Wordless Wednesday - The Happiest Flower

The "New" Old Wheelbarrow

You may remember a post last summer on my wheel-
barrow. I stole it from hubby! Yeah, I really did. He kind of liked that wheelbarrow, but one day while he was golfing I planted flowers in it! Hubby bought something else to use and life went on. Every year I planted flowers in that wheelbarrow, but last fall when I planted the pansies I discovered the bottom of the wheelbarrow had completely rusted out. It literally fell apart when I tried to move it. So, I was on the hunt for another one. I didn't have to go far. I was over at Mother's one afternoon and hanging on the house at the very back was just what I needed. I asked her if she used the old wheelbarrow, and she said "no, and if you want it, please take it!"
So, that's how I got a "new" old wheelbarrow!"
I have planted several types of annuals over the years, but my favorite thing to plant for the last few years has been coleus and sweet potato vine. I tried mixing in a few other things last year, but they get lost when the coleus and vine start to grow, so this year I stuck with just those 2 things.

I try and find several different varieties of coleus to plant. I never pay attention to their names, I just decide what is pleasing to my eye and what would look good with the chartreuse green of the sweet potato vine.

I love the reds-and apparently so does this cute dragonfly!

The wheel-

barrow full of coleus seems pretty happy here in my little backyard. I hope it lasts for many more years. I found out something quite special about it when I called Mother to tell her what I planted. (You all know how sentimental I am!) Mother told me this had been Daddy's wheelbarrow. My father passed away over 35 years ago. Daddy loved working in the yard. He loved nature and flowers, and Mother said he would be so happy to know that I found the perfect spot for his old wheelbarrow!

Purslane and Grumpy

Every summer I go to one of my favorite nurseries and buy baskets of purslane (portulaca oleracea). I bought this one a few months ago to stick in the wildflower garden, and bought the last 2 today. The nursery that has these gorgeous plants is not very far from where I live. It's been there forever. I never went to it much though...the people that worked there were...well...rude! A few years ago I was looking for something (don't remember what) and decided I would try this nursery. I had forgotten what a great selection of plants they had, and all very healthy. However, the owner..was a grumpy old man. I heard years back of "a story" as to why he was like this--bad marriage, bad kids-I didn't know and really didn't care. But it just killed me to see someone working around all these beautiful plants so unhappy.

After lots of thinking as I was digging in the dirt, I decided that I was going to be friends with this man, no matter what it took. So, I started going to this nursery..a lot. And he had the most wonderful plants, I could find almost anything there. I went so much, that he would remember me when I came in. I let him know how thrilled I was to be among all the beauty at his store, and how grateful I was he had "just what I needed."
It took a while, but one day when I walked in, he looked up and smiled! We had become friends.

So, this spring off I go to buy the first purslane, and immediately noticed something was different about the nursery. I thought, oh no, they are closing. But no, they were not closing, "Grumpy" had just sold the store to someone else. The new owners told me the previous owner sold and moved out to his farm. I knew that was his dream, as he had shared that dream with me a few times. They also told me the plants would remain the same, but all the "bad things" would be gone. I heard them say that same thing to every customer that came in..and we all knew what they meant. They do still have the purslane baskets, and they are beautiful, but the nursery is not the same. The new owners are indeed very nice, but the vast selection is gone; no more unusual, hard to find plants anymore. No more shade hanging baskets, not nearly as many roses. No more rows of drought tolerant sages or salvias. No more baskets of scaevola (had to find mine somewhere else) or sweet potato vine. No more Grumpy. I am delighted to know he is finally retired and can live at the farm, and I maybe the only one in town that misses him..but there is now a void at that nursery, and I do miss him. We were friends.

" But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine."

Thomas Jefferson

Wordless Wednesday - Ummm..Gardenias!

A Saturday Garden Tour

Early Saturday morning Mother and I started out on a wonderful garden tour. This one was sponsored by Dallas Water Utilities and called the Water-Wise Garden Tour. There were lots of houses on the tour including winners from years past. This year the entries must be gardens that save rain water in some way.

Most of the houses we went to had something similar to this one. One house had 3 tanks-very interesting, but there were so many people around it I couldn't get a picture.

