Blooms and garden life.

Spring has arrived. The world is in love. Plants are showing off their blooms, bees are busy pollinating, butterflies swirl around looking for a good host for their offspring and bird mamas teach their young the ways of the world.  Such an abundance of life…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Everyone of us is different and we appreciate different visual experiences. I like natural and simple landscapes that meander and lead you to different spaces, hidden pockets, places you can re-visit and feel like you are discovering something new every time. I like to combine the practical and beautiful. I like gardens to be alive with wildlife – birds signing, butterflies dancing in the air, bees buzzing, lizards basking in the sun.

I wanted to share some landscape photos in hope that you will find one or two that will appeal to you and inspire you to transform your own space into an oasis as defined by your needs and wants. Don’t be afraid to make your garden truly your own. Design it the way you live it.

Spring blooms and garden visitors…

Spring is such an exciting time.  Everything is coming back to life and the garden is just exploding with life. Blooms, new foliage, wildlife… It is so refreshing to step outside and discover something new happening every day. New blooms, new growth, new creatures. Enjoy while it lasts!

Is it spring yet?

This morning I walked to the front yard and was amazed to see about 30 to 40 North American Robins. I have seen several robins in close proximity before, but never so many of them and I have to admit I felt like the scene was a little out of this world. They seemed to have been everywhere – on the lawn, the driveway, the trees… Robins are here! Is it spring yet?

Nature seems to think that the spring is around the corner. Roses are flushing with new growth, trees and shrubs have buds ready to explode with color, foliage and scent and I’ve just noticed this morning that our quince is blooming.

And if the weather will continue to be mild we might actually get some loquats this year. Usually fruit does not develop due to low winter temperatures, but this winter has been exceptionally warm and I’ve noticed the fruit forming on the loquat tree.

It is fascinating to observe nature changing. Both exciting and addictive.  Sharing it with our readers is equally rewarding.

My favorite project – new addition.

Remember my favorite project? We just finished a meandering stone path there… It leads from the gate to the landing by the back patio, and then towards the pool patio. Large flagstones define the space and make it both function and visually appealing. It is hard to photograph such a path unless you can do it from a distance, but I hope the photos will give you an idea of what this path looks like and how it curves and meanders throughout the landscape.

Help your garden survive the drought.

It is time we stopped and listened to Mother Nature is telling us. We don’t have unlimited resources and the weather patterns are changing. And so we need to change our way of thinking and doing things. The drought that has started in 2011 continues, and we need to adjust accordingly. We need to learn how to deal with extreme weather.

 Re-evaluate your landscaping. It is important to take the following things into account when designing or re-evaluating your   landscaping:

Purple coneflower

- check if the existing plants are native or well adapted to your area,

- prepare your soil right,

- always mulch,

- go organic and don’t forget to feed your plants to help them survive stress,

- use drip irrigation or hand water if feasible,

- create pockets in the garden that serve different roles, both visually and practically,

- don’t forget about wildlife (and don’t forget that wildlife means more than just birds),

- capture rain water,

Butterfly milkweed

- and lastly, don’t forget about your trees – they are extremely valuable and they are suffering! We tend to let trees take care of themselves. Because of their size we think that they can survive just about anything and need not our help. This is far from the truth. Trees are our great resource in so many ways – the clean the air, the add value to landscapes, they provide habitats for wildlife, act as sound barriers, produce oxygen, and help us save energy.

 

One of my favorite project. See why!

I love landscaping – design, installation, maintenance… All of it. It is my passion and I can truly say that I love what I do for a living. But that does not mean that  I don’t enjoy some projects more than others.

We have been working on the landscape presented on the images below for a few months now. It is a wonderful space – tranquil, peaceful, filled with wildlife. The space is divided into different parts that all come together, but have many pockets that create a secret garden feeling.  The space is accentuated by statuary, benches and bird baths. The natural stone paths invite to meander and discover the hidden treasures. The garden is very natural, laid back (the front naturally being more formal than the back), but without the look of being wild and unkempt. Different textures, colors, angles, layers add to the interest. This space is never boring!

Holiday season adventures and New Year wishes.

Sometimes things just happen… unexpectedly, inconveniently, just when we think we have reached our limits.

Last week my husband discovered two abandoned chickens on the lot next door. Naturally, we adopted them. Meet Martha and Mabel.

          

     

Later on that day my husband was cleaning his truck when he felt a dog rubbing against his legs. Initially he thought it was one of our dogs , but then he looked down… Meet Orion.

       

We started with a small veggie garden, a dog and a few cats. Over the years our family has expanded to 5 dogs (and Orion who is looking for a loving home), 5 cats and two chickens. We have a feeling this is not the end of our adventures in the city… We hope to move to the country one day, have a little land and expand both our garden and our animal family.

We are looking forward towards the spring… the new beginning. Ready to grow and harvest, enjoy the outdoors and spend time with our animals. Ready to start a new landscaping season – our company Happy Gardens is growing and we are hopeful for the future.

Holiday season brought joy and new challenges to our life. We hope the New Year will bring prosperity and health, to all of us.

Happy New Year!

Texas rock rose – rolling with the punches.

There are many plants that do well in north Texas. And then there are a few that do fantastic. Texas rock rose (pavonia lasiopetala) is one of them. I have one in my front yard. It is, to be perfectly honest, neglected and left to its own devices.  It is in full sun and in poor soil. I watered it only once in the last 4 months.  Since we’re experiencing a prolonged drought, and have hardly had any rain this summer, I expected it to decline. Not die – I knew it would survive – but decline. Apparently I have underestimated it. Every morning it is covered in blooms. It satisfies my appetite for color this summer, while most things look like they are about to wither and die. This is a tough little native. Give it room as it tends to spread and make it a showpiece. It deserves it.

Texas rock rose

Invasive plants – why should you care?

There is not enough awareness when it comes to invasive plants. We tend not to see the harm in planting an invasive plant precisely because it seems so harmless. How can a plant hurt anything?

An “invasive species” is defined as ‘an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental hard or harm to human health.’ (Executive Order 13112). 

Scabiosa

An invasive species spreads, establishes its presence and takes over an ecosystem. It does not co-exist, it overtakes, chokes out the native species and diminishes biodiversity. It is devastating to the native ecosystems and costly to control.  Did you know? ”Invasive species are a significant threat to almost half of the native species currently listed as federally endangered.”  Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Why should we care? Because native plants and habitats are important to our identity, sense of place and survival. To preserve ecosystems and biodiversity which are vital to our planet’s health.

Information about invasive species is spread out and often confusing. It is important to know the invasives for your particular region. Some website list them by state, some go as far as listing them by county. Below are some useful links to invasives in Texas.

Trees of Texas – Aggressive Invaders

Invasive Plants of Texas

Texas Invasive Species

Eco Alerts by Region

Central Texas Invasive Plants

Invasive Plants in Southern Forests

Some of the invasives are sold by nurseries and many buyers are unaware of the plant’s nature. Purple loosestrife and nandina are two fairly well known examples. Sterile varieties of some invasive species are available and can be used safely in the landscape. Some of the invasives might be a surprise to you – vitex and Brazilian vervain in Cross

Purple Loosestrife. Photo by Greencolander.

Timbers and Prairies region (which includes Fort Worth) and scabiosa in Blackland Prairies region (which includes Dallas and Waco) are among a few that I was not aware of until recently.

Growers and sellers should be aware that they can be fined $500 per banned plant, so it is crucial to educate and raise awareness. It is also important to note that the plants on the banned list are defined broadly as species, and sterile varieties are not excluded as of yet. Read more about Texas cracking down on invasives.