Progress on our not-so-dry creek bed

 Well, I know it doesn't look like much, but it's a start.  I'd been wondering how to continue the ditch (still hard to call it a creek at this point) under the fencing, without giving our dog a clear exit point.  The nice discovery was that (duh) the fencing goes down into the ground about 6 in.; and with some strategically-placed rocks in the same spot, we should still have a dog in our backyard.

 I started out drawing a design of the curvature I wanted for the creek, but gave up and just dug.  I like how it turned out and can still adjust if I want.

 Since this last photo, I've doubled the width of this section of creek.  We're debating how wide to make it in the end.

Creating it slowly does have its advantages, esp during our "rainy season."  I'm able to see the grading and how the water flows after each rain, and can make adjustments.  The downside is, the rain ends up washing back in some of the dirt I'd previously excavated.  Not much, but it does feel like two steps forward, one step back.  Onward!

Dry Creek Bed

 This was last fall.

 This was last December.  I pulled up more grass, and just kept digging, so I have a depression at one end (the visual end of the creek) and the "creek" then going alongside our house.  The creek bed's shape is being designed by our kids, as they discover where they like the water to go or not go.

It will be a slow process, but I'm liking the joy I find in this slowness.

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.