tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74852483450067544192026-04-10T04:53:18.094-07:00A journal of the joys gardens provide.HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.comBlogger492125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-88496533374378454802014-04-14T15:04:00.000-07:002014-04-14T15:04:37.700-07:00

Any Texan can tell you, SFA stands for Stephen F. Austin State University.  It is located in Nacogdoches, Texas.  Most people outside of Texas don't know how to pronounce Nacogdoches, but it is pronounced pretty much the same way it's spelled. Yellow and white irises Anyway, SFA holds a plant sale twice a year.  I had never been to one before, but my friend Joyce wanted to go,

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-8110274032374664732014-04-03T07:16:00.000-07:002014-04-03T07:16:50.644-07:00

Spring is finally here!  What a tease it has been this year.  But now, new, young leaves have begun to show on the shrubs,  creeping phlox is blooming, tulips are blooming, and are well worth the price to have a few in the garden. I planted the beginnings of an iris walk, and I can't wait to see if my efforts pay off. The grass needs mowing (ugh)

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com68tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-15247336005641613082014-03-15T08:40:00.000-07:002014-03-15T08:40:18.181-07:00

I was at Tractor Supply yesterday.  They had a beautiful display of spring plants, seeds and bulbs.  Their garden gear was beautifully and prominently set alongside the display.  It was enough for anyone to imagine that if you picked up a pair of gloves and a few plants, you, too, could have a lovely garden. I picked up a couple of forsythia. No, no, I wasn't influenced by

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-47563662317381634012014-03-08T10:05:00.000-08:002014-03-08T10:05:40.592-08:00

"You should come inside.  They're looking for an escapee." Now it made sense.  I had heard dogs barking.  And guns shooting.  It was odd, but I was busy.  Much too busy to stop because of some strange commotion. You see, I was outside pruning the roses.  It's a Seasonal Celebration that I look forward to each and every early spring.  To a non-gardener

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-28617694840798874942014-02-09T06:54:00.000-08:002014-02-09T06:54:49.582-08:00

I had walked by there at least - at least! - three times.  And I never saw it.  It had completely escaped my eyes, and it is a wonder that I ever saw it. I had been weeding for several hours.  I was ready to come inside.  But, one last walk around convinced me that I needed to bend down and weed where some spring bulbs were beginning to emerge.  It was a good thing that

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-77510839385036892372014-02-01T11:05:00.000-08:002014-02-01T11:05:32.280-08:00

The tour ended, and I breathed a sigh of relief.  I was a magician!  Through a slight of hand, well, actually by pointing out different plants along the walk in order to take the focus away from where I didn't want her to look, we completed the tour without my friend ever seeing my vegetable bed.  Even though it is very hard to overlook, I had managed to steer her away from the

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-309722696012021002014-01-28T08:58:00.000-08:002014-01-28T08:58:04.509-08:00

I think winter pictures of snow covered gardens are so pretty.   However, it's a rare sight to see snow falling here, even the light dusting we got last week. I laughed at the snowmen that were featured on the local news.  The snowmen were miniatures!  Each snowman was only 2 or 3 inches high!  The perfect size for a fairy garden. With all the ups and downs in the

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-8502288953411376932014-01-06T07:38:00.000-08:002014-01-06T07:38:47.233-08:00

When I was young, I never believed in fairy tales.  But now I do!  Take Sleeping Beauty, for instance.  You know the story.  She went to sleep, and as she slept, the castle was covered in roses so thorny no one could get through for 100 years. Sounds plausible to me. Many years ago, I planted a Climbing Peace rose close to my front door.  It was beautiful, but way

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-77035051333006756502013-12-19T18:26:00.000-08:002013-12-19T18:26:37.293-08:00

If there were such a thing as a Rose Bible, I think I know which book it would be, at least for me.  I just wish I would have found this book sooner! I love all different kinds of roses.  But if they can't take my garden/soil/climate/conditions, and being grown organically, out they go!  Fortunately, I've found that roses are tough workhorses.  Sure, there are some that are

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-29856786255254945352013-12-11T07:26:00.000-08:002013-12-11T07:26:42.659-08:00

We went on vacation.   A long vacation.  Well, a long vacation for us at least - a week!  And it was wonderful.  Well, it was wonderful until we caught the flu on the last few days of our vacation. We returned home coughing and sneezing and feverish.  It is cold outside (for Texas) and feels especially chilly to feverish skin.  And so, I have not ventured outside. &

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-24986425271657574272013-11-19T19:28:00.000-08:002013-11-19T19:28:43.057-08:00

Dreaming.  I never get tired of it. But I have a battle going on with what I want my garden to look like and the work involved in getting it to look that way.  For years now, I have been adding on.  And adding on.  And adding a little more.  And in my dreams, I still have areas that I want to add. Take, for instance, a meadow. Don't you think that my garden

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-32123131477270033022013-11-15T05:15:00.000-08:002013-11-15T05:15:10.677-08:00

We've had a hard freeze for the last couple of nights.  There go the cannas!  And the crinum lilies.  And the bush lantanas.  :( The roses are a mixed bunch.  Some are dropping their leaves, going into dormancy.  Others didn't seem to be affected by the cold (yet).  But I know their blooming days are numbered for this year. It's interesting to see what's still

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-39695807275197556102013-11-10T09:01:00.000-08:002013-11-10T09:01:16.142-08:00

