2013 - Between April & June - NXNA

This post, 2013- Between April & June - NXNA, was written by Annie in Austin/DivaGlinda for the Divas of the Dirt Blog. 

Late spring 2013 was a very unsettled time for the Divas of the Dirt. The May meeting was cancelled when the hostess got sick.

And it was a rough year for pets...  besides Libby, here in her prime on Buffy's patio



Sophia lost her dear old Tedster... seen here with long gone partner Woody.


And although Diva Sugar's pups Junior & Skeeter were OK, her cat Honey left for kitty heaven. (Wish I had a photo of the beautiful but elusive Honey.)


One fun thing happened on June 1st - a new garden tour was started up in North Austin called the NXNA Garden Tour and we wanted to go!

Four of us were able to meet and drive around North Austin, visiting a very eclectic mix of gardens & styles. Time pressures meant we saw only half of the locations but we had a great time.

Mattie drove while Divas Annie, Sophia and Glinda watched the street signs and "helped" Mattie park. I didn't take many photos... mostly snapped unusual plants.

This one was a puzzler! It has many names, including Variegated Devil's Backbone and Redbird Cactus, with botanical name Euphorbia tithymaloides.


The warnings of toxicity in this Wikipedia article , made me glad that none of us touched it - but the large number of gardeners giving positive marks to the plant at Dave's Garden made me wonder just how dangerous it really is.


A really eyepopping Canna greeted us at one house - could it be 'Lucifer"?



A tiny sliver of space in an art-filled garden so intrigued the Divas of the Dirt that Mattie had to take a picture


An artist's studio was graced by this Mexican Olive, AKA Anacahuita, botanical name Cordia boissieri.


Austin's own Pam Penick designed one of the gardens for owners who wanted to do the plant acquisition and installation on their own. The result was a fun garden where the flamingo colors were echoed by Caladium leaves...


Wouldn't this be a cool place for a party?


The most awe inspiring plant was one that a few of us grow - variegated shell ginger, botanically Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata'. We haven't seen flowers on our plants, but in this protected spot, where the plant did not freeze for a couple of winters in a row, the large ginger had exploded with blossoms.


















I sure hope the NXNA group holds more tours in future.

We four said goodbye, knowing that we'd meet up again very soon for Sophia's June project.

This post, 2013- Between April & June - NXNA, was written by Annie in Austin/DivaGlinda for the Divas of the Dirt Blog.