From My Corner of Katy

Beware!

2012-01-31T22:56:00.021-06:00

Just one more piece of evidence that my sister ROCKS!*

January 31, 2012

This morning I looked at the radar map on Weather Underground, set it to animate and concluded that the rain would miss my corner of Katy, thus ensuring myself several hours of steady rain. As a highly self-trained meteorologist, I pride myself on being able to read the radar incorrectly 95% of the time ... or more.

*For months now, I've been meaning to post about this ab-fab gift from my baby sister. After seeing a BEWARE OF DOG sign by owner Edward Girrens of Plasma Thought, she contacted him to ask if he could make one that said BEWARE OF GARDENER. I'm thrilled that he agreed to do so and still think this is the best present she's given me yet. There have been too many to count over the years, so that says a lot. I hope you'll visit the PlasmaThought site and peruse a delightful selection of yard stakes, garden markers, wall art and more. Sorry it took me so long to post about this, Laura!

And They Called It Poppy Love ...

2012-01-29T10:48:00.043-06:00

January 29, 2012

Look at that beautiful bloom! I swear, I swooned when I saw it, then proceeded to lavish it with compliments. It's a good thing all my neighbors are used to me doing this kind of thing. Even the lawn crews that traverse the side street on a regular basis smile and wave when they see me out there. I tell them I'm Senora Loca ...

A Week of First Blooms ... And A Look Back

2012-01-27T23:04:00.061-06:00

Freesia laxa aka Lapeirousia laxa aka Anomotheca laxa aka False Freesia

Narcissus 'Grand Soleil d'Or'

I call this Okra Mallow. Abelmoschus spp. (A. moschatus, I think)

Laura Bush Petunia

I've been more than a little remiss in keeping up with my Lee Valley garden journal. Looking back at my January 27th entries in previous years reminds me why it's both enlightening and entertaining to commit my garden observations to those pages. In 2009, I noted that it was a "dreary day, gray and 68 at 9 AM". I "worked at battling oxalis in back. Upper hand gained for moment." The HG says that's especially rich, given how much time I spent this week doing the same thing. In 2010, I counted close to 40 goldfinches at the feeders and noted that they emptied one feeder within the space of a few hours of its being replenished. In 2011, I was on my way to New York City, the day after it was hit by 19 inches of snow. An aside: on the 28th, I learned firsthand why there are signs warning you to beware of falling ice. A small nugget struck my hand when it fell from the upper story of the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel, necessitating a visit to the concierge for first aid.

Today's entry was relatively benign in comparison: I noted first blooms on Grand Soleil d'Or and queried why I planted that next to a Salvia macrophylla 'Cherry Chief', which is still blooming and creates quite the lurid color combination. The Toadflax in that area are tiny seedlings or their blooms might serve to lessen the visual pain inflicted on my eyeballs. I'm adding a note now: move the Salvia!

Monday Morning Excitement!

2012-01-23T11:02:00.007-06:00

January 23, 2012

The first poppy bud of the season has been spotted! Will she be red or will she be pink? I should know in a few days. Funny how much farther along the poppies are out front than in the back: most of those out back aren't even an inch tall yet.

Garden Bloggers, Start the Countdown!

2012-01-21T12:28:00.026-06:00

Face it: You know you want to go!

What are you doing the weekend of May 18th? If you're a garden blogger, I hope your answer is the same as mine: Asheville, North Carolina, site of the 2012 Garden Bloggers' Fling! Not only is Fling a fantastic opportunity to tour beautiful gardens and buy plants (that may or may not live in your own climate but what the heck you gotta try), it's an even better opportunity to meet/reconnect with fellow garden bloggers! The Fling committee has been hard at work planning what promises to be another happily memorable event for us ... and we hope for them, too. Check out the Facebook page or the link above to learn more and/or to register. The Head Gardener and I hope to see you there!

A Garden of Heads, none of which look like the HG!

Ma Chere Amie

2012-01-19T11:04:00.057-06:00

Amy Gregory Kayes
January 19, 1952-May 2, 2008

Happy 60th Birthday, beloved friend.

A Bright Spot on A Damp Gray Day ...

2012-01-17T13:39:00.054-06:00

My neighbor's somewhat confused Bradford Pear*

I was sitting on the sofa in my bedroom today, feeling grumpy and out of sorts because of the dismal weather which has plagued us so much of January. Overcast skies, temperatures in the 70s and high humidity are not conducive to a good mood, at least not for me. True, it's good weather for gardening but I don't enjoy it as much. It's not the first year this has happened and I'm certain it will not be the last. Every year at this time I talk about getting a light therapy box to alleviate my Seasonal Affective Disorder ... and every year I forget about it as soon as a sunny day comes along.

Today was not that sunny day ... but it was brightened nonetheless by the view out my bedroom door. This is the Bradford Pear tree across the alley from me. I have no real love for Bradford Pears - they're overused, weak-wooded and suffer from fire blight too often - but today this tree earned my admiration with its vivid fall foliage. I find it interesting that there's still primarily green foliage on the left side, especially since that's north-facing. Just another one of those things that makes a gardener go "hmmmmmmmmm ..."

My admiration will doubtless turn to chagrin when those leaves start to fall and are blown across the alley into my garage. My neighbor hopes to remove this tree and another Bradford Pear this year and I have already offered my help with that task!

* In 2009, I posted about the hatchet job done on this tree. Don't look if you're squeamish!

Same Time, This Year: Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, January 2012

2012-01-15T22:29:00.110-06:00

January 15, 2012

January 2010

As I started working on this post, I was thinking that last January's GBBD was one of the saddest showings we've ever had here at Wit's End. I was wrong, though. Despite the bitter cold that preceded 1/15/2011, it was Bloom Day January 2010 that set the record for fewest blooms in January. That year I had to post pictures of indoor plants ... you'd think I lived in the frozen North! This is the 4th January I've participated in GBBD, the brilliant brainchild of my friend Carol from May Dreams Gardens, who's celebrating the 5 year anniversary of this meme. We garden bloggers owe her a debt of gratitude for creating an opportunity for us to chronicle our gardens' bloom cycles. An interjection from The Head Gardener: Damn skippy we do! The memory of She Who Must Be Obeyed is certainly not to be relied upon, as her opening lines demonstrate.

Excuse that interruption ... I've distracted the HG with a skinny vanilla latte, so hopefully she'll be occupied for a while. To continue, we've only had two light freezes since early December and the damage to foliage and blooms is minor for the most part. Thus far, the most objectionable aspect of winter has been - as always- the preponderance of grim, gray days. Overcast skies are usually accompanied by warm damp air at this time of year, not the cheeriest of weather. Thankfully, I have blooms a-plenty to brighten up my days!

Pretty in Pink

Red Hot and Orange You Glad It's Bloom Day?

Purple Bloomers

Sunshine yellow on cloudy days

Happy 5th Blogiversary, Carol! Here's to many more!

A Weed is A Weed Is A Weed ...

2012-01-13T11:38:00.016-06:00

January 13, 2012

No matter how artfully you photograph it ...

Or what delicate beauty the flowers possess when viewed up close ...

It's still a weed and it must be eradicated!

Hell No, I Won't Go!

2012-01-11T14:16:00.082-06:00

January 11, 2012

Subtitle: So much for the neutrality of the Swiss ...

June 2011: The Swiss Chard prior to decapitation (read about it here)

January 2012: Same plant, no lie

OK, true confessions time again: Although I removed the magenta chard completely, I never got around to digging up the green one. I mean, come on, it was beastly hot and the danged plant had a bulbous root unlike anything I've ever seen. I should have taken a picture of it then. Instead, I just now dragged the Head Undergardener in Charge of Watering (aka my daughter Hayley) outside to move the leaves away so I could show y'all what it looked like. Feast your eyes on this monstrosity!

Man, that thing is UGGGlee!

As summer blazed on, I thought sure the root would dry up and wither away, especially since it was so close to a concrete curb. Instead, it started putting out new leaves and I decided to leave it just to see how long it could survive. The answer appears to be "indefinitely". I still haven't gotten up the courage to taste those leaves, since heat allegedly makes them bitter. If you're in my neighborhood, though, and you want to stop by and taste them for yourself, go for it!

Greetings from Lake Langton!

2012-01-09T11:40:00.001-06:00

When we asked Mother Nature for rain, the Head Gardener and I forgot to include a request that said rain be of the long, slow, soaking-in variety. We won't forget next time. When the rain finally slowed to a light drizzle, I stepped outside with my camera and took a few pictures to share.

Looking west from the front gate

According to a Weather Underground station based in my subdivision, we have received 4.41 inches of rain this morning. Most of that rain fell within a 90 minute period. When the rain began to fall in earnest, I was NOT cozied up on my comfortable sofa cuddling my anxious dog. I was in my little red truck, trundling down the Katy Freeway towards home in a torrential thunderstorm. Visibility was about 1/10th of a mile and by the time I made it to the entrance to my neighborhood, the streets were beginning to flood.

Looking north from the sidewalk

It's been a good two years since we've had this kind of flooding in the cul-de-sac. Fortunately the street drains quickly when the rain tapers off. The most disheartening thing about such heavy rain can be how little of it actually soaks into the soil. I'm doing my best to be grateful for that which does soak in.

I stood at the water's high point on the sidewalk to take this southwest-facing shot.

Another band of storms, thankfully MUCH less intense, is passing through as I write. I'm hoping this gentler rainfall will continue off and on throughout the day. No more hail or tornado warnings, please, Mother Nature?

The camera caught a burst of lightning as I looked to the south.

The Head Gardener and I had planned to do some bulb planting this week but we may have to postpone our endeavors until the ground dries out a bit. That's the kind of change in our plans we'd be happy to see. The HG says that we can pull weeds instead: she feels I have been remiss in keeping up with my weeding duties, especially where the chickweed and Poa annua are concerned. We're trying not to think about how many more of those weeds there will be thanks to the rain!

Confinchion 2012

2012-01-07T11:25:00.000-06:00

January 7, 2012

Confinchion goers in 2009: read about 2009 and 2010 here.

We're finally seeing more than one goldfinch at the feeders. Usually by this time the confinchion is in full swing and the attendees are knocking back so much thistle seed that the Catering Director - aka the Head Gardener - must replenish their buffet twice daily. Fellow garden bloggers and other garden friends in the more northern parts of the US have remarked on the unusually late onset of winter. Some have even reported seeing goldfinches in their gardens.

After extensive analysis, the Marketing Research Department here at Wit's End has concluded that the warm temperatures up north ~~are definitely~~ ~~are most likely~~ may be responsible for low confinchion attendance. They remain hopeful that attendance will improve as the weather up north worsens. They have also suggested that the buffet be augmented with sunflower chips, which have been missing from the menu for several weeks, due to depredations by furry-tailed rodents (FTRs). The Head Gardener had already taken it upon herself to relocate the banquet tables and has noted a noticeable difference in the ability of the FTRs to access the feeders.

We are also heartened by the acceptance and conviviality shown by the confinchioneers to those birds not of their own color of feather. Not only house finches, but sparrows, chickadees and woodpeckers, have been encouraged to share the feeders. Their spirit of cooperation has so moved the HG that she has vowed to exhibit a similar attitude towards me. She draws the line at FTRs, though.

My Left Foot

2012-01-05T14:33:00.000-06:00

January 5, 2012

When the stabbing, burning pains in my left foot began to wake me up at night back in October, I consulted my chiropractor, Dr. Mike, who sent me for an MRI and X-rays. The reports showed what I think are way too many "degenerative changes", many if not all of which I attribute to two bunion surgeries on that foot. After several weeks of ultrasound therapy and strengthening exercises, we decided to call in my podiatrist, aka Painless Parker. He did the surgery on my right foot, which is giving me far fewer problems, so I trust his input. He felt the main issue right now is tendinitis and capsulitis on the inside of my foot: the tendons from the ankle down to the big toe joint are inflamed. He recommended a course of laser treatments, 6 in all. After 3 sessions, I do feel some real improvement and am cautiously optimistic that I'm on my way to a happier foot.

I share this to remind my fellow gardeners how important it is to look after our feet. They say an army marches on its feet: well, gardeners garden on their feet, more often than not. Whether we're traipsing from back to front and back again multiple times a day, or pushing a shovel into the earth, our feet are under a lot of pressure. The most important thing I've learned from this injury/experience is to choose footwear that will support and protect my feet.

