2015 – OCTOBER GLINDA’S GARDEN DAY

This post, 2015 October, Glinda’s Garden Day, was written by Annie in Austin/ Diva Glinda for the Divas of the Dirt blog.

The hot dry weather continued over most of Austin in September 2015. In the neighborhood where Sophia, Karla and I live there was no measurable rainfall from the beginning of July to the 3^rd week of October - some precious moisture did fall on other parts of Austin.

Once we got into October some red Spider lilies brightened the garden. Would there be more flowers when the Divas of the Dirt came to my (Glinda's) house?

One tree was already looking forward to fall – here is the loquat forming buds on October 12^th

October was my assigned month as hostess but there was no good date for everyone. Our Divas of the Dirt lives were even busier and more erratic than usual. I was expecting out-of-visitors, other Divas faced necessary medical procedures, one was going to a big formal wedding in East Texas, another was involved in house renovation work. There were fundraising events for nonprofits, birthdays, people arriving and leaving, aging parents in need of care, and some of us hoped to go on the semi-annual Travis County Master Gardeners tour on the 17th. I decided to go with Halloween day – no matter how many of us showed up, we could have a few laughs.

A couple of us made it to Pam Penick's extraordinary garden for the Master Gardeners tour – what fun! 

A few days after the tour my out-of-state houseguests arrived, and the moment the wheels of their plane hit the runway at ABIA, it started to drizzle. The promised El Nino was sneaking in.

Rain fell off-and-on for days – in our neighborhood the total was about 13" over an 11-day period. One big storm dropped more than a foot of rain in places like Wimberley, South Austin, and Buda – a dangerous and damaging amount of water. 

Meteorologist Emily Borchard posted an amazing map showing the speed at which the rains had banished drought.

Then some sad news – one of the Divas would soon be on the road, heading to the funeral of a beloved relative.

The day before our meeting, more than 4” of rain fell in a few hours in my neighborhood, swirling and threatening to lift the pots on the patio. Thank heavens our lot has a bit of a slope!

From the front porch I could see a squirrel clinging to the underside of the Arizona Ash trunk, trying not to be swept away by the downpour.

By Halloween morning the rain had slowed to a drip. I added a black lace cover to the piano and topped it with an orange pumpkin.

The dining room table was set with a few Halloween decorations, ready for the arrival of Mattie, Sophia, Buffy and Annie.

The casserole was ready for the oven  and it was costume time! When the Divas arrived, they were greeted by someone from the days of early TV – Lucy, the Vitameatavegamin saleswoman from I Love Lucy.

This goofy idea got a great reaction from Buffy! Thanks to Sophia for snapping the photo.

Eventually we got around to eating breakfast – cranberry juice, orange juice and coffee to drink, cut up pineapple, red grapefruit and watermelon for fruit, and a casserole of wild rice, jasmine rice, eggs, shallots, mushrooms, Greek yogurt and Swiss cheese. And pear bread with blueberry preserves and cream cheese frosting.

After breakfast we kept talking for awhile because the yard so wet. But we couldn’t stay inside – maybe we should just take a stroll around the garden to look at the plants or sit on the patio? Sophia took a photo when Annie gave this a try.

 Well, you know those Divas of the Dirt – the “looking” part only lasted a few minutes and soon they were raking up the leaves and sticks, then pulling tree seedlings and weeds out of the softened earth. [Photo by Sophia]

They said raking was no big deal, but when they were done – it was a big deal to me!

Buffy decided to tackle the horrible Bermuda grass which was trying to take over the parkway.

Look at the parkway after her work - what a garden angel!

Mattie’s pooch Barbie is our unofficial mascot and a good companion when we’re in the garden. 

Although it was too wet to plant bulbs or transplant perennials, the cleanup made an enormous difference.

There are no photos of the simple lunch – I borrowed Sophia’s panini grill and made sandwiches with Black Forest ham and Herbed turkey on a choice of rye bread, sourdough or gluten free bread. There was a green salad with tomato wedges and avocado dressing.

There are photos of the dessert – a mostly gluten free Black Forest Cake from a recipe I found online.

