Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory

Lemon Coral Sedum

My new favorite plant!

Gift Ideas for Gardeners

Orla Kiely Gardening Gloves

Anthropologie Reindeer Garden Hose Set

RJB STONE - Coffee Mug

Viva Terra Air Plant Terrarium

A stroll around the garden in April

 

Baby Chickadee under Mona Lavender

Purple Oxalis

Spanish Lavender

Poppies

Sweet Peas

Happy Friday!

Spring is in the air

We have been getting some nice rainfall which is helping to green up the grass and rejuvenate the garden. It also comes in handy after the dry winter we have had. Hopefully, the precipitation will help the newly planted tomatoes establish a nice root system. The showers are one sign of Spring. Here are few more I have noticed....

Several bluebonnets have been spotted in the backyard and around town.

 The Sweet Peas are starting to flower.

The Cyclamen from last year are blooming.

My favorite sign of Spring though is Miss Wren sitting in her nest. 

Happy Spring!

The not so unlimited salad

 

The Winter salads are coming to an end. The lettuce is bolting and becoming bitter. I have some Arugula that is still growing, however most of the space in the garden has been cleared for Mater planting time.

Oxalis Rainbow

The last few days have been rainy and cold, however there are little signs of Spring in the garden. For instance, the Oxalis are lush and in full bloom. The plant is a pass along from my Grandmother's garden. The bright pink blooms bring me so much joy and remind me of how my Grandmother loved gardening.

Oxalis

Swiss Chard in a Tomato and Garlic Broth

There has been lots of P&W (Pruning and Weeding) around here, needless to say there is also lots of sore muscles. The Winter garden is coming to an end and it is time to harvest some of the veggies and herbs. 

 Kale, Swiss Chard and Broccoli.

Parsley, Dill, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Cilantro in the Herb Garden.

Today I gathered a bowl full of Swiss Chard for my lunch. My standard way to prepare Chard is by sautéing it, I prefer to save the tender small leaves for a salad.

Rainbow Swiss Chard

I'm sure there are a thousand different ways to prepare this nutritional vegetable, however this is my favorite recipe.

Swiss Chard in a Tomato and Garlic Broth

1 bunch of Swiss Chard, rinsed and chopped into large pieces

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 cloves of Garlic, finely sliced

1 8 oz can of Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 cups of Chicken broth

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika 

In a saute pan, over medium heat, add olive oil. Add finely chopped garlic and cook until the garlic turns a toasty, brown color. Add in the chicken broth, tomato sauce and smoked paprika. Stir ingredients until they are combined. Turn heat up to medium high and cook until broth starts to boil. Add in chard and turn heat down to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Serve with crusty french bread and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

 Even though I made this side dish my lunch, it also goes nicely with some Roasted Chicken and Mac and Cheese. 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Cyclamen add bright color to a winter garden

During the dreary days of winter, I love to see some pop of color in my garden. Cyclamen is a wonderful winter annual that provides color with beautiful blooms and heart shaped leaves.

They look spectacular sprinkled throughout the garden or planted in groups. My intention when planting them is to make the planting look organic as possible. As if they decided to spring up all on their own.

With so many different variety of colors available, it is hard to buy just one. Their beauty and cold hardiness in TX winters makes them one of my favorite winter annuals.

Butterflies in December

The warmer weather and sunshine brought out the butterflies in the garden. This Gulf Fritillary was enjoying sipping from the Pineapple Sage. 

The Pineapple Sage has been a butterfly and bee magnet.

These little yellow butterflies have been out in full force. They are everywhere!

One of my favorite butterflies is the Common blue or Reakirt's blue. It is about the size of a moth and if you blink, you might miss it.

It has this dazzling, iridescent blue color on the inside of it's wings. The Queen FBA (Future Butterfly of America) decided to get in on the shot. 
  
Only in the South do you get to see butterflies this time of year.

A Walk around the Garden - December

The garden is winding down for a winter's nap. There are still some blooms, however the cold fronts have zapped some of the flowers. Here is a look at what is happening in the garden this December.

The cooler weather brought a flush of blooms to the Firespike.

I spotted this Rufous hummingbird in the Nandina bush. I was surprised to see two hummingbirds fighting over the feeder.

One Rufous hummingbird decided to stay the winter in our backyard last year. How great would it be to have two this year.

During this busy time of year, hope you find the time to enjoy nature. 

