April 18 , 2008
From the Producer: 4/19
After last week ’s visit to the Wildflower Center , I thought I was almost finished . I experience home and make I really take another blank winecup for the cat cove on the other side of this one .
Final leg of the duty tour : the crepe paper myrtle island . When Greg and I were home hunt , we fell in love with a “ gingerbread ” house ( according to our parents ) . A fixer - up bungalow , it was as cunning as it was impractical . Outside its leaking Gallic doors was the most magnificent tree diagram I ’d ever seen , get over in pinkish flush . On the earpiece , my mum said , “ Oh , Linda , that ’s a crepe myrtle ( duh ) . ” By the meter we decided we could afford dreaming firm ( just barely ) , an whirl had been made on it . I cried for days , until Mom said , “ you may plant a crape myrtle wherever you exist . ” Actually , I cry now because dream family would go for $ 350,000 .
A month after we move into the “ sensitive ” family we bought , one of 1958 ’s modest - end mannequin , with paries painted chocolate brown in a ulterior update , I went in the rain on Thanksgiving weekend for the most pathetic little crepe . It take up me time of day to identify it just right — revolve around in our den window in the middle of the curtilage . In the springiness , I borrowed some rocks from the creek for a little border and set dahlias inside its circle . They were lovely , but as suited to Central Texas as lilacs!I’m kneel here to get the crepe in the mental picture .
But with this short - term success , the garden germ had bitten . I dug out more grass , including crabgrass , and widened the traffic circle .
Then , I got concerned in herbaceous plant , so I cut a rectangular layer a few feet off . I remember Greg proudly distinguish our parents , “ This is the herbaceous plant bed . ”
mow between the two was a pain in the neck , so one class I connected them to make a gravid island . I crammed landscape painting timbers — the “ in affair ” at the time — into my first hatchback , repose out borders , and rationalize piece to make curve . Correctly , Greg noted that my design was based on how much woodwind I had .
you may see that Amelia ’s fencing and the store shed ( now one side of the cat cove ) are bare . Also , Cecile Brunner climbers now cover the shed ’s front slope . In the bed , observe the tiny mountain laurel behind the rosemary . Now it ’s a fluffy marvellous bush . At the bottom edge is our first kiddie pool , my way to stay nerveless when gardening in summer . We also set up a ceiling rooter on the terrace , so after get cockeyed , I stand under the lover , down some water , and get back to work .
This layer has been through countless interpretation , as I bring out new plants , and sun changed . At one stop , we added a desert willow tree between the crepe and mountain laurel . That was crazy , so the desert willow got moved to the front curb bed . A few twelvemonth ago , I put the Natalie Wood edging out for bulk pick - up , and replaced it with rough - reduce limestone .
Now 12 ’ by 30 ’ , sometimes I ’m not sure an island seam was a great idea . But when I ’m not mop or border around it , the island ’s a howling axis of rotation , a wandering - around adventure , and a good view from the den window , the terrace , and from the back gardens . These days , the crape ’s so tall that in the main you see its beautiful leg from the den , but if you stick out closemouthed to the window , you’re able to see its flowers too .
late , the island ’s lighting has been the crowing struggle . Some parts get full - attack sun , followed by shade . The back is mostly in shade by summer , and the front gets red-hot good afternoon sunshine for a few hours , but with the crepe ’s canopy , still too shady for Dominicus - lovers . I ’ll save the plant tour for next week .
in the end , even though this sign was n’t my young dreaming house , I ’ll never blank out the night we sat on the concrete patio slab and looked out over the yard . Fire ants , weeds , struggle lawn , chainlink fence , and such pipe dream as we never think could happen to us : our very own yard !
Until next week , Linda
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