Thanks for stopping by! I’ve gardened in Austin, Texas (zone 8b) since 1985. I garden with low maintenance, native and well-adapted non-native plants to conserve water and reduce workload. I also choose plants which feed and protect wildlife. My garden is a certified Monarch Waystation and a Wildlife Habitat.
I worked for a time at Zilker Botanical Gardens here in Austin and have volunteered for many gardening projects. I completed the Travis County Master Gardener program long ago–which was a good start–and have continued my plant and wildlife leaning by reading and experiencing wildlife and native plants gardening here in Central Texas.
I blog about my garden adventures at http://www.mygardenersays.com.
I love blooming things and the critters they attract.
Tina Huckabee
My Gardener Says... 
Where did you buy your bottle tree. I love it’s shape
LikeLike
Thanks! It is pretty, isn’t it? It was a gift, but the giver said he bought it at The Great Outdoors here in Austin.
LikeLike
Hello,
Amelia and I (Brian) are neighbors of yours on Thrushwood. I met Pam, the (Cactus towers) on a recent bike ride and she mentioned your blog. I have a worm farm that we operate here at our house and love the bounty our friends bring. I look forward to meeting you soon.
LikeLike
Hi Brian and Amelia! Thanks for stopping by. I love earthworms–they’re truly a bounty for the gardener. Hope we connect in person soon!
LikeLike
Hello, Tina! I live in Boerne and have just dug holes in the yard (next to our picket fence) for the two red coral vines I bought yesterday. Watered the holes to check for drainage and then thought I’d best check a South Texas gardener website for particulars on this plant. Your notes are very helpful. I plan on giving the plants a shot of SuperThrive before covering up the roots and then covering the area with mulch for frost/freeze protection. I’m looking forward to next summer’s blooms on this lovely plant. Do you have any other information that you might want to pass on with regard to care of coral vine?
LikeLike
I’m not sure what “awaiting moderation” means unless my comment was too long! Sorry! Next time I’ll be brief.
LikeLike
No worries. All that “awaiting moderation” means is that you’re a new commenter and WordPress notifies me directly, in case you’re spam and they didn’t catch it. Your comment wasn’t too long at all.
LikeLike
Hi Ann, thanks for dropping by. Coral vine is pretty easy so I don’t think you’ll have much trouble with it. Make sure to loosen the roots before planting and cover them completely before watering with the Super Thrive. I’ve not used that product, but it’s probably best to water/fertilized once the plants are in the ground. Coral Vine grows quickly, so if it’s in full sun, you should have some growth by next year, but don’t be disappointed if it takes a couple of years to mature. Enjoy!!
LikeLike
Tina, I just found your blog after searching for information on Gulf Muhly (the pink) growing in central Texas. My question concerns late winter/early spring trimming. A Texas A&M site suggested NOT trimming it back as the growth rate is so slow. It said to rake old leaves out but “do not cut back the plant, as rejuvenating growth is slow.” I thought virtually all ornamental grasses benefitted from an early spring trim. What has been your experience? I grew up in Austin, became a Master Gardener in Denver and now live in Waco. The Muhly grass we planted last spring (in amended soil) has thrived and we had pink seed heads the first year. Now the plants are mature and I don’t want to set them back. Thanks for any help, I like your blog and hope you keep it up.
LikeLike
Thank you Candace! I haven’t been good about keeping up with the blog, but thanks so much for reading–I’m glad someone is reading it! As to the Muhly, I’ve always cut mine back, but you might want to leave them. Given that we’re in a drought, it will make life for the plants easier if you just rake the leaves. I think I will leave mine alone this year just for that reason. I didn’t prune back a Big Muhly last year and it did just fine, so I’m leaving my others alone this year. Good luck and let me know next year how they performed–I love that plant.
LikeLike
Tina – I love your blog but don’t see a way to get your posts delivered to my email inbox. Am I missing something (besides your posts – I can’t seem to get organized to check your site regularly enough!)?
LikeLike
Hi Tina:
I was searching “pink turk’s cap” and found your blog. I would like to know how are your two pink turk’s cap now? Do they need fertilizer?
Thank you,
Jean
LikeLike
Hi Jean, thanks for reading! I do almost nothing with my Turk’s Cap–they are native to Texas, though the pink are cultivars. Still, they shouldn’t require fertilizer. At most, all you might do would be to compost and mulch. They’re nice plants–I think I still prefer the red, truly native Turk’s, but I like the pink. Good luck!
LikeLike
Pingback: Wildlife Wednesday July, 2014 | The Zombies Ate My Brains
Hello there! Looking forward to following you and your gardening world on the opposite side of the Atlantic.
LikeLike
Likewise! Thanks so much–I imagine our gardening experiences are a bit different. Then again, maybe not altogether that different!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello, I’ve just read about your lovely avian visitors and would like to follow your adventures in the garden.
LikeLike
Thanks for reading! All you have to do is click on the “follow” button and follow the directions. You’ll then get an email everytime I publish.
LikeLike