Do you feel this way about your garden sometimes?  Sometimes when I go visit another garden, one that looks beautiful, and designed so differently from my own, I come home and see all the negative parts of my garden: Weeds.  To numerous to name!     Imperfect design.   Damage by deer and storms.  In addition, I have had numerous obligations that

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-45601394754987903132013-11-05T19:32:00.000-08:002013-11-05T19:32:11.975-08:00

New Dawn is a climbing rose, known for its delicate coloring and vicious thorns. New Dawn In my rose garden, I have a fairly new New Dawn rose that I hope to train up and over my arbor. I am already smitten with her.   I am not looking forward to pruning her thorny canes, but I am very much looking forward to her covering my arbor with her beautiful blooms. New Dawn is a

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-10665940620401123612013-11-02T06:25:00.000-07:002013-11-02T06:25:22.156-07:00

My husband helps me out tremendously in the garden, but most of the flowers I consider "mine".   There is one flower, however, that he has adopted - a bougainvillea. I had purchased the bougainvillea to be used as an annual.  Our winters are too cold for them.  But my husband noticed that I had callously left it out to die, and lovingly placed it in our garage.  Occasionally,

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-6185541014647491102013-10-31T15:28:00.002-07:002013-10-31T15:28:22.508-07:00

Do you remember back in March I changed an area of the walking garden?  (If not, you can click HERE.)  Well, it's looking fabulous now!!!  (Not bragging, just reporting!)  ;) This bed was supposed to be mainly red and yellow.  Somehow, it had been taken over by pink.  So, I pulled out all the pink and put in different plants.  Now it's red and yellow. &nbsp

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-61517022808880967502013-10-29T18:25:00.000-07:002013-10-29T18:25:00.340-07:00

1: 2: (Two days later) 3: (Two more days later) 4: (Three days later than 3) I just can't take my eyes off of Christopher Marlowe!  Every day is full of anticipation, joy and beauty. Want to know more about this rose?  Click HERE

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-13959777907687599792013-10-28T06:19:00.000-07:002013-10-28T06:19:45.983-07:00

I stared.  "Kathy, is that you?"  I was shocked.  She was so different from the Kathy I remembered from high school. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Safrano It's amazing how people can change over the years.  In high school, Kathy was always sweet and nice and caring.  People loved her personality.  She had a sparkling laugh.  People would tell her

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-30437473156211063242013-10-26T08:03:00.000-07:002013-10-26T08:03:12.012-07:00

Jump up, everyone, and do the Garden Pokey! You put the grass in... You mow the grass down... You take the grass out... To put some flowers all about... You do the Garden Pokey and you turn yourself around That's what it's all about! Cinco de Mayo You make a garden plan.. You change the garden plan... You put some flowers out... And you take a look about... You do the

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-3521314433733364262013-10-24T07:02:00.002-07:002013-10-24T07:02:38.068-07:00

I have planted over 100 daffodil bulbs, just as many irises, some ranunculus, paperwhites, even tulips (which are annuals here, but I've decided are worth the expense)! I've planted scillia, alliums, fritillaria meleagris and fritillaria imperialis.  Doesn't all that Latin sound impressive?  But I'm not through.  Not by a long shot.  I've ordered even more bulbs to plant!

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-49716293241924639362013-10-23T06:18:00.000-07:002013-10-23T06:18:19.004-07:00

I wanted a rose that would fill up one corner of the flower bed. I got Mutabilis.  And it has done exactly what I wanted - it completely fills up this corner. Actually, it's outgrown it's allotted space! I want to eventually limb up Mutabilis like a tree.  I think I'll get that, too, in a few years. Mutabilis I saw a Mutabilis limbed up like a tree years ago on a trip.

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-82668584749502535122013-10-19T22:13:00.000-07:002013-10-19T22:13:22.471-07:00

"The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World".  I looked at the title.  The most beautiful gardens in the world?!  I had to have this book! The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World by Alain Le Touquin This is a large, heavy, coffee table type book filled with glossy photos of over 30 gardens from all over the world.  Although everyone has their own idea of what makes a

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-78685025958381970742013-10-17T07:46:00.000-07:002013-10-17T07:46:54.191-07:00

Autumn's here!  How do I know?  The days are shorter, the temperatures are cooler, and it's been raining!  Here's a glimpse of my garden after the rain... Heritage Home Run Pink muhly grass decided to lay down, but it still sparkles in the sunlight Heritage Lichfield Angel is still blooming beautifully - on the ground Mutabilis' blooms are probably all ruined

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-64408166397274124162013-10-14T08:39:00.003-07:002013-10-14T08:39:36.166-07:00

Do you need some inspirational garden ideas?  Well, feast your eyes on these photos taken at the Idea Garden located at the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden.  Lots of garden inspiration here!  Click on any photo to enlarge. black coleus with red zinnias Loved the crazy strands of this red Porterweed,Stachytarpheta mutabilis   Planting something

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-45003741533892495272013-10-12T07:14:00.000-07:002013-10-12T07:14:07.394-07:00

When my Iceberg rose blooms, it reminds me of a cloud.  A cloud on the ground. Iceberg rose Since this rose is so light and airy, it would probably benefit from a solid background.  Unfortunately, I don't have enough room for that.  But on my to-do list is to plant something in front of it to hide its bare legs. Some Texans won't have Iceberg in their garden.  It

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com38