My First Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

And my plants actually cooperated!

Last year, I got nary a single bloom on these snowflakes, and today I've got three on one, plus a visitor. Jackpot!













Yesterday this yellow columbine was merely a bud. I gave it a stern talking to last night that it must bloom today, and lo and behold this morning, a bloom. I'll have to try the stern talking with my husband other plants.














Grape hyacinth peeking out from the heartleaf skullcap that is threatening to take over the front yard.













Lavender spiderwort my neighbor gave me last year.



















Silver germander blooming in my free plant zone, the alleyway behind the back fence. I never what electrical work the city will decide to do back there so I only plant free plants there.



















The arugula has gone to seed.













The snow peas are going strong.














I'm still waiting to harvest enough fava beans (Windsor variety) to eat them with a little chianti.



















Happy Bloom Day!

You Know You Live in Austin When . . .

you bring your tender spring vegetables inside in March to protect them . . . from the HEAT.

In Search of the Perfect Shot

Last evening, as I was lying on my concrete sidewalk contorting my body and camera to get the best shot in the best light of my blooming snowflakes and grape hyacinths, I had a few realizations:

one, I love living in a neighborhood where people walk in the evenings;

















two, as I get more bids to redo said sidewalk, I should really consider something easier on the bones;



















three, the discomfort is worth the view of the sky and trees;













four, the back of my pants had slid down into plumber territory;













five, my neighbors walking by were getting an early view of the moon.

A Trip to Government Canyon

This weekend my husband and I went hiking in Government Canyon State Natural Area, northwest of San Antonio. It's a fairly new addition to the state parks system--it opened in 2005--and is only open Friday through Monday.

We were only able to hike the front country trails because we had the pup with us. We'll have to sneak out of the house without her next time so we can check out the backcountry.

The mountain laurels there were a bit past their peak, and not much in the park showed signs of spring. In fact, much of it looked like what I thought Texas looked like before I moved here--dry, dusty, and brown. Only tumbleweeds were needed to complete the picture.

But as I looked closer, I realized that flowers aren't the only form of beauty. I loved the textures of the dried seeds pods, the twisting bark on the trees, the spikes of the cactus, and other architectural forms highlighted against the sky.






































































These grasses were flattened, making the whole area look more like a river than a field.


























Whenever I see these dying (?) prickly pear, I always think they have such a brutal ending. More out of a horror film than a nature preserve.













On the other hand, I found this dying plant more beautiful.






































Even the trail marker had texture. I tried to find out who Mr. Lytle is or was, and to find a picture showing his 'stache in real life but no luck.




















I did finally find one flower in bloom--in the parking lot.














(On another note, is anyone else having difficulty posting pictures via blogger? It took me two days to get these photos loaded. Is typepad worth the price?)

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

This is Austin after all. No weather pattern sticks around too long. It may be gray today, but the light yesterday morning was beautiful. I loved how it highlighted all the new buds and leaves on the fig tree.














Yesterday's blue sky gave no warning that today's would be gray.




















I need to go back and look more closely at this limb, because if my eyes don't deceive me, it looks like there is a small fig on the horizon on the rightside of the limb.


















The snow peas also look beautiful in silhouette.




















The bloom of the mountain laurel is not quite as luminous but its smell more than makes up for its lack of glow. I can't wait for scratch-and-sniff internet.














This weekend's weather is supposed to be gorgeous. I hope to get my vegetables in the ground. For now, I'm loving the much-needed rain.

Southern Hospitality

I just realized that I had not offered an official welcome to my blog. So consider yourself welcomed with the quintessential symbol of hospitality--the pineapple. The pineapple has been a symbol of hospitality since Columbus brought the fruit back to England after his first trip to the Caribbean.

And since everything is bigger here in Texas, how about some extra-large pineapples? Maybe some tree-sized pineapples?



















A close-up:














One small detail: I actually took these pictures in New Orleans. But I have a feeling these would fit right in here in Austin.

Scenes from Sunshine Garden

Today for the first time, I visited an annual Austin event: the Sunshine Community Garden Plant Sale. The sale includes heirloom vegetables, hybrids well suited to Austin's climate, and some vegetable transplants that are hard to find otherwise.

According to their website, the garden "has been in existence since 1979 with over 150 plots available for lease on 4-acres of land in north central Austin, Texas." It located roughly at 49th and Lamar. "The land is licensed to us at no cost through the generous support of Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI). "

I had heard that you needed to get there early for a good selection, and boy, was that good advice. It would have been even better if I had heeded it!

When my husband and I got there about 9:45 am, there were already long lines for the tomato tent and the peppers/eggplant/herbs tent. Apparently, there had been a line wrapped around the block when the sale opened at 9. We split up and were able to make it through both lines in about 45 minutes.

Because I was on a schedule, I didn't get to take pictures then, but I did get some shots, when I was staffing the Green Corn Project table. We were letting people know about GCP and selling these adorable 10th anniversary t-shirts:

The spade and fork make an X, or ten in roman numerals.

Several other gardening nonprofits were there, including Travis County Master Gardeners and Urban Roots.
I wondered if anyone was going to use those hula hoops:

Our table was the closest to the stage, which sometimes made talking with folks challenging, but which also gave me the opportunity to snap this photo of the littlest crooner. Quite appropriately, he was singing "you are my sunshine, my only sunshine."

Whenever I go to plant sales like these, my eyes are larger than my vegetable bed, and I end up with too many plants. This sale was no exception. At least, a few of these are going to friends. I think we will keep the Lemon Boy, Yellow Currant (the Yellow Pears were sold out), and Better Boy. The Black Krim my husband picked out is a maybe. And the Sweet Million is for a friend.

I also stocked up on herbs: sweet basil, genovese basil, rosemary, peppermint, French thyme, and lemon thyme, which has beautiful yellow and green leaves. I also bought a Mucho Nacho jalapeno, which is supposed to be hotter than regular jalapeno, for my husband; a Brazilian star fish chile pepper, for its funky shape; an Hungarian wax pepper, which is yellow--I'm beginning to sense a color scheme here!; and a Rosa Bianca eggplant.

If you missed out, you can still buy herbs and vegetables at the Wheatsville Co-op Herb Fair on March 15. Despite its name, the fair sells plenty of vegetables. I bought my transplants there last year.

A word to the wise: get there early!