NOT A NORMAL WINTER

It's already the end of March and we haven't completed a single Divas of the Dirt project!

The planning breakfast at Z-Tejas on 6th Street worked out fine with no more than the usual conflicts in dates. But we've had rain twice when we should have had a meeting. And it's been a very hard winter in our Divas of the Dirt gardens - this January we saw temperatures in the lower teens - not what we or our plants are used to- so our gardens need help!

Buffy had the Divas visit her house at the end of January - Mattie has taken a leave of absence for the time being and Diva Sugar, one of the original group of Divas, is now able to return to the group. It was sad to see that some plants - like Buffy's Staghorn- didn't make it
Others looked delicate, like Buffy's Acanthus AKA Grecian Pattern Plant, but came through the cold just fine


These succulents took a hit - guess some will grow again and others need to be replaced.
Sophia's magic microclimate of a front garden amazed me (Glinda) and Diva-Annie when we visited her in March -

Sophia's Four-Nerve Daisies were already to bloom


And Sophia's Yellow Bulbine - a plant that froze to black ribbons all over Austin - was alive, unfrozen, and budded for Spring. How does she do it?
Oz and I were ready when the Divas came here couple of weeks ago, but the heaviest lifting was done with a fork - we had a Soyrizo, Red Pepper, Potato, Cheese & Egg casserole, Corn Muffins and Blueberry muffins - accompanied by a thunderstorm and a downpour of more than an inch.

So no work - but we still enjoyed being together.

Fingers crossed for April!

Brunch at Trattoria Lisina

We Divas of the Dirt enjoy cooking for each other during the rest of the year, but in January we like to meet at a restaurant. The declared reason is that we need to set up the calendar of project days for the coming year but the real reason is that it's fun to be together.Mindy had already been out to Trattoria Lisina in Driftwood - she didn't have any trouble convincing us that we needed to see this Tuscan-inspired destination with its adjoining Mandola Winery. The winery is a venture of Damien Mandola who with restauranteer nephew Johnny Carrabba hosts the cooking show Cucina Sicilia on PBS. There may be cedar scrub all along the roadside on the drive out, but once you pull into the complex, you're in a Hill-Country version of Tuscany. Across the way is a young vineyard and the landscaping enhances the illusion.The food may be a little pricey but it was absolutely delicious - beginning with bubbly Prosecco, breads and olive oil. We moved on to Calamari and Bruscette topped with Cannellini Beans, Tomato/Basil and Chicken Liver...then finished with Gnocci, Clams, Pizza, Minestroni, Insalata, Cannelloni Lisina and Osso Buco.


Next time you see us we'll be back in our gardening clothes - here's hoping 2009 will be a good gardening year for all of you and all of us. Happy New Year from Buffy, Glinda, Sophia, Annie, Mindy, Karla & Mattie