Sharing Nature's Garden

More from Trier...

2008-07-22T01:26:00.004-05:00

Most of the churches we've seen on this trip have been Baroque in style, but on our way out of Trier, we stopped to see the city's famous Rococo church.

This is the St. Paulinus Church, which looks very simple, albeit elegant, from the outside. Only the ornate doorway gives a little hint of the amazing decor inside.

These beautifully preserved churches are amazing, not only for the craftsmanship and the talent they display, as well as all the years in the making, but I am also in awe of the idea of the wealth and power of the church in those times, when it was also the center of government.

Here you see my little munchkin dwarfed by the grandeur of it all.

And then we left for Weilerswist and my cousin's house. Here Kallie is getting a tour of the garden when we arrive. If I can manage the techno piece when my husband leaves this week, I will have many more garden photos to come! Wish me luck on that!

Honoring family

2008-07-19T15:02:00.005-05:00

This is the St. Mathias Church, built around 1500. This is the church my mother and her family attended when she was growing up.

The original church was built between 1127 and 1160, and was named the Eucharius church, built on an ancient Roman cemetery outside the city's fortifications.

But, when it had to be rebuilt, they discovered the tomb of St. Matthew buried on the site of the former church. So they rebuilt and changed the name to honor St. Matthew.

The church site also houses the crypts of Trier's first bishops, St. Eucharius and St. Valerius that were buried at the site in the 4C and 5C.

We were lucky enough to be in the church for a rare treat, as the organist was meeting with some people and she played a little while we were inside. It was truly inspiring. And we were also there to listen to the bells in the bell tower as we were entering the church.
And this is my grandparents' grave. We came to pay our respects and to tend to the grave, as that work is typically done by family over here. Since there is no more family here in this city, our relatives now use a service that comes a few times a year, but I was so glad to be able to come and help just a little. I pulled some weeds and dead leaves out and planted the sweetest little mum with miniature yellow mounding blooms right in the middle of the gravesite.

It's cathartic - tending to this little patch of garden that means so very much to me - and honoring the family that came and went before me.

Tomorrow we we leave Trier and move on to visit my cousin and her husband in Weilerswist, a small town outside of Cologne. I'm very excited about getting to see them. She's like a sister to me, and he has the most amazing garden I can't wait to show you -- be sure to tune in tomorrow!

Oh - and these were the most beautiful flowers I saw in the cemetery - a lovely splash of color.

Home, sweet home...

2008-07-18T14:29:00.005-05:00

We started our morning by exploring the Heidelberg Castle, which is a huge structure that overlooks the river and most of Heidelberg. The weather held up with only a little mist and we enjoyed ourselves at a leisurely pace.

This was a little patch of garden that must belong to someone who works in or around the castle. We could see it from the edge of the castle, and it was so interesting to see that right there.

Fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables outside a shop on the main street in the old city of Heidelberg.
And, as always, lovely windowboxes overflowing with bursts of color.

Then we drove on to Trier, the oldest city in Germany, deep in the heart of the Mosel Valley and home to GREAT wine.

Trier is my mother's home, and where I remember spending time with my Oma and Opa as a young child when we spent 10 years living in Europe. (Germany, Belgium & the Netherlands) So this is like coming home for me -- the city evokes wonderful memories and a sense of belonging that is as strong as the current of the river that runs alongside it.

This first picture is of the Porta Nigra, the largest surviving Roman city gate north of the Alps. Trier dates back to the first century B.C., when Gaius Julius Caesar conquered Gaul and integrated the Mosel region into the Roman empire.

Amazing, isn't it? That something so ancient stands today and serves as a reminder of all the history that has come since then. The city is full of ancient and beautiful wonders and I'll post some more of them tomorrow.

And, amongst all the ornate buildings, more flowerboxes to brighten our sometimes cloudy day.
And I just had to get a shot of these pretties adorning the bus stop in the heart of the city.

Rain, rain, go away!

2008-07-17T13:55:00.004-05:00

The sun was done in Salzburg this morning, and the rain returned. But after a good breakfast, we were on the road again for the long trek back to Germany -- destination: Heidelberg.

All over both Germany and Austria, we saw fields -- some large, some small -- of rows of fresh flowers where you can cut your own! I guess it's like I'm used to seeing the pick your own berry places (and they have them too - amazing strawberries all around Bavaria).

Thought you'd find that interesting. The only thing more fun than going to my own garden to pick flowers fresh would be walking down the street to pick them from someone else who's sweated and anguished over them!

It rained on us most of the day and we were on the Autobahn all day, in and out of construction and lots of traffic -- both vacation and commerce. Lots of trucks.

