On the Master Gardeners' tour last spring there was quite a lot of interest in our paving stones. We made all the pavers in our vegetable garden, English garden and Spanish oak garden. Although I had planned to do a post on the "how to" it was not until
Central Texas Gardener asked me this week if I had ever done a post on the stones that I actually got round to it.
The pavers in the vegetable garden were made using the above frame, the English garden using the round form and the larger pavers in the Spanish Oak garden were poured in place.
D has provide me with the following.
"First a disclaimer. If you can find the right size and pattern of stepping stone at Home Depot or Lowe's, buy don't make. We could not find an 18" square stone, so we decided to make. We already had a concrete mixer so we were not faced with an initial capital outlay of about $400 to get started. We used the standard concrete formulation: 3 parts gravel, 2 parts masonry sand and one part portland cement. If your project is modest you may want to use concrete premix; our project warranted bulk purchase of the ingredients. For enough to make three 18" square stones (2" thick), we mixed 6 shovels of pea gravel, 4 shovels of masonry sand, 2 shovels of portland cement. To vary the color of the stones we used gray cement and white cement in varying proportions and concrete pigment in varying amounts. We cannot offer precise color formulations; it was very much "trial and error". Since we made almost two hundred stones, we had plenty of scope for color variations; the more the better. We found the best order of mixing to be: water first, gravel next and then sand. As the mix dried out with the addition of sand, we added more water for desired consistency. Experience will guide you on the initial charge of water; I cannot remember. Our technique was quite tolerant of varying consistency of the mix but too thin made for a slow set and a weaker stone; we suffered no broken stones.
We started with a single mould, increased to a double and ended with a treble. The key to building the mould is screw, don't nail, the sides together. We used 1 7/8 X 3/4 inch wood for the frame and 3 1/2 inch screws to assemble it. The easiest way to release the stones from the mould was by unscrewing the sides and dismantling the mould. We reused the same triple mould about fifty times. We laid the mould on a level bed of sand; it’s important to level the mould. Just prior to pouring the concrete we sprayed WD40 on the inside surfaces for easy release. We emptied the mix into a wheelbarrow and from there we transferred it into the moulds by shovel and garden trowel. We filled each mould half full, leveled it, and laid a pre-cut heavy gauge 2” mesh screen (16” square) onto the concrete as “rebar”. Then we filled the mould to the top. We dragged a 2 X 4 across the surface of the mould to remove excess concrete and form a level stone. Then we inserted a flat 2 inch trowel down the inside surfaces and worked it around the mould to "finish" the sides of the stone. Now came the most important step. When the surface water had disappeared, typically 20-30 minutes, we "finished" the surface to a smooth sheen with a 11 X 4 1/2 inch trowel. Finally, when the surface was firm, we used flat rocks to imprint a pattern on the stone. We then left the stones to cure for 24 hours.
For the large diameter circular stones we used black plastic planters. We filled the planter to within 3” of the top with sand and then followed the same procedure to form the stones. We upended the planters onto a thick cushion to release the stone from the mould; the larger mould was quite a challenge."
It all took a lot of time and effort! Thanks D for a great job.
Today a white California poppy bloomed in the sunken garden. Some years ago I purchased a packet of seeds called "white linen" Every year one or two plants pop up with the white blooms. I can never tell until they send out the first bloom. 
Today I picked some of the spring flowers that are blooming in the garden today. They will be the centerpiece of the table for dinner tonight. Among them, larkspur, four nerve daisy, california poppy, German chamomile, alyssum, viburnum, jasmine, jessamine and a few parsley leaves for greenery. The arrangement only stands about 12" high so it is perfect for the center of the table.
Another unwelcome visitor is a caterpillar. It has the look of a tent caterpillar and probably turns into some insignificant moth. This bug is at least 6 weeks early. It usually can be found on the bluebonnets after they have flowered and when the seed pods are quite far along in their development. I wonder if this coincides with birds hatching. if it does then it is going to be a lean year for the nestlings. This is the kind of damage they can do to the young plant.
Not only are the bluebonnets suffering from the lack of rain and caterpillars but yesterday I saw that some of the ones inside my walls were covered in red spider mites. I had to spray with Spinosad in the hope that this would reduce their numbers. 
