Archive for March, 2009

Early Blooms in the Courtyard

By ⋅ March 30, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments

We planted the first plants in the courtyard raised beds late last winter, so this is the first real spring for them. I am watching with great interest to see when each plant begins to bloom as I have tried to group plants according to sun requirements, complimentary color and form characteristics, water needs, and I also want continuous blooming from early spring to late fall. So far I am happy with how the courtyard gardens are progressing. The most prolific bloomer in the courtyard at the moment is the pink Laura Bush petunia, which has been blooming since late February, and is starting to choke out the Texas Sotol cactus. I’m going to have to cut it back soon so as not to lose the cactus.

New Yellow Knock Out Rose – The Sunny

By ⋅ March 29, 2009 ⋅ 6 comments

Ron went to Whole Foods early this morning to pick up fresh fruits and veggies for us, and he returned with two nice looking yellow Knock Out roses. This rose, The Sunny (Rosa Radsunny) has been on my wish list ever since I saw an advertisement for it in Fine Gardening magazine last winter. I […]

Trellis Bed Tree and Vine Planting Completed

By ⋅ March 27, 2009 ⋅ 16 comments

We finished installing the trees and vines in the beds at the base of the new trellis yesterday, and now I am praying that we don’t have a hard freeze tonight or tomorrow night. That would be unfortunate. We don’t usually get hard freezes here after March 15, so it would be kind of unusual, but the weather has become reliably unpredictable the past few years. I’m thinking about wrapping the vines and small trees in row cover just in case.

First Trellis Plants Purchased

By ⋅ March 23, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments

I sent Ron to the Natural Gardener and Barton Springs Nursery today to search for the trees and vines that I selected to plant in the upper trellis beds. Much to my delight, he was able to find everything I wanted. We didn’t have time to plant them this evening, but we placed them in […]

The Colors of Spring

By ⋅ March 19, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments

Aside from having to deal with allergies, spring is a wonderful time of year. The garden is really coming to life now, and every day brings new blooms, birds, and insects. I find it is easy to get so busy with gardening ‘chores’ that I miss the changes taking place all around me. But today, the activity was so intense, and the colors so bright that I had to stop and take some pictures.

Trellis Project is Complete

By ⋅ March 10, 2009 ⋅ 6 comments

Trellis construction is now complete and it looks really good. We found some copper covered post caps which tie in with the copper roofs of the bird houses that are mounted on the taller posts on either side of the stairs that lead to the lower garden. In keeping with the copper accents, I found some string lights with copper shades which I may purchase to string under the trellis, but I haven’t made up my mind on that purchase yet.

Trellis Header Up and Rafters In Progress

By ⋅ March 2, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Trellis construction has been slow, but steady. With every additional element the structure looks better and better. The header boards are completed and the posts have been cut to length, and the structure balances well with the size and scale of the retaining wall below.

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