For more than a few years now, I've worn garden clogs of one sort or another. They're comfortable and they're easy to slip on and off. Supportive and protective, they are not, as I've learned in the past few months. Dr. Mike told me that the clogs allowed my foot too much freedom of movement, especially considering the uneven terrain I traverse throughout the course of a gardening day. Not only did he give the thumbs down on backless shoes, he recommended that I look for shoes with a sturdier sole that are designed to keep the foot stable, such as hiking shoes/boots. I found a pair of lightweight Merrell hiking shoes that met with his approval and I've been wearing them ever since. I can feel the difference in support and stability and I'm a little ticked at myself for my cavalier attitude towards garden footwear for too many years. I hope my fellow gardeners will hear me now and believe me sooner rather than later (sorry, Hans & Frans): let my newfound belief in sturdy footwear serve as a good example and my prior dismissiveness as a horrible warning!

January 3, 2012: Hyacinths To Feed Thy Soul

2012-01-03T13:32:00.021-06:00

January 3, 2012

Hyacinthus orientalis

Hot damn, the blue French Roman hyacinths are emerging! That was cause enough for the Head Gardener to join me in a happy dance. She's generally of a more sober temperament but the woman does love (1) blue flowers and (2) the fragrance of hyacinths. We hope that having had a year to settle into their environs will encourage them to bloom more lavishly than they did last year. Even if they don't, there will still be dancing when they bloom.

A New Year on My Corner of Katy

2012-01-01T19:15:00.010-06:00

January 1, 2012

Jacobinia carnea 'Thelma's Pink'

On the theory that we should start the year as we mean to go on, the Head Gardener and I spent the first day of 2012 working in the gardens, albeit at a leisurely pace. Ignore the mutterings you hear from the HG about some people's tendencies to overindulge in champagne ... that has nothing whatsoever to do with the pace at which we're working. Besides, there is no such thing as too much champagne.

2011 was a crazy, mixed-up year in the garden and 2012 already seems prepared to continue that theme. We found this unexpected bloom on the north side of the front gardens. Although this plant is supposed to bloom in cycles from late spring through fall, we have to assume that the extremes of heat and drought had 'Thelma’s Pink' Jacobinia so thoroughly confused that it lost track of the seasons. We can't blame the poor plant ... heaven knows the HG and I are equally confused by the vagaries of the weather.

If you'd like to know more about this beplumed beauty, this handout from a Fort Bend County Master Gardeners' sale has detailed information. That detailed information has sent the HG off on a new tangent and she's now muttering about people who plant things BEFORE they do their research on ALL critical aspects of a plant and fail to allow room for it to grow to its mature size. Perhaps I can pacify her with a glass or two of Prosecco ... or maybe I'll just drink it myself and let her natter on. Salut!

Through the Garden Gate: One Last Look at 2011

2011-12-31T23:25:00.046-06:00

I'm not sorry to see the end of 2011, a year that brought extremes of both temperature and drought to my corner of Katy. The Head Gardener and I were frequently at our wits' end here at Wit's End. Thankfully, the last month of the year brought both rain and blessedly cooler temperatures to south central Texas, refreshing both gardens and gardeners.

The HG and I count ourselves not just fortunate but blessed by the friendship, support and camaraderie of our fellow gardeners, around Texas, across the country and throughout the world. We are grateful for all y'all did to help us get through this often hellatious year. 2012 is dawning and with it, new hope for both gardens and gardeners. May it be a year of bountiful blooms, not just in the garden but in your hearts, minds and lives.

Happy New Year, y'all!

Still Blooming On My Corner of Katy: Bloom Day December 2011

2011-12-15T13:59:00.011-06:00

Take a virtual walk around my corner of Katy and see what's still blooming!

Thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens, our Bloom Day hostess with the mostest!

Three for Thursday: The Eggman Cometh ...

2011-12-15T11:25:00.008-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, as I was puttering about the front yard, a car pulled up to my house and I saw the smiling face of my good friend and fellow Houston garden blogger, David of Tropical Texana. Now I won't say I wasn't delighted to see him just for the pleasure of his company but my delight was greatly amplified by a most welcome gift!

Custom packaging, no less!

Feast your eyes on these beauties ... I'll feast on their goodness!

And feast I did ... don't they look beautiful in my egg-yolk yellow Copco pan? This pan was a gift from my grandmother almost 30 years ago. It came with a note that said, "Merry Christmas! Eat more eggs!"

Thank you, David and flock, for enabling me to fulfill Grand's wishes both healthfully and beautifully. I hope the girls enjoyed their thank you gift from me ... I sent David home with a gallon pot of chickweed we pulled from around the beds! (Come back any time ... no, seriously ... ANY time!)

Mulch Ado About Something: A Lesson, Part Two

2011-12-12T10:58:00.002-06:00

Sifted mulch

Anyone care to guess how I've spent my time since my last post?

This is one of two mulch heaps created by my efficient team of workers.

With rain predicted for both days last weekend, and the Head Gardener uncharacteristically optimistic about the forecast, on that Saturday we dragooned the the Executive Producer to help shift the piles of mulch into containers. I'd already gotten a fair number of bags of Black Kow composted manure and Micro-Life organic fertilizer spread in the beds along the south fence. It did rain on Saturday, which watered in those amendments nicely. Since then, I've been working to spread the mulch and tidy beds as I go. It's slow going but only one bin of sifted mulch remains. While I was working in that area, I decided to screen the contents of the half whiskey barrel which has been serving as a compost bin. Oh, mama, did that produce some gorgeous fluffy compost! Sorry I can't show y'all but my gloves were too dirty to handle the iPhone.

Now comes the next challenge: planting that long stretch of bed that's empty. There have been various and sundry annuals and perennials in that area but I never seem to have found the right planting scheme for that area. I think I'm getting a handle on it but we shall see.

Mulch Ado About Something: A Lesson

2011-12-02T10:12:00.000-06:00

I know I've posted very little in recent weeks and there's a reason for that, totally unrelated to the holidays or my mother's health. I have spent what I consider to be an inordinate amount of time undoing that which was done in spring. To review, after years of NOT putting down mulch in the back gardens, I decided this spring that a nice layer of mulch on the beds was indicated. I knew it meant I would have to reseed the annuals that bring such beauty and grace to my cottage garden planting scheme in the spring. Since the summer of 2010 was so hot and dry, though, I felt mulch would help the perennials, trees and shrubs make it through the summer of 2011 with less stress, should it prove to be as hellatious. I could not have been more wrong, about the mulch OR the summer.

I'd asked my friend and garden guru Otahal* and his crew to do the heavy lifting and spreading. Because they had an unexpected opening in their busy schedule, I had to scramble to find a soil yard that could deliver on short notice. I had used a soil yard on Saums Road previously - for products other than mulch - and so I called them to see whether they could accommodate me. When they said yes, I placed an order for 6 yards of hardwood mulch and they promised to have it here within a couple of hours. Did I have any idea of the source of their hardwood mulch? Had I ever made a visit to their soil yard to view - and FEEL - the product I was buying? Friends, I had not ... and it was a grievous error on my part.

Only after the driver of the dump truck had unloaded the mulch on my driveway and I felt the first stirrings of concern, did I query the origins of the mulch. It was not reassuring to hear the driver say that shredded wood pallets were amongst the materials used to make the mulch. As Otahal and I surveyed the mulch, my concerns grew. At that point, there was nothing we could do but soldier on and hope for the best.

Y'all know what kind of summer we endured here at Wits' End. As the mercury climbed over 100 day after day after day after day after day after day after day, as the days rolled by (a little Sondheim moment there) - and rain failed to fall - I despaired as I watched the mulch mat together and form a barrier to repel my watering efforts. I fluffed the mulch where I could, when I could but my paltry efforts weren't enough to make a difference.

A few weeks ago, as I began planting some of the newly purchased shrubs and perennials I'd bought to add more structure to the gardens, each time I pulled back the mulch layer, I was horrified to see just how dry and lifeless the soil beneath had become. The most significant indication of its lack of fertility was the absence of the earthworms that grace other areas of the gardens. I decided there and then that something had to be done.

I'd seen a compost sifter/screener on Pinterest that I thought would work for screening the mulch. I talked to my home improvements guy, Brent Cook**, and he agreed to build a similar one for me in exchange for some of the computer assistance I've given him over recent months. Within a couple of days, I had a sturdy screener***, with notches on front and back so it could fit on top of the wheelbarrow. And for almost three weeks now, I've spent most of my time in the garden removing and sifting mulch, placing the discarded chunks and shreds in empty pots and tubs. The picture below is most but not all of them.

It doesn't look so bad in that picture, does it? Let's take a closer look:

After telling myself for weeks that I really should hire someone to do this job for me, and continuing to slog on by myself, this past Monday I looked at the remaining bed along the south fence and conceded that I couldn't go on. Since Otahal and crew are swamped with bigger jobs, I called upon a local landscaper to assist me. His crew is here today and they are making much shorter work of the sifting process than I could on my own, as you can see below. In fact, they're almost done!

When it comes to mulch, my friends, please learn from my experience! First and foremost, know what you're buying: take the time to visit the soil yard and check out their product(s). Some soil yards have samples of their offerings in their sales office but after this experience, I would ask to view the actual pile from which they'll scoop before committing to a purchase. If they balk at letting you do so, walk away and find another vendor. Save yourself time and money and a dump truck load of regrets!

* Otahal and I went to junior high together and he was one of my late friend MB's great loves. A lifelong love of plants caused him to ditch his job as an industrial pharmacologist and become a garden designer/grower/installer. He and I collaborated on the front gardens last year.

**If you live in the Katy/West Houston area and need a reliable contractor, I've been very happy with the work Brent Cook has done for me over the last 14 years. E-mail me if you'd like his number.

***The compost screener was built from 1x4's and 1/2 inch hardware cloth. It took them all of 20 minutes and it should last me for years.

Three for Thursday: Not Just Another Monarch Monday

2011-11-17T08:54:00.001-06:00

As I relaxed in my chair Monday morning, and surveyed the garden, I caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a Monarch butterfly sitting motionless on a bamboo stake. Taking a closer look, I spotted an empty chrysalis hanging from the clematis vine. I watched as the newly emerged butterfly slowly crept up the stake in search of sunlight, then paused at the top of the short stake, uncertain of where to go. So I stepped in to lend a helping hand.

I sat with this regal beauty for several minutes in awe and wonder, thanking her for the opportunity to bid her welcome to the world and help her prepare for her first flight. I cheered softly each time she expanded her wings, pumping body fluid through her soft veins.

I marveled at her perfection: I later read in my BUTTERFLIES OF HOUSTON AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS that the wings can easily be damaged during the expansion and hardening process. I carefully placed her atop a post of the nearby trellis and she remained there for over an hour, hardening her wings so they could support her in flight.

When it was time for her first flight, I was privileged to see her make it. She dipped and soared through the garden, accompanied by my cheers - loud ones this time. It was a joyful moment and I am still thankful beyond words that I was able to participate in it.

A High Time On The High Line

2011-11-09T08:56:00.001-06:00

Having only been to New York City in the company of non-gardeners, I have caught only glimpses here and there of the horticultural wonders to be found in the Big Apple. To be so close to a vast array of beautiful public gardens and unable to visit them at my leisure has been torture for me. (Don't even ask how it affects the Head Gardener ... ) When we were there back in January, it wasn't quite so painful, the gardens being covered in snow. On our recent sojourn there in October, the roadside plantings on the taxi ride from LaGuardia to our hotel were just donning their fall colors, making me even more determined to visit at least one garden this trip. Fortunately, my friend and travel companion Bonnie understands my obsession, since she has a sister who is similarly obsessed. Our destination on a pleasant Saturday morning was the High Line, a former elevated railway that has been turned into a public park.

Have I ever mentioned that the HG and I are seriously directionally impaired? Never ask us to read a map or give directions ... we will invariably send you in the direction the opposite of that needed. Unfortunately, Bonnie shares that impairment, so we must rely on the kindness of strangers to get where we're going when we're together. With the help of our taxi driver and fellow visitors to the city, we arrived at last at the 14th street elevator, which took us up to the High Line. Here's what we saw that day.

I love this plant but I'm not certain what it is. It's certainly Aster-like: would my East Coast readers let me know if that's correct? Update: based on the High Line plant lists and reader input, I believe this is Aster tartaricus 'Jindai".

