Sandi, I too love Gorilla glue...it's truly the strongest I know of, but it's true it "grows," and it dries white, which I do not usually prefer! BUt...I didn't see any glue..you just know where it is!! :)
June 8th Austin Nursery Tour Pics
(awww, thanks dmj!)
I learned my Canna lesson at the College Station RU, as everyone who saw me get suckered can attest! I may be riding the caboose on the clue train, but I get there in the end. And bigbubbles didn't mention that her canna offer came right on the heels of an aloe vera offer. I think I've been marked for a sucker...
I'm glad I got to catch up with you guys. ms_merae, I'm sorry we missed each other too, but maybe we'll have better luck next time around. Everyone else it was great to meet (thank you so much Tomatoholic for helping me hook up!), and as everyone else has said, bigbubles' yard is showstopping. Hopefully, we'll buy a house next spring, and that yard is some serious inspiration. I didn't get any pictures that really captured how lovely it is, but here are a few I took. This one's a shot due left of the lemonade sipping spot:
What an inviting view from the entrance. Too bad the light in the middle washed out the colors of those plants.
The pond is much lovelier than this hastily composed picture makes it look. I love it recessed into the limestone like that.
I love the blue horse. So much fun, but I bet he has lousy odds for the Belmont Stakes.
Another yard view, this time featuring the giant Camaro-destroying balls of terror.
"I have a headache..."
When she says BIG bubbles, she doesn't mess around.
Ampy--love the captions!
Debbie
I too love Ampy's clever captions! I just now made the connection between 'Bigbubbles' and all the balls in the gardens! (And I thought she just loved bottles of kids' bubbles...since she arrived at The Great Outdoors Nursery blowing bubbles!! ) And I didn't even see the clear bubble spheres among the caladiums.
I wish we had taken a pic of the huge mirror at the end of one path. Did you see that, Ampy?
Ampy...even my DH was laughing at your postings...too funny! And just in case you think I was making up the runaway ball story.....
Great pics everyone.....
My wife and kids loved remenissing. The family and I had a great time. I posted my experience of the tour in the Austin nursery Tour thread. I am not versed on how to copy it to here so you will have to read it there.
Over all a fantastic time. I am very happy to have met everyone and just wish others could have made it to meet them too. Maybe next time? Everyone, thank you for the great time!
Have to go back to work so take care.
calvin
Bigbubbles....I bought a large terracotta ball that is glazed a deep, deep green back in January on sale. It is hollow, unlike your limestone (?) ball. It has been in my living room waiting patiently. I WANTED to place it as garden art in my front garden but now an hesitating, because of your Great Balls Heist, one of which you depicted above! Do you think the Gorilla glue that both you and I love would work if I glue my ball to a rock??
So I'm trying to use the pictures you took, Connie, of Bubbles back yard to see if I can kill and pull up all that nasty viney groundcover in the back bed and plant a bunch of beautiful things. DH is currently fixing something on his truck, but am hoping he will see how gorgeous the pics are and let me pull up his precious ground cover.
Bigbubbles, I may need to email you some pictures of the plants I clipped from you b/c I can't remember their names! oy vey.
I put the Rangoon Creeper in its spot where I think he will be happy. It is a South/Southwest exposure. It gets early morning until 2pm sun. However, on the other side of the fence, it will have direct sun on it and will heat up the backside of our fence quite a bit. Is that a problem? I figure if it is shady in the afternoons on my side of the fence that is okay? I really like this RC and don't want to kill it.
Amy, great pics and commentary!! So glad you hooked up with us.
Connie, your ball sounds fabulous. We want to see pics when you get it installed into the garden.
Calvin, do you think the moonvine will look good next to the Rangoon Creeper? I can get DH to trellis a big area of that S/SW fence and put both up there. What all does the Moonvine like?
Michelle
The more sun the better for rangoons.
Michelle....Just a bit of gardening theory from my opinion...I would space different types of vines out. Place some perenniels or shrubs between, so they can each have the "spotlight" in separate areas.
(My design ideas come from my ex (the ONLY good thing that came out of our marriage other than our two wonderful children! ha) who owned a landscape company in the Garden District of New Orleans the 4 years he was in college at LSUNO. Our ideas are based on somewhat traditional ideas of landscaping wherein you have a layering of things that look good in all 4 seasons...occasional trees, shrubs, then perennials and finally the annuals and border things tucked between and in front. )
If you like more of the "cottage look" you can plant indiscriminately and have a riot of plants/ colors/ density/ textures, etc. and it all somehow looks good in the end because you love it and everyone loves flowers!
