Gorgeous gardens, everyone! I am new to the forum and fairly new to Texas. Well, I retired here to be near my grandchildren four years ago. When I bought this house, the yard had nothing but grass in the back yard, and hardly anything more in the rest. You can see, I have been busy!
Oh, I live in Rowlett, near Dallas.
Here's another view of my yard.
You have been very busy, but what beautiful results! Love all your roses!! Welcome to Texas and welcome to the Texas gardening forum!
My daughter really wanted a pool, so here it is.... so much for the courtyard that you can see earlier on in this thread!
The sacrifices we make for our children..... :)
Dennis
Oh sweet Dennis! You will have a nice place to sit while you watch her. And it's portable so if and when she outgrows it, it will be gone!
Heather, WOW!!! Just 4 years for that transformation? You are a miracle worker!!! Did you make the mosiac gazing ball? VERY nice!!! You might enjoy the trash to treasure forum as well. (I am a forum crasher, I don't belong in TX forum but they tolerate me since I LOVE their beautiful gardens!)
Likewise, I love the gardens and I hope I'm tolerated.
Hey, we Texans welcome everyone as long as they think Texas is as wonderful a place as we native Texans do. Texas is as much about the people as it is anything. What we can't tolerate is people who put us down!
Thanks for the compliments everyone! No, I didn't make the gazing ball, but I'll check out Trash to Treasure!
Since you encouraged me, here's a shot of the front corner! The tree is a Summer Chocolate Mimosa. It really grew fast. Creating this garden has been hard, but fun, too! It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't have to go to work every day! I love retirement!
What are your little flowers at the very front? Your tree has awesome shape, very nice!
snowheather - I can't say anything but LOVELY! Great job.
Well, welcome to Texas, Snowheather. You have done a beautiful job with your yard. It must have been great fun....things always turn out wonderful when we have fun doing them, don't they.
I adore your Chocolate Mimosa tree.......do you suppose it would grow in Austin? I must get one of those....so interesting looking.
Beautiful gardens snowheather. Thanks for sharing.
Welcome to Texas gardening Snowheather! You have really been busy. Your gardens are so beautiful. I do especially love your roses. Great job. ;)
Lin
Thanks for the compliments, everyone! I have had gardens in several states, but I think my Texas garden is the best yet - and hopefully one I won't have to leave!
The picture was taken in May, Psychw2, so the pansies were still blooming. It's amazing to me, since I plant them in November. I don't replace them until June! Now I have profusion zinnias lining that front bed all summer. As you can see, there are a lot of daylilies and iris there - and everywhere else in my yard! And, I agree, Cocoa_lulu, you can't have enough roses and clematis!
I don't see why that Summer Chocolate Mimosa wouldn't do fine anywhere in Texas, morganc. Of course, some plant experts say you shouldn't plant mimosas as they are not a long-lived tree. But, I think if that tree lasts for twenty years in that bed, it probably will outlast me! And, it doesn't seem like it would be too hard to replace. I just loved the color and the way it provides light shade for my roses from the West sun. Plus, I think Summer Chocolate is an improved hybrid. I have not had any seedlings from it, but have had to pull lots of oak seedlings from my neighbors' yards! Anyway, my neighbors all admire that tree! I got it from a garden center here, so I think they are not too hard to find.
Heather,you garden makes my heart almost stop. You are on the northeast side of Dallas and I am on the southwest side. Not good with roses and mine all have rust and black spot. Yours are so beautiful. Have had the regular Mimosa but never the chocolate. May have to go on a hunt. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful paradise.
Christi
Snowheather, what beautiful gardens you have! I live in Plano but a lot of my family are in Rowlett. Did you get your chocolate mimosa at Covington's? How is everything holding up in this heat?
Yes, Trunnels, I did get the Summer Chocolate Mimosa at Covingtons! And, thanks for the compliment!
Georgeous.......Chocolate Mimosa?? Wow...now I might just want one of those...
