. We filled the vehicles to the brim with a plethora of amazing specimens. See that really tall and amazing Rudbeckia in the middle — she’s mine!

(Don’t tell anyone that mine haven’t made it into the ground yet…tomorrow, I promise!)

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:37-06:00November 11th, 2009|Antique Rose Emporium, Blog, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

A nursery adventure…

As part of our Austin area garden bloggers San Antonio Adventure, we stopped for a private tour of the Madrone Nursery.

My neighbor has been there several times, and she’s told me tall tales of the ecclectic nursery, it’s collector-owner, Dan Hosage, and all the unusual specimens he has growing there.
He grows only true natives, and he regaled us with tales of how he came into possession of many of his prized specimens. He laughed when he explained that his plants are the heartiest of the hearty — left to their own devices much of the time, he said he hardens them up for anyone who comes to buy them.
Nothing was labeled, so we had fun trying to ID all sorts of things in various stages of growth. But for a gaggle of Garden Bloggers, that was like more like an entertaining game than a challenge.

We were also escorted by two nice and well-mannered dogs who were right at home climbing among the plants and pots.
And, last by not least, Pam dared me to post this photo, so here it is! (I’ve never one to shy away once the gauntlet’s been thrown!) Luckily for all of us, I didn’t photograph the next pose they struck for me~!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:37-06:00November 9th, 2009|Blog, Madrone Nursery, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

A little blogger road trip…

Thirteen Austin-area bloggers gathered bright and early this morning for a road trip down to San Antonio.

Our agenda: First, a stop at the Madrone Nursery, then on to the San Antonio Botanical Garden, and then a visit to the Antique Rose Emporium.

Come along with me, won’t you?
This giant tree is actually a Bottlebrush tree, whose bloom you see above.
It was a perfect day for garden oggling. Sunny, slightly breezy and warm, but not hot. The climate in San Antonio is slightly warmer and more tropical than Austin, and several of us had a discussion about the increased use of tropical plants in San Antonio gardens. These Monarchs were having lunch while we walked around.
The Garden has a Cycad conservatory with many different species, like this Dioon edule.
There was also an arid desert exhibit. I found this one fascinating, but sadly, it wasn’t labeled. And I simply neglected to get the names of some plants, because there was so much to see.

There were several varieties of Orchids tucked in around the large Cycads in the conservatory.
This was some sort of Crown of Thorns variety.
This Mexican Giant Turk’s Cap was stunning. You clearly can’t get the scale of these gorgeous blooms, but they were huge compared to the more common variety.
Due to San Antonio water restrictions, none of the water features in the garden were on. Even bone dry, this is a beautiful hardscape fountain.
We were stunned by these beautiful Papayas. Their wispy yellow blooms and these engorged fruits with massive leaves caught our attention right away. I wonder, could we grow them here in Austin?
Above and below are photos of the bloom of this unique Butterfly Agave.

No label on this guy either. But we did laugh about the extra spines all across the face of these Agave leaves — as if the traditional spines along the edges weren’t enough to deter anyone from getting too close!
These geese were hanging out by the lake, waiting for some bread being tossed out by the family in front of us. What a great place to live!
There were many beautiful grasses throughout the Garden.
The pairings of plants were so well done – around every corner we saw yet another vignette worthy of photographing.
I loved this little understory-looking tree. Its common name is Lucky Nut, or Thevetia peruviana. I have just the place for one of those!
I think this is Agave Victoria Regina.
Big-*** Agave! (That’s the Latin name!)
We saw some huge Weeping Cypress trees and discussed how much easier they would be to grow than a Weeping Willow, but with the same cascading foliage and effect. Pam of Digging, Eleanor of Garden of E, and Jenny of Rock Rose go in for a closer look.
We all took this photo. We were fascinated by these sparrows perched on this grass, eating the seed heads.

The giant Bugs exhibit was at the garden today — the praying mantis was my favorite.
No, this isn’t a Sedum — it’s a Pacific Chrysanthemum. Several bloggers loved them and came home with them after we found them for sale at the Antique Rose Emporium.

Had to get a photo of this one — Agave Havardiana!
It was like an Gardener’s E-ticket ride today. Next post, the Madrone Nursery and Antique Rose Emporium.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:37-06:00November 7th, 2009|Blog, San Antonio Botanical Garden, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

New bed in the making

Out beyond the back wrought iron fence there’s a line of ugly scrub cedars. Beyond that, several acres of floodplain land with a wet weather pond. The cedars give us some privacy, but let’s face it, these are ugy. Not unique, or interesting cedars, just ugly.

So I’ve been whittling away at them making space for a little xeric bed to give us something drought-tolerant and prettier to look at. My guys came today to dig out the rock and deliver soil.
This bed won’t get watered, and deer will wander through her regularly, so it’s my “tough” bed.
Here are the tough characters who will spruce things up in the back:

Quadricolor Agave
A Fishhook cactus
Rats – it’s dark outside and I can’t read this pot, can you? Something bronze!
Bamboo Muhly
Cycad – I think it’s Zamia Herrerae – an upright, skinny leafed one
Pride of Barbados
A Pindo Palm tree
Euphorbia
Whale’s tongue agave
Barrel cactus
Not pictured, a Texas Mountain Laurel and Gulf Coast Muhly.

I am hoping that these things will get some rain this fall to get established and then will survive (for the most part) on their own next summer. (Assuming we don’t have 68+ days over 100 again!)

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:37-06:00November 5th, 2009|agaves, banboo muhly, barrel cactus, Blog, fishhook cactus, pindo palm, Pride of Barbados, quadricolor agave, Sharing Nature's Garden, Texas Mountain Laurel, whales tongue agave|0 Comments

Diana C. Kirby

About Diana C. Kirby

Gross … really gross!

Behind on Bloom day!

A rose by any other name…

A nursery adventure…

A little blogger road trip…

New bed in the making

Escape in the garden