Verdant Sanctuary

Upcoming Project: Suggestions, Please!

2010-08-27T22:55:00.001-05:00

OK, it's been in the one hundred degrees here. I have not been thinking about my garden, I have not been out in my garden, (except at night to water) but the temperatures have dipped back into the double digits and I'm thinking about my garden projects again. Oh, and consequently, the blog. The next project I want to tackle is my garden gate.

I'm loath to show you pictures of my garden gate in its current state. It looks much better when Zéphirine is blooming her heart out in spring and early summer. A picture of her in bloom is shown above. The gate is nondescript almost out-of-the-box-look iron. I have added a cast brass door knocker in the shape of a classic woman's head. Now remember, the wise women of Garden Rant say they are "bored with perfect magazine gardens." Here is the "Before" picture taken this weekend.

Now, I have always loved gates with an arch of flowering plants over them, particularly roses, so a few years ago, I lashed together two pieces of green bamboo and created the arch over this gate. Rosa 'Zéphirine Drouhin' grows up each side and meets in the middle. Some years here in San Antonio, she is not quite in the mood, but other years, with cooler wetter springs, she really shows off. Her moods may be variable, but she has no thorns, and therefore is particularly appropriate near gates and other paths. She also has a divine perfume.

In New Orleans and Charleston, and above, Scotland, the wrought iron ornamentation of the garden gate often continues to a stationary wrought iron arch over the gate. These provide added security and decoration and I've always admired their old-world charm. I bought one at Shades of Green, my local independently owned garden center, which I love. Well, I wasn't specific about loving the arch or Shades of Green, but it doesn't matter, because I love both. My goal is to have the arch installed over my gate, with an added arch of rebar over the antique portion, on which to tie Zéphirine. Perhaps for propriety's sake I shouldn't say tie, but instead afix or fasten. You know she's French and very particular. If I offend her, next spring may be an "off" year. The arch will need to have to downward portions on each end to fit into the upright outside sides of the gate, and then be welded together.

In the future, look for AFTER photographs. I will try to install it without offending Zéphirine's sensibilities. Perhaps next spring she will reward us!

New Plant Find: Christia obcordata!

2010-08-07T10:25:00.005-05:00

This gardener just returned from his gardening mecca, Naples, Florida. Seriously, I dream of gardening there. I guess that relegates me to the "Tropical Gardener" status. Hey, maybe that's why I like courtyards so much...they provide micro-climates in my 8b - 9a garden which are more 9b-10a-ish. But I still may have to create a temporary greenhouse to protect my coddled ones during San Antonio's rare freezes. Oh no, another project to add to the list!

Anyway, I was with the Missus, and it was before the 10am dress shop opening bell was sounded, so we went to my favorite nursery in Naples - the one where I first saw my wall fountain, Driftwood Garden Center - and skulked around.

The first thing I saw was this Heliconia "Andromeda," oh, if only...

Then, I saw a plant I had never seen, nor heard of before on the way in. It looked like green butterflies with chocolate stripes. At first I thought it was a weird Oxalis, or something. I was intrigued. There were six 1.5 gallon pots, at only $8 each. Hmmm.

Next, I came across this artfully arranged vignette of plants in front of their beautiful terracotta selection.

They also had a huge selection of bromeliads, and not the usual suspects, either. I imagined placing them in the nooks and crannies of old leaf bases on my palms in my future garden in the "almost tropics" once I win the lottery.

So, after sauntering about, daydreaming about my future canal-side tropical garden paradise, I finally asked one of the staff about the chocolate butterflies I had noticed on the way in. "We just got those in, They're called Christia obcordata, and we've only had them once before. If you want one, you'd better pick it up now, we'll probably sell out today."

Well, you can't wave a redder flag in front of this bull! I hightailed it back to the front of the greenhouse to find a family carting one off, and a gentleman picking up another one! Only four left, and it wasn't even ten o'clock yet! I quickly evaluated the remaining four plants for the one I thought had the best chance of surviving modern airline travel and nuclear body-scanner attacks, and snatched it up. The Missus even wanted me to get one. She knew I could manage to get it back somehow, and appreciated its weird appearance and the fact they were disappearing like hotcakes.

I potted my new baby down to a pot which is about a half gallon size and didn't have to prune too many roots. I wrapped the pot in a grocery bag and tied the top to keep the moisture and soil in. I pruned some of the branches so she would fit into a large shopping bag and stuffed bubble wrap strategically so the pot would stay upright in the shopping bag. She made it through security twice with only one raised eyebrow, but I really don't think I could have hijacked a plane with one tropical plant, no matter how showy.

Well, she's going to be another true tropical which will have to be brought inside for our short "winter," but I'm sure she'll be worth it. From what I can find, Christia likes to be kept moist, enjoys part sun to light shade, and "prefers warmer temperatures." She may be placed in a hanging basket, because I read somewhere that nematodes love them. I'll let you know how she does!

