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Welcome to austinagrodolce … My family and I garden with more intention and enthusiasm than allocated budget or overall design plan. It shows. Wildlife populations don't seem to notice our lack of cohesive design, they just like the native plants here. It seems by growing local we've thrown out a welcome mat. Occasionally, we're surprised at who (and what) shows up.



Sunday, August 3, 2014

Widely weeded!

I am absolutely thrilled to post photos of the main garden paths this month.  I want order! I want clear views! And now (for the moment) I have them because the paths that take you into and around the garden beds proper?  They are by golly weeded. At long (LONG) last!  Here's the overhead:

A closer view looking from the northernmost bench.  I never noticed it before but from this angle the view reminds me of the prow of a ship.  A weeded ship.

Batting last for the back views?  A look at CandyLand, where "Gold dust" acuba japonica, Spathiphyllum and bromeliad blooms all brighten the shade.

Heading out front, a glimpse from the top of the drive towards the street.
Monarda citriodora (Lemon beebalm), Ratibida columnifera (Mexican hat) and Ratibida peduncularis (Prairie coneflower) have all gone to seed.  Their sere stems look a bit untidy but I am leaving them unpruned. The birds can have their fill and hopefully knock enough seed to the ground to assure a new crop next year.  My blue "cheater pot" with pink and white vinca provides a pop of color while verything else is biding its time, just coasting through these, the hottest weeks of the year.  We are all, plants and planters alike, looking forward to Fall!

Here is the back of the front view looking towards the street from the other side of the drive:
Tropical sage all along the driveway is just beginning to bloom.  It was knocked down pretty hard by the cold last winter and has been slower than usual coming back.  I'm happy to have it finally reasserting itself and look forward to the cheerful plumes of pink flowers that are on their way.  The view is much better when this slope is in bloom but even without flowers I think this looks much more interesting than lawn.  

And that's it for this month's wide shots.  Thanks as always to Heather of Xericstyle for hosting the meme each month.  If you'd like to be part of the fun, simply post your own wide shots (weeded or not!) and link back to her wide shot post (when it appears) in the comments section.  Hope to see you there.

Now, I'm off with a cup of coffee to sit on my garden benches and enjoy the fruits of my weeding labors.  Have a lovely August, all!   

10 comments:

Linda/patchwork said...

A big high five, for getting that weeding done! Looks great.

I need to be doing that in the veggie garden.

TexasDeb said...

Linda: Thank you - it was a job long overdue. I'm hopeful now the paths are clear I can work to keep them that way rather than letting things go long enough to get so weeded in again.

That's the plan, anyway. I love that AFTER I got the paths weeded the temperatures cooled off. No matter - I never lack for work to do here!

Unknown said...

Looks great! All that weeding has certainly paid off! Hopefully in the upcoming (cooler?) months, you can enjoy your time moving plants around and trying out new plants instead of spending all your gardening time weeding. I know I certainly am, but haven't quite finished up with all the weeding yet. Enjoy!

TexasDeb said...

Rebecca: Thank you! Weeding is a necessary evil of course, but trying out new plants and moving others around is sure a lot more fun.

It is ridiculous of course, but I tend to think of myself as a clever gardener when I get a plant in a good spot for it and it thrives. Whenever a plant doesn't do so well? That's because of an unfavorable microclimate, nothing to do with me! : )

Tina said...

Nice!! Weeding is wonderful. It's too bad that gardens can't do that for themselves, but, oh well. I love your Candy Land area--we all need an area like that--the cheap thrill plants that gardeners love to love. I agree that your front area is more interesting than grass. Do post pics when it's in bloom; that shouldn't be too long from now!

TexasDeb said...

Tina: Ha! I think maybe you just came up with your second monthly meme: Cheap Thrills!

Honestly I think just about ANYthing is more interesting than grass though I do love that we have just a bit of the green stuff remaining. It sure is great for romping with my son's puppy.

Debra said...

Wootini! and grats on a job well done. Gorgeous shots.

TexasDeb said...

Thanks, Deb. I'll admit to spending a bit of time outside standing and gloating over the cleared paths. Of course, I do that after I've pulled out the nut grass already reappearing there. Nut grass is the worst!

Mary Linton said...

Looks great! I love the "ship" in the back. That jewel toned bed of bromeliads is a stunner.

Behind every gorgeous Austin fall garden, there is a gardener who braved the heat to tame it at the end of summer... Enjoy the pretty, weed-free days ahead!

TexasDeb said...

Mary: True words, those. No garden in these parts is going to look its best in the fall without a little pre-emptive editing in the late summertime by the gardener.

Thanks so much for stopping in. I look forward to watching your butterfly garden grow along with your newest family member!