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“Heralds of Spring”
Spirea and the reds of the quince are breathtaking. Ah, springtime! Ah, springtime! Early blooming plants are heralding its soon arrival. I’m not for sure that we have had our last frost, but the warm days of spring are surely ahead. They say only fools predict Texas weather, but you know gardeners are hopeful…
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Harbingers of Spring
Up North, they look to large rodents (the nefarious groundhog) to predict the weather, but we in the civilized South have some very elegant trees that serve the purpose. Have you seen the ‘saucer’ magnolias blooming around town? The Saucer magnolia (M. x soulangiana) will often predict a change of weather. In the near term,…
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A Longleaf Pine and Wiregrass ecosystem just north of Apalachicola, Florida USA
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The Hibiscus Tribe
Last week we talked a bit about the Confederate Rose, which is not a rose at all but rather a hibiscus. There are several plants of the hibiscus genus that are wonderful plants for the Texas Gardener who is on the lookout for showy yet easy-to-grow plants . I must mention another hibiscus that Texan gardeners…
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The Bluebonnet and the Fair Ladies of Texas
When politicians come into conflict with the members of a women’s lineage society, you know that they will lose. It happened in March 1901. According to the Texas Handbook, the 27th Texas Legislature was considering what would be named as the Texas State Flower. You and I, today, have become quite comfortable with the bluebonnet…
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“War and Peace”… In Tolstoy’s house with Ab Abernethy
If you ever go to Russia, you will want to visit the home of Tolstoy and see the actual desk where he wrote so many great novels. It sends chills up your spine. …just finished finishing watching the new BBC mini-series of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless novel “War and Peace”. It was real binge…
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A Petanque Court in Nacogdoches, Texas
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Texas Farm Road #1
Winter Day… Leica M (type 240), 28mm Elmarit
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Darth Vader’s Heavy Breathing
The bloom of Japanese flowering apricot (Prunus mume). is a sure herald of warm days to come! News headlines have been repeating themselves of late, and on about every level the news is bad. It is as if Darth Vader’s musical theme is playing over and over in our sub conscience. ( You know,…