I love how the paving was designed with grooves for plants to run or reseed.

I thought my Ex-Asters at home were floriferous until I saw these!

ID, please? I love the shocking pink blooms/fruits!

Just one view of what's going on below the High Line.

I was much enamored of the random underplantings of Autumn Crocus beneath taller perennials and shrubs. Every time I saw them, they brought a smile to my face.

Benches and chaise longues are placed so visitors can relax with a book, sip a latte, or talk with friends as they take in the view of the river. More genius.

This is something I can grow and I think it actually flowers more for us here in Texas! Lespedeza is on my wish list.

One last plant ID, if y'all would? This was growing in the beds planted along the water feature, as seen below.

I thought this was a brilliant way to include the sight and sound of running water. Water runs along gravel pavers and recirculates through the grating.

This pocket planting in a corner along the railing was one of my favorites. The view across the street also pleased. Enlarge the picture and you should just make out the word "Posto", as in Del Posto, the abfab restaurant collaboration of Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich.

I have to stop here and tell y'all a humorous anecdote about this restaurant sighting. Our first night in NYC, we had hoped to go to Mario Batali's Babbo but were unable to get reservations. Del Posto did have room for us and we were treated to an absolutely fabulous dining experience from the moment we walked in until the moment we left. It was the single most expensive meal we've ever eaten and it was worth every penny! Because we arrived at night, we had no clue that the restaurant was just across the street from the High Line. When Bonnie and I discovered that on Saturday, we took pictures and she sent one to her husband Danny, who was back at the hotel watching football in the company of the Executive Producer. Their response: "Don't go in!" So we didn't. We went next door instead and had a late lunch at Colicchio and Sons, where we had the two best cocktails ever!

This is my favorite planting: I loved the juxtaposition of fall color against a typical NYC backdrop of buildings and billboards.

These folks are waiting in line to be part of the Social Soup Experiment hosted by Friends of the High Line.

We only saw a small part of the High Line that day but I came away with one big impression. The most amazing thing about the High Line to me was not the plantings, but the way the park brought people together and created a community. There was a palpable sense of camaraderie and delight that makes me smile even now, weeks after my visit. I look forward to my next visit!

A Mighty Wind's A-Blowin' ...

2011-10-18T09:59:00.000-05:00

Insert sound of wind above.

The first major cold front of the season is sweeping through the greater Houston area, my corner of Katy included. The wind is gusting up to 20 mph in some areas, accounting for an unusual fit of prudence on my part: I have deemed it best NOT to work in the gardens today and risk a relapse of my recent respiratory troubles. We leave on Thursday for a long weekend in the Big Apple and I'd like to be healthy enough to enjoy myself thoroughly. I've been checking the weather for New York City and it promises to be brisk, although nothing like the post-blizzard conditions we experienced during our January visit. This time I hope to see some of the gardens of New York City: the High Line is tops on my list of must-sees, as well as the Conservatory Gardens in Central Park.

Head Undergardener In Charge of Basking, doing her usual stellar job

Meanwhile, back at Wit's End, the gardens will have to fend for themselves. I'm hoping the housesitters/undergardeners will live up to their promise to keep containers watered. I've been working to reduce the number of containers in the gardens so their chores shouldn't be too onerous. The Head Gardener will be traveling with me, of course: the woman and I are inseparable ... some might say indistinguishable. I have concrete evidence that proves otherwise but I'm keeping it under wraps until such time as I deem it imperative to bring it forth.

Speaking of concrete, there's a new book coming out from the good folks at Timber Press. Concrete Garden Projects "offers up an inspiring array of creative projects that can be made for next to nothing". To celebrate the book's release, some lucky gardener will win not only their own copy of the book, but a $25 gift certificate to Home Depot and a set of foam number molds as shown on the Timber Press website's video. The contest ends on October 21st, so head on over there and enter (click on any of the links in this paragraph to get there). I'm looking forward to receiving a complimentary copy of the book from Timber Press in return for mentioning the contest here. (Note to FTC: No other consideration was requested/given by Timber Press or given/requested by me in exchange for this mention.)

If It's The 15th, It Must Be Bloom Day!

2011-10-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

Here at Wit's End, it seems like Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day sneaks up on us each month. At least the Head Gardener and I have an excuse this time: we've been battling a nasty cold virus that sapped us of energy and led, as it inevitably does, to a bout of bronchitis. We've spent very little time in the gardens this past week but we are happy to report that we're on the mend. We felt well enough to venture out with camera in hand and capture images of some of the many blooms on this corner.

Number one on our list of plants we need more of: Asters! Aren't they glorious?

Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) may be the #1 heat- and drought-tolerant plant we grow. This is just one of several that sailed through summer.

Rose 'La Marne' responded quite positively to last Sunday's rain.

Coral Vine (Antigonon leptopus) is another summer stalwart.

The pollinators are giddy with delight over the abundance of blooms.

True confessions time: I'd planned to paint the inside of the fence around the back gardens this month. Because it would require removing the vines so the painters could work, I've postponed the project until there's not quite so many creatures dependent on the vines.

'Belinda's Dream' is blooming but she had a rough summer & it shows. Those leggy canes of hers aren't attractive. I'm hoping some judicious pruning at the right time will result in renewed vigor.

In the midst of this thicket of Turk's Cap 'Pam's Pink' and Mexican Bauhinia (B. mexicana), I spotted a splash of violet-red and made a happy discovery.

A lone Clematis bloom, variety unknown. Gorgeous, isn't she?

I fear the bottlebrush bloomed just a few days too late for the hummingbirds.

Butterfly Vine (Mascagna macroptera) may be the definition of acid yellow.

Cuphea 'David Verity' in front of Panicum 'Ruby Ribbons'

Dwarf Pomegranate blooms are embarassingly voluptuous.

Miniature Hamelia has smaller leaves and bloom clusters than the big-leaved varieties. The blooms are beyond plentiful, though.

I don't know why I thought I didn't like Ice Plant (Delosperma). The starry yellow blooms are enchanting!

Cosmos, Castor Bean (Ricinis communis) and Texas Sage 'Rio Bravo' are a gaudy combination on the corner.

The bees are abuzz over Justicia 'Fruit Cocktail'.

I bought a Patrick's Abutilon at Barton Springs Nursery in Austin last year. I've had limited success with Abutilons before so I'm delighted this one is doing so well.

If asked to name my favorite fall-blooming perennial, I'd be lying if I said anything other than Toad Lily (Tricyrtis). They're not showy but I adore them beyond reason.

I plan to add more of this Scutellaria 'Fuchsia Fountains' out front.

As always, a tip of the trowel to the Head Gardener at May Dreams Gardens, who originated Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Check out the links to other bloggers' posts!

The Most Beautiful Sight in the World ...

2011-10-09T12:56:00.001-05:00

Rain!

It's That Time of Year Again ...

2011-10-03T11:27:00.002-05:00

An ex-Aster made it through the summer & is celebrating fall!

Summer's hellatious temperatures and fiendish humidity levels have finally given way to the kind of weather that makes living in south central Texas not merely bearable but a real pleasure. Even the normally cranky HG has mellowed and has yet to remind me that we're liable to go back into the 90s at least once more before fall weather settles in for a stay on our corner of Katy. She's so blissed out by the need for a light jacket in the early morning, when we sit in the garden for our first jolt of java, that she scares me a little. She gets over it, though.

The white cardinal vine is not very mannerly but because it's host to hummingbirds and pollinators, I'm allowing it free run of the back fence.

While the temperatures have moderated, the drought is still a real and present danger. While strong thunderstorms rolled through the greater Houston area Thursday evening, and Katy was drenched, the rain apparently did little more than refresh foliage. Over an inch of rain fell in the course of several hours, but only the mulch was moist in my gardens: the soil below remained dry. Even more depressing was hearing predictions from a state climatologist that this drought could last until 2020. To think of the devastation this year being repeated for another nine summers is heartbreaking. Even one more summer like that of 2011 could mean a vastly different landscape for much of Texas, and especially for Houston. Houston has always been a city of trees: according to a recent article in the Houston Chronicle, 660 million trees grace the eight-county area of and surrounding greater Houston. An estimate in that article puts losses at 10 percent. 66 million trees gone ... mind-boggling.

The Texas Olive (Cordia boissieri) is just starting to bloom. Why haven't I grown you before?

Well, shoot, I didn't start this post with the intention to spread a message of gloom and doom - that's the HG's domain. You'd think she'd clouted me in the head and taken over this post, much as certain garden fairies in Indiana are wont to do! I wanted to celebrate the change in the weather, not continue my lamentations about how much awful I've had to suffer through. I do occasionally feel the need to justify all the whinging I've inflicted upon my readers about the weather. More than that, though, I want those of y'all outside of Texas to understand the larger reality behind my own petty complaints. I also write to remind myself how fortunate I am that my own gardens continue to bring beauty and inspiration to me and to others.

Amen and Damn Skippy!

My Rain Gauge Runneth Over ...

2011-09-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

Rain lilies

Okay, I'm exaggerating. Aside from the fact that my rain gauge doesn't even have a measuring device attached (which would make it just a rain gauge holder), we didn't get anywhere near enough rain to fill such a tube (if I had one, which I don't because I broke it last year). (Don't ask me how, it was an accident, OK?)(And why do they make glass tubes for them anyway?) (And what's with all the parentheses all of a sudden? I was cautioned against them in a writing class and yet here I am, flinging them about with wild abandon.) We DID get rain, though, 3 days in a row. The proof is in the plants!

'Rio Bravo' Texas Sage in full and riotous bloom

A Bountiful Bloom Day on My Corner of Katy

2011-09-15T16:10:00.000-05:00

So here are some of the many reasons I have to be happy with my garden this Bloom Day.

Zinnias are still providing bright pops of color.

Blackfoot Daisies haven't stopped blooming all summer.

The Turk's Caps have burst into bloom just as the hummingbirds are making their way through.

There's also Anisacanthus wrightii for their dining pleasure.

'David Verity' Cuphea will make them happy as well. Other birds may like the seedheads of the Panicum 'Ruby Ribbons'.

Castor Bean 'Carmencita' sports spiky red balls.

The Gaillardias and Calylophus in the corner bed are hot but not bothered.

If you double-click to enlarge the picture, I hope you can get a better view of the Justicia 'Fruit Cocktail'. The bees stay busy on this one.

The small but happy surprise this GBBD was this 'Little Lime' Hydrangea received at GWA in 2009 or 2010. I'm amazed that it even survived the summer from Hades but to bloom for me under such trying conditions makes it a keeper!

This grass was given to me by Otahal last year during garden renovations. He didn't have a name for it but said it was something someone passed along from the National Botanical Garden. Anyone recognize it? The plumes are much fatter than the picture shows and the mounding habit is quite nice.

This is a Kidneywood tree, a tough Texas native that has the pollinator community all abuzz. I love its graceful habit and the airy white blooms.

This is one 25 cent pot of Lantana bought on clearance at Lowe's last year. Talk about getting my money's worth and then some!

Another Otahal contribution: look how perfectly Mother Nature coordinated the bloom color with the foliage color.

After two frigid winters in a row, the Bauhinias galpinii, Tina Turner and Cher, took their time going out on tour. They are now rocking both the north and south corners of Wit's End.

This 'Bright Lights' Cosmo wanted its turn in the spotlight ... she leaned over and insinuated herself into the picture as I was photographing Tina.

The Lion's Ear/Lion's Tail (Leonotis leonurus) has cycled in and out of bloom all summer.

The butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and more adore the blooms of the Duranta.

Pigeonberry (Rivinia humilis) may be the hardest working bloomer in the garden. While it prefers shade, it grows for me in sunny areas as well, which surprised grower Heidi Sheesley of Treesearch Farms when I told her. The foliage color isn't as vibrant, though, so I'll move some of those in the sun to shadier spots in a few weeks when it's cooler. (Note my optimism.)

The Pinecone Shrimp plant also adapts well to sun or shade.

I think this is Salvia 'Otahal' but it could also be a cross between that and 'Henry Duelberg'. There are several blue Salvias around the garden that look almost the same and yet not quite.

The Susans - as my dear friend Gail of Clay and Limestone, calls the Rudbeckias - are covered with sunny yellow blooms. There are tall ones ...


