Passion Vine!!

I have to say that the Passion Vine blossom is probably one of the most bizarre, other-worldly, and alien-like flowers out there. Look at it. It has antenae, and yellow paddles just waiting to start spinning, and a purple skirt to die for!

not to mention curly spring-like vine tendrils for extra gripping capabilities.
Could almost be part insect...

I'm On My Way

"I'm on my way, from misery to happiness today. Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.
I'm on my way ....
Why, you ask. Because, see this remarkable cactus tree that lives down the street from me?
And see the great blooms it gets, (enjoyed by people and bees alike)...

Well, my little stolen arm (hey, it was lying on the ground beside it, not even attached) is going crazy with new growth!!!!!! Man, I love this about cacti. Just stick a bit of cactus in the dirt, and Bob's your uncle! New plant.

Check it out: Can't wait for the blooms.

Lovely Lizard

This extremely handsome young man was actively wooing a very petite little brown friend. He kept puffing out his neck which was BRIGHT orangy-red. I know I was impressed. He had me with the first puff. But the little female seemed to be playing hard to get. She kept turning her back and edging away. I bet he won her over in the end, cause he was giving her his all!

Your Very Own Easter Egg Hunt!

I know you are going to be jealous if you weren't able to score some of these great "Hard-To-Find" Easter eggs from H.E.B. But really. How cool are these!!! Disguised as rocks and grass and bark and dirt. Awesome. So if indeed you did not spot these hard to find eggs at H.E.B., you can still enjoy the pleasure of a little pictorial egg hunt right now.


See how well they blend in to the grass? Bet ya can't find the egg...

Can you see the next one??? Pretty tough huh?

I know, I know, you practically have to be a mind-reader to figure out where I'm putting them.

What a brain teaser of an exercise. You are probably completely stumped as to where the last one is, but don't give up, o.k.

And the even better thing about these eggs, was that they also came pre-stuffed with candy. God, I love H.E.B.

My Easter Present

For Easter I was given the first blooms on my Desert Pea, which was very thrilling. They are extremely sweet, and delicate.

The colours and the shape create yet another dance in the garden! I would like to see Cicely Mary Barker's 'flower fairy' rendition for this flower...

On the other hand, they also remind me a lot of Daffy Duck's beak...

Trying to get caught up...

I have SO MANY blogs I want to do, and I feel so far behind, but I will blame first jet lag, then Easter, but mostly a computer that is SOOO irritating, it practically gives me a rash just thinking about it. But there, I'm done whining.

As you can see, the rose decided to explode into bloom while I was gone, and even though I came home with serious garden envy, (because I don't have a view, and I don't have old stone walls, or age-old fruit trees), this was somewhat of a salve.

Buccolic English Country Garden

Last post from England...

Stone walls covered with Clematis was one of many visual treasures to be seen.

The interesting thing about this garden is that it is above the house. When you come out the back door, there is a little gravel and flagstone patio, and then a stucco and stone wall with stairs up the the garden proper, complete with flowering crabapple, daffodils, and of course a field at the end of the garden full of cows (who were VERY noisy). (The picture below was taken from a second story window in the house...

Here is the garden late in the day, my favourite time: golden light and lengthening shadows.

Barrington Court (Part Five)

Instead of nasty metal cages, they have constructed these cunning, twig, support systems, and once the plant has grown to its full size, up through the twigs, you wouldn't be able to see them anymore. Oh those English!!

Barrinton Court (Part Four)

Miscellaneous English Charm:

Daffodils galore, buds about to burst, flowers in bloom, ivy covered walls, and chimneys that should be featured on top of cakes...

Barrington Court (Part Three)

Enticing pathways, wrought iron gates, doorways, stable doors.... it all leads you on with hints of more beauty to be seen around the next corner.

The brick paths made me drool, and I wanted nothing more than to rush home and do some brick work of my own in the Chadwickton Court Manor.

(Must speak to people in house nearby who have piles of bricks outside their house...)


The arched windows you can see through the wrought iron fence are the tea room windows which look out over that particular garden.

Each arched doorway was like a beckoning finger to further delights.

Barrington Court (Part Two)

Walled Gardens. One after another. The biggest is a kitchen garden full of fruits and vegetables which are harvested for the little tea house restaurant.

(We only had scones and tea)








After the kitchen garden came the formal gardens. My father, pictured a couple of times, finds the surroundings sooo peaceful. And they are truly, very serene....

Barrington Court (Part One)

Here comes another installment of "THAT'S NOT TEXAS..."

While I was in England we visited a nearby National Trust House called Barrington Court, which had garden after delightful, walled garden.


One of the things they went in for BIG TIME were these two-dimensional, walled, fruit trees.

These trees definitely had to tow the line. Literally. But they were very beautifully arranged, and I guess harvesting would be quite easy.

Power to the Poison

Remember how I said I liked the shrivelled apple look of these trees in the fall. They just summed up fall so well. Well, these 'bad' trees are now looking very pretty with their lavender blossoms. And if you get up close they have a very lilacy scent. So pretty! You go, bad tree!!

Wonders Around Town

I love, love, love this wildflower!!! Look at the beautiful, delicate, little creases. And each one has one of the four-pronged, white star things, and then the other little stamens around it.

I want a field of it in my front and back yard. It is too late this year, and I guess I can't do it next year either. So for now I will just smile as I see them along the highways, and gracing other peoples lawns.

Mrs. Lady Bird was not pleased that I found her, and didn't stick around long. Maybe she 'flew away home'.

Then there was the ravenous, grape-leaf-eating caterpillar who I inwardly cursed, but outwardly admired and couldn't kill because he had such great colours.

The thorny stolen heart cactus has decided it likes the pot it is currently in, and is putting out new growth, and there was even a newly hatched swallowtail. The crysalis just appeared one day.... I didn't even collect this one. So that was a nice bonus. Spring is an exciting time.