Also known as Angels Trumpets they are just beautiful in bloom with a wonderful fragrance in the evening when the flowers are fully open
Seems I'm not the only one finding them irresistible
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Surpise! Brugmansia finally blooms
It's been a tough year for plants in this area. Last summer was especially hard on the Brugmansia I love to grow. The early arrival of hot weather in the spring and hotter than average summer meant no blooms so far this year. Since they require weekly feedings and daily watering, I had considered not growing them again. After digging them up, I parked them on the ground along side the deck and moved on to other projects.
A few days later I spotted this flush of pale yellow blooms on Daybreak and now I think I'll keep them for another year, or two...
Also known as Angels Trumpets they are just beautiful in bloom with a wonderful fragrance in the evening when the flowers are fully open
Seems I'm not the only one finding them irresistible
Also known as Angels Trumpets they are just beautiful in bloom with a wonderful fragrance in the evening when the flowers are fully open
Seems I'm not the only one finding them irresistible
Sunday, November 20, 2011
La Gloria and Josephine St.
Last week I posted about taking a walk along The Museum Reach of the River Walk. Here are a few more sights to see before heading back to the car.
La Gloria restaurant, colorful and inviting
enjoy the patio overlooking the river turning basin
La Gloria's mural along Josephine St.
with this great fence detail
and a pause to enjoy this streetside bed. This Gulf Muhly is so inspiring I'm not giving up on mine yet.
There are also some unique shops to explore. Just small view of all there is to see here in San Antonio.
La Gloria restaurant, colorful and inviting
enjoy the patio overlooking the river turning basin
La Gloria's mural along Josephine St.
with this great fence detail
and a pause to enjoy this streetside bed. This Gulf Muhly is so inspiring I'm not giving up on mine yet.
There are also some unique shops to explore. Just small view of all there is to see here in San Antonio.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The San Antonio Riverwalk - Museum Reach
Most visitors to San Antonio have seen the downtown
section of the Riverwalk with all the restaurants and bars. While
that's a beautiful and fun spot, my favorite for walking is the Museum Reach to the north.
Also called the Urban Section, it was designed by local firm Ford, Powell & Carson. Landscaping and public art were considered from the beginning of the planning process. The result is an urban walking trail that integrates beautifully with its surroundings.
Opened in 2009, it's a great place to enjoy the river in a less crowded, more natural setting. An important plus is that you can begin your walk at the beautiful Pearl Brewery complex where parking is plentiful and free. I previously posted about The Pearl when I attended The Herb Market in October. I recently stopped in to enjoy a walk and see how the drought had affected the plantings.
Starting in the parking lot, the great landscaping is worth taking in
Down the steps and onto the walkway heading south at river level, the cannas are still blooming despite some chilly weather. In typical San Antonio Riverwalk style, there are no rails along the water.
To the left is a hillside of limestone slabs and grasses.
This sedge is nice and green despite the drought and no visible irrigation method means it has survived beautifully
This groundcover looks like Creeping Daisy (Wedelia trilobata) and it's also doing really well here. Looks as if it could take over a small area quickly though
Up ahead, these asters catch my attention. Very pretty and bright on an overcast day
Next are two faux bois benches by local artist Carlos Cortes.
The detail on these is impressive
Sidewalk segments are marked with different textures, this wavy river pattern is my favorite
Across the river from the benches is a large grotto installation also by Carlos Cortes.
Along the way a water habitat section is left more natural for aquatic plants and wildlife.
Crossing under I-35 there are colorful fish sculptures hanging from the bridge. These are lit at night as are most of the art pieces along this section of the Riverwalk. This sign tells about the Mexican Freetail Bats living under the bridge and shows how the fish look at night.
These guys definitely look much better in person
There are several crossover points for pedestrians with clear wayfinding signage
Today I'll take the Newell Avenue bridge which has been nicely restored. The style reflects that of the nearby San Antonio Museum of Art housed in a former brewery building
This bridge was used for rolling barrels from one section of the Pearl Brewery to another
Across the bridge and heading back north, there's still plenty to see and an opportunity to view the opposite bank. Looking across at the stacked stones of the water habitat.