So-called "Weed Blocking" Fabric

2010-07-31T16:15:00.002-05:00

I do not use "landscape fabric" also known as "weed blocking fabric" below mulch or gravel to "block" weeds. One is supposed to apply it below the mulch, overlapping well, and securing the fabric with multiple long wire landscape staples. And yes, it blocks plants which germinate below the fabric from growing through it and springing up where you do not want them. So far, so good.

However, it does NOT prevent plants which germinate above the fabric from growing at all. Grow they will, and eventually their small feeder roots will penetrate into and through the fabric. Then, when you come along and pull that weed, its roots hang on tenaciously to the fabric and it pulls and tents up off the ground sending your gravel or mulch flying, pulling up the staples, and creating a huge mess.

Mulch and gravel mulch do an admirable job of discouraging weeds all by themselves. The rare weed can quite easily be pulled the old fashioned way, or chopped off effectively with a "Hula Hoe,"

also known as a stirrup hoe, or other such tool with a horizontal blade. The mulch can simply be tamped back down. And no cursing will be necessary, (even under your breath so the neighbors won't hear.)

The Barbed Quatrefoil

2010-07-29T09:33:00.006-05:00

If you've taken my humble courtyard tour, you noticed the area on the east side of the garden, in the shade created by the live oak and the house. It was once a small patch of St. Augustine, but it was requiring too much work to keep it alive in the shade. I converted the area to a pea gravel "patio," and no, I did not first lay down "weed-blocking fabric." (But more about that later.)

I knew the expanse of gravel would require something on it or in it to "break it up," and make it more interesting. A bench, or a table and chairs would have been nice, but I had those elsewhere. I decided on a small planting bed, placed along the axis I had already created between the end of the pavement patio and the large blue Mexican urn. But what should the shape be? Round would be nice, but I decided it needed a little more pizazz. Besides, my garden is made up of both curved and square shapes.

In the Southwest, and in San Antonio in particular, you see a certain ornamental quatrefoil shape everywhere. I saw these in Dallas, at Highland Park Village:

In San Antonio they are everywhere. They are common in Moorish and Spanish art, and when used in heraldry, they are called barbed quatrefoils. A quatrefoil is any shape made up of four leaves or petals, and they are often found along with trefoils and cinquefoils in gothic tracery. The triangles in between the four circular elements could have originally been sepals peeking out between four-petaled flowers' petals.

The shape has always been very popular in Spanish Colonial and Mission Revival architecture. When used for this purpose, the "barbs" usually form the corners of a square, making the shape a quatrefoil superimposed on a square. I find it everywhere in San Antonio, which of course was originally a Spanish city of missions. It is found on churches:

Banks:

Highway overpasses (?) :

And, come to think of it, one side of the shape even forms the top of the well-recognized pediment of our most famous mission, the Alamo:

Which is probably the reason that the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau chose this shape as their logo for the city:

All of which is a long way to explain why I chose the barbed quatrefoil as the shape for my bed for shade loving plants. It had to have a high edge, to keep the gravel from being kicked up into it, so I chose old D'Hanis bricks in a rose color for contrast. First, I played with the shape in the garage:

I eventually made the "barbs" more prominent. I lined the shape up with the view to the Mexican urn and after much measurement and fiddling, placed the bricks on end, "bad sides down" in the garden. I tamped them in with a rubber mallet, leveling their tops. Here is the finished work:

I placed a cast-stone birdbath in the center for height, and surrounded it with miniature hostas (blue lollipop,) trailing cinquefoil (the plant,) and a little variegated needlepoint ivy in the middle (Silver King.) What do you think? I think it adds a little San Antonio flair to the courtyard!

Here is a long shot, showing in the distance how the birdbath inside the quatrefoil is aligned with the large turquoise urn.

Gardening Trip to Houston

2010-07-27T18:36:00.016-05:00

Well, the Missus decided it was once again time to do her part to support economic recovery, and to do it at various retail women's clothing stores in Houston. Instead of complaining, I knew it would give me a chance to see and snap some pictures for you of my favorite garden stores and nurseries in Houston. Why don't you come along with me while she's in The Galleria.

First stop, Thompson + Hanson. It's off West Alabama, south of River Oaks. What a great garden design concept store! They have plants, too. I think I bought my black liriope here a few years back, before it ever made it to San Antone.

Here is a view into their spacious, orderly, outdoor area with unique plants and containers you will not see anywhere else.

As you walk all the way toward the back you begin to see their trendy & tasty cafe:

It's called "Tiny Boxwoods," and has great lunch and brunch food in an atmosphere sure to delight anyone from the casual gardener to Frederick Law Olmsted. Unfortunately it's too early for lunch. I'm sure we'll find somewhere else to eat later. On the mini lawn which abuts the cafe, there are large cement fruit.

Next, we're off to Houston Heights, which is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Houston. It is like a little New Orleans in the middle of Houston. Antiques, nurseries, local coffee shops, independent retailers, stately homes, tree-lined boulevards, what's not to love?

We'll first stop in at Buchanan's Native Plants on 11th.

It's full of natives and exotics, and has a great selection of garden decor items which I do not see at home.

