I've had a long-standing feud with what I consider the lowest, vilest species of rodents, rats and mice. Actually, it's more than just a feud, It's all-out war. Warning: this content isn't for the very sensitive, the gung-ho live-animal-trappers, or those who can't abide killing anything. Rodent Invasion It started about seven years ago in 2019. Before that rodents must have lurked around unnoticed, but that year they over-ran my yard like a scene in a horror movie. In broad

With food and water in abundance, wildlife are bound to visit. There are very few deer in my neighborhood, but just two blocks away is a community garden with a wet-weather stream and woods. I get a glimpse of one every now and then, like the deer I saw on my morning walk today. Aren't those foliage colors beautiful? It's not even Fall yet. The one good thing about being sandwiched between houses with fences is that deer don't get in. I'm so thankful for that. Raccoons There

My garden has been through many changes since 2011. I've experimented, failed, and tried again. After all this time, I feel like my garden has finally developed some structure and enduring greenery. As trees have grown, sunny areas have become shady, impacting established plants and my choice of new ones. Many plants have (sadly) died, even though they are native or adapted. Extreme heat or cold, too much water or not enough, poor drainage, not in the right spot, all possible

It’s dreary outside. More than dreary, it’s a scene of disarray and clutter. That’s what my garden looks like during bad winter freezes. I choose to have several plants in pots scattered throughout that add color and interest, and I’ve planted several non-natives and not-so-cold tolerant plants that must be covered to survive this kind of weather, and it’s not pretty. Last Spring I converted an old three-tiered fountain into a succulent planter. Considering the record heat w

My purpose here is not to give detailed species and care information--there are expert sites for that; instead, my experiences, some particulars to be aware of, and some perspective on how long it might take to go from sun to shade is what I offer. When I bought the house in 2006 there were two trees in the back yard: a Cedar Elm about 15 ft tall, and a Chinquapin Oak about 10 ft tall which I eventually cut down because it wasn't healthy and was too close to the elm anyway. A

Going through my collection of garden paraphernalia I found a pair of matching candle lanterns a friend gave me awhile back. As I wiped off a thick layer of accumulated dust, I saw a crack in the pale yellow glass of one lantern. My first thought was: Too bad, I don’t want a cracked lantern in my garden. Maybe I should give it away and just keep the “good” one. But then I heard the whisper...Aren’t you a little cracked? I haven’t thrown you away. I flash-backed to what now

Sitting areas in garden and patio

Garden art and such

Red Tip Photinias Two red-tips along the fence before they died. Also, a feathery bamboo muhley, which I moved later, and a very young abelia hanging over the path One of the first things I planted along the fence soon after I bought the house (pre-prayer garden) were several Red-Tip Photinias. I chose them because my sister had them as a tall and beautiful privacy hedge between her and the neighbors; but they are prone to a fungal disease and not recommended, which I didn't

Some illusions had to die After the basic hardscape elements were completed, and water and electric were in, I began planting in earnest, but I had a lot to learn. I have hundreds of plant tags and can't even estimate how many of those plants were unsuccessful. At the beginning, I had an unrealistic picture of what I wanted my garden to look like, and some illusions had to die: that it would happen fast, that plants would stay where I put them, that they would thrive if I pro

After two weeks of rain, I was ecstatic when the clouds finally parted and let the sun shine in. Perfect for wandering around the garden, basking in the warmth and enjoying the brightness of it all. Last spring and summer, caterpillars had feasted on the Texas Mountain Laurel planted in front of the Lion of Judah fountain; I was checking its recovery, looking for new growth, when an unusual flash of blue on the Silver Ponyfoot beneath it caught my eye. Wait a minute...blue? S

Something happened in our nation in January 2021 that shook the words out of me. It has somewhat subsided; but, as shakings often do, it left a mark—one I welcome as a friend. I felt up against an impenetrable wall, and, out of heartache and desperation, wordless prayer awakened in my soul. What I saw and heard around me brought me to my knees, and I began to wonder: could love manifested in wordless action be the most powerful and effective prayer? I’ve often wondered how

Who has seen the fantastic trilogy Lord of the Rings? Better yet, read the books! Maybe fantasy isn’t your thing, but this story has a lot of gold nuggets hidden (or not so hidden) along the way. It's a classic written by J.R.R. Tolkien I highly recommend. The main character, Frodo Baggins, is an unlikely hero. His mission is to take the evil ring of power to the mountain of Mordor and destroy it by casting it back into the fires from which it was made. Of course there are fo

Do I have the courage to die? This is a question I occasionally ask myself, especially after hearing a story about bravery in death. I’m awed by the dedication and unwavering faith of martyrs, missionaries, and “ordinary” people who have been imprisoned for what they believe; but, honestly, the thought of torture terrifies me, even though the chance of that happening is minuscule. To escape these morose and unreasonable fears, I reel in my thoughts: “Get real…this is never go

Topping Off the Granite Path Near the beginning of my prayer garden adventure in 2011, I made a granite path from each side of the front of the house all the way around to the back. It’s basically a full circle around the house. I started on the left side (read A Pathway of Living Stones ), and then the right side, which leads to my storage area. The back was last. It was quite a lot of work, but fulfilling and enjoyable, with God speaking to me along the way. I began by lay

One Thing Leads to Another Last month I resurfaced the granite path through my garden, observing that “one thing leads to another”. And now, I’ll tell you about the "other". As I worked at wetting and tamping the freshly laid decomposed granite around the concrete patio in back, I thought how nice it would be to have some stepping stones off the patio to step on to. But my vision wasn’t just a simple stone or two, or three…I envisioned a work of art: you know, the beautiful s

Finished back lattice wall in process of staining. You can barely see the roof and chimney behind it from this angle. In my imagination I saw a secluded garden surrounded by greenery so that one might forget the houses all around; but it was fantasy. Reality is I'm in the midst of a subdivision with neighbors on all sides. I quickly realized it would be near impossible to block them from view, especially since the houses around me have high pitched roofs. The one across the b

The pergola's 2x2 slatted top didn't provide much shade, and all three sides, east, south, and west were open. Trees had not yet filled in, so it was incredibly hot. I designed an open lattice "wall" with a doorway on the east side where morning sun poured in (great in winter, unbearable in summer. I hired someone to build it even though I wondered how they were going to handle the curved edge of my round patio. Bo, the guy I hired called in a friend to help him with the chal

It’s Sunday morning--sunny, cool, and windy. Pleasant weather for an early walk to the nearby community garden to check on the raised bed I share with a friend. Listening to a psalm, I have a little one-on-one time with God: Grassy meadow next to the community garden in my neighborhood Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

In February of 2021, a record-breaking winter storm brought 5 days of below freezing weather to Texas. I had never experienced anything like it before. I did my best to cover or bring in what I could. For everything else, it was a test of hardiness. Just a few months before, I had planted a Little Gem Magnolia, two Loquats, and two Pineapple Guavas. I was hopeful, but the new plantings hadn’t had much time to establish. When the winter siege ended, I uncovered my beloved plan