I had all the pieces baked and ready to assemble – starting with the chocolate shortbread base. This layer was not gluten-free but since it was separated from the rest of the cake by whipped cream, anyone avoiding flour could just leave it on the plate.

In another bowl was a mound of just-whipped cream.

There were three chocolate sponge cakes, pre-soaked with cherry juice spiked with Kirschwasser, ready to be spread with cherry preserves and layered with whipped cream.

Then the cream was topped with chocolate curls. The cake was a hit!

With the ground still quite saturated, we’d done all that could be done outdoors … it was time for everyone to go home and get ready for the Trick or Treaters!

A few days later, the rain convinced bluebonnet seedlings to sprout. The seedlings would have enough time to grow before April bloom time.

This post, 2015 October, Glinda’s Garden Day, was written by Annie in Austin/ Diva Glinda for the Divas of the Dirt blog.

2015-February BUFFY'S GARDEN DAY

This post, 2015-February BUFFY'S GARDEN DAY, was written by Annie in Austin/Diva Glinda for her Divas of the Dirt Blog

Our Divas project in February 2015 was a "just in case" kind of project. Buffy was considering a move to a different house, so just in case, we came over to weed, rake, clip, clean up and mulch.

The weather had been mild and Mark Murray told us that Saturday would be in the 70s F with a chance of a shower. Since ice and cold weather was predicted for Sunday night/Monday morning, it seemed best to concentrate on cleaning and mulching - not planting.

As part of her just in case plan, Buffy had ordered new garage doors. That meant a lot of the garage collection had to move into the dining room and the Divas of the Dirt would gather in the living room instead. 

Buffy made fillings and prepared toppings for breakfast tacos. She also tried a new recipe - the baked oatmeal was a hit.


But she ran into some trouble with the baked bacon. The fire alarm went off over and over. Each time it started up, Buffy's three small dogs Luci, Lynda & Fredric, and Mattie's visiting social butterfly Barbie became howling furballs. The baked bacon didn't look all that great, but it tasted pretty good!


The scrambled eggs came out perfect for breakfast tacos.




And so did the sausage.



















The fruit salad was just right to start a warm February day.

Everything is on the island counter - we're ready for breakfast!





Buffy's lovely bouquet shocked my camera with its vivid colors so I hope you can tell how pretty it was.






We went outside and gave everything in sight what my mom used to call "a lick and a polish" - not trying to redo anything, but to spruce up everything.

Here's the main front view before, complete with photobombing Barbie.


There are good wildflowers mixed in with those lawn weeds... one reason to do it by hand instead of with chemicals.



The parkway is usually a bright spot all year, but it looks awfully tired and overgrown right now.




While we were outside a few members of Buffy's family stopped by and said hello.

Eventually we stopped working and went in to a surprise lunch - well - is it still "lunch" at 4:30pm? Buffy had ordered BBQ from local chain PoK-e-Jo'S Smokehouse.  We loved the turkey, brisket and sausage, potato salad, coleslaw, beans, onions, pickles and jalapenos.



And for dessert? Secret recipe Buttermilk Pie... so delicious. We can't say a word about which restaurant secret fell into Buffy's hands, but we sure hope she doesn't lose that recipe!



I didn't get a photo of the strawberries for the top, and also didn't get a photo of the Italian Cream Cake from Upper Crust Bakery. Guess you'll just have to go down to Burnet & 45th to see it for yourself.

I didn't take this photo but am glad Mattie had her camera ready to catch Mindy having a heart-to-heart with Fredric!



Out in the yard we'd managed to get a lot done.

The bluebonnets that had seeded in the lawn were now free of smothering weeds, ready to bud and burst into bloom. 15



Weeds were banished and straggling plants cut back and mulched in all three parkways.




And after much clipping, pruning, weeding and mulching the large central border looked good again.




We'd had a day of work with great food and best of all, a chance to share updates on home remodeling projects, work problems, accidents & mishaps, pet illnesses, new car purchases, family squabbles, family good stuff, new exercise and diet ideas and not-so-good health news. There had been so many ups and downs in all our lives that it was kind of a group therapy session with gardening. Some things would eventually work out and some remain unresolved, but at least we got to be together.





We were tired, but whether or not the move happened, knew we'd helped Buffy and made a difference.

