Personal renewal in summer’s introspection

Well, it’s about time. My Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) finally got around to blooming.

They’ve been gorgeous around town for weeks, while mine is still a pathetic little stick with a paltry tribute to summer. It was in bad shape when I got it a few years ago at the end of the season. I thought I could revive it, but I haven’t yet found the secret. I’m sure it heard me grumbling, “Okay, I’ve just got to get another one.” In a panic, it pushed its little cells as hard as they would go. You can’t reject that kind of effort, so I’ll see what I can do for it.

I’ve heard from many gardeners that their summer bloomers haven’t performed as usual. Perhaps the severe freezes hindered their schedule. I still haven’t seen one flower on my healthy shrimp plants, and my plumbagos aren’t at typical magnificence.

For us, summer is the season when we most seek personal renewal. In the heat, our physical energy lags, so we go inside, both into our abodes and into our souls. We crave the garden of words for perspective and strength to tackle the coming year. During this introspective time, I found my strength through Susan Wittig Albert’s book, Together, Alone: A Memoir of Marriage and Place.

For years, I’ve been a fan of her China Bayles series.

Along with the intelligent mystery puzzle, plant history and applications, and recipes, I can connect to China. She’s independent and cautious about getting too close. Susan captures the real life struggles that face us all, from details like the kitchen floor to working out relationships and making the next professional or personal step.

In Together, Alone, Susan’s brave enough to reveal her own heart and the struggles, from marriage to career (and the garden), that frame her choices and direction.

Although I’d never considered a silent retreat before, I’m exploring Lebh Shomea in Sarita, Texas to discover the peace and insight that she has found there. Like Susan in her first experience, I know I’d be a balking bag of worries about being so disconnected, fearing that the world would crash if I veered from my on-target responsibilities. Not sure if I’ll do it, but Susan’s honest revelation of her journey of renewal at Lebh Shomea is one we can all embrace, wherever we choose to do it.

Even if we journal, the hardest thing is to respect what our own words tell us. How do we read between our own lines to see our next destination? Through Together, Alone, Susan’s journey will assist you on yours.

Energetic Susan also launched a new series, The Darling Dahlias.

Set in 1930s Alabama, Susan adopts a completely different voice, with a cast of characters that you’ll recognize among our contemporaries. It’s a good “cozy” mystery with the benefit of what life was like in the economic downturn of the 30s.

Especially I like her subtle connections to modern life. Twitter: think party phone lines. Blogs: the young garden writer who discovers a wide audience beyond her local newspaper garden updates. Recycle/reuse: Makin Do: 10 Ways to Stretch Whatever We Have.

Platforms for communication will always change. But what remains the same is our concern for our plants, figuring out life choices, and how to divide that special iris to pass along to a new gardener. Until the heat abates, revel in your inner garden. As you well know, the outside one will demand all your attention soon.

Next week, CTG launches the fall season. We’re about to get introspective with the shovel! Until then, Linda

Make your own kind of music with terra cotta pots

Last week, some of you asked about the terra cotta pots hanging on my patio.

I love your ideas of turning them into lights,  and I may do so yet.  Actually, right now they are musical pots!  With their different sizes, you can create the most amazing sounds. (The other yarn-wrapped drum stick had an “accident.” Will replace.)

These were a gift from Darrel Mayers of the Mundi Ensemble. He’s also the guy who makes sure we get It’s About Thyme’s weekly e-newsletter with tips from owners Chris & Diane Winslow.

Anyway, it all started when we taped Mundi’s cellist, Carolyn Hagler, in her former garden. Since it was inspired by music, Mundi performed their song “Clippers” from Apple Howling. This short clip is bound to inspire your own “garden implement” music!

I’ll never be able to play my pots like Mario Gonzalez, or clip my clippers like Ric Furley. But even if I’m not in the same musical class with them, Darrel, Carolyn, and Bruce Colson on violin, I can sure have some fun with my pots! Oh, I need to move the chimes back closer since I can really rock out with them, too. Until then, the fountain adds its own percussion. The toads chime in with lyrics.

Go for it, creative ones!

Often, people ask where I get my ideas for CTG.  Mainly, from viewer questions. At nurseries, I jot notes of what people are asking. I troll the blogs to see what stumps gardeners or what interests them. Of course, I connect to as many garden events as possible, like the Austin Cactus & Succulent Society Show & Sale on Labor Day weekend and the Garden Conservancy Open Days tours this fall in Austin and San Antonio.

On September 11, meet the next generation of gardeners at Casis Elementary and get started with your fall garden with the organic folks at Green Gate Farms.

On September 18, get Pam Penick’s hands-on tips and encouragement for DIY projects on a garden budget.

This fall, also find out how to get past troublesome roses, celebrate Native Plant Week, and lots more!

In Darrel’s case, I ran into him at HEB one Saturday and he said he knew a fabulous garden to tape! Works for me.

Here’s my home base at KLRU.

The computer and monitors on the left are where I edit. You will flip out over this Hutto garden on screen!   The other computer is for everything else.

My third computer is on my patio, where I write the garden scripts, plan shows, answer viewer questions and write this blog this very minute.  Hey, you can’t write about gardens if you’re not in one. And when I get stuck for a sentence, I play my pots!

