Heirloombulbgirl

Tag: Gardening blog

  • A Gift of Wood’s Rose

    My Spring Break started the same as any other week. Violin lessons and gardening. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We are still recovering from the ridiculous late freeze that bit all the garden’s new spring growth. The ever-present challenge of Texas gardening is likened to a new intense level of Jimanji, with temperatures reaching upwards of 90 degrees soon after the freeze. Luckily, Luciano, my former student and garden helper extraordinaire, was in town for his Spring Break. The gardens were in need of Luciano’s gentle ways (I can be more like a rabid squirrel).

    ”Would you like some roses? I have a few that I started from seed.”

    Would I?! Music to my ears! (My rose garden is still recovering from the gophers). I did not realize that I was actually being gifted with over 10 beautiful little baby roses!!! Everything Luciano touches grows. Apparently, in between his horticultural collegiate studies, he found time to grow roses from a few rose hips. The rose hips were off of an old, established Wood’s Rose. I was not familiar with this rose, but from everything I’ve read, they look perfectly suited for our area. Luciano is amazing.
    I have secret plans that he will take over the Agape Haus gardens when I retire, but that’s for another day.

    I have a lot to do this week in the garden. In addition to planting the remaining Wood’s Roses, I will be pulling weeds and trying not to hurt my hands in the process. In my continuous effort to be intentional and NOT behave like a squirrel, I am *trying* to take small areas to tackle the weeds. After I pull the unwanted weeds, I am applying a nice, thick layer of organic mulch. In larger areas, I’m going to use the good ‘ol moist cardboard method. It was an unusually poor wildflower season due to the lack of rain. Few flowers with a lot of seeding grasses. I did manage to get my wildflower habitat started, with little to no flowers, but at least it is outlined with old Live Oak limbs and looks hip. I’ve never had the luxury of just kicking back in small areas before and focus….I typically am running around looking for my shovel.
    Baby steps, Dr. Venkman. Baby steps.
    As I tell my family, “See the Growth” both literally and figuratively. 🙂

    Happy Gardening, my friends!
    Shout-out to Anna, a fellow Crinum lover. She requested some Crinum babies for herself and a friend. I love this.

  • The Unglamorous Dig

    There is not a lot of glamour in a spontaneous dig such as this. Actually, there is no glamour. It’s gross and dirty. Like my Mother, I worry about random snakes and spiders. When I unknowingly spot tear-downs, I am typically on my way somewhere important…dressed up for a concert, rehearsal or a wedding. Obviously without a shovel.

    This week, on my way to a Palm Sunday rehearsal, I noticed the bulldozer. The beautiful daffodil bed had already been flattened. After rehearsal (around 10 pm), I pulled up the loose bulbs out of the rubble. I was tired, but simply couldn’t imagine letting the bulbs dry up and die on the ground. I went by the old house the very next morning with a shovel, gloves and a few bags. I loaded up three bags full of very old daffodil bulbs, got them watered and placed them in a barn to rest.

    House tear-downs always make me sad. No matter how delapitated a house is, there is something inside my heart that wants to save it. I want things to stay exactly the way they always were. I want old picket fences, my Grandparents’ way of life and pass-along plants. I suppose I inherited my Dad’s love of old architecture and all the nostalgia that goes along with it.

    The old daffodil house had been run down for a long time. I was fortunate enough to meet the original owner’s son many moons ago. I was given permission to salvage some of the daffodils, as the house itself had an unknown future. I was happy to oblige and later shared daffodils with friends.

    There was nothing monumental in this dig. The world wasn’t changed and cancer wasn’t cured. I didn’t even reinvent the wheel. I didn’t hop fences or rip my jeans on barbed-wire. There were no rattlesnakes, no exciting details or I didn’t even dig up cool, rare flower bulbs. This was just an average dig to save some very old (and common) daffodil bulbs.
    I chronicle digs (no matter how glam) with pictures. I like to have evidence that once upon a time, a gardener lived at an old house and loved her flowers. After all, we are all just caretakers of our gardens and stewards of the Lord’s creation.

    Happy Gardening, my friends.

  • Let the Crinum Season Begin!

    Ah….Just look at that gorgeous flower! The Queen of the Southern garden! She rests most of the year, and shines in full glory when it’s her season to bloom. Her bulbs are big and her blooms are stunning. There is not a single flower in my garden that can out-perform a Crinum.