I bought a standing head planter and a female classical head wall planter. I just can't help myself. They have such neat things. I'm sure I'll find a place for them when I get home. I may have to move a few things around.

Next, down the street to Another Place in Time, also on 11th. It's called, "Your Uncommon Garden Center," and they're right.

They have an uncommonly large selection of bromeliads and staghorn ferns. It was here that I first bought a "Rangoon Creeper."

It sounds like "crab rangoon" crossed with Virgina creeper, but is actually a tropical vine with sprays of dark pink to white blooms which smell exactly like watermelon. I had one at my previous house. Maybe it's time to get another one...hmmm. (Quisqualis indica)

OK, well, it's time to go down the beautiful Heights Boulevard to Ben's Antique Gardening, which I wrote about before as the source of my fernery's BVM. Look below at the great entrance. Doesn't it just call to you?

It appears to be all junk, but in reality it is a treasure trove of garden paraphernalia just waiting to be rescued, brushed off and placed in a prime garden location.

See the awesomely detailed owl? I saw several of them all over town and couldn't remember having ever seen a cast stone owl before. Finally, it hit me, The Rice Owls! (Sometimes it takes me awhile.) But seriously, don't you think you could find something in there for your garden? I know you could.

Now we're off to Joshua's Native Plants and Garden Antiques. Their selection is much more impressive than their sign, which shows a bit too much patina. They're found at Nicholson and 18th, in the Heights, and they are chock full of random and wonderful juxtapositions, in addition to their wonderful plant and antique selection. How about the Buddha and a giant crawfish?

How about Napoleon and a Texas Longhorn?

It looks like Bonaparte has his nose out of joint from being placed between bromeliads and longhorns. He'd much rather be found in an interior featured on Côte de Texas. And check out the extra security atop the fence provided by old saw blades!

This is a more sedate combination. Apollo stares down benevolently at the colorful tropicals.

Succulents are found in front of a cast-stone plant plinth that The Grackle should purchase immediately.

Seriously, if you can't get creative in your garden after a trip to these wonderful gardening meccas, you are beyond help. Come with me to lunch at Lola's and drown your gardening decisions in fried chicken and waffles, and a lot of other locally grown and raised delicacies.

I've really enjoyed our whirlwind tour of my favorite Houston gardening sources. Thanks for coming with me, and if you know of others in Houston that I need to check out, by all means comment and tell me. I need something to do tomorrow instead of heading with the Missus to another clothing boutique!

Parlez vous du drainage?

2010-07-23T16:33:00.007-05:00

I’m sweaty and exhausted! I really wanted to be blogging in air-conditioned comfort, but instead have been hard at work outside digging a French drain. I know, I know, my best friend asked me the two obvious questions. 1) Why didn’t you hire someone? & 2) Why did you pick July? The answer to question number one is that it is located right next to my driveway and had to be dug by hand anyway. Number two? Because I was tired of looking at the corrugated pipe in my garage.

Why are French drains French? Do they come from France? Do they require cufflinks? Or are they cut at an angle like the green beans and bread of the same name? Should we call them “Freedom Drains?” They actually sound more Dutch or German to me, but it turns out that they are not French at all. Experts report that a man named French first described them as an open-trench drain filled with gravel. Read about it in Wikipedia or in this interesting article.

Courtyards, being surrounded by at least a couple of walls by definition, will usually have some drainage issues. The drainage should ideally be planned for well in advance and before any pavement is laid ~ unless you enjoy spending more money after replacing your living room’s parquet. My courtyard drains well and away from the house, but my mini-lawn gets waterlogged during heavy rains due to my driveway blocking the water’s egress toward the street, which is on lower ground. Hence, the French drain along the edge of the driveway.

I am using black plastic drainage pipe which is corrugated and perforated. The perforations allow water to flow in wherever necessary, and also to seep out anywhere to deeper soil, keeping all of it from being simply dumped unused into the street. The pipe is covered with a landscape fabric sock to keep it from filling up with sediment. So far, I have also installed three receptacles with grates:

along the way to allow for future high pressure garden hose cleanout. The protected pipe is finally covered with gravel, and massive quantities of diet cola beverages are consumed. Preferably TaB™.

For adequate drainage, the recommended slope is between 1:100 and 1:200, which translates to between 1/8 and 1/16 inch drop per one foot run. I could have carefully measured this out, but since my lawn’s elevation is fixed, and the level of my street is fixed, and the driveway naturally drains down to the street, I am simply keeping the depth of my trench stable in reference to the edge of the drive. If the tube does dip slightly lower in places, the resulting puddle will simply drain out the perforations. By the way, it is functioning really well! (It’s much more fun to test than to dig!)

I didn’t want the end of the pipe to be visible to my neighbors, so I disguised it with the help of some large, loosely placed river rock. C’est magnifique, n’est pas?

More Heads from my Courtyard

2010-07-17T22:40:00.019-05:00

Isn't this fountain beautiful? Unfortunately, it's not mine! I found this picture while looking up the link to my fountain and had to show it to you. It consists of an antique stone trough and a lead lion spout and is from a website in the UK called "House to Home." Look at all that moss and lichen! It would all die within minutes in San Antonio...

