Mixing Textures

This vignette welcomes me home every afternoon. When this Royal Poinciana, Delonix regia, branch began to hang low in front of the Firebush, Hamelia patens, I finally got "mix your textures"! What the photo doesn't show well, are Live Oak branches in the top right corner. They are small and a dark green. The contrasts in texture and in color make for an appealing vignette!

The Mistakes I Have Made

So often, I don't realize my mistakes in the garden until they have become large and difficult. Then I am faced with the delima of how to correct them! Most of my mistakes have to do with a great plant in the wrong place - like this Bougainvillea. I've shared lots of pictures of its gorgeous multi-colored blooms and it is growing well here - in fact, it's growing too well and therein lies our problem. Bougainvillea needs LOTS of space to spread and I knew that when I planted this one; left to her own devices, she would block the entire front porch and the sidewalk leading up to it.

The original plan was to train this bougainvillea up onto the roof - but I just let her just grow wild. That certainly didn't work so Saturday, I began limbing her up on the backside (just to see if I'd like it). I already love the openness when I walk out the front door.
My second BIG mistake is on the other side of the front porch. Same song, second verse. By the end of the summer, this Frangipani, Plumeria obtuse will have covered both the window and the sidewalk. We try to keep it trimmed up so noone gets slapped in the face when they pass by - but when it is blooming, I have the hardest time removing any branches!


I mean, how could you remove these gorgeous flowers - love those buttery yellow throats - and the fragrance is to die for.



I have a friend who spent months removing Pothos Ivy that had crept into her front yard from the next door neighbors. It's hard to remove but it's even harder to dispose of those vines. I've tried letting them lay and dry so I can compost them - only to have them put down roots!

When I planted this, the plan was to NEVER let it climb higher than I could reach . . . . the best laid plans, right? An added problem is that I have seen a rat in this tree - so no matter how tall or short the vine is, I simply don't want to reach in to pull any down . . .

So I've let a small task become a large problem. . .


This Daturea, Angel's Trumpet has two problems. Its leaves are very delicate and I have it planted in a spot that gets lots of wind - thus, all the leaves are ragged. It took many years to establish and really start growing (5 or 6 years). Since the blooms hang down, I think they are prettiest when I am looking up at them.


But now that they are blooming at eye-level, I don't like the color! When I planted this, I was into white flowers. In fact I went to great lengths to get the pales blooming one I could find . . . Now I am loving oranges and reds and anything bold - and frankly find these blooms to be a bit dull.

This little area is also full of 'mistake' plantings - it's been done and redone 3 or 4 times - but the wonderful thing about gardening is that it's not about the end result but the process. Happy Digging!

Shade Garden Updates

Although the bright morning sun has washed out the detail of the these white 'Candidum' Caladiums, in person they are stunning. As a bonus, they were planted last spring and have graced us with a second year of beauty. I think this little vignette has all the layers needed for interest. The trees overhead aren't visible in this shot but their canopy offers a nice "frame" for the scene. The shrubs, Firebush, Hamelia patens, are a serene backdrop for the statuary and annual plantings in the tiny circular bed. Around the time the caladiums melt in our summer heat, the Firebush grab the attention with their red and orange blooms. They love, love, love our heat!


I am excited to see that all the Yaupon Hollies, Ilex vomitoria, have bloomed heavily this spring. Planted in 2005, they are yet to produce one single red berry! Yaupon Hollies are dioecious, which means some bloom with male flowers and some bloom with female flowers. In other words, you need a male and a female in order to get berries. However, these were labeled 'Pride of Houston', which are supposed to be self-pollinating. One nurseryman, Al, suggested that I plant more Yaupons (I already have 5) - of any variety. So just upwind of these, there is now a border of 7 or 9 Dwarf Yaupons.

In the meantime, I am checking the plants for berries- and have found a few very tiny green ones where the flowers were. I'm holding my breath, but I have hope for red berries at Christmas time!

This is my "Lasagna Garden Bed" one year later. Even though it is the middle of the "Shade Garden", there is ample afternoon sun to grow a healthy crop of Cosmos. The bed is bordered with Dusty Miller, Senecio cenerario, which was planted last August. A couple of the plants didnt' survive the winter and their replacements haven't filled back in yet. Plus, I trimmed them all back by about 1/2 in April. Don't you love their silver color? Such a nice contrast to everything else. The everything else (whether you can see it or not) includes Cat's Whiskers, Orthosiphon aristatussome, some fat-fronded Ferns, and Coleus. All the hummingbirds are hanging out on this side of the house this year. I haven't come up with a plan for this area yet - so these free and nearly free items are serving me well.

