Grass continuing to go

Just a progressive account of the disappearance (deliberate) of our lawn.  I decided to relocate the turf to the back of our garage, where we just had mulch.  Even if it doesn't spring back, it'll be something less likely to get worn down by the dog, when she makes her turn arounds after catching balls.

 This wavy pattern was abandoned as you'll see a few photos down for one that makes a full circle with the other side of limestone trim.

 Just bags of cedar mulch from Lowe's and voila.  The only thing I've found tricky with a mulch "lawn" is that you can't spot poop as easily.  Now for the other side of our front lawn (actually that's almost done...but haven't got pics of that yet).

A happy goodbye to grass

It's clear that around our part of north central Austin, others are getting the same idea this summer: get rid of the grass, and "furnish" the yard instead.  I like the idea of furnishing our yard.  Grass was the easy way for me of dealing with space on our property, but the water it requires is so hard to justify in a drought year, or any other year in Texas for that matter.

Without grass, you have to think about "furniture" like paths, plants, rocks, a dry creekbed, maybe? All fun things for kids.  Natural playscaping.  I love this idea.  Of course grass is soft and easy to play on, yes.  So we're keeping, for now, a patch in the back yard that will be just big enough for a slip and slide, etc.

We've asked our "old" landscaper to come back and help with the design of a dry creekbed that will wrap around the side of our house, visually beginning in the back.  Another vision is rain capture - rain barrels under our gutters, the overflow of which will spill into the creek bed.  For whenever rain does happen to fall here.

I started pulling up the grass today, and it was like taking up dry carpet.  It came up so easily, I was surprised.  Goodbye grass!

Fall Joys

Here are some of the reasons I love our second Spring here in Austin.  Especially one that began, at least, with a lot of rain.

Esperanza (hope) or Yellow Bells - at last!

The giant Muhlys have never looked more spectacular

American Beautyberry - mockingbirds love these berries, and you can make jam from them.

Mexican blue sage - velvety soft and plentiful

I just couldn't believe how these things erupted in purple once fall hit

Yeay! My Yellow Bells or Esperanza finally bloomed and bloomed and continued to grow taller...

The star attraction, clearly, for me! 

Where's the yellow in this picture?

Howdy, Garden bloggers,
Check out these yellow bells ... but wait, you say, where's the yellow?  In fact, where are the bells?  These are two plants that just love the space and sun, clearly.  But seem to not want to bloom.  I planted them last Spring, so I figured, surely by now.   Maybe I'll call the Natural Gardener and see what they can tell me.

What blooms in over 100 degrees?

Here's what: Pride of Barbados (by far the winner); catmint (in purple, tho not prolifically now; but our cat does love to roll in it);

sunflowers (we took most of them out of our median, but it was amazing how long these guys lasted);

morning glory (of course they curl up during the day);

society garlic (just keeps on going, unlike the rest of us who are all wilting),

and beds of yellow lantana, which get almost no water.

Here's what's not making it: our banana plant (actually, too sad to show pictured).  Too much pm sun and I'm unwilling to pour water on it, which it begs for; I'm debating whether to just let it die, or move it somewhere else, but where?
So the quest continues: what to shade the west side of our screened in porch with?  I'm thinking a crossvine, but I have to look for a simple grating, and be handy enough to install it next to a screen wall, that will need replacing now and then.

Let's Go Bananas

I have been asking visitors: what type of plant would best screen our back porch from the afternoon heat?  One common answer: try a banana plant or two.  So I bought one at Barton Springs Nursery for $24.99 - a "red banana."  Compared to the green, the leaves are, surprise, reddish, and a little more ornamental.

They helped me stuff it into our small sedan, with my daughter sitting in her car seat, happily hiding under one of its leaves all the way home.

The red or green won't produce fruit unfortunately (I was told) unless they can make it through several winters without dying down.  But it's still a striking thing to have in the back - it's the first tropical I've actually put in the ground, so I feel I'm going a little against my original goal of having only native plants.

Keeping it well watered was a concern of mine, until I realized that it is very close to the dog's water bowl, as well as the hose.  I love how I got our dog in mid-leap over our sprinkler, in the background of the first photo.

I first tried putting it in a galvanized tin tub, but decided it would be better off in the ground, and be better protected come winter.

I figure if I can get about 5 more, we'll have that whole porch nicely screened!

Still Life

My still life photos are rare, especially now my life is faster than ever.  This scene practically made itself, I did a double take as I walked past the dining room table.  Roses from the side of the house, with purple verbena.