So...bottom line: I would place Calvin's moonvine...maybe 1 or 2 large shrubs over from the Rangoon Creeper....could you do a series of trellises...say 3? ...because everything in nature and design looks better in 3's...so they say (and I love the numerology of 3...I teach it to my 9th students!).
Please post pics as you plant because I almost feel like a "stepmom" to those 2 Rangoons you and Bigbubbles bought! :) I wish they came in orange or purple, as that's my theme for at least 5 years~!
Here is a pic of the ball that will find its way into the front garden eventually! I was photographing the cut flower in front, but you can see the big ball in the background...same size as Bigbubbles'.
Connie
Nivlac,
I have other pics (a very good one of Cheyenne by the Rangoon, ones of your son (Chad?) and a very cute one of DW sitting with her back to us looking at the birds in the cage at Barton Sp. Nursery...plus others of y'all. I will email those to you if you give me your email in a D-mail.
Also, Michelle...same thing...if you want those pics direct, just send me your email addy in a D-mail and I'll send the ones of you as well as Sandi's fabulous back gardens! I took many more closeups than I posted....esp. of the orangy coleus that I adore, the "dipped in wine" one, the colorful cannas, etc.
Tomatoholic-- I have to agree with Connie.......... don't plant them together. space themout. Some plants look good inter-weaving through each other, but I don't think these two would. Give them their own "spot light" so to speak and space them out. If you feel that you want to group vines, try grouping the moonvine with morning glories. Morning glories bloom in the day and moonvine at night, giving you color and fragarance all day. Good luck.
Connie-- dmail has been sent.
calvin
Thanks Connie and Calvin. I'm no good at designing landscape if you couldn't tell! I just stick things where I think I'd like them and I know there would be a better way of doing it so I'd get the maximum beauty out of the plants. I'll see about DH making 3 trellises!!
I'm sending you my email via dmail, Connie, now...
Gone all day....had staghorn symposium today. Our garden group had Roy Vail give a 'show and tell' from 9 to 4. I didn't get home till 5. We made quite a bit of money that will be used for a water feature in the fern bed at Zilker. I came home with two small staghorns to kill....
Connie, I wouldn't 'glue' that ball to rock. You may want to move it one day. Maybe there's a spot closer to the house you could place it? If they want to roll it, my experience has been......they'll figure out a way no matter what you do. Oh, just put it out somewhere and enjoy it. Like me, you've probably spent more on plants that have died than you paid for it! Chances are nothing will ever happen to it. BTW, I think I forgot to cut some dark coleus for you. If you're in town, call me and stop by. Will you send me the other pics of the yard that you are sending Michelle? Your camera sure makes everything look better than it does when I walk around out there!
Michelle...send me descriptions or pics and I'll try to tell you what the cuttings are. I'm not very good at remembering botanical names and frequently refer to a plant as a 'Casa Depo' pink or 'El Lowe' red. 'But I'll give it a shot! I do remember Diclepta suberecta!
Will be going to lake in the morning, but back by about 6. DH has to mow and water.
Sounds like you had fun yesterday! I'd love to get cuttings of the dark coleus too...maybe I can swing by at some point. What was that purple plant that was in next to the golden coleus? Is there a way I can talk you into a cutting from that as well?
No need for botanical names, just common names. I've gotta go, so I'll post pics later today. Thanks again!!!!
Michelle
Calvin...I spent about 30 minutes sending pics (looking at my new People mag. while they uploaded, however, so time was not a total loss! ) and got them back as undeliverable as your server or personal acct. was "to capacity" ??
Michelle, I'll do the same for you today when inside cooling off from planting 18 shrubs DH picked up for me at Red Barn yesterday! :)
Sandi...will CC you in on all pics I send Calvin and Michelle. I'll just send all to all 3 of you. And I'd LOVE to come over when I'm "in town" sometime and get the cutting of the coleus that looks as it it's dipped in wine. I wish I had taken the Coleus cuttings and placed them in dirt instead of water in a bag, as they are not looking good. The C. cuttings I did here at home stayed perky but these are all droppy, even tho I stuck them in soil and water immediately when home. Tiny center leaves look good, however, so I'm hoping they survive.
I decided to worship at "St. Garden de Webb" church this morning instead of my usual church since DH is here!...I've got all those shrubs to plant...so I better get going. I told myself I had to be outside by 10:00 to be "on time"!! :) And...all kidding aside....nature is definitely something that provokes lots of thoughts of "where did this all come from?" yes?