    To be honest, I wasn’t expecting any of my Crinum to bloom in early March. The weather in Texas is still quite undecided. Within a single week, gardeners can experience a nice spring afternoon, a hot summer sweat-fest or a crisp 33 degree winter day. Somehow, flower bulbs know when it’s their turn to bloom. I find this impressive because I typically can’t even find appropriate clothes to wear for each new Texas day. Texas weather is a mystery, just like my husband’s golf game. Crinum are a lot more secure in their glory and worry-not about the weather or their short game.

    There are countless varieties of Crinum. I have found that only Crinum experts can really decipher the slight differences between each variety. I am not an expert at anything except annoying my husband (world champion) and losing my studio key (I climb through the window at least once a week). I am the first to admit that I have no clue what the proper names of the Crinum in my garden. Most of my Crinum came from old homestead tear-downs, or they have been given as gifts. Over the years, I have researched and read up on Crinum, but I still feel a sense of insecurity with the subtle differences. Instead, I have my Crinum marked with descriptors such as “Early Bloom Milk & Wine” or “Pale Petite Milk & Wine”. Most of the Crinum I grow are varieties of Milk & Wine, I also enjoy Ellen Bosenquat, Alba and many other unique unknowns.

    If you desire to create a Crinum garden from scratch, it is advisable to find some Crinum seed pods and start the germination process. Since mature Crinum bulbs can be upwards to $75.00, finding fellow gardeners to share seed pods is quite helpful to the ‘ol pocketbook. One of those “fellow gardeners” is the creative writer of this little blog. I have more little Crinum bulbs than I know what to do with. I’m happy to send you a few Crinum bulbs to start your garden out. I have about 300 young Crinum that were started from an old Milk & Wine variety 3 years ago. They will grow into blooming size in a few years, with love and care. Crinum are like children…long-term investments, but each new season is wonderful.

    Happy Gardening, my friends! Feel free to reach out if you’d like some Crinum. 🙂

  • Sometimes It’s Best To Just Buy The Book

    After 10 months of pure regret, I finally found it. I had the chance to buy the beautiful book in a delightful little bookstore in Cornwall, England, but no. I had to sit in my regret for 10 long months, pining after the book I should’ve bought. Searching endlessly for a book that had “beautiful flowers and drawings of wildflowers in Cornwall” (the only information I remembered about a book with an unknown title or author).
    I had *almost* given up the search until Amazon swooped in and saved the day. In my quest to save a penny while on vacation, I ended up buying not just one, but two gorgeous books…plus shipping and handling. I should’ve just bought the book while in England.

    I’m not materialistic. I like my simple treasures that I collect…heirloom bulbs and heirloom china, unique floral books and violin music books. I like old pottery bowls and flower pots too, but my husband thinks I have enough (which is quite true). After I lost my original flower book collection, I have enjoyed slowly adding back. My perspective on “things” changed. I must have meaning behind each item I purchase. Nothing frivolous can enter my home. In fact, each time I purchase something, the question of “Is this a necessity or just a frivolous find” enters my mind. Unfortunately, my love of thrift store shopping doesn’t have any kind of discernment. It’s all fun and fabulously frivolous. There is a hidden price tag for everything, whether monetary or a disapproving glance from my minimalist husband.

    So I didn’t buy the book in the quaint, little bookstore in England, which was a completely dumb choice.

    A book like this is more than a simple purchase. This book represents time spent along the beach with my Mother and daughter. This book represents chatting with a group of older Cornish women about their gardens and ponds, while sipping hot tea. This book represents the beautiful walks we took throughout Penryn and the countless little bulbs that grew right out of ancient rock walls. This book holds my trip to Cornwall close to my heart. I can now revisit this beautiful part of the world in in a moments notice. My soul is filled.


    Next time you have a chance to buy that special book that delights your soul, just do it.

    Just buy the book.

    You will never regret the moments spent reading a good book. Then go outside and dig. Digging is also good for your soul 🙂

    Happy Gardening, my friends!

  • Are You My Mother?


    Many moons ago, I had chickens, pigeons and ducks at my little music studio. A little unorthodox, but children loved it. Early on, before the gardens were planted at the Agape Haus, the fowl were the ones who told the stories. I had chickens raising ducks and a pigeon who believed I was his soul mate. It was so cool to drive up to the studio each morning, greeted by a pigeon who actually recognized my car, and flew to me. The children at the studio felt like the Agape Haus belonged in a Disney movie.

