FRIDAY AT THE FLING

The itinerary for the first real day of 2018 Garden Bloggers Fling was, The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the garden of Diana Kirby, ( Sharing Nature' Garden), The Natural Gardener nursery, with a talk from owner John Dromgoole, followed by lunch in their tented pavilion, and two afternoon tours at the Mirador garden and my garden (Rock Rose).

What can I say? How foolish of we Texas gardeners to have been praying for weeks for rain because this was the day it arrived and while we are at it, why not show our visitors what a real Texas rain looks like. That means 3 1/2" in a matter of 3 hours. I know they were rained out at the WFC, but heard the shop was doing a brisk business, and at Diana's they took shelter in the house. Thank goodness for the ponchos that everyone got in their swag bag.

Because my garden was on tour in the afternoon I was unable to go to the earlier events. I had anticipated going to Diana's and I probably would have if I had not been standing at the window staring out at rain sheeting off the roof. All the anticipation of showing this great group of garden bloggers my garden washed away in a matter of hours. I watched the radar intently but that system was moving so slowly. I made lunch and I don't usually have a glass of wine but this day I did. Then as the rain tapered off we got out the wet vac and began a clean up job on the patio where the waterfall had carried with it a sea of muddy soil. I felt a lot better after that. At 2:00pm a quick text from Pam told me the first group of 50 was on its way and David and I prepared to meet our guests. I gave David strict instructions to take photos because I knew I never would. This week when I asked him about the photos he said they were awful and had deleted them. Thanks goodness we could recover them because they are the only record I have that anyone came here. Apart from this photograph of Jenny Peterson brightening a dreary scene.

Jenny Peterson in her cheerful rain jacket

My garden does not show well in the rain partly because the current cottage garden-type flowers hang their heads and sulk when it rains. Not to mention my inability to control what is growing At least until they have set their seed. That means a lot of pushing plants aside to walk by plus places to plant feet are small. Did I worry that some of my little seedlings would be trampled? Absolutely not. Everyone was completely respectful of every little seedling and not a plant was damaged.

The group is gathered around me holding the branch with the praying mantis egg case and a tiny mantis is just hatching, running up and down the branch and onto my finger. I have a feeling he must have been terrified being ogled by a bunch of camera-toting poncho-wearing faces.

 That's it, the sum total of my photos.

But someone took a photo of the two of us as they were leaving. We look very happy don't we? But not as happy as I would have been if I could have shared my garden in better weather conditions.

So I am going to do that now. Come on in and notice how important shadow play is in the entrance to the garden.

The wet weather creek is dry now as sunny skies pervade once again.

Before you crossed the creek did you spot the hypertufa trough I made? I love the flap jack plant Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, because it grows quickly and takes on great color when stressed.

And the little seating area, also in the breezeway, which may have been hidden by the door. It's a favorite winter afternoon place to have a cup of tea because the sun shines right in here. Or we sometimes sit here in the shade in the morning.

The little table is just a plant pot with a piece of sturdy cardboard supporting years of shell collecting on beaches far and wide.

The wet weather creek continues across the path into the corner of the house.

Beneath the bird-planted yaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria,  as far as the 'I didn't plant that' Texas flowery senna tree, Senna corymbosa. They pop up everywhere but are not long lived. There are always more waiting in the wings but will they plant themselves so perfectly? It's a great place for the bird bath because and a hanging feeder because the tree affords them some shelter.

We used to have some Indian hawthorn plants here but I opted for a cleaner look with the A. desmettiana  'variegata' in the pot. Of course I can't help but add a few plants and a few seedlings are popping up.

When I walk to the end of the garden I like to glance back through a haze of Englemanns daisy.

I wonder if you noticed the water feature. The repurposed post support from a basketball stand dumped in the alley behind my son's house in Dallas. I knew immediately what its second life would become. Good job we were in the truck with a couple of strong backs to heave it up.

Now out through the front gates and around the back into the Secret garden.

And through the Gulag into the English garden. So much more inviting on a sunny day.

And then passing thought the Sun and Moon archway and down into the sunken garden.

And if you don't sit and linger for a while

 down into the herb and vegetable garden which on a sunny day is a hive of activity.

There! I feel so much better now that the rainy Friday is over with. Visits to gardens on Saturday and Sunday will be in the full sun, I can promise.