And there are short ones, like these little darlings sheltering under the branches of an Arizona Cypress. I'm a few days late but I'm always happy to be a part of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, which sprang from the fertile mind of Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Her garden fairies would probably take credit for it, given the chance!

Rethinking the Summer from Hell

2011-09-14T11:42:00.002-05:00

As I trudged through the gardens on Saturday, hose in hand, pondering the expected return of August's 100+ degree temperatures had me in a funk. Not for the first time this summer, I felt a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the gardens and gardening. Why do I continue to garden in such inhospitable conditions? And how long can I continue to do so before I throw up my hands in despair and allow heat and drought to do their worst? Mental histrionics, it's true, but I've been pushed to the very edge of my limits this summer as never before.

I've been teetering on that edge for the last month but Saturday evening, I was rescued by a seemingly unlikely group of benefactors. When the doorbell rang and I opened the gate to a director from the community association, my first thought was, "Oh, frass! What did I do to provoke the yard police?" It's been over five years since we've received any negative feedback on our unconventional landscape but I've remained wary of offending those who monitor such things for our homeowners' association. It was a happy surprise to hear the director say that they appreciated all the hard work I put into the gardens and to receive a sign proclaiming ours the "yard of the season" for summer 2011.

Sometimes the support you need to keep calm and carry on comes from an unexpected source. I am truly grateful to the Nottingham Country Community Improvement Association for recognizing and acknowledging my efforts, and thereby encouraging me to look at this summer's gardening experience differently. Yes, it's been an undeniably hellatious summer but the gardens are far from bereft of blooms and foliage. I'm still not happy about the heat and drought and I hope never to experience a summer like this again, but there's beauty on my corner of Katy and I'm not ready to give up after all!

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch ...

2011-09-10T13:23:00.000-05:00

Since I returned from my trip to Indianapolis for this year's Garden Writers' symposium, I'm finding it hard to get back into blogging mode. For once, I can't blame it on the heat ... my first morning home, something had changed and I could feel that first faint hint of fall weather to come. Even the quality of the sunlight was different. We've had over a week of coolish nights and pleasantly warm mornings, and that weather has made being outside a pleasure again. The Head Gardener and I are less than happy that the forecast calls for our temperatures to return to triple digits by Monday and continue throughout the week.

This picture was taken in Indianapolis, where's it also been warmer and drier than usual.

Although my family tells me it did rain the day I left for Indy, we haven't had rain since I returned, so I'm still spending way too much time of my time outside dragging hoses around. Even more depressingly, it seems that I will be doing it for many months to come. La Nina, the periodic cooling of the Pacific Ocean, is back and forecast to gradually strengthen and continue into winter. What this means for Texas isn't good and it's a wonder I didn't weep hysterically when I read this quote from Texas climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon in SciGuy Eric Berger's blog: "Four years out of five, Texas has a dry November through March when La Niña is in place. We need above normal rainfall to break this drought, and we’re probably not going to get it. This is looking more and more like a multi-year drought. Anyplace that doesn’t get lucky with tropical moisture in the next couple of months is probably going to be in bad shape for a long time."

No amount of hand watering can make up for such sustained lack of rain. While some of my fellow garden bloggers tell me that a drip irrigation system will help in the back gardens, I still have some doubts, due to what we'll call my rather haphazard method of garden design. That said, I recently saw pictures of the garden I planted this spring at my friends' cabin in Somerville and the plants are thriving despite only being watered once a week by the drip system they installed. The Head Gardener and I are cogitating over ways to get our pal Jeff over here to survey the gardens and tell us how he thinks a drip system should be set up.

At least one thing doesn't need water to stay green. My sister, the estimable Dr. Laura, asked me this week why I hadn't posted pictures of Wit's End since we had it painted. Thanks for the reminder, baby sister ... your wish is my command.

At My Wits' End at Wit's End

2011-08-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

So much for optimism. I've changed the countdown clock back to November 1st, being firmly convinced that nothing but awful is in store for us for way too many days to come. Yesterday was the 33rd day of 100+ degree temperatures, breaking a record set in 1980 for the most 100 degree days in a single year. Not satisfied to merely break one record, Mother Nature seems hell bent on making August of 2011 memorable for recording the most consecutive 100 degree days. 23 and counting. with every indication that this will continue through the end of the month. No measurable rain since June 22nd means that brown is the new green.

What's even more disheartening to me is the prediction that we will see more of the same weather next summer. Here's what local columnist/blogger/Science guru Eric Berger has to say about it.

While the gardens here on my corner of Katy continue to broil in the August sun, I'm off to Indianapolis for the Garden Writers' symposium, leaving the Executive Producer and the Assistant UnderGardener in Charge of Containers to keep things hydrated. Feel free to stop by and water for me if you're in the neighborhood!

I Know It's Bloom Day ...

2011-08-15T22:47:00.195-05:00

But experts generally frown upon attempts to operate both a camera and a garden hose at the same time. At least the expert around here, i.e. the Head Gardener, frowns upon it. She has good reason to do so, based on her observations of my attemps to water the garden and use my iPhone at the same time. The weather being what it is, watering must take precedence over photography. By the time I reach a stopping point in the watering process, the Death Star is painfully intense. Even if I had the fortitude to stay out and take pictures of the garden, it's too sunny to get the kind of shots I want.

Pink Salt Marsh Mallow (Kosteletskya virginica) was a prolific reseeder in years past. This year I only have one plant. Dang.

So I decided to solve that problem by using previously taken pictures of plants that are flowering in my garden right now. I do have blooms despite the heat and drought but they're definitely not as profuse as they have been in years past. Today was the 15th consecutive day of temperatures over 100 degrees, breaking the previous record of 14 from 1980. Is it any wonder that the foliage on many plants looks like hell and the plants droop from noon to dusk? The Head Gardener and I are drooping too!

If I had to pick one plant as the most stellar performer during this hideous weather, it would be Peruvian Pavonia (Pavonia peruviensis). This tough native shrub is one of the few that continues to bloom profusely and hold the deep green color of its foliage. It does both with almost no supplemental water. What a trooper! In years past, I've decried its aggressive reseeding tendencies but all is forgiven and I am grateful for its presence throughout the garden.

Another member of the Pavonia family has also been a reliable source of blooms this summer. Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala) needs a bit more moisture than its cousin if the HG and I want it to look its best but it's certainly no slacker. It too reseeds itself freely and I'm planning to harvest seeds to sow in other areas of the garden.

Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthemum)actually prefers droughty/xeric conditions and we've certainly had plenty such weather. This is one of those native plants I allow to self-sow, which means more often than not I find them sprouting in the cracks between moss rocks or in the granite paths. (Although I wouldn't try transplanting them to spots in the garden beds right now, I've done it successfully several times over the years.) Even though it requires far less moisture than most plants, I've noticed recently that the foliage isn't as deep and healthy a green as it should be. I'm living with it for now: overwatering them in these temperatures could be fatal. In years past, I'd find Blackfoot Daisy plants rotting out in one spot or another. I water in the morning, which means that as the temperature rises, the roots slowly but inexorably steam to death. I've learned that if I water them at all, it can only be a trickle and only at the root zone, since other gardeners have posited that these plants hate hate hate loathe despise and hate overhead watering.

The self-sown Gauras (G. lindheimeri) are also thriving in the heat and drought. I've never had luck with growing the pink cultivars of Gaura; they just don't seem to transplant well. I haven't tried in a while. Hmmmm ... I wonder if I should ... (The HG is sighing and rolling her eyes.)

All of these plants have two things in common: they're all natives and they all grew from seed. (The mother plants are long since gone to their fathers, to borrow an expression from the late herb guru Madalene Hill.) While I don't rely entirely on natives in my garden, in our changing climate, they are becoming not just desirable but necessary if I want blooms year-round. Elizabeth Lawrence's words on that subject are what prompted Carol of May Dreams Gardens to create Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. If you'll visit MDG, you'll find posts from around the world on what's blooming for other gardeners!

Report from the Head Gardener: The Greening of Wit's End

2011-08-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

She Who Must Be Obeyed has decreed it my duty to inform our readers of the dawn of a new era for the gardens of Wit's End. Inspired by our recent trip to the Pacific Northwest, and encouraged by my enthusiastic reception of her proposal, SWMBO boldly went where no resident in our immediate area has gone before. Yes, readers, we are indeed going green on this corner of Katy.

I believe that our astute and observant readers will take my meaning after a closer look at the trio of pictures taken early this morning. A future post by SWMBO will both expand upon this theme and give a broader view of this verdant change.

Would that said changes include an early cool front and days on end of gentle rain but such is not the case. The gardens here at Wit's End are suffering even more than SWMBO. With her exterior surroundings in disarray, she claims that she has been undone by the chaos of the undertaken greening. I do not profess to be overly fond of the process myself but such is the way of things when non-gardening outsiders swarm the premises. Thankful though we both are for their hard work in trying temperatures, we will nonetheless be grateful when their work is done. Meanwhile, it is my duty to remind SWMBO to keep calm and carry on.

Respectfully submitted,

The Head Gardener

Seattle Homesick Blues, Part 2

2011-08-02T18:01:00.101-05:00

A shady glade in the West Seattle Community College Arboretum (that's Lorene Edwards Forkner, one of the Fling organizers ... you'll hear more about her soon)

Today was the first time I ventured outside of the house in the afternoon since I returned from Seattle last Wednesday evening and I am now experiencing serious Pacific Northwest withdrawal symptoms. Only this morning, I toiled for several hours in the warm and humid environs of my corner of Katy, savoring the light breeze that made being outside almost pleasant. But when I headed out to run errands at 4:00 pm, it was anything but. The temperature was 106 degrees per the Weather Underground Station in my subdivision and I felt every frassin' degree. I am NOT going back out there no matter how many droopy plants I can see through the windows ... they'll just have to tough it out.

Rosa 'Mutabilis' in the garden of Shelagh Tucker. The 'Mutabilis' I planted in early May fell victim to heat and drought.

One of my stops on my outing was Lowe's, where I went looking for the kids' beach umbrellas that my fellow blogger Leslie found at her store in Davis. Clever and resourceful woman that she is, she immediately recognized that they'd make great sunshades for plants. Yes, I just said that my plants would have to tough it out and they will. My intent is that the umbrellas will protect them from the rays of the Death Star and give the foliage a chance to transpire rather than expire. When the ambient air temperature is over 100 for days on end, gardens tend not to look so good. And the Head Gardener ... well, she looks as pitiful as the plants!

Deep in the woods of the Bloedel Reserve

Speaking of temperature, you may notice that I've reset the date on the countdown widget to October 1st. I couldn't handle the psychological trauma that ensued every time I looked at it. Even though I fear that October will indeed fail to live up to my hopes of cooler weather, I've spent so many years counting October 1st as my benchmark that I decided it was necessary for my emotional health to continue to do so. However, if October is indeed as hot as it was last year, I may suffer a breakdown of such proportions that a return trip to Seattle is required. I'll go straight from the airport to the Bainbridge Island ferry and from there I'll head straight for Bloedel Reserve. Deep in the forest primeval, I'll celebrate the cool and misty green beauty and wait for summer to end so I can return to my corner of Katy and pick up my trowel.

Seattle Homesick Blues ...

2011-08-01T23:10:00.000-05:00

The Seattle garden of Shelagh Tucker

My mind keeps roamin', my heart keeps longin', to be back in a Seattle garden ...

Apologies to Gary P. Nunn, Jerry Jeff Walker, et al ... but now that I'm home from the Fling, I am longing to be back in the Pacific Northwest. Or to paraphrase GPN and JJW, I am home with the armadillo but I'd rather be back with the banana slug ...

Jenny Koester and Barbara Pintozzi in the Seattle garden of Jim and Suzanne Birrell

It would seem that I was overoptimistic in my stated intentions to post a picture a day from the PNW. (Digression: egads, acronymitis is contagious ... this is what happens when I spend time around Carol of MDG.) To return to my subject: my laptop never left its cozy travel sleeve while in Seattle. What with touring so many beautiful and inspiring gardens, both public and private, and socializing with friends new and old, sleep won out over posting when I returned to my room at night.

