Stroll Through Beepea Gardens

Pavestone Pathway

Come take a Stroll through Beepea Gardens

Come take a stroll as we tour the garden together. Many who visit the garden have commented that it is like walking through a beautiful park.  

As you enter the garden through the gate, you step into a beautiful quite peaceful retreat, shaded by a number of native trees.  Old roses such as Marie Pavie, Cramoisi Superior and Cecile Brunner are putting out their fragrance.  There are  paved terraces and statues and arbors throughout the garden. Birdhouses are waiting for the numerous birds that visit our garden and butterflies and bumblebees are arriving. As you stroll around the garden, you will see the brown lizards, Leonardo and Lucy and perhaps, Sally, our pet squirrel.

At the garden gate, there is a pave stone pathway that curves around the entire garden and has eliminated all grass from the back. To the left is a terrace that takes you to the deck and Garden Room.  As you stroll down the pave stone path, notice you are in a deeply shaded area surrounded by plants on both sides such as Persicaria Dragons Blood, Ferns, Fire Spike, Garnet Oxalis, and Gold Dust Plant.  To the left you will see a zen garden with a Statue and bird bath.

The garden is mostly shady but as you curve around you enter a sunny area for perennials and roses.  Along here you will see Pink Skullcap, Firecracker Fern, Mexican Oregano, miniature Crepe Myrtle, Summer Asters, Powis Castle, Silver Germander, Lantana,  False Papyrus, Martha Gonzales Rose, Country Girl Chrysanthemums, and Mint Marigold, etc. You will notice the Garden House is located just behind this island bed. To the left is a large terrace for dining and entertaining.

You are continuing to curve around and are now entering a shady garden again.  In this area the temperature is ten to fifteen degrees cooler than any other part of the garden. In this shady area there is an arbor with Butterfly Vine, Columbine, Pink and Red Turk's Cap, small Sweet Olive Trees, and Shrimp Plant, etc. There are small terraces with statues as well as urns of Impatiens for color. To your left is a large circle of decomposed granite with native trees and Yaupon Holly and down the center of this circle is a path that leads you from the large terrace up to the deck.

You have curved around again and are now going up into a sun and shade area with Phlomis (Jerusalem Sage), Red and Yellow Barberry, Abelia, Salvia Greggii, Duchess de Brabant Rose, Chinese Variegated Privot, Saponaria, and Loreopetalum, etc.  On the left you pass by a bed of both yellow Rudbeckia Coneflower and purple Coneflower as well as a tall hot pink Hibiscus.

Just ahead you will enter a small terrace surrounded by beds of San Gabriel Nandina, Taro, Chocolate Plant, Fire Spike, Leopetulum, Stella d'ora Daylily, Aspidistra, and a beautiful Yew Tree.  This terrace is next to the deck and the  highlight of the terrace is the lovely Sweet Olive Tree with the aroma of apricots and vanilla.   

Come down from this terrace and turn to the right and you will enter another terrace with huge containers of trees and Firecracker Fern. This terrace has landscaped island beds which are in both sun and shade for a variety of plants. To the left is the large circle of decomposed granite and to the right above you is a glass Garden Room with a wrap-around deck that looks out over the garden. Perhaps a cold glass of sun tea could be enjoyed here. 

If you continue ahead, it will take you by more island beds and onto the large terrace, but if you turn slightly to the right, you will go around the Garden Room and onto another terrace with flower beds of variegated English ivy and other plants that appear to cool a hot summer day.

Continue on this terrace and it will take you back down and around to the gate.  Hope you enjoyed your stroll through our garden. Please come visit us again soon.  

Birds and Butterflies

Pathways that lead to large terrace and Garden House 

Birds and Butterflies

Special effort has been made to attract birds and butterflies to the garden. Many plants are there for them, such as Buddleii, Lantana, Verbena, Salvia Greggii, Verbena Bonariensis, etc. We have seen a number of backyard birds at the water baths: Carolina Wren, House Wren, Tufted Titmouse, Black Capped Chickadee, Striped Warbler, Yellow Finch, Small black Bird with orange Wings (unidentified), Robin, Hummingbird, Mockingbird, Woodpecker, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, White Winged Doves, Blue Jays, and of course, Black Grackles. When the house was first built, we saw a Roadrunner in the garden which is very unusual in this part of town. The Doves come in to eat the decomposed granite to help digest their food. We once counted forty-two doves eating the granite.

