Fall is Coming!

Fall is coming!  I promise, it is.  I don't know about other parts of the country but here in Texas, namely Austin, it is hot, hot and did I mention it is hot?  I for one am ready for fall and the cooler temps.  I thought I would share a few photos of things that have been blooming in the nursery lately - hope you enjoy!

 The bees don't seem to mind the heat.  They are all over the place which is wonderful.  In this shot they are on the Russian Sage, which is a personal favorite of mine.  I love the colors.

 Aaahhh, the Panicum 'Northwind'.  I know I am not supposed to have favorites, but.... this is one of my favorite grasses.

 The Passion Vine are always a hit- the showy blooms are so intricate and delicate.  I have so many photos of these blooms- just can't get enough of them.

 We do a few specialty Hibiscus, this is one of them.  The blooms are huge and the flowers bright- definite showstoppers.  

 This is my favorite Portulaca.  I mean look at it!  What's not to love???

This one is a hard one to photograph as it isn't the showiest of plants and blooms but the fragrance- if only there were a way to capture the fragrance.  The Almond Verbena- intoxicating.  

 This is turning into a post of my favorite things I am noticing....  this is my all time favorite annual- such a bright pop of color and fun texture and bloom.  We have a few different Celosia, but I am partial to this one.

 The Neobuxbaumia and their crown of blooms- what's not to love?!?

And I will end with some 'Topsy Turvy' Echeveria blooms and a photo of a hummingbird.  

Funny story about this little guy.... I was chasing him for what seemed like hours to get a good shot of him as he zipped around the nursery, and then he stopped and sat on this line right next to me and just hung out for about 5 minutes.  Just sitting there.  He was so close- it was so neat.  I could have reached out and touched him.   It was truly one of the most exciting things to experience.  

 I have been really bad about blogging lately and for that I apologize.  I promise to make an effort to be better and post more often.  I have been posting a lot on Instagram - it is just so easy to just take the photo and pop it up there it has me spoiled.  Anyway, hope you enjoy!   

The Cooler Weather is Coming....Right???????

 I lost count on the days that they say "cooler weather is coming" and it doesn't show... BUT it has been really nice out there.  The mornings are cooler and the afternoons not as hot.  Hey, I'll take it.  The days have been really beautiful.  

I snapped a few photos of this and that- hope you enjoy.  

Above is the 'Lord Baltimore' Hibiscus- such a big bloom- love the pop of red.

If only this could be scratch and sniff.... the Almond Verbena are so fragrant- love the scent.  I have one by the door to the office purely for selfish reasons so I can smell it all day long as I go in and out of the office.  

 I love how these look like little heads of lettuce.

 Again with the red, I just love red in a garden.

 The 'Sticks of Fire' have started showing color, see, the mornings ARE cooler.... if it'd just stay like that.....

The butterflies are all over the place.  Above on the Lantana, they don't have a clear favorite right now bouncing around from bloom to bloom, me chasing them with my camera....

Once it DOES cool down,

 I will fill up posts with the succulents and echeveria doing their cooler weather color changes!!!!

A Very Late GBBD Post

Better late than never right?
Or I can just say here what has been showing off lately.  =0)

 The hummingbirds are out and about and just so much fun to watch. 

 Never ever do I tire watching them.

 The Palo Verde's are blooming away- such a great tree- ours is HUGE.

 The Bottlebrush are blooming- no wonder how they got their name.  

 The Almond Verbena are as fragrant as ever. 

 The Sesbania are blooming away as well.  Also known as the Rattlebox Tree and if you have ever shook their seed pods you know why…..

And last but not least- the crown not of thorns but of blooms on the Golden Saguaro Cactus.  These guys never disappoint. 

Hope everyone has had a great summer and yes, can you stand it, fall is almost here.

Hard to believe it s back to school time and Labor Day is almost here.  That always for me marks the end of summer.

Thank You Austin Herb Society

I won! I won! I won! 

My first time ever to win anything and look at the beautiful vase I won!

We recently became sponsors of the Austin Herb Society and were invited to a luncheon this past Tuesday.   I must say, I had the nicest time.  (not only because I won, though that didn't hurt).

The Austin Herb Society is a group of people in the Austin area that (quoting their pamphlet) are dedicated to educating members and the community about herbs, including propagation, landscaping, history, folklore and the culinary, medicinal and decorative uses of herbs.   They have meetings throughout the year and even have a culinary group that meets.   Once a month they have a guest speaker and I was fortunate enough to be present to hear Judy Barrett speak on "Treasuring our Heirlooms: Herbs and Beyond".  

She is a very talented and personable speaker and had me along with the crowd laughing through her stories while at the same time receiving valuable and interesting information.

After the speech we were all asked to look under our chairs to see if we had a number and I did!!!  Lucky number 7!  

I can not think of a better prize to win other than a beautiful vase to remember my experience.  I brought it back to the nursery and filled it with a few of my favorites- the Almond Verbena, Mystic Spires Salvia, Red Turks Cap (I admit the pink is my favorite but with this mix I opted for the red) and the Thyrallis.  I think they make a stunning arrangement to which I plan to keep out on display in the office.   I am already planning out my next grouping.

Thank you to all the nice people that I met that helped make it an enjoyable day. 

If you would like information on the Austin Herb Society, please visit their website at 

Austin Herb Society .