Sorry, anyway, while I was out in the yard, mowing and watering (and admiring my new water lilies) I looked up and realized I left out five (yes, 5) heads from my previous post which live above my wall fountain! (picture below) I first saw this fountain in Naples, Florida at a garden center, and had to have it. Since it exceeds all airline weight limits and carry-on regulations, I began searching for it in San Antonio. I finally found it at Home and Patio. It is called the "Parisian Wall Fountain," and is manufactured by Al's Garden Art. The six spouts make a great sound that is deceptively refreshing in our hot summers. By the way, Naples is my DREAM garden location. Tropicals, subtropicals, seafood and shopping! Oh, and beaches, too.

The large planter head is obviously Bacchus and he is cast in high relief of fiberglass coated with stone dust. A "Ming" asparagus fern sprouts from his head, Asparagus myriocladus. I cemented a copper spout through the drainage hole with silicone, so excess water wouldn't run down the wall and leave a stain. Instead, it pours into the fountain itself. The tall wrought iron candelabra is from an estate sale, and was too wobbly, so I bolted it to a piece of rough-cut limestone from Keller Materials, a gardener's candy store of all stone products here in San Antonio. Now the hose won't tip it over.

Back to the heads. Four smaller beings surround Bacchus. The upper two are cast stone cherubs and the bottom two are reproductions of two "Riverine Heads," which are heads of Irish river gods which adorn the Dublin Custom House. I believe the male on the left is the Shannon and the female on the right is the Liffey. This finally completes the "head count!"

Some Courtyard Blooms

2010-07-10T12:55:00.006-05:00

Adenium obesum, desert rose, in a pot on a side table in my back courtyard. This gets sun most of the day but only blooms once a summer, usually in late June. What about yours? I wonder if it would bloom more than once with the right treatment...

An extremely long-lasting bloom from my Jatropha podagrica, or Buddha-belly in my courtyard. The blooms are a florescent red-orange which was almost captured in this picture by my iPhone. I bring it in for the winter with the desert rose, above. The buddha belly immediately drops all of its leaves but starts blooming its little heart out all winter. The orange is so bright, it always commands attention, like a weird pointsettia.

A mauve-rose water lily at the McNay. I am trying my hand at two tropical water lilies from Water Garden Gems, east of San Antonio on I 10. It is an awesome water garden resource! Mine are in the syrup kettle, and seem to be doing well, pictures are forthcoming.

A smaller hybrid of Canna indica, this one only about 2.5 to 3 feet tall, including bloom spikes, from the outer garden at the McNay Museum of Art, San Antonio, Texas. The smaller blooming cannas seem more natural to me, with their narrower blooms. What do you think?

New Address: www.VerdantSanctuary.com

2010-07-03T12:32:00.002-05:00

N.B. "Verdant Sanctuary" will make a small move to www.VerdantSanctuary.com from www.verdantsanctuary.blogspot.com . It simplifies the address and Blogger will kindly redirect you should you go to the old site. It will make finding us easier and be easier on people's memories.

A tropical water lily blooming in purple-blue splendor at the McNay. Thank you for all of your interest and your e-mails! (verdantsanctuary@gmail.com)

- Fougères

The Courtyard at The McNay

2010-07-01T14:18:00.009-05:00

Probably the best "Spanish Courtyard" in San Antonio is the one surrounded by the Spanish Colonial Revival mansion built by Marion Koogler McNay in 1928. Mrs. McNay donated her home, its courtyard, grounds and artwork, and they have now become The McNay Museum of Art on the corner of North New Braunfels and Austin Highway. The paintings and sculpture are magnificent but I will leave them to the fine art bloggers. For me, the highlight of any visit is the courtyard. Come see!

This is the front of her original home, designed by Atlee & Robert Ayres. The museum sits on 23 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds on a corner between Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills.

One enters the museum through the new modern addition to the rear of the original house. It connects through to Mrs. McNay's home, and I entered the courtyard through the first side entrance that was open to visitors. This first glimpse of the courtyard is offered through a decorative wrought iron grate.

The courtyard contains many of these antique olive jars, which are now fitted with up-shining landscape lights hidden within them.

There are bronze sculptures throughout the courtyard. Here is one framed by a potted but not-yet-blooming plumeria.

These two views, taken from the upstairs balconies, show the layout of the courtyard. An upper fountain with a lions-head waterspout and shell-shaped basins leads to a narrow rill which empties into the center tiled lily pond.

The lily pond, looking across the courtyard.

Bougainvillea adds a shock of color.

Mrs. McNay loved peafowl, and kept some on the grounds. These peacocks are permanent specimens in tile.

Stairs to the second floor, with different rows of tile on each riser.

The upper fountain.

A tiled doorway with carved stone corbels supporting putti.

Views from the upper level balconies.

