Sunday, April 28, 2019

2018 APRIL – Mattie’s Garden Day


This post - 2018 APRIL - Mattie’s Garden Day - was written by Annie in Austin for the Divas of the Dirt Blog.

A few days before her scheduled garden day, Mattie emailed a photo of her native unscented Mock Orange (Philadelphus inodorus) in full, glorious bloom.
Mattie had a few wishes for her garden day – some mulching, some pruning, and maybe a little destruction.

By the time I got there Mattie, Annie, Karla, Mindy, Buffy and Sophia had arrived and were still visiting in the kitchen. We went out to check out the back yard. It looked pretty good but neighbors had planned alterations on the other side of the fence and that would have an impact on Mattie’s view. The idea was to make her side of the fence better. 

The winter had been cold enough to knock the Barbados cherries down. They weren’t dead and were beginning to resprout so needed the old dead wood cut out.

The Cast Iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) also needed grooming. Divas Annie and Sophia went to work.
Mattie thought the variegated Pittosporum should be tamed and shaped. Mindy and Karla volunteered. I can’t dig or kneel, but I can still prune, so joined them.
Mattie pointed out a pear tree along the back fence that wasn’t growing much. She hoped we could dig it out and move it. That pear hadn’t been planted in that spot very long so it probably was not very established. Once the soil around it was loosened, merely holding the trunk while rocking it back and forth was enough to pop the tree out. The tree roots still showed the shape of the container it had once occupied.
 Here’s the Destruction part of the day: When Mattie bought her house it came with a rather beat-up Rubbermaid shed. After a few years of Central Texas weather it was even more beat-up! Mattie had no use for it and it blocked the area where she wanted small trees and shrubs as screening plants.
Karla, Mattie and Mindy looked that shed over and decided they could dismantle it and disappear it.

First the doors came off.
Next the roof was gone, then the sides – soon there would be a blank spot along the fence.
The final step - the pear and another shrub were planted next to an itty bitty redbud, the beginning of a living green screen.
The back looked pretty good by 1:20pm – time for all the Divas of the Dirt to go to the front of the house for a little weeding, trimming and mulching. The ‘Cinco de Mayo’ rose, ‘Julia Child’ rose and St Joseph lilies were beautiful, but we can make this curbside bed look better!
Buffy picked up the hedge trimmer and showed the big boxwood who was boss.
Around 3pm lunch was announced – Mattie had a fun, nostalgic menu planned, with favorite foods from her childhood: Waffle potato chips, baked-not-grilled cheese sandwiches, dill pickle slices, sweet gherkins, a big shredded salad with broccoli and tomato soup with butter.
We caught up on individual news, from projected vacations to fender-benders, from a newly adopted dog to doctor visits. At one point the conversation turned to the variety of British TV detective series now streaming on various services – there are so many available that many other people must also like them!
For dessert Mattie had baked Ghirardelli Brownies, making them with blood orange oil… that alone made them fabulous while a scoop of vanilla ice cream took them over the top.
Around 4:30pm the Divas of the Dirt left a mulched and weeded garden for Mattie – oh, those spectacular roses, even in the harsh late afternoon light!
Barbie enjoyed our visit but was not sorry to see us go – all she wanted to do now was to lie on the grass, squinting into the sun and enjoying the warmth.
A few days later Mattie emailed some After photos taken in morning light –
Here are the Aspidistra elatior AKA Cast Iron plants all spruced up.
And here is the variegated Pittosporum with stray branches removed for a better shape.
Finally, this lovely view from Mattie’s kitchen window – a pair of wrens had moved into the birdhouse.

This post - 2018 APRIL - Mattie’s Garden Day - was written by Annie in Austin for the Divas of the Dirt Blog.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

2018 MARCH - Buffy's Garden Day


2018, March -  Buffy’s Garden Day

This post 2018 March Buffy’s Garden Day was written by Annie in Austin for the Divas of the Dirt Blog.

We had no meeting in February 2018 but that didn’t stop things from blooming!
Sugar emailed photos of her flowering Quince – 

Eyepopping, aren’t they?


In early March we’d had some perfect gardening weather with moderate temperatures, and the Texas Mountain Laurel looked (and smelled) lovely, all over Austin.


Then the heat sneaked in just in time for Buffy’s garden day… the thermometer read just under 90°F during her meeting, and that night the air temperature was still 77°F at 10pm.

Mindy and Annie came for the morning and early afternoon but then Diva Annie headed to Wimberly for a friend’s concert and Mindy also had other things she had to do.

Buffy was hoping for help with spring maintenance and she’d also been planning Crepe Murder so we’d need pruning tools as well as clipping and weeding tools.

A cheerful bowl with three small pots of golden yellow Kalanchoe was in bloom on the kitchen table, complemented by the shamrock table cloth, a slightly early celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.


We worked on the parkway beds, cutting back the tired plants, weeding and mulching. Karla worked hard on the corner. We’d had some cold weather but the Euphorbium were still blooming and a few Four Nerve daisies had flowers. Some self-sown bluebonnets were looking very robust!


Indoors, Buffy had received a very interesting gift - one of those self-contained, lighted herb gardens. Her basil crop was ready to use and we were the beneficiaries!


Buffy used the basil to make capressi salad along with a favorite recipe to make tender, juicy, delicious fried chicken.


Dessert was a special Strawberry cake and it was delicious.

We didn’t need the dining room table with only four Divas there for lunch- the kitchen was just fine.

This post 2018 March Buffy’s Garden Day was written by Annie in Austin for the Divas of the Dirt Blog.