Citrus and Camelia Blooms
The weather will be getting cold this week, so I've harvested the remaining Meyer lemons and Moro Blood oranges from my potted trees. They're covered now and hopefully they'll stay…
Garden
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar on Parsley
One of many on this parsley plant is this beautiful Black Swallowtail caterpillar. I've counted about 8 of them in various sizes munching away on last year's Italian parsley plant…
Wash Tub Lettuce
This little washtub has provided a daily supply of organically grown lettuce for me since the first week of December. In Houston, a planting like this can last through the…
Yellow Bells 'Sangria' Esperanza
Yellow Bells aka Esperanza (Tecoma stans 'Sangria') looks delicious and adds a sunny spice to your garden. I first spotted this variety at Buchanan's Native Plants in November 2011. I…
Morning Sunshine after a Rain
Took this photo at Buchanan's Native Plants.
Gulf Fritillary Butterflies and Caterpillars
The passion flower vine is a favorite of Gulf Fritillary butterflies (Agraulis vanillae) and host plant for their young caterpillars. I captured these shots at Buchanan's Native Plants nursery last…
The Ground Up is Taking Root
Last month I visited The Ground Up – Houston’s new powerhouse in organic soils, compost and mulch. I first saw them at an OHBA event this spring. They’re marketing is…
Drought is worst ever for Houston
Worst drought ever? According to John Nielsen-Gammon, the Texas State Climatologist and professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University: “These statistics rank the current drought as the most severe…
Vegetable Garden Update: Spring 2011
The vegetable garden is struggling this year. We are dealing with an unprecedented drought this spring and now temperatures have hit 105 for the past two days. Fortunately my tomatoes…