Sharing Nature's Garden Archives | Page 111 of 124

One little bud…

One tiny little bud, trying with all of his (or) her might to peek out and say hello to the world! In a week or so, I should have some lovely daffodils swaying in the breeze. The clumps that I planted in the fall appear to be coming up, but the ones that have been there for 3 years haven’t surfaced yet. I sure hope they didn’t get damaged in any way when we replanted that bed. They were far away from the other plants, but you never know how they can be traumatized. And I have a clump by the front of the driveway that is always the very last of the bulbs to appear, so they will be spread out this year for sure.

Yesterday I planted some California orange poppy plants and some other little things from the Natural Gardener. And while I was hunched over the bed pruning, I almost poked my eye out with the dead lantana and salvia stems, so I started pruning. And before I knew it (or about an hour and a half later, I had one whole side of the river rock path finished! It looks so much better with the dead stuff gone. And now I can actually see some new growth coming up from the ground on the indigo spires and the salvia and maybe even the Mexican oregano. I don’t know why pruning always feels like such a monumental project for me.

Maybe it’s because I am a bee by nature! But yesterday I was the ant and just powered right through a small section of it. Felt good to put on the rubber gloves and get dirty.

P.S. Note to self: Buy some new gloves — these are stinky!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:47:54-05:00February 11th, 2008|Blog, bulbs, pruning, Sharing Nature's Garden, spring|0 Comments

They’re Baaaaaaaaack!

Oh my. Oh my my. This is the first bluebonnet of Spring. I’m sure it must be one of the first in Central Texas because it is MUCH too early! I can’t say that it’s mine, though. I noticed it yesterday while walking the stupiddogs in our neighborhood. (That’s my new name for my mutts who are causing me unbelieveable grief!

My neighbors have this small clump of blue bonnet leaves — probably a foot square — that’s been as green and happy as it can be for a month now. Their whole front area by the street is usually a field of bluebonnets in March or April, but this is the first little clump to appear.
And I can’t for the life of me get the name of these daisies off my tongue — are they nerve daisies? Anyone know? I think that’s what they are, but we have so many daisy wildflowers that I can’t always keep up with them. Wildflowers. On February 10. wow. Not much else to say but that. Enjoy.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:47:54-05:00February 10th, 2008|Blog, Sharing Nature's Garden, spring, Wildflowers|10 Comments

Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs…

Call me crazy! I have bulbs coming up, right on schedule, like they’re supposed to here in Austin, Texas. BUT, I also still have bulbs sitting in their bags because I was only able to get 1/2 of them in the ground when I was supposed to be planting them. [Here, that’s about Thanksgiving time]

So, I’m trying an experiment. If I don’t plant them, they won’t come up, so I have little to lose other than my time and effort. I put them in the ground this week. Daffodils, irises and allium. This will turn into a beautiful clump of daffodils next Spring — if I’m lucky! [I focus on the daffodils because the deer have left them alone] The irises and allium are a test. I’m assuming the scent of the allium might protect them — we’ll see.
How hideous is this? Know what it is?

We have a pomegranate tree in the front bed and I simply can’t get the fruit to ripen properly, or I’m not picking them properly. They seem to be very under-ripe and then, WHAM — they explode. This looks like a scary Halloween mask to me!

Mystery Plant Revealed!

I received lots of good guesses about this vine — but no correct answers. So, drumroll, please! Here it is….my fabulous, young WISTERIA, on the back fence, starting to take on some color and getting ready for beautiful spring blooms.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:47:54-05:00February 10th, 2008|Blog, bulbs, mystery, Sharing Nature's Garden, trees, wisteria|5 Comments

Night vision…

I was just about to go to bed (without posting–bad girl, I know!) and was closing the blinds in the breakfast room when I saw two yearling deer enjoying a midnight snack from our bird feeders! I started to scare them off, then changed my mind and simply stood and watched them. I startled one, but she shyly came back. I walked away, and was drawn back for another peak at them — I love to watch them and they are so skittish, there just aren’t many opportunities. They are beautiful animals.

So, I’m letting them eat the bird seed (I wonder which kind is their favorite? Sunflower, safflower or mixed song bird??!! OR, they might have gotten a nibble of leftover fruit that I cut up and put out there yesterday — yumm-o!)

I’m glad I got to see them and that they had a nice snack. Come morning, if I find that they’ve eaten my tray of johnny jump ups or my newly planted bulbs, I might change my tune, but for tonight, I’m at peace with the world and the animal kingdom.

Sweet dreams!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:47:54-05:00February 6th, 2008|animals, Blog, deer, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Color My World…

This is my first post participating in the Garden Bloggers’ Design Workshop, hosted by Nan at Gardening Gone Wild, as she inspired us to share our images and philosophy of color in the garden this month. I’m excited to share some of my favorite garden photos with you, and to get a “free” blog with Nan’s inspiration.

My garden colorscape is an explosion of vivid hues and contrasts, filled with drama and intensity. No subtle tones, here! I love bright colors mixed in the garden, opposites on the color wheel side-by-side sharing the sun and rain. My back yard is very Texas tropical, and the rest of the yard is colorful Texas natives.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:57-06:00February 5th, 2008|Blog, color, GBDW, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Little Gifts…

Ah. It’s the little gifts that make this schizophrenic hobby so rewarding. I posted a few days ago about sightings of Jasmine blooms throughout my neighborhood. Well, I’m thrilled to report that I have my own flowers in the back yard. I found about 5 of them today. (I’ve been searching daily for about a week!) The Jasmines are getting much too big and unwieldy, but I love them — their arching grace, their strength and stamina and their bright, beautiful blooms.

I found these tomatoes today. You’ll never believe where! In the fall, I happened upon a volunteer tomato stalk growing right up amidst my duranta — far, far away from the vegetable garden where his friends were living! I assume a bird or a human eating outside (or, now that I think of it — a DOG!!!!) left a seed somewhere that found its way to this tiny spot of earth. Walking by, I saw the glint of red – well, not really red — maybe coral(!) and found these two little ones. No sign of the tomato plant – I assume it died in the freeze last week, but these two must have survived. Unbelievable! What a lovely little treasure.
Here’s a tough photo of my seedlings. Thus far, I’ve seen Empress of India Nasturtium (Tropaeolum Majus), Pomodoro Tomatoes (Lycopersicom Lycopersicum) from Italy and California Wonder Orange Peppers (Capsicum Annum). They shot up there today, and will have to be transplanted tomorrow because they are hitting their little heads on the ceiling. So, I’ll liberate them from their headaches tomorrow and put them in peat pots. I’m thrilled to be able to put them into the two glass cloches that I ordered for myself last week with the Christmas gift card my dear husband gave me to Gardeners’ Supply Company, http://www.gardeners.com I’ve always wanted some — and now I even have something to put in them! Look for pictures of the cloches next time.

P.S. Pat me on the back! I figured out how to put a link into my blog text for the first time!!!!!! Whoo hoo. I am SUCH a techno-newbie – but not afraid to try. I am so in awe of all the other beautiful and sophisticated blogs out there — thanks for inspiring me to try.

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:58-06:00February 4th, 2008|Blog, blooms, seeds, Sharing Nature's Garden, tomatoes|8 Comments

Sharing Nature’s Garden

One little bud…

They’re Baaaaaaaaack!

Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs…

Night vision…

Color My World…

Little Gifts…

Escape in the garden