Arriving at the grotto and enjoying the fanciful construction
Stairs up to ground level
The entrance from above, into the mouth of a gargoyle
Waterfalls
From here you can see both benches at once and the faux bois palapa from the same artist
Another view of the asters from across the way, this bright cloudy day brings out reflections of color not seen on a full sun day
Metalwork art bridge detail
More beautiful plant combinations along the east facing riverbank
Russelia looks its best draping over these rock ledges at eye level
Another
example of the excellent signage, except no distances listed. Be
prepared for a hike if you plan to walk to the zoo from here!
A very pretty way to finish this walk. There's a turning basin for the boats, a waterfall, and a group of bald cypress trees. The bald cypress is the signature tree of the Riverwalk.
This tour covered about half the Museum Reach segment. There's a lot more to cover and I plan to post other parts of the Riverwalk in the future.
Also called the Urban Section, it was designed by local firm Ford, Powell & Carson. Landscaping and public art were considered from the beginning of the planning process. The result is an urban walking trail that integrates beautifully with its surroundings.
Opened in 2009, it's a great place to enjoy the river in a less crowded, more natural setting. An important plus is that you can begin your walk at the beautiful Pearl Brewery complex where parking is plentiful and free. I previously posted about The Pearl when I attended The Herb Market in October. I recently stopped in to enjoy a walk and see how the drought had affected the plantings.
Starting in the parking lot, the great landscaping is worth taking in
Down the steps and onto the walkway heading south at river level, the cannas are still blooming despite some chilly weather. In typical San Antonio Riverwalk style, there are no rails along the water.
To the left is a hillside of limestone slabs and grasses.
This sedge is nice and green despite the drought and no visible irrigation method means it has survived beautifully
This groundcover looks like Creeping Daisy (Wedelia trilobata) and it's also doing really well here. Looks as if it could take over a small area quickly though
Up ahead, these asters catch my attention. Very pretty and bright on an overcast day
Next are two faux bois benches by local artist Carlos Cortes.
The detail on these is impressive
Sidewalk segments are marked with different textures, this wavy river pattern is my favorite
Across the river from the benches is a large grotto installation also by Carlos Cortes.
Along the way a water habitat section is left more natural for aquatic plants and wildlife.
Crossing under I-35 there are colorful fish sculptures hanging from the bridge. These are lit at night as are most of the art pieces along this section of the Riverwalk. This sign tells about the Mexican Freetail Bats living under the bridge and shows how the fish look at night.
These guys definitely look much better in person
There are several crossover points for pedestrians with clear wayfinding signage
Today I'll take the Newell Avenue bridge which has been nicely restored. The style reflects that of the nearby San Antonio Museum of Art housed in a former brewery building
This bridge was used for rolling barrels from one section of the Pearl Brewery to another
Across the bridge and heading back north, there's still plenty to see and an opportunity to view the opposite bank. Looking across at the stacked stones of the water habitat.
Arriving at the grotto and enjoying the fanciful construction
Stairs up to ground level
The entrance from above, into the mouth of a gargoyle
Waterfalls
From here you can see both benches at once and the faux bois palapa from the same artist
Another view of the asters from across the way, this bright cloudy day brings out reflections of color not seen on a full sun day
Metalwork art bridge detail
More beautiful plant combinations along the east facing riverbank
Looking
across to the west facing bank, there are missing plants and the
rosemary is brown. These slopes were covered with vines last year.
This
is the east facing bank but it looks like the moisture doesn't hold
here either. Crews have begun replacing lost plants, so these areas
will likely be spruced up soon.
The
Rio Taxi from downtown has stops all along the way or you can flag them
down. These folks have just celebrated a birthday at a nearby
restaurant
A very pretty way to finish this walk. There's a turning basin for the boats, a waterfall, and a group of bald cypress trees. The bald cypress is the signature tree of the Riverwalk.
This tour covered about half the Museum Reach segment. There's a lot more to cover and I plan to post other parts of the Riverwalk in the future.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Garden Blogger's Bloom Day: November 2011
Note: If you're looking for my GBBD post for January 2012, the correct link is here.