We also make an unplanned stop at the concentration camp memorial at Dachau. It was very solemn and moving. But we were all very glad we realized how close we were to it and went and found it.

Ok - HOT in Salzburg - but still delightful!

2008-07-16T14:33:00.002-05:00

Today we struck out for the Hellbrunn Castle and its trick fountains and amazing gardens. We thought we could walk. We were wrong. Halfway there we caught a cab. It was a cool tour and Kallie managed to get wet enough in the trick fountains to enjoy it but not too wet for the rest of the day. A little lunch at the castle and a popsicle and a cab back to the hotel for a bit of a rest before we struck out on a late afternoon walk before dinner.

These trick gardens were built 400 years ago -- a little whimsy from the Archbishop, who liked to play pranks on his guests -- even at the dining table in the garden if they'd had a little too much wine to drink. And they couldn't get up until the Archbishop left the table (his seat was strategically placed not to get wet!)

Other kids raced through here and got soaked through and through.
Tomorrow we leave for Heidelberg, Germany and my feet are looking forward to some driving and a day off!

Sunny in Salzburg!

2008-07-15T14:13:00.003-05:00

What a delightful day. Nothing like drenching rain to make you appreciate a pretty, dry day. Woke this morning to the sounds of the street below the window of our hotel, which dates back to 1407.

We wandered around the heart of the old city today, and explored the Dom (cathedral) Residenz Palace, St. Peter's Cemetery and the Mirabelle gardens.

This cemetery is really something to behold, full of lovely flowers and plants and vines, each grave individually planted and cared for by the relatives of those who lie there, as is the European tradition. It inspires a reverence, both because it is the final resting place of many of the city's forebears, but also for the meticulous care of each of these miniature gardens, so lovingly tended.
The Mirabelle Gardens are beautiful, in the true European tradition of formal gardens - carefully sculpted and arranged.

It was sunny and dry all day. We walked and we stopped for a little pastry, and we walked a little more and stopped for a little more pastry!

Tomorrow - more walking, sightseeing and pastry!

When it rains, it pours...

2008-07-14T19:53:00.006-05:00

Austin...hot, dry...104
Germany & Austria...wet, rainy...55

We're making lemonade here. Yesterday we started our day in Fuessen, a charming town at the foothills of the Alps. Our plan was to climb up the side of a mountain for a tour of the spectacular Neuschwanstein castle, built by King Ludwig II.

When we woke up, it was pouring. When we got to the mountain it was pouring. When we stood in line for the bus part-way up the mountain it was pouring. And it poured on us as we walked the last undriveable 15 minutes up the mountain.

There were no photos allowed inside, but we got this one from a nice vantage point on the path. The castle was finished days after Ludwig died in 1896, and is amazing. Very ornate, it is full of frescoes of all the scenes from Richard Wagner's operas, which is why it is called the "Fairy Tale" castle. It's the castle on which the Disney castle was modeled.

Our 5-year old was great - and she enjoyed it immensely, in spite of pants soaked to the knee and a drenched rain jacket.

Our drive east to Salzburg was tedious - heavy rain, a small, two-lane road and German drivers. But it was beautiful.

The rain and cool air brought the clouds and the mists down over the alps and gave them an eerie quality that was really a sight to see. Not sure this captures it very well, but you get the idea.

Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Salzburg...in the rain. We walked a little down our street, enjoyed a nice Austrian dinner and turned in early. It's 2:45 a.m. here as I blog this (jetlag is still waking me up in the night) and I'm eager to see the city. It's beautiful, the birthplace of Mozart, and full of castles and fortresses and baroque churches.

And, for right now, it isn't raining ... I'm keeping my fingers crossed (and my unbrella handy!)

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

2008-07-13T13:15:00.005-05:00

Wow. What a difference a day makes!

Well, slightly more than a day. We left Austin, Texas on Friday. It was a scorching 100 degrees. Saturday morning, we landed in Frankfurt, Germany, where it was a beautiful and breezy 72 degrees and overcast.

Today we spent the afternoon in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the oldest fully-preserved midieval city in Germany (circa 1400). Its city wall and towers are all intact and we ate lunch in a lovely little place dating back to 1576.

All the little towns along what's called "The Romantic Road" are filled with window boxes overflowing with bright flowers and the countryside is dotted with beautiful green gardens and lush farms full of wheat and barley and corn. It's a patchwork of farms that drape across the hilly countryside.

Tonight (we're 7 hours ahead of Central time) we've just eaten dinner and are getting ready for an early night to bed. (Last night we all went to bed at 5:30 pm and slept until 5:30 am - getting over that jetlag!)