Birdbaths: Several birdbaths are kept with fresh water, and of course birdhouses are placed throughout the garden. We have noted the birds are almost always in pairs and both the male and female help feed the babies. They both come to the house with food, and one goes in to feed while the other sits on top of the roof, waiting their turn to feed, and perhaps watching for predators. We once saw a huge black grackle squeeze into the opening of the birdhouse to get to the babies. Blue jays do this as well. When the babies are small and we walk by the birdhouse, they go cheep, cheep, thinking we are bringing them food.

Backyard Butterflies: There are a number of butterflies that come into the garden to feed and lay their eggs on the Fennel, Dill, Asclepia Milkweed, and  Pipe Vine, etc., such as Monarch, Admiral, Sulphur, Zebra, and Swallowtail. We once counted nineteen Monarch larvae on a milkweed. Of course they became quite plump and disappeared to go into the next stage of their growth. Within two weeks after they left the plant, it had completely bushed out again and set blooms. In a short while, there were a lot of Monarchs flying around enjoying the plants.

There are also predators for the butterflies such as lizards. We once saw a lizard sit very still on a tree with his head up, and in a little while a beautiful swallowtail came by and the lizard reached out and grabbed it. Much to our surprise, it took him quite a while to digest it…perhaps his eyes were bigger than his stomach!

Zebra Butterflies: We saw the Zebra Butterfly on the first year after building our house. They seem to be woodland butterflies. Our wooded lot had been left undisturbed for twenty years and was apparently a perfect place for them. Zebra butterflies seem to like people. When we were hand watering, they would come up and hover near us. They move so gracefully and seem to move much slower than other butterflies.

Double Red Poppies

Double Red Poppies

Double poppy...seeds are sown on top of soil in late Fall...seedlings begin appearing in February. Double poppy blooms usually last two or three days...single poppy usually last only one day. Leave seed pods on until they are completely dry, then harvest and store in a dry place to be sown next year.  We refer to our Poppies as "Pepper Shaker Poppies"...if you turn the pod upside down they spill out just like a black pepper shaker.

We also have other wildflowers in the garden such as the blue Larkspur, tall bushy Candytuft and the lovely Queen Anne's Lace.  This Queen Anne's Lace is not the kind that is wild but is a more hybridized type.  The blooms are about four inches across and is very pretty in bouquets.  

Hodgepodges

Walkway that leads to large Terrace   

Hodgepodges

Hodgepodges are old sayings relating to gardening or the weather, etc., that have been passed down through the years. It’s fun to keep a record of them and check to see if they are true…or, just hodgepodge.

Gardening: Some farmers believe plants which grow above ground, such as beans, peas, cucumbers, etc. should be planted in the morning, so they will grow upward with the rising sun. Plants that grow underground, such as potatoes, radishes, onions, etc., should be planted in the afternoon, so they will grow downward, with the sinking sun. Corn should be knee high by July 4th; otherwise, the crop will not be good. A dry June, much corn, a wet June, no corn at all. 

Place cornbread crumbs about your cucumber plants. They will attract ants which will destroy the cucumber bugs. Stretch a piece of yarn over beans and other young plants and they will not be injured by frost. The frost will collect on the yarn, rather than touch the plants. After a frost, and before the sun comes up, spray plants and fruit trees with water and they will not be damaged by frost.

Sunshine and rain in one day brings rain again the following day. If the sun shines at the same time it rains, it will rain again the same time tomorrow. When dew is on the grass, rain will never pass. Rain before seven; stop before eleven. If it rains a lot in July and August, wild flowers will be abundant. It seldom rains at night in June. Never stand in an open field or under a tree during a thunderstorm. If it thunders in February, winter is broken. Thunder in January; frost in April. When farm animals or pets run around frisky or restless making noises, a strong wind is on the way.