Crocosmia 'Lucifer' in the Seattle garden of Christopher & Michelle Epping

Since I returned home, I've been playing garden catchup both inside and out. The garden handled the lack of attention from the Head Gardener and me with only a few minor casualties. The self-sown Zinnias appear to be the most miffed at the lack of water and since there are seedlings aplenty coming up, I'll pull the manky elders out and allow the youngsters to take their place. I'm also cutting back my orange Crocosmia (I thought they looked pretty good until I saw how big they get in Seattle gardens). As for the sundry and assorted pots in the courtyard and on the patios, the NonGardener-in-Charge-of-Watering-Containers did an excellent job of keeping things hydrated. She will doubtless be thrilled beyond words to learn that she has progressed to Stage 2 of the probationary period, which means she will be in charge of these pots at the end of August while the Head Gardener and I attend the GWA symposium in Indianapolis.

I was NOT foolish enough to bring home any Dahlias but I did think about it.

"... when a Texan fancies she'll take her chances, chances will be taken, that's for sure ..."

Due to "several rash and imprudent purchases" (to quote the Head Gardener) at various nurseries in the Seattle area, upon my return I had to improvise a makeshift holding area inside Wit's End, where the temperature is more like what the plants were used to in Seattle. As usual, I got carried away by plant lust and threw caution to the wind. Much muttering and shaking of head ensued on the part of the HG, even more when I decided at the last minute that I should mail my dirty clothes home and pack the suitcase with plants. She has since been forced to admit that it was a wise decision: the plants spent far less time in the suitcase than my dirty clothes spent in Priority Mail boxes (12 hours versus 5 days).

Sculpture seen at Dragonfly Farms Nursery

In addition to catching up on garden chores, daughterly duties have kept me busy since I got back. I'd mentioned last fall that my mother was no longer able to drive due to a stroke in her left eye. We saw a neurologist a few months ago and confirmed that she also has progressive Alzheimer's type dementia. She and I have been struggling to deal with that diagnosis, and emotions have run high on both of our parts, so my week away was a welcome respite for us both. It's not in the natural order of things for children to parent their parents but that's become a big part of my life these last few months.

My time in Seattle was all that I'd hoped it would be and I plan to share more of it with y'all in the days to come. Right now, though, it's time for this cowgirl to kick off her boots and wrassle herself into bed!

I Believe I'll Have A Fling ...

2011-07-21T08:32:00.000-05:00

One that the Executive Producer heartily endorses ... in just 4 hours, I'll be Seattle-bound to spend 6-1/2 sure-to-be glorious days with a varied and eclectic and always entertaining group of my fellow garden bloggers. Many of them I've had the pleasure of meeting before, and some have become cherished friends ... but I'll also meet quite a few of them for the first time and I look forward to their becoming friends and compatriots. As Frances of Faire Garden said, it's a wonderful experience "meeting up with your own kind". In a happily serendipitous coincidence, Frances and her daughter Semi are on my flight from Houston to Seattle! Even now they're winging their way towards hot and humid Houston ... and in a few hours, all three of us will be on our way to the cooler clime of the Pacific Northwest! I'm taking my laptop and hope to post at least one picture daily that will take your breath away and encourage you to join us next year. The picture above is from a 1999 trip to Seattle, Vancouver & Victoria, B.C., taken at Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. I feel cooler already!

Happy Trails!

Blooming Where They're Planted: GBBD July 2011

2011-07-15T20:23:00.142-05:00

Or sweltering where they're situated ... given the ongoing heat and drought, it's surprising how many plants continue to bloom. Rain did make an appearance on my corner of Katy, not once but twice this week: on both Monday and Wednesday afternoons, it rained for about 20 minutes. 20 minutes can't make a dent in the 20 inch rainfall deficit but at least it cools things off a bit and refreshes the foliage. The Head Gardener and I are grateful for any rain that falls, no matter how few the drops.

But enough of my whinging about the weather ... let's take a virtual stroll around the gardens and I'll show you what's blooming here at Wit's End.


This is the view from the garden gate: It's not surprising that Echinaceas, Pavonias, Gauras, Blackfoot Daisies and Verbenas are tolerating the extreme conditions. What IS surprising is how well Pigeonberry (Rivinia humilis) is doing.

Zinnias with Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthemum), Gauras, and Salvia 'Otahal'

Although hot colors are supposedly banned from the back gardens, my failure to deadhead consistently sometimes creates felicitous combinations that cause me to wonder if I should rethink that ban. The HG gets surly when I suggest it, though.


I let the Gauras reseed freely in the back and yank them out if they violate my amenities. That's hot pink Verbena underneath.

These screaming pink/red zinnias are out in the rose bed ... mercy, they're bright! The camera doesn't do them justice (or the photographer doesn't).

Out front, there's a Dwarf Pomegranate in flower.

I should plant more Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea). I like how it works with Abelmoschus. Wonder how they'd look under that pomegranate?

This one's for Gail at Clay and Limestone because she loves the pollinators so! This bee was very happy to find the Calylophus.

This native Ruellia has reseeded itself prolifically in one area of the garden. See picture below for just how prolifically.

Yep, all those plants amongst the rocks ... Ruellia!

Another native plant, Peruvian Pavonia (Pavonia peruviensis), is one of the most stalwart summer bloomers you can plant. It also reseeds readily but the seedlings are easily identified and pulled when young to keep it in check. It keeps chugging along no matter what the conditions: if it gets too rangy, I just whack it back with no worries.


I'll leave you with this zoom shot of the crape myrtle at the end of my cul-de-sac. The Crapes have been outstanding bloomers this year. The HG and I think the cold weather really invigorated them.

Thanks as always to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for instigating and hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. I'm looking forward to seeing her and many other garden bloggers at the Seattle Fling next week!

The View from the Chair

2011-07-05T12:59:00.000-05:00

I've gotten into the habit of taking my first cup of coffee outside with me in the early morning before the sun is over the trees. I sit and listen to the birds calling and watch the bees as they go about their chores. It's a very peaceful time of day and surveying the garden from my chair, I'm often overwhelmed by the beauty I see. It's a good time to reflect on the many joys gardening brings me ... once the sun is high in the sky, I'm not in much of a reflective mood. Since I do whine a lot on this blog about the heat and the drought, I've decided to share more of my happier moments with y'all. Beauty and joy are all around me, on my corner of Katy and in my garden of friends.

Drop, Meet Bucket ...

2011-07-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

It would seem that my muse reached her breaking point just after June's bloom day post ... I'm not sure if she deserted me for cooler climes or if she absconded to Pat O'Brien's while the Executive Producer and I were in the Big Easy for a weekend.

I resisted increasingly pointed and acerbic suggestions by the Head Gardener that she take over posting in my muse's absence, feeling certain that said muse would eventually return with a scathingly brilliant idea and inspire me to new heights of prose.   Lloyd knows my heat and drought addled brain isn't up to the task without her ... oh, I've had numerous ideas but I just can't seem to find the energy to execute them.

It's also hard to type when your hand is fused to the end of a garden hose. While my corner of Katy did get almost 5 hours of steady rain on June 22nd, and the 2 inches of rain did benefit both gardeners and gardens, like most of the state of Texas, the greater Houston area remains in a state of exceptional drought (the highest level). Until that rainfall, the city of Houston had recorded a record-setting 148 days without at least a half-inch of rain falling on a single day.

To add insult to injury, we've experienced record-breaking heat as well and last month was the warmest June in Houston's history since 1906. Even some of our most heat-hardy and drought-tolerant plants are showing signs of stress, so it's no wonder that the Head Gardener and I are feeling more than a little stressed ourselves. Once we come inside for the day, cool down and clean up, we do not venture forth to the garden again until late evening, if then.

So if I continue to be remiss in posting or if my posts are limited to a few brief words and a picture or two, bear with me. Right now all that's keeping me going is the knowledge that in 16 days, I'll be winging my way towards Seattle and the 2011 Garden Bloggers' Fling.

The Hottest Bloom Day Yet: June 2011

2011-06-15T20:09:00.004-05:00

While blooms may be plentiful on my corner of Katy, the temperature soared to 105 degrees again today. (The maximum temperature for June is usually in the low 90s.) Both the plants and my enthusiasm are flagging, so photographic evidence of blooms is limited.

The Hymenocallis began opening this week. Otahal claims he gave me these plants. Since I can't remember, I guess I have to take his word for it. I should ask him if he gave me two different species, though ... look at the variation in the blooms.

Burpee's 2011 selections include a Zinnia they call Queen Red Lime. I wonder how much time, effort and money goes into the process of making it available? Here on my corner of Katy, the pollinators did an excellent job of creating a similar hybrid. The blooms below are all from one plant.

That's all this month, y'all. Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming in other bloggers' gardens!

At the End of The Day ...

2011-06-14T19:54:00.001-05:00

The temperature may soar to hellatious levels during the day, but the evenings are another matter ... and I couldn't be more thankful.

I've gotten in the habit of wandering outside around 8 pm as dusk creeps over my corner of Katy. I sink into one of my nomadic but comfortable green Adirondack chairs, a glass of wine at hand, and I watch the day draw to a close.

A few bees are usually lingering over one flower and another (happy hour for them too) and I whisper a prayer or three of gratitude for this respite from the rigors of the heat.

Time to Say Goodbye ...

2011-06-13T17:17:00.001-05:00

How any of the cool season plants are managing to hang on, let alone thrive, in the unseasonably early summer heat, I do not know. But halfway through June, these two Swiss Chard plants have continued to brighten my corner of Katy. I've been trying to remember the provenance of these plants ... are they from a package of seed that mixed the prosaic green variety and the much more colorful 'Magenta'? Did I sow them in pots and then move them here, or did I seed them directly? Was the green one a division from a pot I bought on clearance at Lowe's? ?????????? Loath though I am to admit it, the Head Gardener is correct in stating that I need to keep better records of such things. I could argue that she needs to remind me to do so but I'm not in the mood for a standoff ...

I suppose it doesn't really matter now since as of this morning the plants were yanked, chopped up and left to decompose in the rose bed where they were planted. The Head Gardener says it would be more accurate to say that they have been left to cook ... the temperature rose to 104 today on my corner of Katy. What's really sad is that I have already reached a point of grim resignation regarding the excess of heat and the lack of rain. Or to put a positive spin on it, like the Swiss Chard, I have exceeded expectations and accepted the weather for what it is. That's today, mind you ... tomorrow you may hear me ranting and raving again!

A Red Letter Day on My Corner of Katy

2011-06-06T21:06:00.048-05:00

Some of y'all may think you have the absolute best sister in the whole wide world but I really do. I'll put the good Dr. Laura up against other sisters any day, any time. Not only is she a tremendous source of support and reassurance, she notices the little things I like and files them away in her head for future reference. An inveterate eBay shopper, when she comes across something too cool for school, she recognizes immediately when it's a perfect fit for my funky and eclectic collection of yard art. So when a package arrived with my name on it today, I knew from whence it came and ripped it open toute suite to see what she'd found this time ..."C" picture below!

The Most Beautiful Sight In the World

2011-06-05T18:10:00.001-05:00

RAIN!

The Post in Which the Official Countdown Begins

2011-06-04T18:18:00.000-05:00

Unhappy Cat's Whiskers, Orthosiphon aristatus

Catch up, cats and kittens ...

Don't get left behind ...

Paul McCartney, RAM*

The Head Gardener and I would have gladly chugged a few gallons of Monkberry Moon Delight had they been available yesterday as we labored in the insane heat that is afflicting my corner of Katy. The temperatures have soared over 100 degrees each of the last four days: on June 1st, Houston's official temperature was 102 degrees, the earliest date in 109 years for Houston to reach triple digits. At 4:45 pm this sunny Saturday afternoon, the Weather Underground personal weather station located in my subdivision recorded a temperature of 103.1. The Head Gardener and I are doing our best to keep newly installed plants hydrated but we can only do so much. We might as well lay our pajamas to Billy Budapest and bow three times for all the good it's done in the case of some upright white Pentas. Even drought tolerant Pink Skullcap and the Serenity mix Verbenas have taken exception to the weather. At least the Autumn Ferns we scored on clearance at Lowe's seem to be settling in nicely ... amazing what some shade can do.

In previous years, we at least had the consolation of knowing that our neighbors' pool was available for use as needed. But, alas, the old neighbors have retired to the country to raise chickens, cows and llamas and while the new owners expressed their willingness for us to use the pool, an unforeseen mishap has rendered the pool out of commission. "So I stood with a knot in my stomach and I gazed at the terrible sight": If you live in an area with shifting soils, do NOT under any circumstances drain your pool just before a torrential rain, unless you WANT your pool to float. My neighbors plan to have it removed and create the backyard of their dreams. Sigh. The HG and I are doing our best to keep a stiff upper lip but this weather makes it extremely difficult.