Addendum to Chihuly: The Nature of Glass

I have been enthralled by what everyone is saying and writing about Dale Chihuly and his amazing work, "The Nature of Glass". Until May 30th, you can catch it at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix Arizona - or bits and pieces of it in the comfort of your own home at the following links. Enjoy!

My original post - in case you missed it . . .

Water When Dry

Designing in the Desert

Pudgeduck's World

Goldwater State

Lake Mary Musings

Where the Streets Have No Name

Rock Rose

Come Walk With Me

My favorite way to begin the day is in the garden - wandering along pathways and sidewalks that lead from one garden area to another.

At the left is the first path I laid - simple round stepping stones that meander through the shade garden. The left path is strictly utilitarian - it leads to a hose bib and has no bench or other resting place along its short length. The path to the right connects the front parking area to the back garage area - a sitting area is connected to this path so we can stop and enjoy.

The brick path below is my "free" path - when we built an open patio, these pavers were the left-overs! It leads the wanderer through the Native Garden - a large planting bed full of trees native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It's a bit narrow - only wide enough for one person at a time - but when the trees are trimmed up, it's a smooth path for the wheelbarrow and me.

Although the planting beds on both sides still need TONS of work, this is definitely my favorite garden path. Maybe because it's the only one at my home that was professionally laid? Carrying the stone didn't suck the moisture from my hands or throw my back out of wack - so what's not to love! This is where you'll find me sipping my morning cup of tea - or strolling in the moonlight to see if the night-blooming Angel's Trumpet has blossoms.

I laid this simple flagstone path the other day - it goes from our "professional" sideway back to the potting bench. No more mud sticking to my shoes when I go back there. I know a nice layer of mulch will take care of our mud issue (and that will happen soon) - but with the flagstones, I can wander around barefoot.

. . . the bed dividers in our vegetable garden also serve as sidewalks. We placed two 2 x 12s side by side for enough width to walk comfortably.

Whatever the material, whatever the style, paths are a part of the bones of your garden. They are utilitarian, aesthetic, and entice you to wander through the plantings. Before my garden is done, I hope to have paths that wander past each and every planting bed.

Structure in the Garden

Garden designers often mention the "bones" of the garden. A garden's bones are both permanent and structural - walkways, pergolas, raised beds, fountains, statuary - Today we added some of my favorite garden bones back to our garden: trees (well, trees of a palm variety). A few months ago, a huge, old Ashe tree, Fraxinus velutina, stood here - Hurricane Dolly tore it past the point of recovery. I love the addition of these three Chinese Fan Palms, Livistonia chinesis. They add height, a focal point, and some much needed shade to the area.

The picture at the left was taken last April when we removed the Chinese Fans for a remodeling project. Like most palms, a small rootball was all that was needed. Because we were going to hang onto them for an extended period, we placed them in large pots. Don't you love how I use the term "we"? It's not like I'm in the picture doing any of the work. I do love most aspects of gardening BUT there are some projects that are best left to professionals - those who have both the knowledge and equipment to get the job done.

Nine months in pots didn't seem to harm these large palms at all. To help insure their health, we did place them on an automatic watering system.

Chinese Fan Palms are a slow growing, relatively short fan palm with very large leaves. The average mature height is listed as 25' - this makes it a nice size for single story homes. Chinese Fans are cold hardy, withstanding several degrees below freezing with no damage. They tolerate poor soils (these three have heavy Harlingen clay in their new home) but respond well to a fertility program. Give this palm plenty of room as it's canopy will measure about 12-14 feet wide.

Lessons from the Biltmore Greenhouses

Last week, my sisters and I spent some time enjoying the Autumn colors in the mountains of North Carolina. Since we were so close to Asheville, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to check out America's largest home, The Biltmore. It was amazing but I couldn't wait to finish up the house tour and get out into the gardens! They were expansive and beautiful but nothing really wowwed me - UNTIL I STEPPED INTO THE GREENHOUSES!

This scene just invites you to sit down and enjoy! Plus the greenhouses contain all their tropicals (and tropicals do make up the majority of my garden). I think I have the perfect spot to create a vignette similar to this at my home.

