Cold Snow Day In Texas

 

The temperature got down to 0 degrees and we were without electricity for 2 days. It's been intermittent power today. We do have water from the our well and have been using the generator to keep the pump from freezing.

Bird In The House During Snow Storm

A bird flew out of our fireplace while I had a fire going! It's amazing it wasn't burned. It flew around from skylight to skylight (we have 2) for about an hour before I was able to coax it into a box with some birdseed. I was able to release it outside. We've been experiencing power blackouts since yesterday so I decided to make a fire to keep warm. I haven't used the fireplace since 2012 and we had to use some cut up 2x4s we had in the garage as we had no wood stored. Little bird was a welcome distraction from the cold and I'm glad it was able to fly away. 

Found The White Iris

I brought this iris from my old house. It
didn't bloom last year, so I am
very glad to see it again.
This is a very majestic white iris, measuring in
at 42" tall. I don't
know the name of it, but it performs
well in the garden - it multiplies fast and the
flower lasts a long time.

Garden area started by the rocks
 that used to have Pampas grass growing around them.
It is coming along nicely.

I added these iris to the "rose bed island".
The bud is Rustic Royalty iris, then Spin-off iris, and the purple
one is an unknown. I think it might be an
heirloom iris,

I just love the flower balls on the red onion.
Queen Elizabeth rose is in the
background. It is now about 6 ft tall.

Portmeirion David Austin English
rose. This has a sweet mild
fragrance.

Row of 7 Pink Knockouts.

I am adding stones to the border of the
Pink Knockouts.

Little Bit Of Fall Color At The Cottage Dome

I'm determined to have a wonderful garden despite

the many setbacks of this season, one of which I

haven't mentioned before is MOLES. I have two

cats that have managed to catch only one. I don't really

want to put out poison, so I just watch daily has

they shred the grass and garden. 

The okra is starting to wind down. Still harvesting a few.

Okra flower

I thought this Dianthus had died - guess not- looks pretty now.

Coleus

I know cantaloupe is getting bad press right now - but I thought
this was neat how it is growing up the fence - it grew from seed
out of the compost pile. I will probably feed it
to the rabbit on the other side of the fence.

Abraham Darby has survived the extreme heat and drought.

This photo doesn't do justice to this canna. It
looks really beautiful today. I started this from a piece
given to me by my father-in-law early in the year.

I'm extending flower garden - part of  this is
a newly dug area. I also took a couple of dying
Elaeagnus shrubs from the front yard and
transplanted them here. See the twiggy shrub in
background on the right?

I put the potted Fireworks purple fountain grass in the ground. I
also transplanted a few of the Firehouse nandina here also.

I've been dividing iris and daylilies also.

The Graham Thomas rose has survived the drought and heat. It
has almost doubled in size.

Firehouse Nandina

Hosta Past And Present

This is a photo of my past garden with hosta, azalea and liriope. I built
the little stone bench out of leftovers from the stone
patio we built in the backyard.
The hosta here are from left to right -
Climax Plaintain Lily (the leaves  on this one get really large),
Moon River Plantain Lily and the Krossa Regal.

Past garden with my then
six-year-old granddaughter posing for me. 
  On her right are Coral Bells. The
 golden one is Caramel (Heuchera Villosa).
It's one that tolerates heat and humidity. I don't remember
 the name of the purple one.
I didn't buy
any this year.  I want
to have the perfect spot for them, which I
haven't decided on where that will be.

The one in the front is Color Glory and behind it is Patriot Plantain Lily.
"Hostas" by Rosemary Barrett is my hosta
go-to book.

This is the stone patio my hubby and I made. We want to do another
one for our new yard. 

Notice the flowers on the coral bell. 

This picture was taken in the early spring time - so
no hostas had come up yet.

Present photo of my yard. The poor little hosta on the left was
just getting established under the tree - but something is
eating the leaves - whatever it is - it's not eating the one
on the right. Eventually I hope to have more hosta and
St Augustine grass growing up the edge of the river
rocks. I would like to build another stone bench to put
under this tree.

I can't believe it - with all the heat and no rain - I have
a bud on the Encore Azalea bush. They are suppose to
bloom spring, mid-summer and fall.

Another shot of the interior of Geodesic Dome. Zinnias
make nice cut flowers.

Living In A Geodesic Dome

I moved the Crimson pygmy dwarf barberry that was in the
 front flower bed to the back yard.
 I decided I would rather have
Drift roses in that bed.

Today's bounty. The tomato on the right
 is the Black Krim.

I moved the Purple Oxalis from the front
flower bed, which gets mostly sun (I thought
putting it in the back of the flower bed under the
crepe myrtle tree would shade it) to the shade garden
in the back yard.

Miss Muffett Caladium with the Purple Oxalis behind it.

I moved Golden Prize daylily to the front yard. You
can also see how the living fence of Elaeagnus shrubs
is progressing. The two Natchez Crepe Myrtles
have not bloomed yet.

I have photos of the outside of the "dome", so I thought maybe
you might be curious as to the inside. This shot is of the upstairs
living area that has a massive skylight window in the
center of the ceiling.

It's somewhat of a challenge for hanging artwork
on the walls. Upstair the walls are
really domed so I solved this with
decorative easels.
Not all the walls are domed, so you do have some
flat wall spaces.

Looking up to the upstairs area from the main living area.

Downstairs living area with the massive fireplace.

Stone floor as you walk in the front door. Steps down
into main living area. Back of fireplace is on the left side
of picture.

Back of the fireplace. This is what you see
when coming in the front door.

Looking down from upstairs
toward the fireplace.

Skylight over the first floor living area.

Another shot of first floor skylight. 

Decorative woodwork over the window

Decorative woodwork over the windows.