Finally, a catch! Mr Mousy has no sympathy for the hispid cotton rat that was in the trap this morning. This is his patch and intruders are not welcome. If you read the link above you will wonder why on earth I am so kind to our furry visitor. I had been wondering why he could possibly need to be eating all my larkspurs and blue eyed grass when he must have collected thousands of seeds from the gomphrena over the summer and fall. The fact is they were just to fulfill his daily needs. These rats do not store food! However I have learnt they like oats, so in future I won't be using tomatoes. 
An early bloomer this year is the Agarita, Mahonia trifoliolata. Its yellow blossoms have a delightful perfume which fills the air. To follow there will be small berries, which when ripe can be collected to make agarita jelly. It is no simple matter to collect the berries because the leaves have vicious spines, similar to holly leaves. The best way is to place a sheet under the bush and give the bush a good bat with an old tennis racket! Sometimes the bush is referred to as the nursery bush as it would certainly be a safe place to leave young animals.
The Texas mountain laurel is also in full bloom in the front garden. I'm sure these plants are blooming with such a heady scent to attract bees from hibernation. However, tonight there will be a frost and I suspect the temperatures will drop into the 20s. There is a strong north wind blowing and I am afraid these blossoms will suffer. Not only that but the leaves are just coming out on the pomegranate tree and a freeze will burn them off. We have had so many unseasonably warm days that too many plants have stirred from their winter dormancy.
My greenhouse is loaded with seedlings of all kinds; tomatoes, basil, parsley, brachyscome, zinnia and rooted cuttings of roses, succulents and agaves as well as two lemons and a Mexican lime. To help out on cold nights I save all the gallon milk jugs, fill them with water, which warms up during the day, and place them around the perimeter. TDuring the night they will give off enough heat to keep things from freezing. When the cold weather is over I cut off the bottoms and use them as hot caps over tender transplants. Rather like a mini greenhouse.
The four nerve daisy, Hymenoxy scaposa, has flowered all through the winter. It re seeds in the gravel and this one has produced a nice clump in between the path stones. It gets to stay.
The Carolina jessamine, Gelsemium sempiverens, perfumes the air with a delicate fragarance. To say this vine is vigorous would be an understatement. It sends its greedy roots for up to twenty feet. This particular plant is starting to show its age and will come out once it has bloomed. I will replace it with something a little less rambunctious. The plants around will be very grateful.
Erigeron daisy.
The Viburnum tinus " spring bouquet" will take anything thrown at it. Dust, heat, drought and pollution and still maintain it s bright glossy evergreen leaves. The buds start out pink and open white. 
Texas Parks and Wildlife had a display with information on native orchids of Texas. Of the 54 species, all are terrestrial and 36 are to be found in East Texas. Only one is on the endangered list but all are subject to the threat of logging and natural disasters such as fire and hurricane.
The sheer variety of color and bloom displayed by the Austin Orchid Society was almost overwhelming.
The temptation was great but I did resist knowing full well that I already had enough to look after at home. However, a leaf cutting of a night blooming Epiphyllum was not too difficult to resist. I have now entered into a competition with our friends as to whose will be the first to flower. 
On the Master Gardeners' tour last spring there was quite a lot of interest in our paving stones. We made all the pavers in our vegetable garden, English garden and Spanish oak garden. Although I had planned to do a post on the "how to" it was not until Central Texas Gardener asked me this week if I had ever done a post on the stones that I actually got round to it.
The pavers in the vegetable garden were made using the above frame, the English garden using the round form and the larger pavers in the Spanish Oak garden were poured in place.
Hello! I went down to the study to look for a genealogy book and what did I espy but two books that really looked out of place. My husband has been buying books on plants!! Could it be that he is studying the flora in secret. Let's see what he says when he notices I have discovered this purchase.
Meanwhile, it was a wonderful day to be out in the garden. The mullein, Verbascum thapsus, came through the heavy freezes we had this week with flying colors. Many gardeners would not entertain this plant in the garden, and I have to admit that it requires control lest it completely take over. The mullein is probably more at home growing in the disturbed areas along the road side, and that is where I saw it the first time. I spotted a lovely rosette of leaves growing on the side of the road at the bottom of our street. Later on in the year it sent up a flower stalk and I saved some of the seeds. From then on I have had mulleins growing in the garden. They pop up in the most unexpected places. This one is growing alongside the raised beds in the vegetable garden. The mullein, which belongs to the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, produces this soft rosettes of leaves which grow close to the ground. The flower stalk can be as tall as 6' and produces thousands of seeds after the yellow flowers fade. I am careful to remove the stalk before the seeds fall to the ground.