Ring around the moon; rain soon. Ring around the sun; rain none. When the crescent moon is lying on it’s back so that the horns point up, the month will be a dry one, because the water cannot run out. When the crescent is tilted or when the horn points turn down, the month will be a wet one, because the water will run out. The old saying is that when an Indian can hang his horn on the moon, the month will be dry; when he cannot, it will be wet.

When squirrels run around like crazy gathering nuts, the winter will be a long one. Spring is seen when the mesquite tree turns green. Spring is about when the pecan tree buds out. Watch the weather on the day of the Equinox for a change. Spring is the first Sunday after the last full moon after the Vernal Equinox.

Heirloom Daylily

Double orange daylily

Hemerocallis 'Kwanso' ( H. fulva flore pleno, 'Kwanzo')  This daylily is a pass along plant and is reliable to bloom and usually does not rot away as some of the more modern ones do.    

The Seasons in Beepea Gardens

Iresine Purple Lady

The Seasons in Beepea Gardens

Spring: We all wait for Spring. The trees are greening. Each day something new and exciting is happening. Bearded Iris and old Roses put out their fragrance. The Columbine shows itself with splashes of yellow. The sky blue of Blue Princess Verbena, red Poppies, blue Larkspur, and white Queen Anne Lace. This is only the beginning; there is much more to come.

Summer: The time all gardeners dread. Temperatures over l00 degrees, humidity is terrible, and no rain for several months and we are told to cut back on water usage. But wait, a drought tolerant garden can be beautiful. Salvia Greggii in white, red, and pink bloom all Summer, some old Roses continue to bloom, as well as Cannas, Saponaria, Yellow Bells and Flame Acanthus. Of course, the shade container plants such as Impatiens, Begonias, Coleus and Caladiums have color all through the Summer and into late Fall.

Fall: Aaahh! What a wonderful season. Everywhere there is color. Sit back, relax and enjoy. The temperatures drop ten degrees and the humidity begins to disappear. Aromas and flower color is more intense. But alas, with cooler weather, comes the prospect of a frost to turn our gardens brown overnight. However, in our garden, only a few plants will be gone. Lady in the Boat, Lantanas, Fire Spike and Cannas, etc. will be gone to return next year.

Winter: The frosts and colder weather have come. But look around at all the color in the garden. The Nandinas are peach, rust and some vibrant red. The Martha Gonzales and Cramoisi Superior Rose continue to be bushy and bloom occasionally. There is still the silver and white of the Chinese Privot, Texas Sage and Powis Castle in the garden with the Gold Dust Shrub putting out its gold color. Relax and enjoy your garden all year.

The Design of Beepea Gardens

Large Terrace for Dining and Intertaining

Design of Garden

In January 1992, we began the design of the new garden. The house was built with a number of windows to the back and with a glass Garden Room with a wrap around deck overlooking the garden.

It was our intent that the design of the garden was to be a four seasons, strolling garden with color year round. We wanted calm and not too much chaos, formal and yet a little informal, color and fragrance, a little whimsy, delight and amusement and something new and exciting each step as you stroll around the garden paths. We also wanted to attract birds and butterflies and some wildlife. 

Plants with texture, interesting foliage, color and fragrance were to be used. Since we had both sun and shady areas there could be a variety of plants.The original design of the garden was to be large terraces with island beds for planting and a large decomposed granite area in the center of the garden with a grass path around the garden. 

Since we had a rainy season, we were not able to get grass planted until April  and then soon had problems with the grass. We decided to make numerous changes in the plan and over several years the following garden design was accomplished.

High Maintenance Grass: While St. Augustine grass is probably not the best grass for our area, it still remains the grass of choice. It has a flat dark green appearance and takes foot traffic fairly well; however, it has a number of problems such as damage from chinch bugs, grub worms, brown patch and St. Augustine decline, etc. It was our hope that the new grass would not give us problems for several years, however, much to our dismay, within three months it was diseased. We were advised to treat it a number of times with Actinovate, but this did not seem to help and the next Spring the disease was back again, even more so.