Until next week, Linda

Soothe that garden brain chatter

Here’s some valuable advice a gardener once shared with me: create a soothing spot to frame your patio.

His philosophy: In order to relax and make that necessary segue from the day’s work to evening’s reflection, be uncluttered. Tone it down, make it easy.

Otherwise, you won’t embrace any peace in your garden. You’ll be jumping up to prune and fix and add 251 things to your to-do list: garden, work, and home. Isn’t it interesting how that works? Once we hit that mode, it’s hard to let it go. We see one plant that needs a haircut. Next, we realize we need to fix that window and oh my gosh, when in the world will I ever get the car in, and if I don’t make Christmas travel plans right now, it’ll cost a fortune to visit Aunt Mary. Wheesh.

So, gather around you some peace and quiet to whisk away the brain chatter.

For me, it was rather easy, because the poorly drained, shady site near the patio was a garden nightmare, especially since the former owners had filled it with “red death” loam. Plus, the pets want to hang out with us there. When we had three dogs (two rescued, one by choice) that was an issue, too. Plus, I didn’t have any $$$. Someone gave me three liriope divisions that turned into 300. Bingo! Now, it’s the rescued cats that flop down in the no-maintenance jungle.

(Another interesting note: when all our first dogs went to tennis ball heaven, stray cats moved in).

To spice things up, I added gingers.  Tradescantia albiflora fills in some sections out of view here.

Along the patio, turks cap brings the hummingbirds close up. Just a little spot of exciting red, but not much trouble at all.

At the sunny edge to the yard, there’s fragrant Marie Pavie rose and star (Confederate) jasmine trained as a “shrub” on a trellis. Around the rose, spring and fall bulbs and daylilies add seasonal excitement without frequent attendance.

For years, our water feature was a small, galvanized stock tank with a little pump through holey rocks. But it was troublesome. When the last pump pooped, I envisioned a fountain.

A few years went by while we traded creative ideas. Then, on our anniversary weekend this June, we stopped at Target to get a new coffee pot (not sure that’s included on traditional gifts, plastic & electrical maybe?). As always, we cruised the garden section. Sitting right in the aisle, on sale at killer price, there was our fountain!  The last one, too.

Yahoosers!  Since just about every gift that comes through this house has something to do with the garden, how perfect can you get? Sure, we’d imagined doing all these creative things, and you should too. But this was totally work free, and right now, that was just what my brain chatter needed.

Oh, the plant in the blue pot looks pathetic right now after it had an “accident.” When it fluffs out again, this old-fashioned petunia is the perfect deep pink against the burgundy, including superb aromatherapy to join the rose, Confederate jasmine, and summer-blooming sambac jasmine in a large pot.

We turn on the fountain with our before-work coffee. Soothes us to corral the work brain chatter.

And it’s night’s  last sound to fend off  pillow-time brain chatter. Then, the toads hop into the water-filled basin to party down.

To energize, we watch the birds, bees, and butterflies, including these Bordered Patch butterflies on super-sized brain chatter.

Until next week, Linda

A painting that captures my heart

It’s not every day of the week that you get a painting made just for you. In my case, it’s the very first time!

The artist is Iris, who blogs at Society Garlic. When I ran into her one day, I discovered that along with professional writing, gardening, and yummer-bear recipes, she’s a painter! Her cachet is pets on a chair. She’s donated paintings to fund-raising auctions to support the Green Corn Project, and this one to the Humane Society.

I just had to ask:  Can you represent my little family with a cat, dog, and BUNNY on a chair? Iris knew just how to get into their little brains to capture everyone’s diverse personalities.

Cats: “Who are you again?”

Bunnies: “Time to change the alarm code; someone keeps getting in.”

Dog: “I just want to give everyone a kiss.”

Down the road, when wayward puffs of fur no longer challenge my broom, we’ll remember when we were Mom & Dad to rescued cats, dog, and bunnies, usually in charge of our chairs!

Iris, who includes bluebells in her garden, would love this one (Eustoma exaltum ssp. russellianum) that I spotted at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Her luscious one  is Lisianthus ‘Mariachi Blue.’  Must have it!

At  nurseries, you can pick up these hybrids. Here’s some info from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center:

In Japan, this plant is known as Lisianthus, an older name for the Eustoma genus. It has been developed in pink, white, and deep purple blue color varieties with both single and doubled petaled flowers.

Bluebells can be tricky to grow, whether native or hybrid, but if they find the right spot, they are worth a try.

Another one that’s tricky for me is Rudbeckia. I gave up on them years ago.  I love them, but they rotted fast in my garden. Then, I walked out one morning and spotted this in the crape bed.

No clue how it got there, but I’ll take it! I’ve learned significant life lessons from the garden and pets: respect, wrangle, and jump for joy when you run into great surprises.

For KLRU viewers, tune in Saturday night at 8 p.m. for our Brit com evening, with some of your favorites, plus the premiere of After You’ve Gone. This one takes a poignant, witty  spin on family relationships when mom moves out and mother-in-law moves in. I think some fur will be flying!

Until next week, Linda