Connie
PS... Here is a pic of my "growing like weeds" "kitchen" garden...the only ones half-way done and blooming! The purple basil is just going crazy. I'm letting it flower, as it's too tough to use in food prep. There are mints and something purple and green back of the...including some little bushes that I have to protect from the rampaging basil about every 2 days! The front beds are mostly 'Homestead' Verbenas (some of you may have seen my posting on them when I thought they were sickly...but they just needed a "haircut"!), Red Hot Sally, Bulbine, and pits (can't spell the whole word!) bushes. We're waiting on the sprinkler guys to finish the upper level this week..then I'm going to plant something that will cascade over the old rocks on the edge. Any suggestions??
Connie, I got to over the limit message today....
Went in and did some spring cleaning to the inbox and delete file, I hoope that it is enough. Could you try and resend the pics, if it is not toooooo much trouble?
I did get three emails with pics, don't really know how much you tried to send my way. And, my suggestion for the cascade, since you have the evergreens on the top row maybe some creeping juniper, more evergreen. I have seen it before along time ago when ,what ever the variety was- I don't know, flowered it looked a little like a waterfall. There were so many little blueish grey and light green balls and flowers on the junipers. Well, I am know expert plantologist :) it could have been some other type of plant but juniper is what comes to mind.
thank you connie
calvin
Connie...love the pic of your kitchen garden. It's beautiful. How 'bout cascading rosemary over the wall? Wouldn't have to give it too much water once it's established....and it's easy to grow. You definitely have more plants than I do! Looks great! If the coleus cuttings look wilted, put them in water and set them on the window sill. They'll develop roots in about a week. 'Then plant them.
Michelle...The purple plant is Strobilanthes...or Persian Shield. It's fairly common at the big box stores. I can surely give you a cutting, but you might not get to enjoy it till next year! You may want to just buy a rooted one at HD to get it to a good size by end of summer. Mine are a couple of years old...at least. We cover that entire bed in the winter, so they've had a big head start. Either way, stop by!
We got to the lake early and Bruce pulled out his beloved riding mower....almost ran over a new born fawn hiding in the grass by the fence. Guess the mom thought he'd be safer in the enclosed yard. She jumped in this afternoon and the fawn toddled over wagging it's tail and nursed. I had opened the gates so they could get out, but the doe jumped back over the fence and left the fawn to run up and down, trying to follow her. I finally herded fawn to gate and it joined mom waiting up the hill. We knew the fawn wouldn't be able to get out of the yard once we left...so we waited to make sure doe was going to come back. Just a little excitement in an otherwise boring day!
Going to rip out some plants tomorrow that are just wasting water! Is Red Barn having a sale yet? Never see ads for them anymore. 'Like it when they put things on half price! Going out to Marbridge to see what's left there. They were dumping things on sale so they wouldn't have to care for them in the heat. 'Guess I'll need to find more plants to keep up with Connie!!!
Sandi
Bubbles I think you have enough plants.....just kidding, I know there is never such a thing as too many....lol. I figure that you probably don't remember all the cuttings you gave away, but do you have a idea about how long it will take for the roots to develop for transplanting (a rough average time ) I am prepping 2 new beds in the backyard this week and would like to add some of the new plants you graciously gave.
Thinking about yanking the tree out in the front yard sometime this year and adding 2 white crepe's and a low maintenance scape (forgot how tp spell xeroscape--- is that it) under the crepe's. I will try to post a pic later, I am at work and on break right now, for suggestions. Home association not going to be happy with me when I do... Hehehehe
got to go try to keep up later tommorrow.
Everyone take care
calvin
Sandi...I just got shrubs at Red Barn for 25% off...I don't know what other stuff is on sale...have you gone to Marbridge yet? If you wait until Wed, maybe we could go together! I need 'dump sale' to fill up all the areas I need to plant! Let me know...Tomorrow I have chores from 10 in the morning until late at night~!~ Oh the fun of being a teacher in the summer...ALL the things you didn't get done during the year, you say, "I'm going to get that done in the summer," ...and then you're forced to do way too many things at once! Oh well...it's my life! :) It's beats the alternative, I always say...dead with nothing to do!~ ha
Calvin, I will send pics again tonight...with dupulicates to whoever has asked for them. I also used the lizard pic.... for my wallpaper...and am using the lily for my screen saver. I change mine all the time...when I get tired of looking at the old ones!~
"Ain't computers cool!!" :)
Connie...I can do Wed at Marbridge! I went back to Barton Springs today. Went into a feeding frenzy, loaded cart and then remembered I had the car...not the truck. Had to call DH and he came over to haul plants home. One of the small shrubs was called Escalonia...said it was from Brazil, looks like an azaelea, flowers were orange (so I thought about your color scheme), hardy to 25...will come back if heavily mulched, gal. size $5.99. When I got to the ck out, guy said those were on sale for $2.99. I may go back and get a few more for that price! Going to send pic of it for you. I looked it up in plant files, but what was there didn't look like what I bought. The joys of buying plants without tags.