So without further ado, it gives me no pleasure whatsoever to declare that the official countdown for 2011 has begun. As of today, we have 150 days of awful to endure before November 1st, when the Head Gardener and I can breathe a sigh of relief at the knowledge that the mercury will not rise above 90 for a good six months. Readers who followed the countdown last year will note that I have changed the date from October 1st to November 1st, due to the number of hot and humid days in October of 2010. The Head Gardener and I might as well prepare ourselves for it ahead of time!

*Yesterday's choice of music to garden by

Three for Thursday: The Odd Susan Out

2011-05-26T10:23:00.001-05:00

In the midst of a stand of Rudbeckias, I found a trio of pale yellow blooms that stood out amidst the usual sunny gold flowers. When I traced the stems back to the ground, I could see that all of the differently-colored blooms were on one plant. I'll be monitoring that plant and saving the seeds, hoping to get another generation of Rudbeckia 'Lovely Lemon'. Maybe I'll call that plant Liz for now ...

Wildflower Wednesday: Gaillardias Galore!

2011-05-25T09:30:00.001-05:00

Gaillardia growing in a crack in my neighbor's driveway

If you're looking for a tough native plant that can handle heat, humidity, high winds, drought and the occasional trampling by errant wildlife (usually dogs and/or gardeners), I believe we can all agree that Gaillardia, aka Indian Blanket or Blanketflower, certainly has earned that distinction.

Gaillardia growing by a telephone pole

Gaillardia growing in a path

Gaillardia growing in the rocks alongside the corner bed

Gaillardia growing in between rocks and a hard place

Gaillardia growing in the street????

Not really, it's growing between two moss rock boulders

Gaillardia growing in the corner bed

Gaillardia at 703 Wit's End

Gaillardia and rosemary


Gaillardia spilling over the curb and into the street

Gail of Clay & Limestone hosts Wildflower Wednesday on the last Wednesday of each month. Drop by C&L and see what she's featuring, then check out other bloggers' Wildflowers of the Month!

Swallowtail Suite

2011-05-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

This winged beauty interrupted me as I labored in the garden earlier this week. Such a perfect specimen of lepidopterahood demanded nothing less than my full attention so I took a break from my duties (and allowed the Head Gardener to do the same). After snapping 2 or 3 shots with my iPhone, I took a chance that this Tiger Swallowtail would stick around and ran inside for my camera. I came back out and spent several minutes following my visitor as she flitted from one cluster of Lantana blooms to another. I used the zoom lens so I wouldn't get too close to the dining diva and scare her away. 33 shots later, I turned off the camera and spent a few more minutes just watching and marveling at her perfect beauty. I'll spare y'all all 33 pictures and instead show you only 19. The HG thinks that's still too many but, hey, she's not the one posting! If you make it through all 19 pictures, there's some information about this form of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio (Pterourus) glaucus.

According to authors John and Gloria Tveten in BUTTERFLIES OF HOUSTON AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS (1996, University of Texas Press), male Tiger Swallowtails are always yellow but females can be either yellow or black. Male Tiger Swallowtails have very little blue on their dorsal hindwings, however, leading me to identify this one as a female. A Duke University site confirms that identification.

Into Each Life Some Rainlilies Must Flower ...

2011-05-15T20:41:00.146-05:00

When rainlilies (Zephyranthes spp.) began to bloom in the back garden early last week, albeit sparsely, I could only shake my head and laugh at their folly/confusion. No rain had fallen here at Wit's End for almost three months. The Head Gardener and I have been at our wits' end and hanging on by a thread for about that long.

Our countenances were far more woeful than that of this little cherub. And then ... then came Thursday afternoon, when the heavens opened and precious, lifegiving rain began to fall. The Katy area received approximately one inch of rain over several hours.

By Friday afternoon, new bud stalks had emerged throughout the gardens of Wit's End. And as Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day approached, blooms began to open.

And I wonder ... did they know somehow that rain was coming?

There are many other blooms to be found in the garden but it seemed only appropriate to celebrate the rainlilies on this May bloom day. To see what's blooming in other gardens around the world, visit May Dreams Gardens.

And The Cobrahead Goes To ...

2011-05-07T09:03:00.000-05:00

Rebecca, e-mail me with your snail mail info and I'll give it to Noel so he can send your new favorite tool straight to you!

Thanks to everyone who entered! I hope you'll all consider heading over to the Cobrahead site and ordering one for yourself! I promise you'll love it!

The Head Gardener Is Feeling Generous ...

2011-05-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Since the Head Gardener's return from her April 1st adventure, she has been a stern taskmaster indeed, proving that my title of She Who Must Be Obeyed is nominal at best. The continuing combination of drought and high temperatures, augmented by wind gusts up to 20 mph, has taken a severe toll on my corner of Katy. Having previously decreed that the poppies be removed, she then turned her attention to the rapidly declining toadflax, larkspur and violas. She recommended (nay, demanded) that as we removed those spent plants and a few unwelcome weeds, we also work on gently loosening the parched and nutrient-deficient soil.

Our tool of choice for these arduous and time-consuming tasks was our trusty Cobrahead^® Weeder and Cultivator, the invention of Noel Valdes. I purchased my first Cobrahead from Noel's son Geoff at a farmer's market in the parking lot of Austin's Wheatsville Co-op way back in 2002 when they first started marketing their product. I'm proud to say I was one of the first gardeners to use the Cobrahead^®. That first Cobrahead^® is still in regular use and as I posted last summer, it has been joined by two others.

My Cobrahead made the daunting task of cultivating my depleted soil much easier and as I worked, I thought about how grateful I was to have such an excellent tool at hand and how I wished more gardeners had the opportunity to use one. The Head Gardener suggested that perhaps the folks at Cobrahead® would be willing to provide one for me to give away on this blog. I e-mailed Noel and he most graciously agreed.

All you have to do to be the lucky recipient is leave a comment on this post. I'll pick a winner on Friday, May 6th. This is my first ever giveaway and I'm very grateful to the Cobrahead® folks for making it possible!

Three for Thursday: Friends Don't Let Friends ...

2011-04-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

Plant the plants pictured without enumerating at length and in great specificity the reasons why they will eventually come to rue the day ...

For years, I considered Spiderwort Garden Enemy #1. Look at all the bloom heads on this clump. Yes, they are indeed lovely when open. And you couldn't ask for a more versatile native plant when it comes to growing conditions: sun, shade, dry soil, wet soil ... spiderwort doesn't seem to care. It just adapts to the spot it's in and gets on with the business of blooming and making seeds for future generations of spiderwort. Those seeds germinate in due time and unless pulled by the Head Gardener on a regular basis, grow into clumps as large as that pictured. Which adapt to the spot they're in and get on with the business of blooming and making seeds ... etcetera etcetera etcetera ... ad infinitum.

Then there's Evening Primrose, Oenothera speciosa. Look at her, so pretty in pink ... dainty and demure, the very picture of innocence. No matter how hot and dry the locale, she is ever the trooper. Amy used to describe Evening Primrose as "so brave". Ha! Brazen is more like it. There's a wanton hussy lurking underneath those tissue-thin petals and their delicate blush. There's a reason you see roadsides and freeway verges covered in these blooms and that reason is what you don't see: a network of roots that may very well run for miles and miles ... no one knows because no one has ever been able to get them all, people! Go ahead and plant them in a meadow ... or along the road ... but I'm begging you, learn from my mistake and don't even think of planting them in a garden bed. You will spend the rest of your life attempting to atone for such a mistake.

And here we have the current scourge of my corner of Katy: Heartleaf Skullcap, Scutellaria ovata. Oh, sure, it's hard to see those subtle sky-blue blooms amidst larger-flowered plants like the Shasta daisies. How could such a sweet little plant possibly pose a threat to the sanity of the Head Gardener, who has proclaimed herself at her wits' end here at Wit's End? Surely she exaggerates. But, sadly, she does not. This little darling of a plant not only reseeds with wanton abandon, it has an even more extensive root system than the Oenothera, sending its runners into the nooks and crannies of the edging stones, into the crushed granite of the paths, under the flagstones and into the next bed ... And did I mention the odd nodules on the roots? Those are doubtless some devilishly efficient method of storing water so the plants can survive in even the worst of droughts. Don't turn your back on this one. Seriously. You may think you've gotten all of it out of a particular area but five minutes later, you'll turn around and they're baaaaaaaaaaccckkkkkkk.

Now repeat after me: Friends don't let friends plant spiderwort. Friends don't let friends plant Evening Primrose. Friends don't let friends plant Heartleaf Skullcap. Learn from me, oh fellow gardeners mine ...

My Earth Day Adventure

2011-04-22T21:49:00.179-05:00

The Executive Producer and I took a field trip today. We drove over to Somerville, about 80 minutes from Katy, to fulfill my promise to my longtime friends Jeff and Laura that I would design and implement a butterfly and hummingbird garden for them at their cozy cabin in the woods. It was a beautiful day in the heart of Texas, sunny and mild. While the EP and I were wending our way along the country roads, Jeff and Laura and their work crew (aka their sons, Matt & Sam) toiled to remove the Bermuda grass and weeds that covered the area designated as garden.

By the time we arrived, the bed was roughed out and we were ready to begin the next phase of the process. While Jeff and Phil headed into Brenham to purchase compost, irrigation supplies and whatever else they deemed necessary, Laura and I took the back road from Somerville to Independence, home of the Antique Rose Emporium. This time last year, the fields along that road were blanketed in bluebonnets, a beautiful and welcome sight that was not repeated this year. Until then, I hadn't fully appreciated just how bad drought conditions are throughout Texas. Washington County is in extreme to exceptional drought; my corner of Katy is rated severe and bordering on extreme. The entire state of Texas is in at least a moderate state of drought. The governor of Texas designated this weekend as a time for citizens of all faiths and beliefs to offer prayers for rain. That's been my most fervent prayer for months now.

Despite the drought, there were still beautiful blooms to be seen at ARE, although they were less bountiful than in years past. Given the high winds we experienced today, it's a miracle that any blooms were able to stay in place. We managed to stay upright and were successful in our mission to purchase a Butterfly Rose, 'Mutabilis', and a 'Peggy Martin' climbing rose that I hope will cover the chain link fence. While we were there, I went ahead and purchased a 'Mutabilis' to replace the one in my rose bed that died, and a long-desired Climbing Pinkie for my back fence. Now I'm wishing I'd also bought a Peggy Martin for the split rail fence in the rose bed! An Agastache 'Purple Haze' jumped on my wagon as I made my way to check out. Funny how those plants know which wagon to choose!

On the way back to the cabin, we stopped at Discount Trees on Highway 36 to see what they might have on my wish list for Jeff & Laura's new garden. We had already decided to wait until fall to purchase and install a Mexican Plum in the bed, to give it a better chance of survival. We did find a 'Bubba' Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) and a Texas/Mexican Olive (Cordia boissieri), both of which should be able to handle being planted in such adverse conditions. A helpful Discount Trees employee was able to fit those into the back seat of the car and we headed back to the cabin to unload, after which we deemed it time for a lunch break. If you're in the Somerville area, we can highly recommend The Point, where the burgers are scrumptious and the pies are homemade. (I could have eaten a bowl or two of the owner's meringue all by itself.)

Back at the cabin after lunch, we unloaded and spread 18 bags of soil and compost. As promised, all I had to do was specify where the plants should be placed; Laura and her guys did all the digging, with assistance as needed from the Executive Producer. I did fluff roots and nestle the roses and trees/shrubs into the soil with words of encouragement. We relocated a Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) and a Sweet Almond Verbena (Aloysia virginiana) to the bed from elsewhere on the property. With all plants thoroughly watered and settling into their new homes, the supervisor and crew relaxed with a refreshing adult beverage and admired the results of our labors.

All in all, it was a wonderful way to spend Earth Day: in the company of good friends who so generously share their country cabin with us, make each visit a pleasure, and give me the opportunity to share my love of plants with them. I'm looking forward to adding more plants to their garden and being there with them to enjoy the winged visitors those plants will bring!