The first garden we went to was close to Mother. Really nice gardeners (of course, what gardener is not nice!) This is their backyard which now contains no grass, just drought tolerant plants.

There were lots of pretty wildflowers-and you know how I love wildflowers!

Clasping

Cone-

flowers were every where!
There was even a little picnic table all set up for tea at this house. I commented on all the rock rose they had..and they sent one home with me! Love the generosity of gardeners!

The next garden was one I have been to many times. This is where the sweet little lady that gave me my ground ivy lives. Her shady garden is always a special treat to visit.

The new addition this year---her chicken coop. Look at the basket sitting by the door and you will see the eggs she collected.
I have visited this garden many times over the years. The first time was about 8 years ago on a pond tour. It remains my favorite house ever! It is in the Greenland Hills area of Dallas. The owners have won awards for their xeriscape ideas. A few years ago, they took out the traditional Bermuda/St Augustine grass in front and planted buffalo grass. In addition, they have all drought tolerant plants.

They are proud owners of lots of cactus and wildflowers.
They are on a corner lot, so they have lots of oppor-

tunities for several beds.
This is their "court-

yard" backyard.

This was once a garage-now an office. Wouldn't you like to go to work walking through this door every morning!
This is this kitchen window..
..and the patio below the window.
This is the door and patio off the master bedroom.
And this is the little pond just a few feet away.

There are so many little places to sit around the courtyard.

Can you tell I LOVE this house and garden!

The gate at the next house beckons you to come in..
The owner really loves cactus and succulents and had so many clever ways to display them.
She told me she covers this area every winter and keeps it covered until spring.
There was another little neighbor-

hood garden tour going on in addition to the Water-Wise tour. It was in a quiet little neighbor-

hood in the Casa View/Casa Linda area of Dallas.
There is a median as you enter the area that has been maintained by some of the residents for some time. We always take time to visit a few of these houses during this tour.
There are so many pretty gardens..
...some really pretty sitting areas..












..great looking agave..
..and new experi-

mental cactus/

succulent gardens.
But our favorite on this little tour was this last house.
As you can see, it is a front garden totally full of flowers and plants.
I just couldn't take a picture of everything, but I can tell you the flowers were amazing. There was something here for everyone, and they were all so healthy and happy.
The homeowner is the gardener, a very knowledgeable person..who was also in a wheelchair. He told us he had been in the nursery business "before" and didn't want to give it up. We thanked him for opening up his yard to this tour and he told us to stop by anytime and visit his flowers. Talk about passionate about gardening!

What a joy it was to see all these wonderful gardens..some big, others small; some with shade, others with sun; but they all had one thing in common--gardeners who loved nature and were doing their part to add beauty to the space they were given. Sometimes I come home from these garden tours a little envious of the gardens I see, but this Saturday I came home happy and appreciative of what I have been able to create in my small space.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend..and found something beautiful in your garden.

"All gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so.."

Joseph Joubert

Autumn Blush Coreopsis

One of my favorite perennials is Coreopsis. All types of them! I can't resist buying one when I see them at the garden center. This was the case a few weeks ago. As I was looking around, I spotted a rack of brand new plants they were just bringing in. They had not even taken the plastic sheeting that was wrapped around the rack so they wouldn't fall off before I started grabbing.

The flowers were so pretty and unusual. I didn't even know it was a coreopsis until I looked at the tag--and of course then I really couldn't resist buying one....well...I mean two! (two is better than one, right?)

This is a new hybrid coreopsis called "Autumn Blush." It has light peachy-yellow flowers with red eyes. I did a little research on the internet and found that the color will change to a wine rose blush in fall...guess that's how it got it's name.
It is a long blooming perennial forming spreading mounds of green fern like leaves. The article I read suggested that you shear it back lightly in August to encourage renewed blooms. It is suppose to tolerate heat and humidity, and..clay soil! (YES!) It is deer and rabbit resistant and attracts birds and butterflies. Now what more could you ask for? One thing....it requires 6+ hours of sun.
That is quite a bit of sun for most of my yard, but..perfect for one bed. I think this autumn blush makes a perfect addition to my wildflower garden.

Wordless Wednesday - The first Morning Glory