This is the last view as I reluctantly exit and look back across the courtyard through some sago palms to the outdoor hearth. What a great place! If you've already seen the riverwalk downtown, come see the McNay. A future post will visit the new and beautifully landscaped "Museum Reach" of the Paseo del Rio. Photographed on the grounds of the McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas.

Unexpected Beauty in Port Aransas

2010-06-29T09:45:00.009-05:00

All Texans love Port Aransas. It's the beach of our childhoods. We know it ain't Destin. There's no "sugar sand." Don't look for a Southern Living or an HGTV dream home. It's just "the Beach." We grew up with it and it is as comfortable to us as our favorite jeans...or flip-flops.

There is expected beauty at "Port A," like the sand dunes or this brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis.) But there are scenes of unexpected beauty, as well. We found a beach cottage inside "Old Port A" that has been certified as a "Best of Texas Wildlife Habitat."

A birdbath is outside the gardener's silver gray picket fence.

Pink flamingos and an unidentified specimen play among the DYC's underneath a Washingtonia robusta. (DYC = *darn* yellow composite, i.e. yellow daisy-like flowers that appear everywhere. When you don't know exactly what they are, they are DYC's)

A fuchsia Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) and a Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) cross stems in the front garden.

A Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana) glows underneath. It appears more blue to the naked eye than to the camera. I'm sure there is a complicated digital photography-ophthalmologic reason for that, but I don't know what it would be.

The bougainvillea matches the native Mustang Island flamingos (Phoenicopterus flamingo-plasticus.)

Bougainvillea spectabilis

You knew I had to work in a courtyard somehow. This is really the outdoor portion of a great interior design showroom, the Susan Castor Collection on East Roberts.

This is a cement "Farley Boat." They are all over Port A, and are filled with flowers and decorated in honor of the wooden flotsam Farley Boat which was designed in Port A to be used in the choppy gulf waters. The concrete jetsam variety is sold by the Port Aransas Garden Club to fill and decorate as your individual creativity dictates. The backdrop is a clump of three Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterohylla) tropical pines from the southern hemisphere usually used north of zone 10 as house plants.

This is the center common courtyard of a new townhouse development. I like that it is a shady retreat from the strong gulf sun, and is full of tropical greenery.

These neon-orange ixora (Ixora x hybrid) was found within the courtyard in a sunny spot.

The leaves of the white bird-of-paradise 'palms' (Strelitzia nicolai) were slighty browned by our colder-than-average winter, but what impressed me was that the watering was all planned using drip-irrigation, which conserves the expensive island fresh water and keeps maintenance requirements low. I will remember this when my retirement plan (The Texas Lottery) kicks in and I can afford a place on the coast!

I had never seen this fresh water canal north of Alister Street. It has so much potential as a linear park, but I'm from San Antonio and we love creating river walks.

I'll close this post with another shady courtyard of a house that is for sale. A tropical gardener obviously lived here, as there were more than four species of palms and several varieties of different cycads. I can dream can't I?

My Plant Inventory

2010-06-26T09:02:00.003-05:00

Whew! That took forever! Here is the list of ALL the plants on my property: front: side, and back courtyard. - As if you really wanted to know - I think the hot temperatures made me think of something I could accomplish at my air-conditioned keyboard, instead of working outside in the sauna. More about the specifics of my courtyard garden are coming down the pike...OK, back outside! I’ve got work to do!

Front Yard Plants

Stenotaphrum secundatum St. Augustine grass

Dichondra carolinensis Ponyfoot (in grass)

Trachelospermum asiaticum Asian Jasmine

Ficus pumila Fig ivy

Quercus fusiformis Texas Live Oak

Lagerstroemia indica Crape myrtle (Acoma semi-dwarf)

Chamaerops humilis Mediterranean Fan Palm

Nandina domestica Heavenly bamboo

Pittosporum tobira Japanese pittosporum

Fatsia japonica Japanese aralia

Cycas revoluta Sago palm

Caesalpinia pulcherrrima Pride of

Barbados

Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii' Burford Holly

Agapanthus x ‘Elaine’ Lily of the Nile

Strelitzia nicolai White Bird-of-paradise (as an annual)

Impatiens wallerana Impatiens (as an annual)

Plumeria rubra Frangipani (potted)

Rhapis excelsa Lady palm (potted)

Hedera helix f. digitata Needlepoint Ivy (potted)

Guzmania hybrid Bromeliad (potted)

Side Yard Plants

Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii' Burford Holly

Cuphea hyssopifolia Mexican heather

Ruellia elegans ‘Katie Blue’ Dwarf Mexican petunia

Chamaerops humilis Mediterranean Fan Palm

Plumbago auriculata Plumbago, Cape leadwort

Caesalpinia pulcherrrima Pride of

Barbados

Justicia spicigera Mexican honeysuckle

Hamelia patens Firebush

Russelia equisetiformus Firecracker plant

Verbena x hybrida ‘Blue Princess’ Blue Princess Verbena

Rosa 'Zéphirine Drouhin' Thornless Bourbon climber

Tecoma stans ‘Gold Star’ Gold Star Esperanza

Tecoma stans ‘Sunrise’ Sunrise Esperanza

Ficus pumila Fig ivy

Back Yard Plants

Ficus pumila Fig ivy

Stenotaphrum secundatum St. Augustine grass

Dichondra carolinensis Ponyfoot (in grass)

