Archive: Belated Christmas

Last weekend, my parents, sister and nieces came up and, among other things, celebrated a very belated Christmas.

Outside, my dad helped me relocate some overgrown lantana that were crowding the spaces I’d put them in. He then helped me dig a hole for the Cecille Brunner rose from Mark & Kristen. After that, we moved a fair amount of the karst limestone from the driveway to along the front of the house. The idea was to store it in a more attractive way, even though I’ll eventually move it for other projects.

My mom brought me a huge number of plants, most of them native (the rest are well-adapted to the Central Texas climate). My dad remarked she must have all of a paycheck tied up in the plants.

I spent some time gathering their quantities and names so I could list them.

They are:
• 5 Texas Bluebonnets Lupinus texensis
• 3 Sedum Makina ogon
• 2 Otahal’s salvia Salvia otahal
• 3 Costa Rican salvia Salvia guaranitica
• 1 Silphium
• 1 Texas Primrose Calylophus drummondii
• 3 Trailing snake herbs Dyschoriste decumbens
• 1 Zexmenia Wedelia hispida
• 1 Passion vine Passiflora sp.
• 2 Mexican bush sage Salvia leucantha
• 4 Aristolochia fimbriata
• 6 Oxblood lily Rhodophiliala bifida
• 1 white rain lily Zephyranthes candida (?)

I think that’s everything. I didn’t know all the details of some, so filled in best I could. Eventually I hope to place pictures of them here or nearby so I can start to put faces to names. So far I have planted about half of them.

Before they arrived, I had finished what I call my limestone terrace. I was trying to create some beds that look (as best as possible) like native Hill Country spaces. I’m not sure how well I really achieved that (especially since they abut our ugly wooden deck), but I like my work nonetheless. Even so, I consider it a work in progress. I hope to add water features, more stone, and just more planting space.