We're in Fuessen, at the foothills of the Austrian Alps, and tomorrow we will trek up the mountain to see the magnificent Neuschwanstein castle built by King Ludwig II in 1886. Unfortunately, it's going to be 50 degrees with an 80 percent chance of rain. Not ideal for mountain climbing in my book, but we've got jackets and umbrellas. It is the real-life castle after which the Disney princess castle was modeled and our daughter - 5-1/2 - is enthralled with anything to do with castles and royalty. I planned this especially for her.

Then it will be on Salzburg, Austria for 3 days, where I hope to be able to blog again some. There are some gardens on my list for our sightseeing there that I want to share with you.

Tschuss! (That's "bye" in German)

Oh - P.S. We're also here visiting all my family on my mother's side, who is first generation German and moved to the States with my father and I when I was just a baby. This is our daughter's third trip -- we brought her over for the first time when she was 6 months old, so she's a seasoned world traveler.

eeeeeeeeeeck........

2008-07-07T19:49:00.003-05:00

Ok -- no photos, (and slightly less than the thousand words I oughta have for being photo-less), but here's a funny critter update!

I was weeding and picking veggies in the garden, butt planted on a plastic stool, when Mr. Rat Snake decided to slither ACROSS MY FOOOOOOOT!

Yes.

Across my foot.

I screamed. He was terrified. Ssssssslithered away into the garden's rock border.

I sighed, knowing he was harmless, and kept picking green beans.

(Secretly kinda proud of myself, not for screaming, but for sitting tight and dealing. I may have screamed like a girl, but I didn't run. I figure that's worth something.)

Then this morning I caught Mr. Squirrel burrowing in the mulch and then he rolled over and wriggled around, scratching his back in it. I suspect he and his band of brothers might be my hole-diggers. (It's my most appealing guess, at this point!)

And, YIPPEEE SKIPPEEE, we had a 1/2 inch of rain today and it dropped the temp from 98 to 75.

We're baaaack!

2008-07-03T11:54:00.003-05:00

We've just come back from a wonderful time on the farm in Indiana where we enjoyed cool, crisp nights - 56 one night! - and beautiful days in the upper 70s and low 80s.

We took Flat Stanley with us and tooks lots of pictures so we could share our travels with Kallie's class back home. Here they are in the family barn visiting the horses and down the road enjoying the neighbors' cows.

I absolutely love these wild day lilies that grow all over the country roads throughout Indiana. So wish I had some in my garden, but haven't been able to find any to buy. I thought about dividing a few and tucking them in my suitcase, but decided not to.

This is one of the family wheat fields -- so pretty and about 2-3 days from cutting.

And then we came home to RAIN! Glorious rain! We had 1/2 inch this week, which we so desperately needed.

The many faces of Lantana...

2008-06-27T10:06:00.004-05:00

Ah, the many varied faces of the Lantana in my garden.

This time of year they are in full bloom -- amazingly happy in the stifling heat that has so many other plants withering on the vine.

And while I secretly find them a little ordinary (ssshhhh... don't tell them) they consistently perform for me under the toughest drought conditions.

So, here's to you -- all the Lantanas out there -- who bring bright, hot color to our very hot gardens in the middle of the Texas summer!

Can you believe this one is called "horrida?"
It's native and grows really well, but what a horrible name!

Confetti

Trailing Lantana

New Gold

Maybe more horrida, though it looks red to me, not orange so I'm not sure.

wow...

2008-06-24T18:08:00.004-05:00

There isn't much else to say about this Painted Bunting that visited our feeder tonight. It's just stunning with all those beautiful colors.

He showed up last night, but when I got up to run get the camera, he flew off. Tonight I was able to sneak to the window because I'd left the camera sitting on the table just in case he came back.

What a lovely dinner guest we had!

Meet the wrens!

2008-06-23T08:21:00.003-05:00

I was out feeding the birds this morning when I heard the familiar "cheep cheep cheep" of baby birds.

I was delighted to find that Mr. and Mrs. Wren had made a nest and a little family in the gourd I bought a few months ago.

I thought it was very colorful and a welcoming home, and apparently they did, too!

Mrs. fussed mightily at me when I tried to get close and see the babies inside, but they were too far back to get a glimpse of them, much less a photo, so I left them in peace.

Cute, isn't it?

Oh exotic Nile Goddess, we await you!

2008-06-22T17:11:00.000-05:00

Doesn't she look just like some ancient Egyptian Nile Goddess?

This is my purple Agapanthus, or Lily of the Nile, just waiting for the perfect moment to make her official entry into my garden.

