Saturday Morning Garden Blogging: Are We Having Fun Yet?

jayden

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Saturday November 14, 2015 · 6:06 AM PST

2015/11/14 · 06:06

jayden for Saturday Morning Garden Blogging

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Saturday June 06, 2015 · 6:00 AM PDT

2015/06/06 · 06:00

Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!

Mexican Flame Vine • Pseudogynoxus chenopodioides

Not quite 40 days and 40 nights

But it might as well have been because it rained a hell of a lot here in Central Texas during the month of May. By now you've probably heard about the horrific 40 foot high flash-flooding along the Blanco River that swept away everything in its path including houses, cars, 500 year-old trees, pets, and entire families. It rained hard and fast and the devastation was unprecedented. Our hearts go out to those who lost so much so quickly in the unforgiving raging waters.
Austin experienced flooding throughout the city but was spared the worst of it compared to surrounding communities. We did set a May record for the amount of rain - almost 18" - and it turned out to be the third wettest month in history for the city. At times the rain was relentlessly torrential and the water would rise faster and faster with each passing storm as the ground became more and more saturated.

One of the local meteorologists likes to remind us that we live in a region which experiences one long drought punctuated by periods of intense flooding. It's the rhythm of life here in Central Texas and you learn to take the good with the bad. Many folks had rightly concluded that it would take a major flooding event to reset the hydro-cycle and that is what happened in May. Reservoirs that were near empty are almost full for the first time in several years and rivers that had grass growing on dried-up riverbeds are flowing again. Creeks are running clean and clear and the aquifers are recharging and replenishing countless springs throughout the Texas Hill Country. Lake Travis rose 38 feet in 30 days with much of it occurring during just a seven day period. It is truly astonishing how quickly the water situation changed from disconcertingly dire to something approaching normal.

Whatever "normal" is anymore anyway...

The rain has finally stopped, the sun is out, and the rivers have quieted again. Everything that wasn't washed away is green and growing. Plants that were smushed and smashed from deluge after deluge are slowly lifting themselves up to face the sunshine again. Some are managing well enough on their own while others are getting a helping hand. I've spent the past few days trimming, cutting, pruning, and generally coaxing flowers and shrubs into recovery mode after weeks of being drenched and waterlogged. As in any garden, some plants are doing better than others but overall everything is looking really good, all things considered.

Pink Fairy Rose

jayden for Saturday Morning Garden Blogging

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Saturday April 04, 2015 · 6:00 AM PDT

2015/04/04 · 06:00

Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!

Prickly Pear Cactus Buds

It sure took you long enough!

After a warm period in January and February we were hit with an unusually late but not totally unprecedented cold streak that lasted several days into March. As a result Spring was delayed a few weeks here in Central Texas but the emergence of the new growing season is finally beginning to pick up steam. Temperatures have been running above average again which apparently is the new normal but at least we've had rain on a somewhat regular basis. In between the springtime showers the days have been bright and mostly sunny which is perfect for generating new energy and bringing life and vitality to the garden.
Bluebonnets are blooming in full force and other wildflowers are starting to make their appearance known in the meadows and along the roadsides. The wonderfully sweet-smelling golden balls of the huisache trees are on stunning display thanks to above average rainfall the past few months whereas the redbuds are already dropping their bright pink buds and leafing out in glorious green. Blackfoot daisies, square bud and pink evening primrose, Georgia blue speedwell, Carolina jessamine, Mexican honeysuckle, and trailing lantana are all showing their vibrant colors and sharing their intoxicating fragrances as well.

And although we're well into the season everything still seems a just bit off so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out in the coming weeks. A little extra patience is definitely in order this year but those of you still dealing with cold and snow already know that!

Blackfoot Daisy • Melampodium leucanthum

jayden

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Thursday February 19, 2015 · 8:45 AM PST

2015/02/19 · 08:45

The good news just keeps on coming on the marriage equality front:

A State Court order from the 167th Judicial District Court in Travis County directs County Clerk Dana Debeauvoir to issue a same-sex marriage license for an Austin couple — the first in the state.
Judge David Wahlberg signed the order Thursday morning, which commands Debeauvoir to immediately “cease and desist relying on the unconstitutional Texas prohibitions against same-sex marriage as a basis for not issuing a marriage license specifically to Plaintiffs Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant,” a same-sex couple living in the state’s capital. One of the women has severe and immediate health concerns.