Cynodon dactylon Bermuda grass (mixed in sunny area)

Bambusa multiplex ‘Alphonse Karr’ Alphonse Karr clumping bamboo

Trachelospermum jasminoides Confederate Jasmine

Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana' Dwarf Mondo Grass

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' Black Mondo grass

Asparagus densiflorus ‘Meyersii’ Foxtail asparagus fern (ground and pots)

Quercus fusiformis Texas Live Oak

Washingtonia robusta Mexican Fan Palm

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis hybrids Tropical hibiscus

Philodendron bipinnatifidum Cut-leaf philodendron

Philodendron x ‘Xanadu’ Miniature cut-leaf philodendron

Musa velutina Pink-fruiting banana

Monstera deliciosa Split-leaf ‘Philodendron’

Asparagus myriocladus Ming asparagus fern (potted)

Impatiens x ‘hawkeri’

New Guinea

Impatiens (potted)

Kalanchoe luciae Red paddles, desert cabbage (potted)

Syagrus romanzoffiana Queen palm (potted)

Rhapis excelsa Lady palm (potted)

Cycas revoluta Sago palm (potted)

Aloe striata 'Cache Bella' Aloe (potted)

Hesperaloe parviflora Texas red yucca (potted)

Plumeria obtusa Singapore White plumeria (potted)

Zamia furfuracea Cardboard palm (potted)

Stapelia species Carrion flower cactus (potted)

Adenium obesum Desert rose

Jatropha podagrica Buddha-belly plant (potted)

Cyrtomium falcatum Japanese Holly fern

Chamaedorea microspadix Hardy Bamboo palm

Odontonema strictum Firespike

Alocasia macrorrhizos Upright elephant ears

Chamaerops humilis Mediterranean fan palm

Neomarica gracilis Walking Iris, Apostle Plant

Bletilla striata Chinese ground orchid

Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' Variegated Spider plant, (ground)

Asparagus setaceus Climbing asparagus fern

Nephrolepis exaltata Boston fern

Nephrolepis biserrata Macho fern

Phlebodium pseudoaureum Blue Rabbit’s Foot fern

Pteris ensiformis ‘Evergemiensis’ Silver lace fern

Hedera helix ‘Silver King’ Variegated English ivy

Hosta ‘Blue Lollipop’ Blue Lollipop hosta

Potentilla neumanniana Spring cinquefoil
Liriope muscari 'Aztec' Aztec grass

N.B. I will update this list as changes and additions are made.

Classical Heads

2010-06-23T09:50:00.024-05:00

One of the recurring themes in my garden is classical heads. Come see!

This is a Bacchus with grapes and grape leaves in his hair.

This is Apollo with over-exuberant confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) inviting birds to nest in his hair.

This younger Bacchic figure has been trimmed of his excess jasmine coiffure. The columns are on the imposing six-foot-tall wall which forms the back of our courtyard and rings our small neighborhood. We added a diagonal confederate jasmine trellis between the columns to break up and add interest to the long expanse of wall.

This is more of an Italianate-grotesque mask. This face, as most of the collection, was originally made to function as a fountain spit. This imposing visage hangs between two palms off the patio.

This Greek-style mask is an antique, picked up at a help-us-thin-out-our-inventory-sidewalk-sale. Something that used to hang above him in his previous life was painted without covering him with a dropcloth, providing him with a drip of dark-paint patina over his left brow, but I think I might leave it. He doesn't have a permanent hanging place yet, so he leans against a potted palm's plinth next to the fountain.

Alexander the Great guards the west end of the patio, and graciously allows fox-tail asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus 'Meyersii') to sprout from his hair. The West wall is made of "Fencecrete," in an Austin stone pattern. It matches our neighbor's house perfectly and is a great choice for our shifting caliche-laden soils. It will soon be laced with fig ivy (Ficus pumila) on our side, sparing the cap-stones. Providing a privacy screen is a specimen of the polite clumping bamboo, Bambusa multiplex, 'Alphonse Karr,' which has yellow and green striped culms. The bare-stemmed plumeria is the "evergreen" Plumeria obtusa 'Singapore White', which would have been evergreen, had I gotten it inside for all of our freezes...

This Bacchanoid figure adorns one of the garden's front columns, and looks like he could alternately represent one of the "Four Winds" because he seems to be blowing up a storm. The wrought-iron fence usually is covered with plumbago (Plumbago auriculata,) but this last winter pruned it heavily, and without my permission.

I don't know who this is, but he is Mexican, carved from cantera stone, and sports curved horns and a beard. He spouts water vigorously into an antique iron syrup kettle (or rendering pot) graciously gifted by my father-in-law from their farm in Tennessee. Don't even ask how we got it here and through the gate.