No April Showers Make for Unhappy Flowers

2011-04-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

While I have lots of blooms on my corner of Katy, they're a motley crew due to recent weather conditions. We're under a fire weather warning ... that's how little rain we've had in recent weeks ... nay, months. We've also had temperatures in the high 80s and into the 90s. I doubt I need to tell you how the Head Gardener and I feel about all this.

Seen up close and personal, the flowers are indeed a bit bedraggled but thankfully, the overall views are still lovely enough to make my heart sing. Above you see the view through the garden gate. My neighbor's redtip photinias have matured to a nice shade of green, with only a hint of red, a change which makes the HG and me sigh in relief. We are unanimous in our hatred of the screaming red color of the new growth, which clashes with the mostly pastel shades of the blooms in the back gardens. We're also not too thrilled that the root systems of these large shrubs suck moisture from the bed along the south fence. We hate hate hate loathe despise and hate redtip photinias.

This small island bed is long and narrow and has been quite the showoff recently, possibly because it's easier to water than larger beds. Blooms include Verbenas, Laura Bush petunias, Blackfoot Daisy, Mexican Feather Grass, Louisiana iris, Heartleaf Skullcap, Violas, Alyssum, Phlox, Salvia 'Otahal', Byzantine Gladiolus, Larkspur, Linaria and Gulf Coast Penstemon.

When I went in for a closeup of this Louisiana iris (don't ask me which one, I've long since lost track)(can you hear the HG tsking?), I had to put my camera down to remove a baby snail, doubtless the culprit responsible for the chewed up edge at the bottom. Like Elvis, said snail has left the building.

Gail of Clay and Limestone will recognize this plant! Last year I took divisions of her beloved Practically Perfect Pink Phlox and planted them in another bed. It's doing so well in both locations that I plan to take more divisions this year and plant them in the rest of the back garden beds.

I love the faded mauve of this 'Earl Grey' larkspur. I think I first planted it in 2008 ... or 2009 (I asked the HG, but she can't remember either). The seeds came from Renee's Garden, one of my favorite sources. I need to remember to save some seeds from this plant so I can sow some near the Verbascum 'Southern Charm', whose blooms are similarly muted shades of palest yellow and mauve.

I've always said that "Friends don't let friends plant spiderwort." But every year, when they begin to bloom, I fall in like with them again. Once the blooms fade and they start reseeding everywhere, I'll be cursing them for their prolific nature. (This could be one reason the HG calls me 'fickle'.)

Another anonymous Louisiana iris ... since I can't grow bearded iris, I plant Louisianas instead. The Executive Producer here at Wit's End is New Orleans born and bred, so it seems appropriate. Not that he has any interest in them, mind you. He is not of a horticultural bent.

The bottlebrush is in full and glorious bloom but I haven't spotted any hummingbirds around the garden yet. I hate that they're not here to enjoy the nectar. I love this small tree but I wish I'd chosen to plant it elsewhere. I find the color jarring when viewed from east to west. The small tree next to it is a Mexican bauhinia, which I adore. I need to find something that will grow between them that will soften the effect of the bottlebrush.

The Indian Pinks survived their move from the rain garden last fall to a bed with less sun. As long as I remember to water them regularly, they are quite happy in their new spot.

I am head over heels in love with these blooms.

Out front along the dry stream, I'm delighted with this combination: Copper iris (I. fulva) and Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea). The copper iris came from a small native plant grower in Virginia and was purchased at a garden fair in Little Washington back in 1998. Every time I see it, it brings back fond memories of that trip. That original plant has been divided and planted in other spots around the garden.

Wouldn't this native Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) look great with the copper iris and Texas betony? I must make that happen!

It's not such a great photograph of the Dyckia blooms but I wanted y'all to see them. I had no idea that Dyckias bloomed and I'm tickled yellow-orange that they do! The foliage is way cool, too.

Any day now the bloom spike will open on this Mangave 'Macho Mocha'. I can't wait to see it!

I've started pulling up Toadflax (Linaria maroccana) but this stand is being allowed to stay for a while because it's blooming so profusely.

OK, that's it for April's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, just one of the many creative ideas from my friend Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Mosey on over there and you'll see a list of posts from other avid gardeners around the world.

And Just Like That, It Was Over ...

2011-04-12T18:23:00.000-05:00

My annual spring love affair with the poppies has ended as it usually does, with my yanking them up and consigning them to the compost.

Look at the difference in the number of blooms compared to my last post!

Notice the manky foliage!

They've struggled valiantly to hang on despite too little water and too much heat. But there's just no denying that the poppies are sloppy.

That's a mighty big pile of poppies you have there, ma'am.

Most years, I'm obsessive about letting the poppies languish in their mankiness until the seed pods begin to rattle, signaling that they're ready to cut and collect. Most years, I cut off each and every seed pod and save them for the next year. This is not most years. Between the seeds that fell before or during the harvesting process, and the seeds that I scattered last winter in various beds, I was positively overrun by poppies this year. I spent nearly two days thinning out the seedlings in the corner bed to give the plants more room to grow, and they were still too crowded. So I have been positively merciless in my poppy removal process the last few days, consigning the majority of the pods and stalks to the trash can. My ever helpful garbage guys dumped five 32-gallon trash cans full of poppies into the compactor and just like that, they were gone.

Breaking News!

2011-04-01T19:22:00.000-05:00

In an unexpected move that sent shock waves reeling through the gardening community on this quiet corner of Katy, the Head Gardener tendered her resignation today, leaving behind
her badge of office, her trademark shock of platinum hair, and an as yet undeciphered (and reputedly incomprehensible) letter of resignation. Rumors of HG sightings are now running rampant: while some rumors have her stalking off to the west while singing an off-key version of Aloha Oe, and others have her lurching towards the east tunelessly humming fragments of New York, New York, all sightings include a bottle of Piper-Heidsieck champagne in one hand and a pair of Felco 13s (that appear to be freshly sharpened) in the other. Gardeners in all directions are advised to be on the lookout.

Three for Thursday: Through the Garden Gate

2011-03-31T16:54:00.000-05:00

There are poppies in the back, too ... and Linaria ... and Phlox ...

and Alyssum ... and Violas ...

and Larkspur ... and roses ...

I know I've been rather infrequent in my posts lately ... it's not that the garden isn't full of photo ops or blogworthy happenings ... it's that the Head Gardener and I spend most of our free time out there making it picture perfect (oh, that got a chuckle from the HG) and blogworthy. The weather has been a mixed bag ... too little rain and too many warm and humid days already. Just when I'm ready to give it all up and run away to Hawaii, a day like today comes along: the air is cool and dry, the sun is shining and the garden casts its spell upon me once again.

It's also casting its spell upon visitors and passersby. On Tuesday, the delightful Pat Leuchtmann of Commonweeder and her equally congenial husband Henry visited Wit's End. We strolled the gardens and talked plants, birds, chickens, seeds, roses and Seattle Fling. Pat's account of their visit can be found on her contribution to Three for Thursday. I'm so glad they made the trek out here and I'm already looking forward to seeing Pat again in Seattle in July. On Wednesday, I hosted the March meeting of my WOW pals. The Women of W(h)ine [the Head Gardener came up with the name] sipped wine and strolled through the gardens, chattering and exclaiming. None of them are gardeners but the WOW were nonetheless wowed! As for passersby, although I receive comments of approbation and appreciation from different folks, one in particular stands out for me and I wanted to share it with y'all. What we gardeners do makes a difference in more lives than we know.

Now Stopping Traffic on My Corner of Katy ...

2011-03-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

Poppies ... poppies ... and more poppies!

Three for Thursday: Randomness

2011-03-17T23:56:00.012-05:00

Late to my own meme ... but today I have a good excuse ... I was downtown working at the Chronicle, adding plants to the database. I'm going to throw three things at you and then make a run for it!

The Head Gardener and I are both Anglophiles. Here's one reason why! I want a sign that says Never Mind the Dog, Beware of the Head Gardener!

Going to Seattle Fling 2011 and want to shake up your fellow garden bloggers? You need this t-shirt!

I visited with the Bulb Hunter, Chris Wiesinger of Southern Bulb Company, last week. My opening words to him: "I blame you!" He didn't even have to ask what I was talking about ... he knew it was my newfound bulb addiction. This little darling is just one reason why!

Bloom Day Marches On

2011-03-15T11:48:00.168-05:00

Old-fashioned Bridal Wreath Spirea reminds me of my MawMaw.

It's that time of year ... I'm so busy working in the gardens that I have no time to blog about them! Since it's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, though, and its Indiana instigator is such a good pal, I took a break from my labors and wandered around the garden taking pictures.

Just one of many Toadflax (Linaria maroccana)

They're my signature spring annual

This bed filled out nicely (the stump on the right was a gift from my contractor Brent, who found it at another client's and knew right off it was something I'd like.)

A closer look at that bed: Verbenas, Laura Bush Petunias, Phlox, Violas, Linaria, Leucojum, Corsican Violets, Spiderwort, Heartleaf Skullcap, Blackfoot Daisy, Larkspur, Louisiana Iris and Alyssum are amongst the residents.

'La Marne'

'La Marne' redux: interesting variation in bloom color

Bluebonnet and Poppy

A white Winecup (Callirhoe involucatra)

The Sinojackia blooms are irresistible to the pollinator community!

Last month there was 1 bloom on this Homestead Purple Verbena ... I like it better this month!

I think this Redbud needs the darker 'Oklahoma' variety as a companion.


The Carolina Silverbell (Halesia carolina) was added to the front garden last fall. Spring-blooming trees make my heart sing.

More than just flowers bloom in our gardens, friendship and camaraderie can be found as well. I had the privilege of sharing the gardens on my corner of Katy with my fellow Houston garden blogger David of Tropical Texana. Since he works at a nearby elementary school, he stopped by for a visit one day last week. The time flew by as we shared our gardening stories and I look forward to future visits with him. In another 10 days or so, I'll host a garden blogger from much farther away: Pat of Commonweeder will be in town to visit her daughter and has promised me they'll visit. And at the end of the month, it's my turn to host the monthly meeting of WOW: Women of W(h)ine will gather here to sip and sup. Cheers!

Thank You, Tulip World!

2011-03-15T11:17:00.020-05:00

Tulip World has graciously offered me a merchandise credit to be used on a future purchase of bulbs from their site. I applaud and appreciate their understanding of my disappointment with my purchase and their willingness to make amends. Their customer service has been outstanding and I look forward to my next experience with them.

Three for Thursday: Amy's Tulips

2011-03-10T08:13:00.001-06:00

The Ivory Floradale tulips I planted in memory of my friend Amy are in full and absolutely splendiferous bloom this week. Those who read my 2009 and 2010 posts will remember that Amy once told me that she dreamed of drifts of white tulips throughout her garden, so that everyone considered them her signature flower. The past two years I planted the tulips in Amy's front bed where her husband and family could enjoy them. This year I opted to plant them in my own garden.

However, if you look more closely at the picture above, you'll notice something a little off with the blooms: pinkish-red streaks on the petals of some tulips (which is why I mentally subtitled this post "Beauty Tinged with Disappointment"). Not having grown these before, and having only seen them in bloom on visits to Amy's garden, I have no idea whether this is the usual bloom habit of this variety, or the tulips I received are not in fact Ivory Floradale. I tend to think the latter because knowing Amy, this is not at all what she envisioned.

Although the majority of these tulips are pure white, there's a fair number of them that are colored like those two in the picture above. The red streaks do seem to fade a bit as the tulip ages. In previous years, I purchased the bulbs at Houston's annual Plant and Bulb Mart: the tulip booth was always Amy's first stop at that event. I opted not to purchase my bulbs there last fall due to a nearly two hour wait time for checkout. By the time I got serious about purchasing them online, the only site with Ivory Floradale bulbs still available was Tulip World. I doubt I will purchase from them again and I do plan to e-mail them about my disappointment with the bulbs I received.

Being one who is alert to messages from the universe, however, I do feel like Amy is speaking to me through these flowers, reminding me gently that her signature blooms don't necessarily belong in my garden. I have a new plan for this fall, one which I think would please Amy and will bring beauty to a place that she held very dear. The good folks at Enchanted Forest have agreed to my request that I fund the purchase of 100 Ivory Floradale tulips to be planted in Amy's name and memory under the memorial bur oak her Garden Gang friends planted in 2008. This time next year the scene above will be enlivened by drifts of white tulips. I hope that visitors to the Forest will pause to enjoy their beauty and to acknowledge Amy's part in making the world a better place.