It's raining today! A rare rainy day here, but I knew that might happen and took these photos yesterday evening. We have had great weather here so I had no problem finding blooms for my first Garden Blogger's Bloom Day post. Join Carol at May Dream Gardens and other garden bloggers as we post what's blooming today in our gardens.
Lots of single blooms because it was a tough summer and we've had a couple of chilly nights.
Yellow Cestrum (Cestrum aurantiacum)
It's raining today! A rare rainy day here, but I knew that might happen and took these photos yesterday evening. We have had great weather here so I had no problem finding blooms for my first Garden Blogger's Bloom Day post. Join Carol at May Dream Gardens and other garden bloggers as we post what's blooming today in our gardens.
Lots of single blooms because it was a tough summer and we've had a couple of chilly nights.
Yellow Cestrum (Cestrum aurantiacum)
Friday, November 11, 2011
Propagation Class - Hill Country Gardens
How often does a nursery let you run with scissors in their demonstration garden? Take cuttings from any plant you like and they will help you root them. Not too often, that's why the propagation class at Hill Country Gardens in New Braunfels is so popular. A deal too good to pass up, yesterday I had the opportunity to attend one of the classes.
The presentation table is ready for the class. Great setup and refreshments added to the fun on a pretty day.
The table base is a greenhouse truss and the beautifully curved top is pecan, cedar, oak, pine, and cypress woods. It's covered with plastic today for the presentation, I'll get a better photo next time.
Andrea, the owner, started things off with a demonstration on propagation methods and how to take cuttings.
Soft, green tip cuttings work best. You can also root woody stems from plants like Rosemary and Lavender by removing the needles along the stem to expose the cuticle.
Then we were given a small bucket of water and invited to roam the gardens for cuttings to fill the 72 cells in our trays. You can read about the gardens in my previous post. I also brought cuttings from home. Hill Country Gardens provided the trays, soil mix, rooting hormone, tags, snips and, the most important element, their greenhouse with misting system.
After collecting our cuttings, we poked holes in the trays with skewers, dipped cuttings in the rooting hormone provided, and set them in.
No problem filling these trays with cuttings from the well established garden of Texas natives and adapted plants.
After we filled our trays, we took them into the greenhouse where they will be misted every ten minutes. This class will be given again on Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th at 1:00 pm each day, this table will be really full by Sunday afternoon. There are also seminars from local gardening experts scheduled each day.
Around mid February we will get an email letting us know our cuttings are ready to pick up. It's going to be so much fun to see how my cuttings turned out.
A greenhouse clearance sale was in progress and I picked plants on my list as well. Another fun day and great special event at Hill Country Gardens.
The presentation table is ready for the class. Great setup and refreshments added to the fun on a pretty day.
The table base is a greenhouse truss and the beautifully curved top is pecan, cedar, oak, pine, and cypress woods. It's covered with plastic today for the presentation, I'll get a better photo next time.
Andrea, the owner, started things off with a demonstration on propagation methods and how to take cuttings.
Soft, green tip cuttings work best. You can also root woody stems from plants like Rosemary and Lavender by removing the needles along the stem to expose the cuticle.
Then we were given a small bucket of water and invited to roam the gardens for cuttings to fill the 72 cells in our trays. You can read about the gardens in my previous post. I also brought cuttings from home. Hill Country Gardens provided the trays, soil mix, rooting hormone, tags, snips and, the most important element, their greenhouse with misting system.
After collecting our cuttings, we poked holes in the trays with skewers, dipped cuttings in the rooting hormone provided, and set them in.
No problem filling these trays with cuttings from the well established garden of Texas natives and adapted plants.
After we filled our trays, we took them into the greenhouse where they will be misted every ten minutes. This class will be given again on Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th at 1:00 pm each day, this table will be really full by Sunday afternoon. There are also seminars from local gardening experts scheduled each day.
Around mid February we will get an email letting us know our cuttings are ready to pick up. It's going to be so much fun to see how my cuttings turned out.
A greenhouse clearance sale was in progress and I picked plants on my list as well. Another fun day and great special event at Hill Country Gardens.
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