    Then there was a little Momma pigeon, Penelope, who loved to take over chicken nests. I’m not sure why she didn’t just hatch her own eggs, but each day I had to pull chicken eggs out from under her. The chickens typically laid eggs in strange places, even though there were plenty of nesting boxes.

    A few weeks went by and I hadn’t seen Penelope sitting on a chicken nest.

    “Finally! She’s moved on!”

    Then one day, I walked into the coop and heard chirping. I looked around and couldn’t see a hen in sight, or the baby chick for that matter. I looked up into the rafters and..what in the world?

    Sweet Penelope Pigeon actually hatched a baby chick!

    Penelope not only hatched a chicken egg, but somehow fed the little chick with pigeon milk. The beautiful baby chick was over a week old, completely fat and happy. I had seen a lot of things with pigeons and chickens, but never did I imagine something like this. I carefully lifted the baby chick out of the rafters, away from her foster pigeon momma. I knew that Penelope would soon start flying lessons, which would not end well for the chick. I found a chicken with a new clutch that graciously accepted the baby chick as her own. To this day, I’ve never seen a fatter baby chick.

    Penelope did eventually go on and raise two beautiful baby pigeons, but only after more chicken nest experiences.
    Raising up the next generation is certainly one of the most noble ambitions anyone can have.

    Motherhood is beautiful, even for a Pigeon named Penelope.

    Life is amazing.

    Happy Gardening, my friends!

  • My New Favorite Thing

    I’m completely obsessed. I finally found some plant markers that are cute, economical AND gopher-proof. (I’d like to see those little rats try to eat these markers). After marking 200 native plants and heirloom bulbs, I realized I greatly low-balled the Amazon order. I really need 20,000 plant markers. In less than a week, I’ve become a plant marking fool. My newest garden obsession is to mark EVERY SINGLE PLANT in the garden.

    Garden obsessions are not new to me. Oh no, quite the contrary. I’m like a Forest Gump when he is first shown a “ping pong” ball. I get completely locked in. I go after my newest and latest gardening obsession like a starved dog that attacks a bone. I’m all in. If I have spotted an old teardown with a bulldozer near by, I will dig the bulbs in the pouring rain until every last bulb has been saved. If I decide to move rock to line pathways, then I move literally every single rock on my entire property. Later, if I decide I don’t like rocks on the pathway, I obsessively move all the rocks back to who knows where (just off the pathway) in record time, I might add. Unfortunately, garden obsessions are not synonymous with common sense. I’m hoping the new plant markers will bring a level of garden mainstay.

    Garden obsessions can be very helpful, especially since gardens are seasonal. If we behave like garden-slugs, and don’t complete our gardening “to-do” list, sweet seasonal rewards are missed. If wait too long to get our potatoes in the ground, then we reap no potatoes. If we wait too long to sow wildflower seeds, then we reap no Spring color. If we wait to plant a Live Oak Tree, then our grand-children will have no shade to play under. Garden obsessions get the garden chores completed in the season you are currently in. There is no “Tomorrowland” in gardening. Seasons wait for no one. The train has left the station, and you are either taking a beautiful ride or you are left behind in the dust.

    And that, my friends, is why it is nice to have a little healthy garden obsession. I prefer to ride the ride. I want to eat fresh potatoes and have wildflowers bloom in my butterfly habitat. I want beautiful pathways with plants and bulbs outlined in pretty rock circles. I want all my plant babies labeled and cared for. And I want the gophers to go somewhere deep down in the center of the earth, with fire and brimstone. Too much?

    Happy Gardening, my friends. It is time to get locked in.. Spring is coming! What is YOUR newest garden obsession? Send me a message and I will send you a little package of my favorite bulb..the Oxblood Lily 🙂

  • Gopher Baskets 101 (and how to not break your pitchfork in the process)

    Yesterday was the day I decided to try out my gopher baskets. I was excited to plant some Antique Roses, and had not planned on moving any existing plants. Gardening-Fate, otherwise known as ADHD, had other plans. While relocating the large rock on the pathways to other locations, which I do at least once a season for no reason, I soon discovered that my Pink Spider Lilies were looking a bit droopy. Definitely not normal for this time of year. I gave them a drink and sure enough….a d&@!m gopher hole.

    Gophers feast on the roots of cherished plants and bulbs. Gophers are telepathic and know exactly which plants are your favorite. Apparently, your favorite plants taste the best. Unfortunately, you won’t know that gophers are feasting until it’s too late. One day, the plant or rose bush looks great. The next day it’s wilted, falling over and you can lift the bush right out the ground with your pinky finger.

