I haven’t posted pics of my puppy in over 6 months. He is still a puppy, even if he doesn’t look like one. This weekend he had a playdate with Bailey and Bandit of GardenAlly. The size difference was pretty incredible, so I was amazed at how well they got along.
Posted in Animals, Dog | 2 Comments »
Yesterday while trimming the pomegranate, apple, and pyracantha, I decided to take inventory of the trees on our property. I’ve never done this and really had no idea how many we had.
THROUGHOUT PROPERTY
Live Oaks – Can’t begin to count, 100+
Cedar – 30+
FRONT YARD
Cedar Elm – I lived in the house a year before I noticed that this tree was different from the live oaks. The canopy is so high, that it was smaller leaves in fall that gave it away.
Yaupon Holly Cluster
Evergreen Sumac Cluster
Additional Evergreen Sumac – I love the canopy on this tree
Pyracantha
*Desert Willow
*Acacia
*Corkscrew Mesquite
*Flowering Senna
*Aromatic Sumac
*Yellow Bird of Paradise
*Kidneywood
*Almond Verbena – hoping this one survives it’s lawn mower trim
Mountain Laurel – 1 cluster, *2 regular trees, *1 silver peso
Crepe Myrtle – 5 pink, 1 white (the white is in the back)
In the Orchard …
*3 Apple Trees – Anna, Mollie’s Delicious, Granny Smith
*3 Peach Trees – Tex Prince, June Gold, Texas Star
*3 Fig – Everbearing, Blue, Unknown/transplant (2 of these are in the back yard)
*1 Pecan – Desirable
BACK YARD
Texas Persimmon – 7
*Olive – 3 – Mission, Arbequina, Arbosana
*Kumquat
*Key Lime
*Meyer Lemon
*Satsuma
Pomegranate – 2
Have you ever tried trimming a tree with a cat in it? It makes branch selection a little more challenging
*Brazos Avocado
*Bay Laurel
*Anacacho Orchid
*Mexican Redbud
*Possumhaw Holly
*Eve’s Necklace
Sago Palm
Mulberry – bummed that this one is a male
Palo Verde / Retama – 2
Chinaberry – ~5
*And can’t forget the bottle trees – 2
* Trees I planted
— As of 2/16 I have also added an Anna apple tree, a bottlebrush and am including my Pineapple Guava and a frost lemon.
Posted in Trees | 11 Comments »
When I ripped out the hedges a few months ago, the plan was to create beds that would provide interest all year long and require little maintenance/water.
I had a few plants already in place …
Spineless Prickly Pair, Purple Trailing Lantana, Society Garlic, Volunteer Red Autumn Sage, Seasonal Oxalis, Feather Grass
Dwarf Palmetto
Rosemary
I decided to go with the color scheme of the existing plants and keep everything in purple, yellow and red.
I added …
Butterfly Iris, similar to bicolor iris, but I really like the delicate flowers, and of course the color
Varigated Society Garlic
Desert Willow Tree
Buttercup Lantana
Hot Lips Salvia
Additional Rosemary
New Gold Lantana, Additional Society Garlic, Additional Feather Grass
The bed was already anchored on the one side with a good size pyracantha bush.
I anchored the other side with a Pineapple Guava.
Posted in front yard, xeriscape | 3 Comments »
My rose garden is really filling in nicely, and with the cooler weather the roses are blooming like crazy.
My original plan was to mulch with colored glass, but with the proximity to the pool, I determined that this was a bad idea. Instead I chose silver ponyfoot, which I hoped would give a similar look. Now that it has filled in, I am really happy.
I bought these two garden gates. I have given them a coat of white paint, to see what I think. Once I decide for sure on the color, I will probably take them in to get sand-blasted and powder coated.
I bought this first one at the Round Top Antique Fair.
I bought the second at the stained glass place near The Natural Gardener on Old Bee Caves. They get European antique gates every now and then.
I also had this overgrown sago palm that I had decided didn’t fit in and had to go. Before attempting to remove it, I cut back most of the fronds. Once that was completed, I don’t think it looks as bad. I may keep it, haven’t decided.
And now for the roses …
Cinco de Mayo
Marie Daly
Marie Pavie
Little Buckaroo
Martha Gonzales
Rise N Shine
Unknown — Any ideas? This was marked as Belinda’s Dream, but clearly not.
Unknown – Came with the House
Not blooming – Grandma’s Yellow, Belinda’s Dream
Posted in roses | 2 Comments »
I have decided that my main fall project is going to be the beds in front of the house.
Until yesterday afternoon there were boxwood hedges. Although they were healthy, the formal look of the hedges was not my style.
A few minutes with the chain saw and I now have a clean slate. Now the temperature just needs to drop by 20 degrees and I’m ready to go.
Posted in front yard | 3 Comments »
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