December,
1998
Warm winter weather
wraps around Horsetail Haven, located in Austin, Texas
Holiday
Ideas
-
Tie sprigs
of rosemary or germander with ribbon and lay on window sills
-
Decorate
plants with tiny seashells or dried flowers
-
Glue potpourri
to styrofoam balls (roll in glue, then potpourri) and attach hanging ribbons
-
Cut leaves
from overgrown sanseveria plants, wrap with ribbon and lay on a table
-
Attach
horsetail plant spikes to a grapevine wreath, wrap with ribbon, leaving
some of the spike ends free to fan out from the wreath
-
Dip plastic
spoons in melted chocolate, roll in crushed peppermint candy and serve
with coffee
-
Make fresh
herb wreaths to put at the base of pillar candles, hot glue candy canes
to the candles
-
Make sachet
figures -- cut 6 inch circles of bridal netting and lace, place the netting
inside the lace and add dried herbs, gather the circles at the top and
tie with a small ribbon. Use wooden beads for heads and magic marker
for faces. For an angel use lamb's ear or feathers for wings and
a wreath of thyme as a halo. For santa add a bit of cotton for a
beard and fashion a hat and pack from felt scraps. Have fun and create
your own Frosty, Mrs. Claus and the North Pole Elves.
-
Fill baskets
with jars of water and arrange with fresh herbs and flowers (some may even
root by the end of the holidays)
-
Add sprigs
of herbs to your holiday greeting cards and gift wraps, rosemary is for
remembrance, peppermint for warmth of feeling, marjoram for happiness
-
Topiaries,
topiaries, topiaries -- prostrate rosemary on wreaths, bush rosemary and
santolina pruned in Christmas tree shapes and standards ("ball on a stick")
of rosemary, scented geraniums and myrtle tied with bows just scream "Happy
Holidays"
Thyme
Bed Update
The
thyme bed needs a name change. Three 'Provence' lavandin plants (Lavandula
x intermedia) and an ornamental grass have taken up residence.
Lavandins are hybrids between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia
and are reputed to be more tolerant of moist soils and humidity than "true"
lavender (L. angustifolia). A purple plume grass was placed
in the center of the circular bed to add height. Thymes in the garden
are silver thyme, variegated lemon thyme, lavender thyme, fine leaf French
thyme and broad leaf English thyme. Other thymes will be added as
they are found. The eight inch high raised bed is mulched with an
inch of white crushed granite, bought at a feed store as coarse chicken
grit. In addition to being very attractive, this will help drainage
at the base of the plants and reflect drying heat up into the foliage.
An unexpected bonus is that the neighborhood squirrels and kitties don't
seem to like to dig in it.
New
Plants
Corkscrew
chives (Allium senescens 'Glaucum") and two ornamental oreganos
'Herrenhausen' and 'Hopleys purple' (both Origanum laevigatum)
have been added to the garden. Corkscrew chives are an ornamental
allium with twisted, silvery leaves and clumps in lavender flowers in the
summer. The chives have suffered some damage since planting, perhaps
from snails. Both oreganos have dark green leaves tinged with purple.
Herrenhausen will grow to two feet in height and Hopleys to eighteen inches
tall. Although the foliage is attractive, the outstanding feature
of these two oreganos is said to be their mass of purple pink blossoms.
These young plants have not yet flowered, but expectations are high for
fall 1999.
The
Perennial Border
The
perennial border continues to please. The Phalaenopsis rose is beginning
another flush of blooms. White pansies have been added to a corner
of the bed to brighten up any gray winter days that may visit Austin, Texas.
The day lily 'Black Eyed Stella' is blooming again. Snails have eaten
two of the three 'Rose Queen' salvias and they don't appear to be coming
back. The elephant garlic sprouted in mid November and is quickly
growing skyward. With autumn comes falling leaves and our beloved
cottonwood near the border provides us a wonderful excuse to spend time
outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. View some recent
photos of the border or check
out a little trip to the beach.