    I grabbed the 5 gallon baskets first. After all, I bought four boxes worth. Let me just put this out there… The 5 gallon basket was really a .5 gallon basket. And I have small hands.

    So I went back inside, lost my gloves for the third time, and grabbed the 10 or 15 gallon baskets. Those would do. I started to dig. It was a sludge pit from all the water I tried to drown the sweet gophers with. In less than 5 minutes, my pitchfork snapped. My bulb-digging pride was a bit hurt. I only break shovels on large Crinum.
    I told a few people of my first gopher basket experience, and their response was all the same…

    “Would you like to borrow one of my shovels?”

    “You’re missing the point. I broke my shovel on SPIDER lilies”

    They didn’t get it, and just stared at me blankly.

    With shovel #2 and gopher basket #2, I finally got the lily bulbs out of the sludge. I filled the basket partially full with soil and aged leaf mold compost. I put the bulbs on top, careful not to disturb the roots. I dug a new large hole under a deciduous tree and planted the entire basket. I still need to mulch around the basket to hide the wire mesh, but for now everything is good to go. I think the lilies will be happy in their new location and I am satisfied knowing these lovelies won’t be chewed on any longer.

    My “take aways”….

    *First, I’m not a professional gardener. If I was a professional, I would’ve planted these bulbs (and all the other plants) in gopher baskets long ago.

    *Second, don’t water the plants you are moving until they are cozy, nestled in their new basket of protection. Mud is too heavy to stuff into a basket. And shovels are too expensive to constantly replace.

    *Third, don’t order 5 gallon baskets. The small baskets are for child’s play. Get the larger baskets.

    *last, Gardening is a humbling experience. It’s ok to admit defeat and try something new. Remember, the only one who knows everything is the gopher, so keep on keeping on.

    Happy Gardening, my friends!

  • Gopher Baskets for the Roses

    A fairly unknown fact is that I once had a rose garden that was featured in a 3 page article in the Dallas Morning News Garden Section. True story! I absolutely adore Antique Roses. My Dallas garden was home to over 43 beloved Antique Rose Bushes, intermingled with fabulous Heirloom Bulbs. It was my joy. My little neighborhood watched the garden transformation through all three of my pregnancies. My husband was often questioned by neighbors if I really should be jumping on a shovel at 9 months pregnant in the heat of August. Those were good rose-growing times! Fresh flower bouquets of big and fluffy cabbage-style rose blooms. Children learning about the different varieties of Antique Roses, and my husband losing all control over his front yard grass.

    I now live in the Texas Hill Country (enough said). Over the last decade, I have tried to grow over 40 bushes in the gopher-infested land. All I did was create a gopher buffet. It’s not *if* they will eat my roses, but when. The gophers have wiped out every single rose bush I have planted…except one. Not great odds are in my favor. I’ve tried everything, and I mean everything. I even have a useless barn cat.

    This last week, I have stepped up my gopher-game. With a little click on Amazon, I ordered a nice supply of wire mesh gopher baskets. I had no idea gopher baskets were even a thing. Why didn’t someone tell me I didn’t have to make my own out of cut chicken wire?!! I’m quickly learning that Amazon is like Christmas every morning. The baskets arrived yesterday and I’m SO EXCITED! I have 5 bushes, saved in the nick of time, currently resting and regrowing roots in terracotta pots.
    Before Spring hits, I plan to basket up all the roses and the nice, young specimen plants I’ve recently planted. I will have to re-dig and re-plant.
    Typical.

    I also plan to basket up many of my bulbs. Gophers enjoy eating the roots of Spider Lilies, but will leave the Oxbloods alone. (Oxbloods are supposed to be toxic).

    With the water well and the gopher baskets, it will be SO enjoyable to watch the gardens finally take root. I often tell folks that gardening is like learning music, it is a journey not a race. But it’s also nice to see a completed garden project. A job well done is quite satisfying.

    I wonder if I will ever experience the thrill of a finished project? Take a look at my gardens and you will quickly find out the answer! 🙂

    Happy Gardening, my friends!

  • The Backwards Garden

    “Mr. Privilege, It’s a Laramie… No, that’s not right.”

    ”You’re upside down, Sir.”

    The iconic scene in the 1970’s movie ‘What’s Up Doc’ is a perfect way to describe the gardens at the Agape Haus Music Studio. I am the first to admit that I did everything backwards. It is now the 8th Winter after the flood, and I am *still* finding, moving and discovering plants and bulbs that were hurriedly dumped at the music studio. Call it a continuous Easter Egg hunt for adult gardeners. I also like to move plants around like other people move their furniture, so no plant is safe from my shovel.