Due to the water restrictions and the grass having so many problems and requiring more maintenance, we decided to eliminate all grass in the back garden by putting in a pave stone pathway. 

Pave Stone Pathway:  When we did away with the grass in the back garden a new 6' X 6' pave stone pathway was added that circled the entire garden.  We used 16" X 16" brick faced pavers and added small decomposed granite on each side with matching stone edging.  This is an enjoyable walk around the garden as you are seeing something of interest on both sides and the trees stand tall above you.  

Soil: The soil in the garden was almost solid limestone. A few inches of topsoil had been added but due to the heavy rains during the winter, most of it was washed away. The lot slopes away from front to back, and while this is excellent for drainage, soil is lost in heavy rains. Since there was only a small amount of soil on top of the limestone, we knew it would be difficult not only to plant anything but to keep it growing. Every hole for plants had to be dug with a hatchet or crowbar; however, we found if we planted the proper plants they adapt readily to the limestone and do well with a minimum of  water since the limestone acts as a sponge and holds water gradually releasing it to the plants. 

Decomposed Granite: A large decomposed granite circle was put in the center of the garden with a number of native trees. Yaupon Holly is planted around four different clusters of trees. This is a very inexpensive and low maintenance way to take up a large area of the garden and still have something of interest. The Yaupons are usually watered about three times each season. The numerous Cedar Elm Trees have very small leaves and usually do not need much raking. A large Birdbath sits in the center of the decomposed granite and a pathway in this area curves around from the large terrace and back up to the deck.

Island Flower Beds: This type of flower bed takes much less water, as well as making maintenance easier since you have access from both sides and there is only a short distance across each bed. These island beds are between 3' to 5' wide, some being larger in areas to vary the design.  When these type beds are planted densely, they appear to be much larger, as you do not realize there is a walkway behind them. 

Terraces: One large pave stone terrace was installed at the beginning, then four more were added at different times around the glass garden room, each surrounded by island flower beds. Pave stone walkways are throughout the garden.

Balance of Hardscape to Softscape: In this type design, a balance must be met between the hardscape such as the terraces, decomposed granite, pave stone terraces and pathways and the soft scape of the plants, container plants, shrubs and trees. 

Keeping Year Round color: This was achieved in several ways. Planting substantially in all the flower beds so that when one plant goes out of bloom, the next one is coming on. There is not one specific area with a lot of the same plant, such as a day lily bed, but plants are repeated throughout the garden. In this way, there is not an area that blooms for one month, then has only low greenery and then goes completely dormant. 

Plants that have year round color were used with Winter color coming from the gold of the Aucuba and the peach, gold, rust, yellow and red from the Nana and San Gabriel Nandina. The whites, grays and silver from Artemisia, Powis Castle, Santolina, Silver Germander, Chinese Privot and Texas Sage. The reds come from the Martha Gonzales Rose and Cramoisi Superieur Rose, Loreopetulum, Iresine and Purple Oxalis, etc. Different shades of green such as the light blue green of the Columbine, the  pale fern green of the Fern Yarrow to the deep green of the Eonymus and tall Will Fleming Yaupon. 

Ground Covers:  It is necessary to have ground covers in our garden due to the winter wind blowing wild seeds in from plants and trees and the seedlings are everywhere in the spring.   If you don't cover the ground Mother Nature will cover it for you and it is not always something you want. Heavy mulch does not seem to control them.  We use variegated Ivy which is easily contained in the island beds, Erigeron (Fleabane) which gets about eight inches tall and spreads quite well, Variegated Vinca, Trailing Ruella  and gray Wooly Stemodia.         

Vegetable Garden and Herbs: A small garden in a sunny corner of the garden was set aside for vegetables and was then filled with a garden soil of loam, sand and compost. A space was also reserved in this area for a herb garden that usually has garlic chives, Greek oregano, and rosemary that are used year round in cooking and in the summer basil, lemon balm, and dill are added. A new plant this year called Thyme Oregano was added. Thyme does not do well in this area so we are hoping this new plant will work here. It looks like Thyme but the aroma is both like Oregano and Thyme.  

