Still cleaning up from the perfect storm!!!
I left most of my plants well alone after the big freeze, and some are only now returning to life, with new growth tentatively pushing through now that the summer heat is on.
Oh, and the heat is on!
The cycads, who never do anything fast, started with new growth at the base (which I immediately cut back like I usually do) before they finally sprouted from the top. To think I almost pulled out the one on the right, as the base felt and looked rotten.
The needle palms in the background took no damage at all.
This agave was left with some really unusual markings from the freeze.
Re’mark’able.
Can you guess what this once was?
This is all that was left of my 20 year old barrel cactus after I had drained the carcass and retired its crumpled flesh to the compost bin. (I will spare you that particular Facebook video) – no I wont:
https://www.facebook.com/100001224482768/videos/4041816729202437/
All that remained was the central, stinky core.
“Aye, it is a’ways the core Espatch, a’ways the core, at least ye didnae have tae jettison yers inta space!”
“Shut-up Scotty.”
RIP old friends…we had some fun together:
https://www.eastsidepatch.com/2009/02/yo-ho-ho-and-a-barrow-of-cactus/
Some changes afoot in The Patch:
This area used to have a large, dying Afghan pine in it (now destined for future firewood), and a rather large clump of Buda’s Belly bamboo. It all had to go.
Digging up a mature Buda’s Belly it not something I would recommend…at all. In fact this may have been one of the toughest plants I have ever extracted to date. Giant Timber bamboo was easier to take out than this beast.
The roots were so strong, and so incredibly dense, that the only way to get this thing out of the ground was to tunnel all the way under it, and that is what I did…over the course of three days!
“I say, Espatch is making rather slim progress on that Bamboo root-ball Sergeant, are we still on schedule for the escape?”
The root ball was so heavy, even getting it to the street (for bulk pick-up) presented severe logistical, and physical problems.
I was convinced the city wouldn’t process it…but thankfully they did.
“And why do all of this removal”?
Well,
a) I was sick of looking at a browning and continually depressed Afghan Pine.
b) I was sick of constantly grooming the Buda’s Belly over the course of a year.
Afghan Pine and the Belly taken a few years ago when the pine still looked relatively healthy.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a stunning clumping bamboo, but it constitutes a lot of work on a regular basis to keep it looking on form.
Also this particular stretch of The Patch receives really good sunlight.
Perfect for some raised vegetable beds!
Wateringcan Leviosa!
A few warm solar lights make the beds pop at night.
These Rostrata punks also got their hair in the spotlight.
To go along with the raised beds, we constructed a platform deck, privacy fence, and strung three disco balls onto the pecan trees. Well you have to have those don’t you?
I have a lot of staining to do in my future. These two mister fans blast the deck and do a good job of cooling things down…if only the mosquitos would just back-off.
Five minutes out here right now and I look like Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
Focus!
I recently purchased this small, inexpensive clip-on macro lens attachment for my iPhone, just to mess around with it.
I am quite impressed with the results:
Dolichopodidae, Genus Condylostylus.
These tiny Long Legged flies make good subjects for a macro lens as they are not prone to spook easily. It still requires a very steady hand though, if you were shooting freehand on high zoom like I was here.
All of these images would have been much better with a tripod.
Fire ants busy at work.
Tiny grasshopper on canna.
I can’t even remember what this was! Perhaps a white poppy?
This Hackberry or Tawny Emperor (I cant tell) looked liked it was a natural part of the graphics on the front page of this novel.
Post Agricultural Apocalypse Summary:
I ended up losing all my barrel cactus, half of my opuntia tree, yes half, a Med. Fan Palm, two agave, and one Jerusalem sage to the ice storm.
All my citrus, pittosporums, loquats, cycads and bamboos are returning from the base / top.
The best surprise was this Bauhinia corymbosa vine.
I was convinced it was dead after been dormant for such an extended period of time. Then, only a couple of weeks ago, a tiny hint of green.
Overall it could have been a lot worse.
Now, lets see what will make it through August?
Finally:
I will leave you with a few visuals of a rather large design I am sporadically working on in South Austin.
It is a stunning property located on a natural creek and pool. The future house and studio will be a new build and aesthetically very modern, lots of industrial concrete, rivets, glass, and steel elements.
The owners wanted some high-level visualizations to help define some of the spaces, and identify structural elements that may be incorporated into the final scheme.
A cocktail deck and naturalistic firepit with large limestone boulder seating. There is no shortage of large boulders around here. Understory shade and deer resistant planting scheme with vantage points and seating.
Turn-around driveway concept.
Entryway and expanded driveway.
Stay Tuned For:
“Martins and Monsters”
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intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.
Mine are all growing directly in decomposed granite mixed with some amendment soil. They self-seed readily, but are very easy to pull out and control where they are not desired.
Aw, COME ON!