Oops, how did the BVM get in here? We're not even Roman Catholic! Actually she reigns (see her crown?) over the north-facing fern garden, making it a "Lady-Garden." She is cast of concrete in a quite detailed fashion and was found in Houston Heights at Ben's Antique Gardening, at 803 Heights Boulevard, one of my favorite streets in Houston.

This Green-Man corbel-planter was found in New Orleans in the Quarter, and I swear I had seen it at the same shop when I went to New Orleans on my eighteenth birthday with my parents. I didn't buy it then because it had a repaired crack at the bottom (and it weighed a ton.) I found it about fifteen years ago, hanging in the outdoor courtyard of the same shop, in the exact same place, complete with his repaired crack. I guess that is my one freebie exception to the well-accepted "the time to buy an antique is when you see it" law. He now sports needlepoint ivy (Hedera helix, f. digitata) outside our front door in a shady location.

(This section added July 18, 2010) I first saw the fountain (below) in a Naples, Florida garden center, and had to have it. Since it exceeds all airline weight limits and carry-on regulations, I began searching for it in San Antonio. I finally found it at Home and Patio. It is called the "Parisian Wall Fountain," and is manufactured by Al's Garden Art. The six spouts make a great sound that is deceptively refreshing in our hot summers. By the way, Naples is my DREAM garden location. Tropicals, subtropicals, seafood and shopping! Oh, and beaches, too.

The large planter head is obviously Bacchus and he is cast in high relief of fiberglass coated with stone dust. A "Ming" asparagus fern sprouts from his head, Asparagus myriocladus. I cemented a copper spout through the drainage hole with silicone, so excess water wouldn't run down the wall and leave a stain. Instead, it pours into the fountain itself. The tall wrought iron candelabra is from an estate sale, and was too wobbly, so I bolted it to a piece of rough-cut limestone from Keller Materials, a gardener's candy store of all stone products here in San Antonio. Now the hose won't tip it over.

Back to the heads. Four smaller beings surround Bacchus. The upper two are cast stone cherubs and the bottom two are the heads of Irish river gods reproduced from the ones which adorn the Dublin Custom House. I believe the male on the left is the Shannon and the female on the right is the Liffey. This finally completes the "head count!"

What is a Courtyard?

2010-06-20T18:51:00.004-05:00

"A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court.

Courtyards—private open spaces surrounded by walls or buildings—have been in use in residential architecture for almost as long as man has lived in constructed dwellings. The earliest known courtyard houses were built in Iran and China and date as far back as 3000 BC. Courtyards have historically been used for many purposes including cooking, sleeping, working, playing, gardening, and even places to keep animals.

Before courtyards, open fires were kept burning in a central place within a home, with only a small hole in the ceiling overhead to allow smoke to escape. Over time, these small openings were enlarged and eventually led to the development of the centralized open courtyard we know today. Courtyard homes have been designed and built throughout the world with many variations in every century.

Courtyard homes are perhaps more prevalent in temperate climates, as an open central court can be an important aid to cooling house in warm weather. However, courtyard houses have been found in harsher climates as well for centuries. The comforts offered by a courtyard—air, light, privacy, security, and tranquility—are properties nearly universally desired in human housing." - Wikipedia

(A small courtyard in Cordoba, Spain found here.)

"An area wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings. A yard wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings; or a court or inclosure attached to a house." -Webster's Online

Courtyard gardens are such areas, as described above, which have been given over to be used as pleasure and/or vegetable gardens, no matter what their original use . In New Orleans, Savannah, and Charleston, courtyards were used for laundry, cooking, and as passageways from the street to the stables and carriage houses. Some were indeed used as gardens originally, but certainly not all.

Moroccan Courtyards Again

2010-06-20T12:48:00.006-05:00

The Riad al Moussika was originally the home of the former Pasha of Marrakesh, and has now been transformed into an ultra-luxurious hotel. The Courtyards are beautiful day and night. Tiless form "oriental carpets" to floor these pleasure gardens or relaxation.

The Riad Charqi is in Fez, with views of the Medina from the terrace. The blue and white theme of the tiles is so relaxing and the quiet spray of the fountain calls you into this oasis. Reserve your vision of Paradise here.

This courtyard is furnished more like a garden room, with the plants limited to a single planter in the corner. It is a great example of achieving a restful courtyard in a limited space. It is found in Marrakesh at the Riad Najmati. The eight-pointed star shaped fountain is a small, yet beautiful addition.

The Dar Doukkala Hotel in Marrakesh has a more verdant courtyard with many types of palms and bananas to provide shade in its large expanse. Bananas are the ultimate tropical plant, but must be pruned regularly of dead and dying leaves to keep them presentable, as the gardeners have done in the Dar Doukkala's courtyard, above.

The above garden courtyard has only bananas and vines and is slightly more sparse than the others, but I really like the shape of the slender fountain which recirculates pool water back to the swimming pool through a small rivulet after falling in the shallow tiled basin.

This courtyard with pool would look great anywhere in the US Southwest, from Texas to California. The date palms would have to be replaced as they grew larger. The table and chairs demand that cocktails be immediately served. It might be nicer to have two ladders from the small pool, to maintain symmetry, and painted wrought iron ones would be fantastic. Both images found here.