Container plants: Container plants are also a way to keep color going and can be very economical. We use Impatiens, Caladiums, Begonias and Coleus, which last for three seasons; and then later, cool weather plants can then be planted in containers. The bulbs from the Caladiums are harvested each year in the fall and stored for the winter to be used again in the spring.  In our limestone soil, we find that Impatiens, Coleus, Caladiums and Begonias do much better in containers than in the ground.

Objects for Year Round Interest: In order that there was something of interest to see each step along the path, whimsical items were placed throughout the garden. For year round interest, we added objects such as  birdbaths, fountains, benches, garden furniture for relaxing and dining, arbors, Mexican fireplace (chiminea), birdhouses, and colorful rocks, which also add to the garden when it goes into winter dormancy. 

Statues:  Statues were placed throughout the garden. These were purchased over the years for special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, etc.   They are set on stones with a small walkway and or terrace that leads up to each one.  They are all set on axis so that if you stand in the center of the large decomposed granite circle in the center of the garden, each of these large statues can be seen.

The Garden House:  The Garden House was designed to blend in with the main house and was situated as a focal point for the entire garden. While the Garden House is only 8' X 10', it still seems to have plenty of storage space for pots, urns, garden equipment, etc.  
The rafters were left exposed for hanging tools, peg board, etc.  A number of long shelves are there for storage.   

Roses of Beepea Gardens

Duchess de Brabant Rose


Roses of Beepea Gardens  

Over the years we have had a number of the old roses, most of them coming from the Antique Rose Emporium.  We especially like the Polyanthus class of roses because they are smaller and seem to hold a good bush shape and bloom quite well.  Some of the old roses have done well as described and others we did not like the performance.

Reasons for this may be that we garden in limestone soil, and they would probably prefer more acidity and we seldom amend the soil, feed the roses or spray for problems and more than anything, may not give them enough sun as we have a great amount of shade in the garden.  In our garden they must survive on their own. Most of the old roses do not have the problems of the newer roses but they must be placed in the full sun for much of the day to get the most out of them and to keep them healthy.   We have found even the old roses do not like the heat and humidity we have in our area and seem to do much better in the early spring and fall to get the best blooms when the temperatures drop about ten degrees and the humidity is lower.  

Roses are very easy to take cuttings...leave cuttings in a gallon container for two years before planting in the garden. These are the roses we have had in Beepea Gardens over the years and the results we had with them.

Mrs. Dudley Cross, 1907 Tea rose...this is a lovely rose with nice rounded full blooms that are creamy white with a touch of pink and even more pink showing when the humidity is low in the fall.  It usually blooms up until Christmas.  It does not keep a bushy shape but prefers to be a pillar rose.
Old Blush 1752  China rose...one of the oldest roses...a lot of the modern roses have Old Blush in them...this rose did not bloom as much as we liked and required too much trimming...we shared it with a gardner that was willing to give it more care.

Cramoisi Supérieur 1832  China rose...a very fragrant rose, with a nice bush shape.  It blooms rosy red and continues blooming up until Christmas. One draw back of this rose is the stems are very thin and do not stand up straight but they drape nicely in a bouquet.
Souvenir de la Malmaison, 1893 Bourbon rose...cabbage type...this rose looks like one out of an English garden, and the aroma is great.  It did not like the humidity and heat and died away in our garden...may try it again some day in a sunnier spot.

Duchess de Brabant 1857  Tea rose...cabbage type...beautiful shell pink blooms with good aroma (see photo above).  This rose does not like our heat and humidity but still seems to hold up well.
Cecile Brunner 1881,  Polyanthus rose...a small perfect pink bloom...nice bushy shape. It is referred to as the "Sweetheart Rose" because it was frequently used in corsages.
Mutabilis, prior to 1894, China rose...also called the "Butterfly Rose" because the different colors of the blooms look like butterflies moving in the wind...the colors range from pale yellow to pink to rose.  This rose gets over six feet tall and did not bloom as much for us and required too much trimming so was removed and shared with another gardner who was willing to give it more care.
Katy Road Pink...Found rose near Katy, Texas...it was later identified as Carefree Beauty from about 1932.  It seems to have no insect or disease problems.  It is a large petaled semi double bright pink bloom with long buds.  This is a striking rose and can be seen from a great distance. In our garden the rose lived only about ten years and seemed to just rot away on the lower branches.  We still have a small one in the garden that was propagated from the first one.

