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

Bits and pieces…

The bats came out for Halloween! My son had one in his apartment hallway for a day, Manu Ginobli of the San Antonio Spurs swatted one off the basketball court and had to get rabies shots (ouch!) and these guys have been having a big party in my garden. I just love the little faces of the bat-face Cuphea.

(The deer occasionally find them and nibble them off, but not very often, so I keep one around.)
This little empty spot between the potato vine and the snap dragons is gently holding 10 Gladiator Alliums that will make their debut next Spring. (At least they’d better!)
And this Acapulco Pink and Salmon Agastache was waving at me from across the walkway as I planted the bulbs. It was so pretty, I had to take a picture.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:38-05:00November 3rd, 2009|agastache, alliums, Blog, cuphea, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Signs of Fall in a Southern garden…

There are some traditional signs of Fall in the hot, southern garden. The Yaupon Hollies bring forth their beautiful red berries…
The mums begin to bloom…
The colors begin to turn on a few trees, like this Crape Myrtle…
And, my Moy Grande Hibisucus continues to bloom!
As does the Mexican Flame Vine.
And I picked a beautiful, juicy strawberry! October 28 — seriously!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:38-05:00November 2nd, 2009|Blog, fall, hibiscus, mums, Sharing Nature's Garden, strawberries, yaupon holly|0 Comments

What they’re there for!

So, I made a little bed for a cutting garden last fall. In it went a Carefree Beauty (Katy Road) Rose, Indigo Spires, Cosmos, Zinnias, Daisies, Bachelor’s Buttons, Larkspur, Lion’s Tail, Gladiolas, Bluebonnets, Lamb’s Ears, Lilies, Clematis, Morning Glories and a variegated Agave Americana. A few of the seeds didn’t come up, like the Daisies, but most did, in various states of growth and fullness. But in my desire to have a pretty bed, I’ve been hesitant to cut flowers!

Today, with the ominous winds whipping about and a storm forecast, I thought, I should bring a few of these in to enjoy them before they get beaten about.

So I did.

And, for my Day #4 of the 29-Day Giving Challenge, I took a bunch to a good friend. (You can click on the 29-Day link to the right to learn more about this cool movement.)

I’m so glad I brought them in for me, and so glad I shared some, too. Garden happiness indoors tonight.

By Diana C. Kirby|2019-07-15T19:14:18-05:00October 29th, 2009|Blog, cut flowers, cutting garden, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

When it rains, it pours…

We’ve had some more much-needed rain here in Central Texas. And while it’s helping to ease some of the drought, it’s really just the proverbial drop in the bucket so far.

Lake Travis, just outside of Austin in the Hill Country, was down 36 feet — yes, FEET, at the height of the drought this summer. The recent rains in September and October have caused the lake to rise a little more than 13 feet. Which means that it’s still 23 feet below its historic October average of 666.61 ft msl.
Forecasters are predicting a strong El Nino weather pattern for this fall and winter.That means Central Texas can expect a wetter and colder than average fall and winter.

El Nino occurs when the Eastern Pacific Ocean water warms up. During an El Nino, the jet stream pushes more storm systems through the Southern United States. El Nino events occur on average every three to five years.

“We’ve gone back and looked at 17 cases of past El Nino events, and we’ve seen in general about a 30 percent increase in precipitation during the wintertime months,” said Paul Yura, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in New Braunfels.

However, a moderate El Nino event may not erase the drought. Experts say that even with normal to increased rainfall, the large hydrologic and soil moisture deficits may mean we will be vulnerable again next summer.

Sigh…

Glad I have two pairs of wellies.

And I’m going to subscribe to the theory that every little bit helps. For now, everything is green and revitalized here in the garden. And that’s good.

I’ll worry about tomorrow…tomorrow.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:38-05:00October 27th, 2009|Blog, drought, El Nino, rain, Sharing Nature's Garden, weather|0 Comments

Birds of a feather …

To enable us to see out to our bird feeders, we put in two big picture windows in our breakfast area.

We also took off the screens so we could see clearly.

It’s great, we love it, but sometimes, the birds try to fly right into the house!

The other day I heard not one, but TWO “THUMPS” while I was in the kitchen.

I ran to the window to check, and sure enough, there were two male cardinals lying on the ground under the window.

I went out to check on them (my neighbor has two bird-eating cats) and found them very stunned.

I picked them up at took them to the driveway and called Wildlife Rescue.

Of course, it was just after 5 pm on a Friday, but someone did answer the phone. She asked if they could fly, and at that time, they were both not able to.

She suggested I put them in a box or a bin with a cover with air holes and bring them in the following morning in case they had broken wings.

I prepared two bins with window screens for the tops. Lined the bottom with newspaper and put birdseed and a little water bowl inside. As I lifted one Mr. Cardinal to place him inside, he fluttered and flew off!

Yeah.

Good result for him. Mr. Cardinal #2, not ready yet. He went into the box without any fuss. Poor guy.
Then I thought – DUH. I have to take pictures of these guys! So I went to get the camera, and when I lifted the screen off the box, Mr. Cardinal #2 flew off.

Guess they just needed to catch their breath. Sometimes these incidents don’t have such good endings, but I was so glad this one did.

[And I told them to quit chasing each other around the window!]

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:38-05:00October 26th, 2009|birds, Blog, cardinal, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Finally Fall…

It’s finally Fall here in Central Texas. Don’t get me wrong, we still have some hot days, but we are also enjoying some cooler nights, some rain and the sun has lost just a little of its “edge.”

How do I know it’s Fall? Because the Mexican Mint Marigolds (Tagetes lucida) have graced us with their perky little Fall blooms.
They grow all summer, getting full and bushy and lush with foliage, but display nary a bloom. Until the cool weather kicks in, that is, and then they burst like baby sunflowers.

This weird weather we’re having has both the Mexican Mint Marigold and the Cassia blooming at the same time. That’s never happened before. The Cassia is very tropical and a hot weather plant. It’s ok, I’ll take whatever blooms I can get, whenever I can get them!
On a glum note, how about this little guy? You’d never know he was a Green Envy Coneflower that I special ordered for some ridiculously high price, would you? He croaked not long after he arrived, succumbing to the drought and the intense heat. While his ordinary Coneflower neighbors were blooming away, he was wilting. He’s technically still alive. Maybe next year he’ll feel better. (I hope!)

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:42:38-05:00October 22nd, 2009|Blog, Coneflower, fall, Mexican Mint Marigold, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Diana C. Kirby

About Diana C. Kirby

Bits and pieces…

Signs of Fall in a Southern garden…

What they’re there for!

When it rains, it pours…

Birds of a feather …

Finally Fall…

Escape in the garden