Great about Marbridge on Wed!!! I've only been there 2 other times...once in April of this year. I"m excited! What time do you want to go? How early do they open?
The flowers on the Escalonia look pink on my puter...maybe the color is off on mine.
I got dwarf Pittosporum (sp?) at HD yesterday for 10% off 3.99...in one gal tubs. I went there to buy one of those automatic mopping machines...got it at good price...but of course had to take a side trip through plants after I loaded floor care thingy in truck.
...Started digging holes by my deck this evening...I worked about 15 minutes for each hole...filled with rocks in that area. I got a good workout. (I also found some Purple Oxalis Triangularis today on sale at Breed. Everyone is dumping stuff...you're right.)
Let me know how you want to meet...when...
I'm looking forward to that...wheeee...bargains!!!
Connie
I have not been receiving any of the sale inserts from Red Barn lately either! I know they change around zip codes, but it has been awhile since we received one.
Connie and Bubbles..y'all crack me up! I'm going to look for the Persian Shield this week when I get over to HD...maybe tomorrow morning.
Merae is coming over tomorrow at lunch to get the cuttings you so graciously gave us Bubbles. I cannot remember the names of these two beauties. One on the left is the one you had to dig up and it had those cool pink burst blooms. The one on the right, I think you said, was a begonia of some kind?
This message was edited Jun 13, 2006 7:27 AM
and this cute little guy...what is he called? He is doing super well.
These cuttings are the soft leafed thingies. They look to need water, hu? What were they called? I wanted to be able to tell Merae when she came over.
You also gave us white shrimp plant, something called snow top bush?
I didn't get pics of those apparently...
Thanks again!! I have not given the horsetail reed to my friends yet. I forgot to take it to them on Friday. But I have them in water and they seem pretty happy. I might just keep them. if so, where would I put them? Shade? Lots of water, obviously....
Michelle
Okay, so I found the horsetail thingie on PF. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/58186/index.html
Would you add anything to this? It seems to like acidic soil. Any soil recommendations Bubbles? I have MG soil. I may go ahead and pot it b/c it is so interesting. Says full sun on PFs. But is that Texas full sun? I mean, lots of tags on plants say full sun but don't like as full of sun as we get here.
Muchos Gracious!
Michelle
ps. I started seed for my Fall maters yesterday: Green Zebra, Aunt Ruby's Green, Brandywine and Tigerella...seed I got from the Great Outdoors.
Sandi...you have D-mail...my cell number
Bubbles and Connie sounds like you are getting great deals out there shopping the town. I had Dad in town this weekend so no working in the yard or nursery shopping for me this weekend. Bubbles, you have a place out at Sunrise Beach? I am at Kingsland a lot visiting my parents. I love Lake LBJ and enjoying everyone's magnificent gardens up the Colorado River from the water. Even though I was raised in Lubbock, my grandparents lived on Lake Buchanan and I knew that I wanted to move here. As soon as I graduated, I moved to Austin.
I can't wait to go get the cuttings that Michelle has been so graciously taking care of for me. They look great and the plants sound interesting. Thanks Sandi and Michelle. Michelle, you tell Bryan that the Asian Jasmine is for people who don't like to garden and like low maintenance. That was him before he was married...now he has a wife that loves to garden. Once you have your daughter he can replant Asian Jasmine anytime. And if that works, then you can start hinting at ripping up some of his precious St. Augustine so you can have room for more tomatoes and plants. ha ha. Just kidding, Bryan is an awesome guy. I also started more tomato seed last night to try and have some Fall tomatoes. I started Celebrity, 444, and Sungold.
Calvin - I think the white crepe myrtles are the prettiest. There are several different heights of them though. To give you a better idea of what to plant under them, let me know how tall you think the ones you are going to plant will get. They have some that get 4', 8', 12' etc. Then do you want to do xeriscaping that stays low to the ground or kinda bushy and taller?
We need rain, hopefully we will be blessed with some soon.
Michelle,
Got ya beet(beat) on the seeds. I started the gourds and the Zebra maters on the 8th, hep that very same day as the tour. No sprouts yet, ugh, the hardest part of starting from seed is dealing with the anticipation for the first sprout, lol.
Connie, all the cuttings you gave to me I am tending to on hands and knees, hehehehehe. Some are wilting but have not gone dry and brittle and some well you wouldn't even know they are cuttings- standing there all perky like and looking full of spirit.