Marie Pavie, 1888  Polyanthas rose...a small bush that holds a nice shape...walk near this rose and you can smell the aroma...pale pink nice small bloom.
La Marne, 1915,  Polyanthus rose...small bush with small pink blooms.  This rose did not like the humidity in our garden and did get black spot.  We once saw it planted near the grape vineyards in Fredericksburg where they used it as a guide for spraying for black spot on the grapes.
The Fairy, 1932,  Polyanthus rose...small rose with cascading limbs...very pretty in the landscape.  One draw back to this rose is a lot of thorns which made it hard to work around...because of this it was removed and shared with another gardner.
Pinkie, Climbing, 1952  Polyanthus rose...a small climber or pillar rose...we planted one on each side of a tall arbor and it was beautiful when in bloom; however it did not bloom as much as we expected and needed too much trimming.  They were removed and shared with others.
Belinda's Dream, 1988, shrub rose...this is a new rose in our garden.  After observing it in another garden for several years, it appears to be a good rose for our area with large pink blooms good for cutting and does not seem to get black spot; however I did read where some gardeners had trouble with black spot.  We planted it in a full sun area and will hope for the best.  Much to my surprise we found it listed in the Antique Rose Emporium Catalog called Belinda's Rose and was hybridized by Dr Basye...it is a cross between Tiffany and Jersey Beauty.
Update on Belinda's Dream...this rose only lasted 3 months in the garden...every week or so another part of the rose was dying away...even though it was planted in full sun it had a lot of black spot...I recently saw the garden where I had observed this rose for several years and their rose has now died away with only one thin branch remaining...it was also planted in full sun.
Ballerina, 1937, shrub rose...a beautiful unusual rose. with cascading branches and six inch clusters of tiny open blooms.  A good rose for pegging.  It lived a few years in our garden and then died away.
Buff Beauty, 1939,  Noisette heritage rose...a small climber or pillar rose with beautiful apricot blooms. This rose lived only a few years in our garden but we think it was because we did not give it enough sun even though it indicated it did well in the shade.
Caldwell Pink, found rose near Caldwell...a small compact rose with tiny pink nice blooms. It keeps its shape well and is a favorite of landscape designers.
Martha Gonzales, found rose from a Mrs. Gonzales garden near Navasota...this is a very small rose with reddish leaves and rosy red blooms...easy to keep in shape and lovely in the landscape.
Margo Koster...1931, a polyanthus rose...We bought this tiny pretty miniature at the grocery store and it only lived one year, but it was a beauty and perfect little pink/salmon blooms...research showed it was not a good rose for our area and indicated they no longer sell it in England because they do not consider it a good rose there.
Maggie...found rose in 1980 in Louisiana, a Tea rose...may be Eugene E Marlitt...however, Martin Weingart, a famous rosarian, identified it as Julius Fabianics de Misefa, a rose that does very well in cold areas like Sweden as well as some hot climates. Mike Shoup, of the Antique Rose Emporium, mentioned that this rose is grown in Bermuda and goes by the name of Pacifica.
This is a small rose that is the most fragrant of any we have known...beautiful full rosy blooms...almost thornless.  We did a cutting from this rose and gave it to a friend named Maggie...not sure how well the rose did in their garden, but in our garden it lived only a few years and died away.  If we can find this rose again we would definitely try it in our garden and hope for better results.
Highway 290 Pink Buttons, found rose near Highway  290...this is a miniature rose with tiny leaves and a tiny pink bloom that opens flat and looks a little like a button.  It is a good rose that does well in our area and blooms off and on all year.
Jackson and Perkins...name unknown...it was purchased from Jackson and Perkins about 1965 and was a small modern rose...it seldom bloomed but it did seem to survive and every time we moved it went with us.  During the last twenty years it bloomed only once with a bloom or two.  This year it was moved to a very sunny spot and grew up as a climber or pillar rose with the branches draping down.  We wondered if maybe the grafted part died away and it reverted back to the original rose. Much to our surprise, it was loaded with clusters of  deep crimson  blooms this year. 