I have two winding rows of them in the back bed and have had hit or miss luck. Some of the clusters of leaves are big and bold and beautiful and some are still as puny as when I planted them last year.

(Read: I am not in charge. I am not in charge...)

But I can't help but get excited when they start to bloom. Even if the blooms are crooked and mutant-looking like this one below!

I had trouble with the allium as well -- maybe it's an orb thing!

Meet our Emmie!

2008-06-21T15:06:00.003-05:00

This little beauty is Emmie, one of our resident deer. Yes, you've heard me blog furiously about plants pulled out and eaten to the nubs, but the severe drought has softened my heart.

We are seeing her from our breakfast room where she has come to nibble on a few seeds from the bird feeders and to get a drink of water from the birdbath that's just right behind her. I'm also keeping a giant dog bowl of water out there for her and her sister Lulu.
After her nice drink, she headed back to the septic field behind the woods to have an afternoon snack of some well fertilized grass. She really likes the grass because it's greener than many of her other food sources these days.

I'm thinking about feeding her deer corn. Just thinking. I'll let you know how that turns out in my brain!

A little bit of this, a little bit of that...

2008-06-20T14:48:00.007-05:00

I bought this variegated hibiscus several months ago and have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of its mystery blooms.

I had no idea what color they would be, but I fell in love with the beautiful foliage. It's in the corner of the Day Lily bed, which will soon be full of many different colors, so I figured it would go with anything.

And three of the lilies are about to bloom - I think they will be the lemon-yellow ones - yummy!
Wow. I was floored this morning when I walked outside and found that my Saucer hibiscus had produced not one, but two, beautiful blooms.
The deer will most certainly eat them, as this was a last summer experiment that proved that eat even our native hibiscus varieties, not just the tropical ones. So, I rushed in to get the camera and show you!
We've had a phenomenal heat wave here - 15 days over 100 degrees already and it isn't even Summer yet. But today we got a break. Cloud cover and a few sprinkles came on the edge of a front. (The real rain missed us -- again.) And it was 86 when I went out a little while ago. What a relief.

We're sending prayers to our neighbors in the Midwest who are suffering in the rain and the floods. Our family up there had some flooding in their business and had to move horses from the barn to higher ground, but mercifully it didn't last too long and the clean up is manageable so far.

Some more of my favorite veggies!

2008-06-16T23:04:00.002-05:00

As much as I love the veggies in my garden, I also love going to Central Market to shop their wonderful produce. Kallie likes to sit on the enormous veggies that line the outside of the grocery store.

Too bad it was 101 degrees and she couldn't actually sit on the veggies, but we had fun anyway!

Nighty-night

2008-06-12T00:18:00.003-05:00

Imagine my surprise when I was watering last night and found this little lovely night bloom coming open on my Datura.

It's especially nice, because we are hosting Supper Underground here in our back yard on Saturday night with about 30 people coming for dinner. Our guests for the evening will be able to enjoy the pretty white blooms and their sweet fragrance. Thanks, guys!
While I love the Purple coneflower, I'm always intrigued by the white -- here you see the first of three that have returned from last year.
Isn't the light pretty on these Wisteria seed pods? Wonder if I would have any luck planting some...have you ever tried?

Ahhhh...harvest

2008-06-10T11:43:00.006-05:00

In spite of the close to 100-degree heat in which I was hunched over to pick these little lovelies, I'm thrilled to have this beautiful bounty.

And, given the current tomato scare, I'm so pleased to have my own little orbs to eat! I think my dinner tonight will be a lovely spinach salad with tomatoes and cucumbers.

What's ready to pick in your veggie garden today?

Not your mother's mellow yellow!

2008-06-04T22:58:00.005-05:00

Like a bolt of lightning, it hit me this week that I really like yellow in my garden. And I have a lot of it.

I'm off tomorrow on a trip for four days of glorious fun with girlfriends and my other passion - scrapbooking! So, here's a nice, cheery slice of sunshine to share with you before I go.

No more whining about the wildlife or the heat (for the time being!). I'm off to the air-conditioned comfort of the Houston Westin Hotel and Galleria Mall. Did I mention I'd be shopping, too?!

Damianita

Mexican Hat

Viola

Snapdragon

oh - this is native and I can't remember the name ... help Texan bloggers?

Canna

Variegated Ginger

Esperanza

Oh - again, aging brain - these are those little Callia.....
somethings that are so popular....

That's my show for the day. No deer damage or sightings. Bird baths and water bowls are all full to the brim. Have a great weekend ~ Ciao!

A picture...

2008-06-03T22:49:00.005-05:00

Is worth a thousand words, but unfortunately, I don't have one.