"eyes"
Snowheather - welcome & great pics. Want come a little further north & do mine too? I'm just amazed at the color you have in this heat & drought! What is your secert besides a seiously high water bill? LOL -just teasing but am just stunned that yours is doing so well while mine is just barely holding the heat this year. Anyway Hi to everyone else & yes I've sinned this week. Got some pink Brugs, lavendar moonflower vines & pretty pink Texas sage seeds coming this week. CCs are still hidden in closet:) so I'm still buying even though can't plant anything till spring. Doc says I've got " carpo metacarpal osteoarthritis" in both thumbs ( old ladies disease - quite common in women in late 40's that have used their hands alot - between gardening & all the needlework I've done basically worn out the ol thumbs!) & got to have out patient surgery on both thumbs (kinda like hip or knee replacement except no artifical joint put in just clean up the old ones) & excellent prognosis on recovery - says they should be just like new after a month in hand splints & PT. Now if I can get them to hold off till Oct so I can finish this year's gardening I'll be happy to lay in bed for a couple of weeks & have DH & kids take care of things.....or will I? Could take me most of this spring just to get house back in shape after taking 2 weeks off....hmmm upside & downside to this situation. Oh well Momma always said "If the house is too clean then nobody most call it Home" though I may starve since they don't cook too well! Anyway Happy Gardening to Y'all & try to stay out of the heat - 103+ here today so been out since 6am dragging soaker house around ( which reminds me - better get off here & go move hoses or I'll be flooded again this morn..LOL. Take care y'all, Carol aka Catss
Hi everyone!
Don't know what I would do without soakers. It's still a lot of drudgery. Get my best relaxin done though when I am holding a hose!
Don't know how much more 104's my garden can take. Better show yall while I can!
Trixi
Very nice, Trixi...the dawg days are settling in.....
"eyes"
Trixi, what is the BRIGHT green near the tree? That flower bed is beautiful!
Potato vine...looks like...
"eyes"
Very pretty Trixi! Love all the bright colors.
Lin
Thanks so much!!
It is sweet potato, fills up a big space. I have to cut it back about every three weeks to keep it civil.
Trx
oh my!!! Everytime I see that plant I WANT it!!! I just don't have any shade really. Oh well... maybe in my NEXT garden!
Lovely area Trixi.
Does your Sweet Potato vine come back in Spring? I planted some in pots which did come back after I thought they had croaked.....but this year I planted some in ground and was wondering if they would return again?
Thanks for your kind words,
Morganc, I'm zone 7B up here, haven't had any come back so far. They come to the nurseries so late in the spring that I am running in place by the time I see one. I read that they are tubers and you can dig them and store like tender perennials, then plant when the ground is warm. I might try it this year.
You know psychw2, they will take some sun. We have them in full sun areas such as residential entry's in Dallas and they are zone 8. Might just wilt down at 100 degrees or more, just will take more water.
Here's a picture of a different one that is potted.
Trixi
Trixi--I think you are right about the tuber idea. I planted some with a Plumeria last year and when winter came I whacked it all off and just put the Plumeria pot in the garage. Never watered at all until spring.....and they all came back.
Where I have them in ground is part shade part sun and they require less water than the potted ones. In pots they suck up a huge amount of water and tend to take over the pot if you don't whack them back every now and then.
I hope the ones in ground come back next year.
Yes, they are tubers. There is a reason they are called Potato vine - they are potatoes. ;-) Just dig up that area at the end of the year and you will find multiple "potatoes" with the shape of a gangly farmer's sweet potatoes, some as big as a softball.
From what I have heard, they don't survive temperatures much below 50 degrees and rot at temperatures even higher than that if they are moist when dormant. To store them, you need root cellar type enviroment (about 55 degrees) and pretty dry air. Dig them up, wash and let dry for a few days. Then store in paper bags or many people even store them in wood shavings or peat moss.