Sun Coleus

Sun Coleus

When I first saw the Sun Coleus (Alabama Sun), I did not think it was very pretty, but oh did it turn out to be a beautiful container plant. 

It lasts well into the cold weather, even up until Christmas with a little protection.  The name indicates it likes sun but in our area it does not want full sun but it can tolerate a small amount which makes the color even more intense.

Fire Spike

Fire Spike 

       Firespike  (Odontonema striatum ...also known as Cardinal Guard and Scarlet Flame) ...a great plant for butterflies and hummingbirds and is reliable to bloom in the fall.  Our first plant was purchased at the Dancing Bear in Gruene and from that plant we took cuttings and now have a number of large plants in shady areas of the garden.

This plant has spikes of fire-engine red blooms, and the tropical foliage is beautiful even when not in bloom. It can take partial sun to full shade. The plant dies back in winter and returns even fuller in spring. Cuttings are easily taken. 

Owlma and Owlfred of Beepea Gardens

Owlma and Owlfred of Beepea Gardens

I had never seen a screech owl and had always thought all owls looked like the large barn owl.  One day Paul called to me there was an owl in the birdbath.  When I looked I thought it was a large ball of moss that had fallen from the tree above.  Much to my surprise it was the cutest little owl with huge orange eyes.  I looked up and saw another one sitting high in the tree. 

At first when they saw us they would fly away but soon came to sit and peer down at us from the tree while we photographed and took videos of them.

Of course every evening they left us to go out and hunt for food and the next morning we were checking to see if they were back. They lived with us for some time and was such a joy to watch their behavior each day. 

Container Plants

Container Plants

Container plants help keep color in the garden for three seasons.  We usually have Impatiens, Caladiums, Coleus, and Begonias. These six packs are all economical carefree plants, needing little deadheading and make a big show for a long period of time.  

Many times we make container plants from existing material in the garden such as fern, variegated spider plant, firecracker fern, garnet oxalis, ivy, etc.  Small cannas make lovely tropical container plants.

The Courtyard

The Courtyard

There is a small courtyard at the front entrance to the house with an aggregate sidewalk down the middle.  A simple design is here using brick left from the house and courtyard with decomposed granite. 

A drainage system is run under the sidewalk using only a large PVC pipe with drainage to one side. This seems to work quite well even in heavy downpours.

The courtyard is such a hot spot from the intense west sun and plants have never done well here even with the sprinkler system. There are a number of plants just outside the front gate entrance which is more in shade and the plants do better there. It was decided that the courtyard  would be used as a small statue garden. 

Bromeliad

Billbergia Windii Bromeliad

This is a most beautiful bromeliad and is one of the oldest hybrids in the bromeliad family...about 1870 at the National Botanic Gardens in Belgium.  The magnificent flowers appear almost over night and take about a week to fully open and will remain looking good on the plant for several weeks.

We had the plant for several years but always had to bring it indoors for protection in the winter.  It became so large and heavy it was difficult to handle to bring indoors and one winter it did not survive. Another draw back of the plant is that the leaves had sharp edges which made it hard to work with or even to divide the plant.

Althea

Althea

Althea (Hibiscus syriacus) also called Rose of Sharon. This is not a true rose but is in the mallow family. Since it blooms on the new wood each summer, it is easily controlled and the size can be maintained by cutting it back in late winter or early spring. It will live for a number of years and does throw out a few seeds to share plants with others.

Sally Squirrel of Beepea Gardens

Sally eating a piece of bread

Sally Squirrel of Beepea Gardens

The numerous native trees make an inviting home for Sally, who follows us along pathways like a puppy until she gets food. We go to the door of the Garden Room and call "Sally", "Sally" and she comes running. She eats saltine crackers, corn, apples, dry breakfast toast, Snicker bars, chips and her favorite, pecans and nuts.