It is important to note that this order applies only to the medically fragile couple who brought the court action. Any additional licenses issued to same sex couples also must be court ordered.”

source

jayden for Saturday Morning Garden Blogging

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Saturday February 14, 2015 · 6:00 AM PST

2015/02/14 · 06:00

Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!

Livin' Easy Rose

It's Valentine's Day and not only is it the day of boxed chocolates, candy hearts, and cupid's arrow but it's also the day marked on the gardening calendar as a reminder that it's time to prune the garden's most beautiful flower, the rose. Could the date be any more fortuitous? Well at least for those of us living in Central Texas anyway!

Join me below the orange fleur-de-not-a-rose for more about civilization's most beloved and time-honored flower:

jayden for Saturday Morning Garden Blogging

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Saturday July 12, 2014 · 6:00 AM PDT

2014/07/12 · 06:00

Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!

photo IMG_7878-2_zps16d16494.jpg

Flame Acanthus • Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii

Much to almost everyone's delight Austin has yet to hit the 100° mark and we're already well into July. It's a welcome departure from recent summers when the temps soared for days and weeks on end beginning as early as June. It's summertime in Texas so it definitely has been hot 'round these parts but just not that hot! But that's all about to change this weekend with our first 100° day predicted for Sunday. Thankfully the triple digit heat will only last for a day or two. Next week the temps cool back down to the low 90s due to the latest weird and wild weather dubbed "the summer polar vortex" which will sweep south midweek. Y'all will get no complaints from this Central Texan enjoying a few days respite from the summer heat. There is even a chance of rain with the cold front which we desperately need as usual because everything is bone dry again. Hopefully it will also wash some of the Sahara African dust out of the air. The wayward desert sand has been noticeably smudging our beautiful skyline the past few days and causing a bit of misery for those sensitive to poor air quality. It's yet another example of just how interconnected we all are on this spinning orb hurtling through space and time.

And speaking of time...

jayden

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Sunday December 08, 2013 · 4:23 PM PST

2013/12/08 · 16:23

In response to a recent diary about the appearance and thankfully prompt removal of a nativity scene on federal property I wrote this comment:

This crap will end when others begin demanding equal space to display their religious decorations on state grounds. If this stuff is allowed then nothing would please me more than seeing a FSM boiling pot next to the manger.

It may not be the Flying Spaghetti Monster but someone is finally pushing back against religious symbols on the state capitol grounds in Oklahoma. And by pushing back I mean they're applying to erect a monument to their own religious beliefs on the capitol grounds next to the ten commandment monument. In their zeal to prove their righteousness the christianists in Oklahoma have swung the doors wide open to other religious groups including those who worship satan.

Who knew the color of schadenfreude was deep red?

Saturday Morning Garden Blogging :: Vol. 9.38

jayden for Saturday Morning Garden Blogging

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Saturday November 09, 2013 · 6:00 AM PST

2013/11/09 · 06:00

Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!

Sierra Moonrise • Dalea lutea

What a rollercoaster ride the past several weeks have been here in Central Texas. In a very short period of time we went from extended heat waves with temperatures running well above normal for days on end without a single drop of rain to cloudy days, cooler than average temperatures, and lots and lots and lots and lots of rain. The area of the city where I live received over 20" or rain in October. That's 2/3 of our yearly total. Whoa!

I spent all summer dutifully hosing down the garden within the guidelines of the city's stage two watering restrictions in a desperate and often seemingly futile attempt to just keep the garden limping along and barely alive. I was hoping to achieve a minimal Fall bloom at best. But after the unexpectedly bountiful October rains nature has come alive again in Central Texas. The tenacity of plant life never ceases to amaze me and the past few weeks have proven again just how resilient plants can be with a little help from Mother Nature and her finally cooperative rain gods.

