April 2001 – spring blossoms
And then spring sprung in our Texas gardens, when the amaryllis bulbs from my mom’s garden bloomed next to a fledgling Mountain Laurel.
June 2001 – retaining wall
Meanwhile, mowing the slope to the front side of our driveway was terrifying me. Someday someone was destined to tumble or slide. Not good.
Seeing retaining walls at some of the other properties, why not at ours?
The flattened area would be much safer, and would allow for another garden.
After the truck delivered dirt, railroad ties, and rebar, we got to work.
To secure the wall lots of rebar was incorporated in holes drilled into the layers of railroad ties, before filling in with dirt.
July 2001- garden growth galore
Meanwhile I kept busy over the weeks and months establishing the garden in the backyard with Crepe Myrtle, Cannas, Gladiolas, Lantana, Texas Red Oak. (see header photo)
The Texas Red Oak, the newest and tallest tree on the right, was planted earlier that spring. It will become huge.
The crepe myrtle, on the left, was planted from a 1 quart pot last spring…look how tall it is now.
The peach cannas and the burgundy gladiolas were planted as bulbs last year. As they multiply I can move the excess in bare spots elsewhere!
The yellow lantana was planted this summer.
August 2001 – garden shed
Later that summer construction of a garden shed ensued, amidst the flowers.
Earlier I planted the blue plumbago along the row of amaryllis, (the long narrow leaves), long since done with blooming.
To keep it from going to seed, I dead-headed the old blooms, so it still looks nice.
The hot magenta pink in the back is the bougainvillea that I planted in the ground last year. Surprisingly it returned!
