Sunday, June 10, 2012

My Secret Garden

I spent most of this Spring outside creating a quiet little garden, It tends to get really hot here in this part of Texas and I studied up on just the right "natives" to plant. One of my choices was Cuban Oregano... smells amazing, and Sedum Ogon with its bright Chartreuse color and chubby round leaves... My absolute favorite plant is the very smallest one, Corsican mint, the leaves are no bigger than a pins head... it is gently creeping onto the statues base... so beautiful it almost hurts! I think this German thyme wishes it got a bit more sun but its doing well anyway. The Holly fern has really shot up and to keep him company on long summer nights spotted nettle bearing teeny white blossoms curl around beneath. The Southern wood fern had a slow start but now unfurls a new leaf nearly daily! Lots of chalky grey Goodwin Creek lavender stand tall and straight, nestled next to what looks to be dinosaur eggs but are really rocks from Baja, California... they came from a place I used to surf called K-39. I found a nearby landscape company that trucks them freshly plucked from the cliffs. Giant Lamb's ears and cat mint share a shady bed tucked in on top of lots and lots of pine needles which help to balance out our soil conditions. Around the corner a path of Mexican slate embedded with fossils leads to Star and Carolina jasmine which bloom outside my studio window. Coral vine, Mealy Cup sage and spicy scented Autumn sage are a sweet smelling party all on their own! I love the deep red purple color of this Verbena who's fuzzy leaves meet with Peppermint, Spearmint and Doublemint too, I know they take over but I will happily surrender to them! In the center of it all is my pride and joy, a wonderful three tiered fountain that sings to me while I toil away the hours with all my little plant people. It is surrounded by three feet tall Moss Verbena that just keeps spreading out its slender green arms. New additions this year were two small Texas Red Bud trees with pretty heart shaped leaves. A dark green Desert Willow blooms wine colored orchid type flowers that the butterflies really enjoy! Pink jasmine is busy working its way tightly around a pair of concrete Pan herm's that stand vigilant guard over all. Keep your eyes open Mr... cuz those sneaky little Opossum's wander in and steal my flowers!