Sharing Nature's Garden Archives | Page 102 of 124

Nothing…

Nothing. That’s what’s left of the scattered wildflowers blooming, the salvia I dug up and transplanted and have been hand watering daily and the beautiful little 1 foot crepe myrtle tree that I transplanted as a volunteer this winter.

Because we have over an acre, we have guys come mow our lawn. And I have had a new crew for the last 6 months. And twice in the last month, they have sheared every single CLEARLY evident bloom off my butterfly bush and other shrubs and turned them into meatballs, after repeated requests that they simply NOT PRUNE in my yard. And today while I was watering, I looked for my little babies and realized they mowed the pathway and weed-eated along the fence and obliterated it all.

So, right now I am in tears. It wasn’t that much, but it’s the principle and it’s work I did with my own two hands, trying to build something from scratch. I don’t know if anyone else will really get it, but I know you will. I just had to vent.

Tomorrow I’ll call them and try to figure out a way to make this work. I know they were only trying to be helpful, but this isn’t helping.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:13-05:00May 30th, 2008|Blog, Sharing Nature's Garden, Uncategorized|12 Comments

Sweet Surprise …

What a lovely surprise. The deer ate a few of the first native and cutting garden-type plants I put in what I’m calling my wild bed.

I was most saddened by the loss of the tops of my three delphinium plants. There’s just something about Delphinium and Larkspur that I find so beautiful and free-spirited (as if all flowers weren’t free spirited!).

So imagine my surprise this weekend when the Delphiniums were back — more blue and beautiful than before.

I didn’t capture the rich blue hue very well because I took the photo too late in the day, but I like it nonetheless.

And their neighbors, the mail-order Rudbeckia Prairie Sun with no brown are blooming and multiplying profusely. And they’ve been joined by Texas Betony blooming red and Mexican Oregano with it’s lavender blooms.

It’s so exciting to see something you’ve sweated and toiled over come to fruition. And while the Blackfoot daisies don’t seem to be happy there and several of the 5 transplanted Lantanas failed to come back, I’m calling it a huge success.

And Ms. Artemis is oh-so-happy to have the pretties for company!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:13-05:00May 27th, 2008|betony, Blog, deer, delphinium, rudbeckia, Sharing Nature's Garden, wild bed|12 Comments

Free…gratis…frei…libre…!

For all my Austin (and neighboring) garden blogging friends: These two hose reels are free to a good home if you will come and pick them up! First one to email and ask for them wins!

(Those of you in Indiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Maryland, Louisiana and the rest of the world are also certainly welcome to come get them!!!)

We are the proud parents of two new reels that retract automatically, and with tendonitis in both elbows, that’s a Godsend to me since cranking is really hard on my arms. But these two are in great shape, and I thought there’d be no one better to bequeath them to than one of my garden blogging friends.

So, first come, first served!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:54-06:00May 22nd, 2008|Blog, hosereel, Sharing Nature's Garden|11 Comments

Nippers three …

Nippers three, saving me
from overgrown trees, shrubs and vines

Nippers good, cutting wood
helping me, all the time

Nippers red, always wed
to my hand, hip or behind

Nippers three, how lovely
you make my garden shine!

Diana Kirby
May 21, 2008

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:13-05:00May 21st, 2008|Blog, pruners, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Beans, beans … you know the rest!

What a delight. I spent yesterday harvesting in the veggie garden. I got a giant bowl of green beans, collard greens, spinach and the last 3 radishes.

The green beans were delicious, as were the collards. Radishes and spinach will go in tonight’s salad.

We have many tomatoes – but they are still very green. It’s already getting hot here, so I’m worried about whether the blooms will continue to set very well. (I admit I bought some bloom set spray. I’m not sure if that works, but I REALLY want tomatoes!)

I found some more blooms on the strawberries, too, so we might have another small helping of those soon.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Vanillalotus at New Sprout for solving my mysteries from the last post. She tells me:

The lily is called a Jacobean Lily, or Aztec Lily. It’s latin name is Sprekelia formosissima. Here is a website with more information at Daves Garden.

The cool-looking moth is a giant/great leopard moth.

What a wonderful thing – to have you gardening friends as a resource for tips and troubles and to indentify those mysteries that pop up in our gardens periodically.

Thanks for all your ideas and help!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:54-06:00May 19th, 2008|Blog, green beans, lily, moth, mystery, Sharing Nature's Garden, vegetable garden|9 Comments

Mystery Challenge!

Ok, garden experts! I need help. This lily (I am assuming it is a lily of sorts) is stunningly beautiful. But I have no idea what it is. The entire stem is bright red, unlike the daylilies I know. Do you know what it might be?

I’ve done some google searches and come up empty. I’d love to have your ideas to search through. It lives in dappled shade, gets good water and the soil is probably mostly black clay so I think it’s pretty hearty in that sense.

I planted them at our previous house and loved them so much that I divided them and brought these with me. I’d love to have more, but that would require a name!

Any ideas?

Ok – mystery #2 of the day! I found this amazing moth in our outdoor kitchen, where he/she hung out all day long in this spot. Must have been cozy! It looks like something you’d draw when you were doodling. Any idea what it might be?
And these are not mysterious at all, just pretty! Had to share a shot of my morning glories in their full morning glory! Don’t they look happy?