I am beginning to grow a little envious of you Austinites. All the p[lant sales ya'll are finding. Good for you guys(GALS) :)
I have little time to plant shop. Going today to buy more dirt for what I have so they don't outgrow their current homes- pots and cups.
Thinking about yanking the tree out in the front yard sometime this year and adding 2 white crepe's and a low maintenance scape (forgot how tp spell xeroscape--- is that it) under the crepe's. I will try to post a pic later, I am at work and on break right now, for suggestions. Home association not going to be happy with me when I do... Hehehehe
Michelle...
Saw Persian Shield...big ones at BS yesterday for $5.99 (may be on sale for less). Okay, the first pic is a Cashmere Bouquet....Clerodendrum bungei. You should click to the Tropical Forum and scroll down to photo of it. You will see that it is/can be invasive. Pretty funny thread! They're easy to control by just yanking out the ones you don't want. The other plant is a cane begonia of some sort. Gets very tall. Next pic is a Jewels of Opar.....Talinum paniculatum. It will spread, but is easy to control by pinching off the seeds, or sharing with your neighbors. I only have horsetail in my pond. I wouldn't let it loose in my garden. Since it does well in pond, I'd say full sun and plenty water.
I'll look forward to some delicious tomatoes this fall!!!!! Sandi
Merae....our yard at the lake is GRASS! It's a huge St Augustine 'garden.' DH refuses to have anything to mow around. I sneaked up one day and planted two little palms out by the dock. Still hear about 'em! Deer would eat everything anyway. Will have to share story of how we came to own lake house one of these days. We do enjoy it, was a great place to have kids. Taxes are killing us now, tho. Our little place is being dwarfed by bigger, more expensive ones. Our valuation climbs with theirs. DH would like to sell...but I want grandson to have his friends up one day. We'll see.....You'll have to come by when you're up at Kingsland.
Gotta run...need to get stuff planted. Still haven't planted what we bought last week!!!! And yesterday I bought a Chinese yellow banana, purple leaf vitex, and a coral berry tree...among other stuff.
Connie...I'll call you later to make plans for tomorrow. We need to hit It's About Thyme too while we're out that way. I think you'd like it.
Sandi
Nivlac...
Ohhhhh...I would hate to see your wonderful tree go...I can't remember why you said you didn't want it.
And a comment about X-scape landscaping....someone like you who is so "into" plants and making areas look good is really going to have a hard time allowing nature to take its course in your front gardens. I know this might raise some flack from people who are totally opposite but...most X-scape people --that I know-- want a decent looking garden but don't want to work much in it--nor pay water bills, etc. I have several friends who have it and they only walk through the gardens to get to their cars on the driveway to go shopping (and that's where their money goes!).
Thanks Bubbles! I'll look them up on PFs. I have a big Black from Tula mater that I'm saving for Merae and I to eat for lunch tomorrow. hehe.
Your DH doesn't want anything to mow around...welcome to MY world. That is what my DH says...he wants to mow in straight lines without any interferance. haha. You bought a lot of good stuff today! Good job! I love my Vitex. You crazy ladies have fun!!
Connie, that is funny...my friends who Xscaped their lawn do not like to work in it...or water it. But it does look nice. I'm terrible at picking difficult plants myself...that need a lot of care. OYVEY.
Merae, see you tomorrow.
Calvin, you will love white CMs. We have 2 light pink ones and we love them. I heard that you can put a cutting in water and root another CM. So I'm in process of trying that. DH would like a row of them against our west facing fence.
So far, so good on the Rangoon Creeper. She seems to be pretty happy. I need to get some hibiscus or bougie food for it.
Michelle
Calvin...Wish you could dig up the huge white Crepe Myrtle in front of my wall. DH said it would not come out easily, tho. We plan to replace it and the pink one that grows with it. The flowers, and then the leaves, clog the fountain and fill the courtyard. It was supposed to be a smaller species. When both colors are blooming simultaneiously, it's beautiful...but still messy. Check the TX A&M website for crepe height varieties and colors.
aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tamuhort.html
If you can't find info, let me know and I'll send you a packet from the Ext Ofc here. I wish I had known about appropriate plants for the area before I started filling in spots! And I highly recommend taking a Master Gardener course if you can fit it in. You'll learn so much about how important the soil is to successful gardening....among other things!
Finally, I hope you're planning to use natives in your front yard, not xeriscaping. There's a big difference. There's lots of natives that won't use a lot of water, still bloom beautifully, and won't make your yard too different from the neighbors. Love the front of the house. I agree with Connie that you like plants too much to ''x'' it!
Sandi