But I have to share this with you. Emmie (or Lulu, take your pick), one of the two yearling does that has been living behind our house, nibbling on the septic field, and RAVASHING my plants every once in a while, paid us an up close and personal visit tonight.

Kallie and I were eating dinner, watching the birds outside eat their dinner and commenting on the occasional hummer. When all of a sudden, Emmie stepped gingerly up to the bird bath, tipped her head and took a long, slow drink. She stood there for a good 10 minutes. We quit eating, quit moving, quit talking, because she was watching us inside the house. We avoided eye contact, even, because, as I told Kallie, she needs that drink and we don't want to scare her off.

After she wandered off into the woods and even before I'd finished my dinner, I quietly went outside to fill 4 birdbaths to the brim and fill the big metal dog water bowl I'd placed in the woods for the animals. No more signs of her this evening.

This was so amazing, because it was hot, full, sunny daylight and she was so close to our world. It lets you know how much they are suffering.

Annie's comment to my post last night put my heart back in the right place. If they need some juicy plants to eat, they can have mine for a while.

The menu...

2008-06-02T11:29:00.013-05:00

The menu was a salad of Hostas and Angel Wing begonias with a sprinkling of Spiderwort, Toad lilies, Winecup. Dessert was Delphinium with some Sunflower tops and, thank goodness, only one Rudbeckia bloom (they must not have been tasty).

Okay, so you're thinking - WHY did she serve all of that?

Well, the deer USUALLY don't bother things very often. One thing here and there gets eaten.

Well, even an old dog like me can learn, so, the salad bar is closed.

I'll try to relocate the things I can move behind the fence, and hang the angel wing in a back yard tree.

I'm having bad garden karma these days ... is there any cure for that? Some charm or potion or herb I can ingest to "right" myself?

It was 100 yesterday and is predicted to hit 99 today, so I may just tire myself out for a break anyway. Even more frustrating, since I'm hand watering for an hour every day right now!

On a BRIGHT note, I was delighted to find a new little sago palm frond growing up from an old seed that froze in the winter. Love those little garden surprises.

Nothing...

2008-05-30T20:04:00.002-05:00

Nothing. That's what's left of the scattered wildflowers blooming, the salvia I dug up and transplanted and have been hand watering daily and the beautiful little 1 foot crepe myrtle tree that I transplanted as a volunteer this winter.

Because we have over an acre, we have guys come mow our lawn. And I have had a new crew for the last 6 months. And twice in the last month, they have sheared every single CLEARLY evident bloom off my butterfly bush and other shrubs and turned them into meatballs, after repeated requests that they simply NOT PRUNE in my yard. And today while I was watering, I looked for my little babies and realized they mowed the pathway and weed-eated along the fence and obliterated it all.

So, right now I am in tears. It wasn't that much, but it's the principle and it's work I did with my own two hands, trying to build something from scratch. I don't know if anyone else will really get it, but I know you will. I just had to vent.

Tomorrow I'll call them and try to figure out a way to make this work. I know they were only trying to be helpful, but this isn't helping.

Sweet Surprise ...

2008-05-27T21:47:00.005-05:00

What a lovely surprise. The deer ate a few of the first native and cutting garden-type plants I put in what I'm calling my wild bed.

I was most saddened by the loss of the tops of my three delphinium plants. There's just something about Delphinium and Larkspur that I find so beautiful and free-spirited (as if all flowers weren't free spirited!).

So imagine my surprise this weekend when the Delphiniums were back -- more blue and beautiful than before.

I didn't capture the rich blue hue very well because I took the photo too late in the day, but I like it nonetheless.

And their neighbors, the mail-order Rudbeckia with no brown are blooming and multiplying profusely. And they've been joined by Texas Betony blooming red and Mexican Oregano with it's lavender blooms.

It's so exciting to see something you've sweated and toiled over come to fruition. And while the Blackfoot daisies don't seem to be happy there and several of the 5 transplanted Lantanas failed to come back, I'm calling it a huge success.

And Ms. Artemis is oh-so-happy to have the pretties for company!

Free...gratis...frei...libre...!

2008-05-22T19:57:00.003-05:00

For all my Austin (and neighboring) garden blogging friends: These two hose reels are free to a good home if you will come and pick them up! First one to email and ask for them wins!

(Those of you in Indiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Maryland, Louisiana and the rest of the world are also certainly welcome to come get them!!!)

We are the proud parents of two new reels that retract automatically, and with tendonitis in both elbows, that's a Godsend to me since cranking is really hard on my arms. But these two are in great shape, and I thought there'd be no one better to bequeath them to than one of my garden blogging friends.

So, first come, first served!