Plant Addiction

Hello, my name is Rambling Wren, and I'm addicted to plants. Isn't there some sort of 12 step program for this thing? I was only suppose to pick up one plant at the garden center. Just one mind you! Not only did I come home with a trunk full, I made a second garden center run. What is wrong with me? My husband said that I buy plants faster than he can dig the holes for them. I can't help it...picking out the plants is the FUN part. Duh! Here are just some of the plants I picked up.

This Eyelash leaved Sage, Salvia Blepharophylla, was calling my name. Who can resist those huge red tubular blooms. I'm sure the hummingbirds won't be able to resist it either. If anyone has had experience growing this salvia, please let me know.  I'm pairing this with a dwarf Coreopsis called, "Nana". I like the yellow and red combo.

WWW.Groundcover.com

Of course I had to pick up my favorite sage, "Black and Blue".  

I just love the vibrant blue flowers on this plant. 

Here it is....Number one on my "Most Wanted List". The Big Red Sage or also known as Salvia pentstemonoides.

 This plant is the trifecta:

1.) It is an evergreen and a Texas native

2.) It is drought tolerant

3.) It has gorgeous magenta (not red) blooms and the hummingbirds like it

SOLD! 

A big thank you to Shirley Fox at  Rock-Oak-Deer for offering to help me hunt down this plant. I finally located it at Rainbow Gardens.

Rain Drops

 

We are getting some wonderful Spring rainfall. Should be a great wildflower season.

Cacti Macro

Tree Planting

A couple of weekends ago, we planted a tree in the front yard of our new home. The neighborhood has lots of gorgeous, mature live oak trees, so I wanted a tree that was different and would be the focal point of our yard. After some extensive tree research, I settled on a Burr Oak. Yes, I know the acorns are huge and it is a slow grower, but I loved the leaf structure, texture on the bark and the deep green color on the leaves. 

(Please excuse the trash cans and garden hose in this picture)

Even though the tree is small right now, I can envision it fully grown, majestic in all its glory in the fall. We are planning on installing a flower bed around the base of the tree. I'm thinking of planting some xeriscape type plants in the bed. Even though it resembles the Charlie Brown Christmas tree right now, I love my little tree. I can't wait to decorate in the fall with the acorns and wonderful fall colored leaves.

Butterflies, Bees and Caterpillars! Oh My!

After reading the Central Texas Gardener's blog post "Caterpillars to love with Meredith O'Reilly from Great Stems!", which mentioned the Spring Branch library's butterfly garden, I was inspired to visit this lovely garden this past weekend.

The weather was perfect and there were tons of butterflies floating around. 

 The bees were buzzing around everywhere. It looked like they were working over time.

 

Passion flower vines intermingled with a Hyacinth Bean Vine on a large teepee structure.

 

The garden, while not very large in size, takes full advantage of the space provided. It is very well thought out in design and purpose. 

 There is even a picnic table if you decide to pack a lunch. 

What a wonderful contribution to the community. 
To get directions to the Spring Branch library's butterfly garden, please click here.

Support Your Independent Nursery Month: Antique Rose Emporium

I will choose an independent garden center any day over a big box store. They have plants that grow better in my local climate. Antique Rose Emporium is one of my favorite independent nurseries, since I live South of Austin and tend to visit  frequently. 

Top 5 Reasons I support the Antique Rose Emporium:

1.) Roses - They of course are known for their amazing selection of heirloom and disease resistant roses. 

2.) Free classes - Yes, you read that right. They offer a variety of classes on different subject matters to the general public. I just attended one on fall vegetable gardening. To get a list of the upcoming classes click here.

3.) Pots, fountains and bird baths - They have a lovely assortment of colorful pots, fountains and bird baths. I purchased my own bird bath from them and haven't been disappointed. 

4.) Herbs and vegetables - They have a great selection of seasonal herbs and veggies to plant. 

5.) Perennials - I have to admit this is why I frequent this nursery the most. They have a wonderful selection of tried and true perennials for South Texas. They carry unique and different plants that might be overlooked at the big box stores. You can also find out what is blooming or should I say "surviving" at any given time of year when you walk around the grounds at Antique Rose. The perennial beds are a great example of what will work in your garden. 


Antique Rose Emporium - 7561 East Evan Rd., San Antonio, TX 78266. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sun 11:00am-5:30pm