Three for Thursday: The Apple of My Eye

2011-03-03T09:17:00.001-06:00

For several years now, each time I worked the Harris County Master Gardeners' fruit & citrus tree sale in January, I'd gaze longingly at the 3-in-1 espaliered apples that we offered and tell my co-workers how much I wanted to bring one home. We were always too busy with customers for me to grab one before they ran out, though, so I'd sigh wistfully at the end of the day. In February, I'd see the same 3-in-1 trees on a starved-for-nursery-time visit to Enchanted Gardens. I'd tell myself I'd come back for one in a week or two ... but if I did, they were long since gone, off to grow in the gardens of more decisive hortheads than I.

But yesterday was different. I took the day off from my labors in the garden (even the HG agreed we could use some down time) and headed off for a day of nursery hopping. I stopped first at Papershell: A Garden Gallery and visited with Elizabeth Barrow, the owner and a fellow Rice University graduate, as it turns out! (I'll have more to say about that delightful experience in a post this weekend.) She kindly gave me directions to get to Enchanted Forest the back way and I trundled on down the road in search of more garden treasure (despite the fact that there was absolutely NO room left in the front seat of the truck for plants). Over in the fruit tree section of the nursery, I saw two gorgeous 3-in-1 espaliered apples and my spirits rose ... then fell when I saw they both had SOLD labels on them. Well, shoot. Just across from the citrus area, though, I did find 3 new succulents for the rock gardens along the front sidewalk. (I figured I could make room for those in the front seat SOMEHOW. And I was right.) As I was leaving the sales building, though, I spoke with Gary Lenderman, proprietor of EF, to inquire if they might get more of those apples. He shook his head no, but offered to call over to the Gardens on the slight chance there might be some left there. He was doubtful but to his surprise and my delight, there were a few left. He asked them to hold one for me and away I went!

I arrived to find the nursery bustling with customers eager to take advantage of a beautiful spring day and got in line to pay for my tree (okay, I MIGHT have wandered the premises a bit first and I MIGHT have picked up a tri-color Euphorbia to replace the one I lost to freeze damage). With the aid of a Gardens' employee, the tree was safely stowed in the bed of the truck and home I went. I'm cogitating about where it would be happiest and dreaming of the day when I can bite into a Golden Dorsett, Anna or Fuji apple that I grew myself!

I hope you'll join me, if not this week, then next, and post your own Three for Thursday. Pick 3 pictures of plants from your garden ... tell us about 3 books you've read that you want to share ... rant about 3 things that bug the heck out of you ... show us 3 pieces of garden art or 3 photos of egregious crimes against gardening ... you choose what your three will be. Just have fun and be creative!

Through the Garden Gate: I See Hope for the Future!

2011-02-25T22:16:00.000-06:00

I had planned to post about winter's effect on my corner of Katy, most particularly the front gardens. It was an absolutely perfect day here, weatherwise, so much so that I decided a small celebration was in order when I was through working for the day. I popped a split of champers and sat out back to toast the beginning of spring. As I lazed in a chair, sipping and gazing, the sun slipped lower in the sky and dusk began to fall. I thought of my friends in cooler climes who are even more winter weary than I am and who can only dream of spring's awakening. So when I'd polished off the Pommery, I grabbed my camera and took some pictures through the garden gate for all of y'all whose gardens still slumber. I hope they will give you hope for your future gardens!

Three for Thursday: Here Comes The Sun!

2011-02-24T09:44:00.000-06:00

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter ... (more on that tomorrow) ... but here comes the sun in six-petaled splendor, shining bright and telling me that it is indeed all right.

Narcissus x intermedius 'Texas Star'

I posted last fall about my visit to the Arbor Gate in Tomball to hear Chris Wiesinger of Southern Bulb Company speak about heirloom bulbs for Southern gardeners. His enthusiasm and experience convinced me that my need for such Texas tough plants was imperative. He only failed me in one respect: he didn't remind me that when they started blooming, I would be so enchanted that I would regret not planting MORE!

I don't recognize this Narcissus!

I thought I had kept better records of what I bought and where I planted it. I thought wrong. This one is in an area where I thought I had planted only yellow bloomers. I thought wrong again. Anyone recognize it?

Narcissus tazetta orientalis 'Chinese Sacred Lily' (I think)

Little darlings, the ice has long since melted and while we've had so many gloomy days that it still feels like years since it's been clear, the smile is returning to my face and I hope to those of my fellow gardeners.

Slim Pickens without Minnie Pearls This Bloom Day

2011-02-15T12:35:00.000-06:00

To fully understand just the significance of what you are about to see, may I ask you to take a trip back in time with me? Let's go back to February 2009. What a beautiful day that was in my gardens ... there was so much in bloom that I had to create a photo collage to show them all.

Not so today. The following photographs represent the sum total of what's blooming on my corner of Katy.

Alyssum, Moss Pink Verbena, Violas, Leucojum, and Toadflax are dotted about the back garden.

One Bluebonnet has bravely soldiered on despite the weather.

Only the white Violas are blooming today: the white Dianthus and Cyclamen are taking a break.

One stem of 'Homestead Purple' Verbena is blooming.


I'll add more Corsican Violets next fall.

That's it. The Head Gardener is venting her frustration by ripping mushy succulents out of pots and composting them, muttering all the while. I'm steering clear of her today!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is the brainchild of the inimitable Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Visit her blog to see who else has posted about what's blooming in their gardens and to leave a link for others to find your post.

Gardening: Good for What Ails You

2011-02-13T17:51:00.000-06:00

Hippeastrum/Amaryllis 'Gervase'

If you'd asked me Friday night what I'd be doing the next day, I imagine my reply would have included something about pain and suffering. As I was attempting to inflate my balance ball, I made a wrong move and set off another riot in my lower back. Once the pain was down to a dull roar, I alternated between a chair with a hard seat and good lumbar support, and the floor. Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ... that's me in Cobra position.

Winter damage at Wit's End

If you'd asked me Saturday morning what I'd be doing that day, my reply would have been something about attempting to avoid doing anything that might set off further discomania. My chiropractor having assured me that walking would be beneficial, I put on a light jacket and strolled around the front gardens in the sunshine. Despite the scenes of carnage and devastation that greeted me everywhere I looked, it was good to be up and about on such a beautiful day. But what to do about the plants that were still sporting their motley assortment of sheets, towels and frost cloth? I had no intention of aggravating my back further by bending over to lift them off ... the Executive Producer wasn't home to help ... and the HG refused to do it. So I got creative: I grabbed a hoe from its rack in the garage and used it to lift the covers off the plants. I managed to get all of them uncovered without incident: in fact, it seemed to help my back to keep moving. So I used the hoe to remove a few pesky Oxalis and chickweed I spotted while ferrying the covers back to their basket.
Since walking was recommended and my usual Starbucks is not all that far from my house, I deemed myself in need of a therapeutic dose of iced green tea. I had a lovely walk there and back and came inside to check e-mail and see what was going on. Just a few minutes in the chair, though, and my back was stiff again. Only one thing to do: head outside and keep moving! I spent much of the afternoon doing light pruning on plants I could reach easily: no bending, twisting or stretching allowed!

Phlox pilosa 'Forest Frost' ... undaunted by winter

If you asked me this morning what I'd be doing today, I'd reply that it would be a shame not to spend such a beautiful springlike day inside, and to look for me out in the garden, exercising my back and my imagination. I have renewed hope that both my garden and my back will recover in time for spring.

The Head Gardener is Tired of Winter ...

2011-02-11T10:28:00.001-06:00

Through the Garden Gate: 2/10/2011

And she is just itching to get outside to continue the massive cleanup effort that faces us. She insisted that we make a start last Saturday and we spent several pleasant hours removing mushy foliage on herbaceous perennials and cutting back dead wood on woody perennials and shrubs. There are piles of dead limbs and foliage scattered about Wit's End, all of which must remain there until we can find assistance in removing them. For you see, dear fellow gardeners, there was an unforeseen consequence of that extended period of intense activity after several weeks of relatively little gardening. As I was contemplating changing into my gardening clothes after church Sunday morning, I turned slightly to the right, leaned down no more than 10 degrees and introduced myself to a world of pain. One or more of the discs in my lower back had finally had enough abuse and could stay silent no longer.

The first of Amy's tulips to emerge, looking a bit worse for the weather

As I see it, the HG has only herself to blame for our inability to take advantage of today's sunny skies and milder temperatures (a high of 52 is predicted). She strong-armed me into doing all that work on Saturday, even as I protested that it was too much too soon. I was thinking in terms of the woody plants ... conventional wisdom here in south central Texas is to leave dead wood on plants such as Hamelias and Durantas until the danger of a hard freeze has passed, to protect the live wood from freezing temperatures. The HG being the experienced and opinionated gardener that she is, however, persuaded me that all of the plants being pruned had proven themselves able to handle such treatment last winter. As she also pointed out, the bark was peeling away from the trunks just a few inches above the ground. That wood was history, future freezes or not. I did convince her to let me leave a good 10-12 inches of dead wood unpruned on most plants so freezing temperatures would be less likely to make it into the roots.

Narcissus 'Grand Soleil D'Or' (we think)

So here I sit at the computer with a sulky Head Gardener and an aching back. I've promised her that we can take frequent walkabouts around our corner of Katy, pen and pad in hand, so she can dictate notes to me on how various plants responded to this winter's low. We'll share the results of our walkabouts in a future post (later today, if the HG has her way ... since sitting too long exacerbates the back issues, however, she may have to wait.)

The Episode in Which The Head Gardener & I Go To Extremes

2011-02-01T20:36:00.000-06:00

This is the closest the HG and I got to anything resembling a garden. Wait, where'd the HG go? She must have ducked behind the conifers!

In an effort to better prepare ourselves for the upcoming Arctic blast, the Head Gardener and I spent this past weekend in the snowy conditions of New York City. It was our hope that our exposure to "real" winter conditions would enable us to handle the next four days with quiet dignity and grace but I can tell you already ... that's not gonna happen!

I've only spent brief periods outside today, covering plants with whatever's handy. Each time I retreat inside to the warmth, I feel like these ornamental kale: battered and wilted from the storm.

And despite what those folks up North might have us believe, we are not winter weather wimps ... I was a lot more comfortable in the snowy 30 degree environs of Central Park on Sunday than I have been in today's 30 degree windchill on my corner of Katy!

One more thing: the NOAA weather forecast for tomorrow. Wednesday...Partly cloudy. Colder. Highs in the mid 30s. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Lowest wind chill readings 2 to 12 in the morning. Am I really still in Texas?

An Ode by The Head Gardener On the Occasion of a Tragic Loss

2011-01-22T15:42:00.000-06:00

Oh, scissors bright of rosy hue,

What has that woman done with you?

Does she not know the pain she breeds

When she trifles with my simple needs?

Oh, scissors red with blades that shine,

Searched long I have in hopes to find

You resting safe in a sheltered place,

Returning a smile to my sad face.

Oh, scissors lost that cut so well,

Like your kin the pruners by the company Fel,

She laid you down I know not where

So I mourn you now in deep despair.

Three for Thursday: Things To Ponder

2011-01-20T22:29:00.000-06:00

Lynden Miller, garden designer and champion of public gardens, spoke in Houston today on "The Power of Public Gardens". Three things she said caught my attention:

1. Public gardens are not an unnecessary frill. They soften and civilize city life.

2. Public gardens are sanctuaries for the soul.

3. What you need for a successful public garden: money, energy, plants, soil, volunteers, knowledge and stubborn optimism.

Thanks to the River Oaks Garden Club for bringing Mrs. Miller to Houston to speak at the 21st annual Sadie Gwin Blackburn Environmental Lecture. From the ROGC site: "Lynden B. Miller, Principal, Public Garden Design from New York, is a public garden designer and director of the Conservatory Garden in Central Park which she rescued and restored beginning in 1982. Ms. Miller speaks throughout the country promoting cities to get involved in beautifying their public spaces. Ms. Miller's book, Parks, Plants and People, Beautifying the Urban Landscape."

Foliage Follow-Up January 2011: Frozen In Time

2011-01-16T18:01:00.003-06:00

I warned you yesterday ... it's not pretty ...

Double-click if you dare ...