Cactus

“X Marks the Scot”

Jeff_Goldblum

No, no, no.

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Oh yes, yes, afraid so Jeff.

As you can see, we are off to a terrific start this week.

During warm weather, and it is warm right now, a fly can produce a family generation in less than two weeks…

…I hate flies,

Brrr

and roaches,

jungle safari helmet

and if one gets into the house I have to put on my safari outfit and immediately embark on the hunt to the inevitable family refrain…“it is only a fly Dad!”

fear-and-loathing

I have fried numerous keyboards frantically flailing around my computer desk trying to swat one.

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My aggression is self evident.

Only a fly indeed.

On a larger scale : this could do some serious damage…

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…and it did.

Demolition

A couple of hours later and my neighbors house over my back fence looked like this.

demolition

A few more hours and the lot was nearly empty.

While the crew were back there I persuaded the bucket operator to take a scoop from the top of my 10 year old large brush pile, “just to take the rough off.”

compost

I won’t go into the unmentionables darting around as he did this, but there were many.

Bugs

There should have been adjudicators present.

With the area now clear my kids wasted no time hopping over the fence armed with cloaks, masks

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and metal detectors.

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I got to work moving some of that fine compost,

mummy costume

until the late afternoon sun got the better of me.

It is hard to believe, but this started out as a pristine iced turban!

I quickly rehydrated with a slice or two of…

water_melon water_melon

 

 

 

Moving Along:

Gaura lindheimeri

Gaura lindheimeri

 

or ‘whirling butterflies’ is living up to its name. The ‘butterflies’ reside on the end of long flower spikes that move in all directions on the wind.

blooms

After flowering these stems will be pruned back.

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This plant makes a great pairing with Mexican feather grass and likes the same planting conditions / soil.

Sea oats are now turning color, a sure sign that fall is just around the corner.

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That is duranta ‘Sapphire Showers’ in the background and one plant

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goes a very long way.

A great sprawler to soften and take care of a problem area or to fill-in a fence corner.

This one is planted in shade under my post oak and it blooms prolifically for a good part of the year.

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The barrels are blooming for the second year.

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The spent brown flowers from last year are slowly rolling down the sides of the barrels.

back_to_the_future

I contemplated picking them out, then, realizing what I was proposing, had a George McFly moment.

Barrel_cactus_flower

Barrel_cactus_flower
Finally:

This Buddha’s Belly bamboo is now leaning over so far,

I am considering training and strapping it permanently into an archway over this pathway.

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Has this ever happened to your Bellies?

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At first it bothered me,

but now I like this swaying green arch.

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Stay Tuned for:

“Plants Vs Zombification

 

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All material © 2013 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized
intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.

 

“Design Up-Front”

C:UsersJohn_PCDocumentsCorbett2012 WillowSANDERS_042913 Mo

This contemporary house / garage apartment is shortly to be built on the east side of Austin.

I am signed up to design and install the landscape and exterior hardscaping on the property.

I wanted to get a head start on the project but I needed to really understand the architecture and site layout to develop a consistent and appropriate scheme.

C:UsersJohn_PCDocumentsCorbett2012 WillowSANDERS_042913 Mo

I decided the best thing would be to construct the house in 3D based on the architectural plans (which are hard to digest, even for the trained eye)

thumbnail

Here are the 3D building blocks representing the outside dimensions and architectural design:

willow_2 willow_1

I concentrated on the main front area as my first priority is to design the area from the street down both sides of this house.

As this is a completely new construction it is a clean slate, nothing to work in or around…the luxury!

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3D model taking shape.

The home owners requested minimal plants and ultra-low maintenance.

Here is the final post-rendered model in-situation with a superimposed minimalist xeriscape planting scheme. The final image helped the homeowners visualize how their future new home and landscape is going to look.

Architectural_Landscape_Design__Xeriscape

Now, it may be sweltering hot in our current August temperatures but I will get some frosty Arizona ‘blue-ice’ cypress trees into the scheme!

Cupressus arizonica

 

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Stay Tuned for:

“X Marks the Scot”

 

All material © 2013 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized
intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.

 

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