    I garden backwards…

    I’m upside down.

    I am the upside down gardener who creates nothing out of something, and I like it. I like the challenge of being completely unorganized and nonsensical. I like having a garden full of only foliage, questioning my own sanity at any given moment. Basically, I just really like my sweet little backwards garden. 🙂

    If you are up for the challenge, here are a few illogical steps to create your very own backwards garden. Trust me, it’s fun.

    1. Get some flower bulbs (the more the better) and plant them anywhere in your yard.
    2. Don’t mark your flower bulbs because that would be too logical. If you do happen to mark the random clumps of bulbs, make sure to use labels will either come off or get rubbed off. If your markers *do* last an entire season, invite the gophers to chew up your wooden markers (the ones that you hand painted). Spouses with weed-eaters work well too.
    3. Once you fill up your yard with randomly planted bulbs, the bulb foliage will go dormant. This is when the fun really begins! Make sure to forget where the bulb clumps have been planted. Now, you are able to dig in your yard and completely disturb your flower bulbs every single time you put your shovel into the earth.
    4. As you dig, debating about the specimen plants that should’ve been planted FIRST in your garden, you will accidentally hit some random bulbs that you forgot about. That’s normal when you’re upside down. Now you will have to wait an entire year until the bulbs come up. Thus, another year goes by without specimen plants. (You remind yourself that you should’ve marked those darn bulbs with appropriate markers, but you will do it next year with more useless markers).
    5. Always hand paint artistic gardening signs on surfaces that will peel. This is huge. Signs are best when you can’t read them.
    6. Most of your flower bulbs will be happy in their new home, but always second guess nature. Spend your time moving your bulbs here and there (randomly ofcourse), giving sun-loving bulbs plenty of shade and visa-versa.
    7. Enjoy every single moment spent in your much loved, backwards garden. 🙂

    Happy Gardening, my friends! I’m off to go dig!

  • The Texas Pomegranate

    Some of you know, but most of you don’t, the disgusting soil I have to work with at the studio. Even the word “soil” to describe the studio grounds is being grossly negligent as a writer. Perhaps I should describe my land in politically correct terms…the land is “soil-deprived”, or an “enriched-deficient” plot of horror. Most gardeners would run and hide from the catastrophic elements that are continually at war against gardening. Whether it be moles and gophers, rock and rubble, thermal hot spots in drought conditions or just a plain thorny sticker crop. I simply can’t catch a break. Except in the rare moments when I get to look upon a job well done. Inspiration overrides all seasons of exhaustion and frustration, and I simply get to hold the fruit of my labor. And oh, how sweet it is!

    The Texas Pomegranate is truly something to behold. I call it the Texas Pomegranate because I honestly don’t know what variety this beautiful tree is. I received the tree as a gift when I first bought the music studio. Apple John, a dear friend and mandolin extraordinaire, has an Apple Orchard deep in the Texas Hill Country. John also cultivates Pomegranate Trees. This tree was one of the first plants that found a home at the studio. The Pomegranate became a landmark in the garden, planting all shrubs, flowers and Heirloom Bulbs around it. When cherished plants died in times of drought, the pomegranate grew only stronger.

    ”Is that all you got?!”

    The Texas Pomegranate is also unscathed by destructive critters that lurk underground. For a few years, I had a beautiful antique rose that nestled herself up to the pomegranate tree. Then one day her roots were completely chewed up. Once again, the Pomegranate grew only stronger. It honestly doesn’t make sense how the palate of a gopher can be so refined as to distinguish between the roots of a salvia or rose!

    I’m not a gardening expert on much, but I do take notice the drought-hardy plants that thrive in lousy soil. The Texas Pomegranate is one of those jewels. For great native plants, I shop at Greensleeves Nursery in Pflugerville, Friendly Natives in Fredericksburg, Backbone Nursery in Marble Falls, or The Natural Gardener and Barton Springs Nursery, both in Austin. I love each of these shops for different reasons. The mainstay is to shop a local plant nursery that focuses on native plants for your area. DO NOT SHOP BIG BOX STORES FOR YOUR TEXAS POMEGRANATE TREE OR ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER. (Notice all caps? I’m a bit passionate about supporting small garden shops!)

    Happy Gardening, my friends!