This post, 2015-February BUFFY'S GARDEN DAY, was written by Annie in Austin/Diva Glinda  for her Divas of the Dirt Blog

2014 NOVEMBER, BUFFY'S GARDEN DAY

This post, 2014 November, Buffy's Garden Day, was written by Diva Glinda/Annie in Austin for the Divas of the Dirt Blog

The day for Buffy's garden project fell at the beginning of November, on a day so warm it would be called Summer in other parts of the USA. Halloween was just barely in the rear view mirror and Buffy's decor let us know her family had celebrated that holiday.

Glorious orange flowers from the Cedar Park Farmers Market were right for the season.

We got off to a late start and had a lot to catch up on before we gathered at the long table - some of us had been on vacation, some traveling to visit family. There was talk of new jobs, medical woes, events both joyful and distressing among our family and friends, and promising news on the home remodeling front.  (A few new kitchens are on the horizon!)

Buffy had baked a different kind of banana bread. Rather than the traditional mashed raw bananas, this recipe called for baked, juiced bananas, resulting in a more intense flavor. Raw fruit was well represented by a huge plate of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, pineapple and melon.

We quite liked Buffy's new recipe for Eggs, Grits and Greens - baked and cut into squares. The greens turned out to be spinach and arugula.

But wait! There's more! Also piled on the plates were chicken-apple sausages and biscuits.

We went out to survey the garden. This year, rather than a big intensive project, Buffy wanted a general once-over, with tired plants replaced by fresh ones, weeding, cutting back, mulching and an emphasis on curb appeal.

The gate was a rather recent addition - and even newer were the terracotta pots stacked on a tall rod, planted with colorful foliage plants and blooming geraniums.

Let's take a closer look at those clever pots on stakes.

Buffy has a corner lot so the amount of parkway is extensive. (Maybe you call this a parking strip, planting strip, verge or hellstrip instead of a parkway?) Over the years we Divas of the Dirt have helped Buffy turn much of that strip of land from thirsty grass to well mulched native and adapted plants. We started in on one of the more recent projects - doesn't that Gopher Plant look great?

We moved around in turn to all the parkway strips, the center bed, the drive bed and the area near the bright gate.

After four hours outside, the various beds were shaping up - Buffy told us it was time to take a break for lunch. She had an enormous pot of chili simmering on the stove - made according to an American Test Kitchen recipe.

Set out on the serving table was a delicious Kale, Almond and Cranberry salad, along with an array of toppings for the chili: avocado, lemon, sour cream, cheese and Fritos.

The fruit plate and biscuits from breakfast also went well with lunch. And the bowl of candy? Just a touch of Halloween.

When Buffy's sister popped in for a visit, her timing was perfect because dessert was fabulous! Whoever invented apple(!) brownies with caramel topping and ice cream should get a prize.

We went back outside. The Cannas on one end of the center front bed hadn't flowered, but by the time we left, they were mulched and the bad leaves snipped, so even without flowers the foliage looked good.

On the opposite side of the center front bed under the oak, the Fall Asters were amazing against the silver leaved Teucrium background.

The parkways looked much better after being weeded and mulched. In this photo we see Damianita, an ornamental grass, a silver groundcover (might be Woolly Stemodia) and an annual Gomphrena that reseeds.

Another section of this bed nearer the corner has the thriving Gopher Plant and a tumble of Blackfoot Daisies.

The first strip of parkway that we'd done back in 2007 is now quite mature - some plants have endured from the beginning with new plants plugged in where the originals failed and the result is a mini-meadow. On one end we see Skullcap, Damianita, Gomphrena and ornamental grass.

Moving along we see more Gomphrena, more Skullcap, Blackfoot Daisies and Four Nerve Daisies.

And back in that bed near the gate it was satisfying to see how just a few plants of dwarf 'Katy' Ruellia - planted long ago - had gradually spread to make a solid groundcover in front of the shrubs.

This was the last Divas of the Dirt project for 2014 - next time we meet it won't be work time... it will be Party Time!

This post, 2014 November, Buffy's Garden Day, was written by Diva Glinda/Annie in Austin for the Divas of the Dirt Blog