first post
I want to turn my yard into a garden.
My husband and I bought our house last May, just a couple of months before we were married and our son was born. Our yard is mostly grass, but it has an incredible energy to it that we immediately fell in love with the first time we saw the property. When we moved in, I was very pregnant, so I didn’t spend much time in the yard last summer. Then our son Ben was born, and I spent last fall in new parent la-la land, so I didn’t get anything done then, either.
But now it’s time to start digging (up the grass). To take stock of what’s already here:
In the front we’ve inherited some pittosporum shrubs, a nandina, some kind of palm, and two big, old live oaks. Not long after we moved in one of the main branches on the larger of the two oaks split, so we’ve had some significant work done on that tree. That’s a sad story of unscrupulous tree trimmers that I’ll save for another day.
In the back we’ve inherited a clementine tree, an apple tree, several fig trees, a couple of (I think?) kumquat trees, and a pecan tree. There are some roses growing out in the middle of the yard, and a couple of agaves planted in the corners.
There are already some beautiful plants here, and there’s plenty of Space. I can’t wait to get started.
Posted in uncategorized
February 8th, 2008 at 10:26 pm CST
Welcome to garden blogging in Austin, Brianna. I enjoyed your colorful winter berry photos. I hope you enjoy digging in your garden as much as I do, now that you have time for it.
I’m always amazed by how many gardeners are blogging here in Austin. You join a group of about 18 or 19 now. If you care to discover more, you can see a full list on my sidebar under Austin Gardens, or go to Blotanical and get your blog listed too. It’s a fun way to find other people gardening in similar conditions. And sometimes you get offers of free plants!
February 8th, 2008 at 11:30 pm CST
Wow, you found me fast! Thanks for the comment
I’ve been lurking on Digging and on Tom Spencer’s site for at least a year now–thanks so much for sharing your garden and your blog. They’re both wonderful.
Also, I just registered with blotanical. Thanks for the tip!
February 9th, 2008 at 1:56 am CST
Yep, I found you fast because you linked to my blog. Thank you for that. I’ll be happy to return the favor.
By the way, you’re invited to join the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling on April 5. If you’ve been lurking, you’ve read all about it by now. We’d love to meet you.
I had been skipping over the Spring Fling stuff, since it didn’t apply to me until now. But I just took a look at the schedule, and it sounds amazing. I’d love to come. Let me check out my babysitting possibilities. Thanks for the invite!
February 9th, 2008 at 4:41 am CST
OH, I do envy you the fruit and nut trees in the back!
Have fun creating your garden.
Thanks, Nancy. We really enjoy the trees here. We’re lucky that the previous owner seemed to like fruit-bearing trees so much.
-Brianna
February 9th, 2008 at 3:34 pm CST
Hello, and welcome! I’m a north Austin garden weblogger, as well. I’m subscribing to your RSS feed and looking forward to seeing how you turn your yard into a garden. My husband and I bought our first house in June, so we’re in much the same situation!
Cool to meet another North Austin garden blogger
I just read a couple of posts on your blog–and wow, you’ve posted some amazing photos! I’ll add your blog to my sidebar.
-Brianna
February 10th, 2008 at 7:08 am CST
Hi Brianna - welcome to the Austin Garden Bloggers! I’m up in the NW a few miles from Dawn of Suburban Wildlife Garden. Wow, you have a Clementine? I’ve heard that some people get them to survive in Austin - lucky you.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Hi, Annie
Thanks for the welcome; adding your blog to my sidebar list.
We love our clementine! And there’s still lots of fruit. If you’d like some, let me know.
-Brianna
February 10th, 2008 at 5:52 pm CST
I followed you over from Pam. You are lucky to have inheritied those fabulous fruit trees and roses. Pam’s blog is rife with ideas on landscaping with agaves-mixing with grasses and color.
Yeah! I love agaves, and I plan to plant more of them.
-Brianna
February 12th, 2008 at 1:51 pm CST
Welcome to ranks of the Austin garden bloggers. I hope you can come to Spring Fling so that we can meet you. If you can’t make all the events of the day, at least come for the dinner at the County Line where you’ll have the opportunity to meet garden bloggers from all over the country. This is the first time we’ve done anything like this (we’re not some old organization or anything). It should be fun.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:54 am CST
[…] There are already beautiful fruit trees growing here: fig, clementine, apple, and loquat (which I previously misidentified as kumquat). Although fruit trees would not have been my top priority if we were starting from […]