All of the large pots at The Biltmore are planted to overflowing - you'll not see exposed dirt there. The effect is just so lush. I don't happen to be a fan of ficus trees - but this Prayer Plant, Maranta leuconeura var , at the base adds so much.

and I don't know what I liked better - the Tree Fern or the lushness of the Coleus! One of the first things I did when I got home was trim my Coleus and begin rooting them in water. They are such fast growers, that it will take no time to fill the base of a pot.

On the same lines, this combination is so striking. I like the contrast between the large leaves of the Elephant Ears and the tiny trailing succulent leaves. I actually have this succulent but don't know the name. My favorite place to purchase succulents is Caldwell's Jungle Nursery in Raymondville, Texas. They propogate all their own and put together the most amazing hanging baskets you ever saw!

The Biltmore has a number of greenhouses and every entrance offers a lovely scene to behold. The Christmas Cactus (right above the Poinsettias) is full of buds. I so wished they had been blooming last week. Christmas Cactus is something that I have never been successful with - mine may hang on for a year or two but rarely rebloom (and then sparcely).

And they had Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherimma, "Trees" that took your breath away.

Love this combination!

but this is my favorite - the Spanish style fountain and the Yucca on top - It would be a perfect fit for any Texas patio at Christmas time.

Mediterranean Fan Palms

Cold hardy to zone 8, Mediterranean Fan Palms, Chamerops humilis, are a great choice for gardeners looking to add a little tropical flair to their garden. Also known as European Fan Palm, it's a slow grower that performs well in both full sun and part shade. Its fan shaped fronds are nicely contained near the trunks. Notice I said trunks with an "s". Med Fans are a clustering palm, putting out 'pups' at the base. This gives the palm a full look and allows a gardener to use it as he would use a large shrub. You can see the multi-trunks on the palm on the left.

This family has paired it with a Magnolia Tree in this bed - kind of Southern Belle meets Mediteranean Beauty. Med Fans only grow to 15 or 20 feet.
It looks great with other tropicals, such as this Yucca and Bird of Paradise - but also looks equally at home with a traditional planting such as the hedge and oak tree above or geraniums and oleanders in the following picture.
Below is a horrible use of Med Fan Palms. Not only are they in a boring line but the gardener removes the pups regularly. I wonder if this is the look they're going for?
How much more attractive would that be if they let the pups grow and fill out the "hedge" - The photo below illustrates how lush Med Fans can be.

Med Fans are found in poor rocky soils so will do fine in dry, desert conditions. They are slow growers (growth rate of about 6 inches a year) that grow well in a variety of soil types - as long as the area is well drained. I love it as an understory tree planted under taller palms or even live oaks. Since they're small palms, you can also grow them in pots.


If you're looking to a a bit of the tropics to your garden, Mediterranean Fan Palms could be what you're looking for!

Try and Try Again

This little vignette has turned a hum-drum area into something that gives me an inordinate amount of pleasure. When we planted this Firebush, Hamelia patens, hedge, we left an "alcove" near the garage for something special. We see this small planting bed every time we leave the house and when we drive back in, when we take out the trash and when we feed the dog - I'll bet I pass it at least 5 or 6 times each day. The last few years, I've tried a number of different plants here - a large potted Crown of Thorn, Euphorbia splendens var. milii , potted vines climbing an iron trellis, a white potted Bougainvillea, a trailing Lantana, Lantana montevidensis, draping down the pillar, and even a chimenea - What possessed me to think we would ever pull our lawn chairs onto the driveway for a bonfire? - I found I didn't drag a hose over here to water a potted plant regularly enough basis to keep the plants healthy - and that led to my non-living focal point. One year I built the small raised annual bed with one row of blocks. That didn't make much of a statement, so the next spring, a second row was added - and that was exactly what was needed. This area has been planted for year-round interest. The firebush is just coming into it's own and will bloom until our first cold snap in October or November. In front of the firebush are red Kalanchoes, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, which will bloom from December through late spring. The small raised bed hold Caladiums right now but soon they will be melting in our heat and will have to be replaced with something more heat tolerant. It's such a small area that it easy to replant and inexpensive too. This is what I love about gardening - the everchanging (and hopefully, improving) of the garden. Some people can put a plan on paper and have it come out lovely - but for me, it's try and try again. The creation of a lovely vignette or a pleasing plant combination is a process. The joy I receive from this little bed comes as much from the process of its creation as from the end result.