More Moroccan Courtyards

2010-06-18T17:32:00.004-05:00

A view of a courtyard in the famous Jardin Majorelle of Marrakesh, designed and built by the french artist Jacques Majorelle, then later restored to splendor by Yves St. Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Photo found here. It all looks appealing but I particularly like the palms planted in the upright urns, instantly providing increased height.

Could a swimming pool look more inviting to a guest hot and tired from shopping in the bazaar? This can be found within the hotel Riad Herougui in Marrakesh, reserve here. There are few plants other than the palms reaching toward the fleeting sunlight, but the azure tiles more than make up for it.

The Hotel Riad Monika, also in Marrakesh, has a pool with an interesting outline, and columns which extend into the pool itself. Tall palms must be able to safely exist in small containers when totally protected from the wind.

There are vines hanging down Tower-of-Babel fashion, providing the assurance that nature is still in charge.

There is no doubt that the standing candelabrum is magnificent when lit, and such an idea could easily be incorporated into any style of courtyard. This would especially be useful in an area where lighting is needed but no electrical source is available or convenient.

2010-06-15T21:01:00.008-05:00

Thomas Jayne’s apartment and courtyard in New Orleans is highlighted in the New York Social Diary. The courtyard is traditional, with flagstone flooring and brick walls. You can imagine the temperature being several degrees cooler than the street in the summer and several degrees warmer in winter.

These freshly painted green and gray stairs lead up to the balcony which wraps around the second floor of the courtyard.

On the balcony a perfect spot for petit dejeuner.

The balconies look out over the courtyard to the lush plantings below.

Descending the green staircase, through the brick archway and into the courtyard. The gray of the steps matches the flagstone, and the green coordinates with the plantings and shutters.

Bananas, cycads, elephant ears and bromeliads lend a tropical feel. The metal table and chairs, though new, could just has well come from a park in Paris. The wooden shutters and brick arch supporting the balconies are pure New Orleans. Sit down and enjoy a drink!

Moroccan Courtyard Gardens

2010-06-14T17:44:00.015-05:00

Courtyards in Morocco truly function as "little Edens" for their owners. They provide seclusion, shelter from the sun and heat and a stylized vision of paradise. The houses found in the old-town sections, or medinas, of Fez, Casablanca, and Marrakesh have rooms which are closed to the outside world, but all open into the interior common courtyard garden.

This shady courtyard is can be found in Fez. It is part of ALIF, the Arab Language Institute of Fez, and this picture was found here.

This wrought iron grate provides glimpses of the paradise enclosed within at the Palais Bahia in Marrakech. Found on a great "what to do in Marrakesh" blog.

The above beautiful courtyard is found at the Riad Lune et Soleil in Fez. The blue and white tiles stay cool underfoot and the trickle of the fountain is psychologically cooling.

This courtyard is one of several at a luxurious hotel in Marrakesh, The Villa des Orangers. Candle lanterns on the ground provide non-electric flickering light as the early evening lengthens.

Reflection of King's College Chapel Tower Old Aberdeen, Scotland

2010-06-05T23:33:00.010-05:00

"Whether you tend a garden or not, you are the gardener of your own being, the seed of your own destiny" - The Findhorn Community.

This picture, though not of a courtyard, illustrates that vistas may be created of reflections in still water features. A still courtyard pool was used in just this way by Mrs. Whaley in her famous Charleston garden.

Tulsa Courtyard

2010-06-05T18:53:00.005-05:00

This courtyard in Tulsa is actually in the front of the house, a fore-court if you will. Here is the handsome gate with an ivy lending that nature-taking-over feel that instantly ages this modern courtyard and makes it so much more interesting.

Peeking in a little farther, one views the pool, again at the front of the house. Classic urns combine with modern but comfortable furniture.

Since Autumn, Winter and Spring can be cool in Tulsa, the courtyard boasts a handsome outdoor hearth. This courtyard garden solves the problem of what to do with the house whose garden area is in front of, or to the side of the house and not in the rear. See this garden here.

Terra Cotta Rosary

2010-06-05T18:25:00.004-05:00

Here, a gardener used a Terra Cotta rosary from Mexico to adorn an aquamarine colored urn in a shady corner of the garden. These may be found at Mexican markets, for example El Mercado in downtown San Antonio. Two may be combined and restrung on weather resistant cording to provide the length desired. They may be hung from tree limbs, wrought iron fences, and even used as necklaces on statues and fountains.

NOLA in Baton Rouge

2010-06-05T08:30:00.010-05:00

This New Orleans-style courtyard is in Baton Rouge. It was designed by attorney and designer Ty Larkins. It has elements of classic symmetry, but unlike New Orleans courtyards, this one is scrubbed, whitewashed, and bleached, for a more serene look. I would love to see how it has matured while sipping a cocktail and listening to the fountain. You may see the rest of his house at Cote de Texas. If you would like to contact Ty Larkins, e-mail him here.