Fall is a gorgeous time in Central Texas. Because of our extended growing seasons many plants burst into glorious bloom again with the onset of shorter days, pleasant temperatures, and much cooler nights. Plants love the break from the grind of the summer heat and reward us with an amazing display of autumn color that is barely matched by that of Spring. It more than makes up for the lack of trees changing colors before dropping their leaves. So enough with the boring black and white letters forming flowery phrases and join me below the crushed orange Kosleaf for a brief glimpse of autumn in Austin...

jayden for Saturday Morning Garden Blogging

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Saturday January 12, 2013 · 6:00 AM PST

2013/01/12 · 06:00

Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!

Shrimp Plant ▪ Justicia brandegeana

As life settles back into a more normal post-holiday routine but before the garden season kicks into full gear I thought this would be an opportune time to do the on-line equivalent of pulling out the old slide projector and inviting everyone to have a seat and be prepared to Oooh!! and Aaah!! over a select few of the hundreds of pictures I took when I made a day trip with my sister and BIL to San Antonio during the holidays. So pour yourselves another cup of coffee and grab the last cheese croissant and sit back and enjoy the show!

Is everyone comfy?

When most people think of San Antonio they usually focus on the Alamo and the River Walk, both fascinating and fun places to visit. But lesser known are the other four missions in San Antonio; Mission Espada, Mission San Juan, Mission San José, and Mission Concepción. Initially we had planned on touring the missions the day after Christmas but when we checked the weather forecast we realized it was going to be too cold. Who wants to spend the day sightseeing when it's only 50° outside? That would be insane! So we changed our plans and drove down to San Antonio on Christmas Eve. It was a gorgeous bright and sunny day with temperatures in the upper 60s; picture-perfect weather for a walk in the past.

There is so much amazing history behind the San Antonio missions that it was impossible to read all the pamphlets, placards, signs, and displays during our visit. And if I detailed everything that I learned this diary would be impossibly long for an early Saturday morning. So instead of turning this into a lengthy lesson I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. The tour begins beneath the mess of orange croissant crumbs below.

I saw you brush those crumbs onto the floor. Really, you couldn't use a napkin?

jayden

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Sunday November 04, 2012 · 6:29 PM PST

2012/11/04 · 18:29

Just a friendly heads-up that Rachel Maddow is doing a live show tonight and it's on right now. She's discussing various issues related to the election. She just covered the situation with early voting in Ohio.

I don't know how long she'll be on live tonight. If I find out I'll update.

jayden

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Monday October 29, 2012 · 4:54 PM PDT

2012/10/29 · 16:54

I hope everyone is faring well as Sandy makes landfall. Saturday's SMGB diary was getting too large with all the photos and comments which made it cumbersome for those logging on to DKos via mobile service. We'll be using this diary as a place for SMGBers and all Kossacks who would like to check-in and give us updates as to your well-being during the storm. As a courtesy please refrain from posting any videos or photos at this time.

Saturday Morning Garden Blogging :: Vol. 8.5

jayden for Saturday Morning Garden Blogging

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Saturday March 24, 2012 · 6:00 AM PDT

2012/03/24 · 06:00

Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!

Goldenball Leadtree ▪ Leucaena retus

WTF?

Is it warm enough for you? What a wacky and wild week of weather we've had at the tail end of a winter that barely was. When welso and GUG report that it was downright toasty in Ohio and Connecticut and warmer there than it was here in Central Texas you know something just ain't right. Fortunately the low pressure system sweeping eastward across the country brought Austin almost three inches of still much-needed rain early Monday morning. Since the front barreled through we've had glorious sunny days with bright blue skies and blissfully pleasant temperatures.
The rain and warmth have really pushed Spring into high gear. Surprisingly bountiful bluebonnets are almost at their peak, trees are budding fast and furious, and many of the early bloomers are already waning. The air is perfumed with the sweet intoxicating scent of flowers in bloom and the bees and butterflies are dancing and flitting about in full force and in reassuring numbers.