I did not know squirrels like to play but I once saw her playing with an old piece of carpet. She would put her head under it, come out, and do a quick flip and do it again and continued this for quite some time.

She had a friend, Sam, and of course they became a couple and she began building a nest about 50 foot up a tree. We handed her a large piece of soft white garden fabric. She took it and then formed it into a ball and balanced it on her nose. She looked so strange with that large white ball balanced on top of her head going up the tree. Later, we tore an old garden shirt into strips and handed each one to her. She would roll it into a ball, balance it on her nose and up the tree she hurriedly went and then was back for another one.  She made about a dozen trips taking each one to the nest.

We knew the babies had arrived but never saw them. Finally, Sally came running down the tree to the deck with three, almost grown squirrels following her. It was as if she was saying "I brought them to see you". Of course, the three babies were wild and it took some time for them to come near us. When they became tame, Sally, Sam and the three babies would climb on the deck rails, spread themselves out flat, their paws hanging off the edges, their head at an angle where they could see us in the Garden Room and wait patiently for us to give them food.

Over time, Sam and the other three disappeared. Perhaps they were killed, or hopefully, they are getting food at other houses or in the wild, but Sally remains with us. Come back later and we will keep you updated on her.

UPDATE:  In November, 1999, Sally brought three new babies up to the deck. They were much smaller than the first ones and were tamer and more playful. Much to our surprise, one of them was a white squirrel. We named him Alby because white flowers in the garden are sometime referred to as Alba.

San Gabriel Nandina

San Gabriel NandinaNandina domestica 'Filamentosa' thread-leaf nandina

We bought this plant several years ago from Home Depot…the only time we have seen it since was at the Great Outdoors in a 4 inch pot for $12.  This Nandina is in the Barberry family even though it is called Heavenly Bamboo.  It is also known as Thread-leaf Nandina.  This evergreen shrub stays quite small usually l to 2 ft. tall and has intricate dissected leaves which give it a very lacy, almost fernlike look.

It almost looks like it might be a cross between a Nandina and a Japanese Maple. This nandina does not send out shoots and seems to remain as a single plant.  The plant grows very slowly but has grown to almost 4 ft. in our garden.  We tried taking cuttings but did not succeed…also where we took the cuttings the plant did not put out again.

Iresine Purple Lady

Iresine Purple Lady 

Iresine (Iresine herbstii) Purple Lady,  an annual, also called Beefsteak Plant or Chicken Gizzard. The plant will spread to about 3 ft. and gets a height of about 10 inches.  It is a hot summer survivor.

This dark red-leafed accent plant is ideal for mixed containers, as a hanging basket and as a ground cover in the landscape. Purple Lady is a spreading plant that fills in nicely and cascades as the branches get longer and heavier.

The only time I have ever found this plant was at Walmart nursery on two occasions.  It came in a 4" pot for $2.  I found that cuttings were easy to take in the fall.

Verbascum Ready to Bloom

Verbascum in the Early Stages of the Bloom

Verbascum, Common Mullein, Verbascum thapsus 

This plant came to our garden by way of the wind as there were a number of them in a garden several houses up the street and a couple of small plants just appeared in our front garden.  

You will often see this Verbascum in British gardens as it makes a great architectural plant. Even though it is a very invasive plant and spreads seeds quite a bit, I still enjoy it in the garden.  To keep this plant under control, the large bloom can be removed before it sets seeds or small plants are easily pulled out.  

Verbascum, Common Mullein is a perennial medicinal herb and grows well in alkaline soil. In the first year of growth it forms a large basal rosette with large leaves that can grow up to l foot long.  In the second year of growth, it will produce a large erect flower stalk that can grow to over 2 foot tall. 

These plants are known for the softness of their light green leaves, and are sometime called "Bunny Ears" or "Flannel Leaf" Verbascum. This must be a good pollinator plant as it was covered with ladybugs when the tall bloom went to seed.

New pathway in garden at street.

In the front garden near the street, the grass has been replaced four times over the years, so the decision was made to take it out and install a pathway.  

The flower beds were already in place around the grass in this garden. After the pathway was put in we wanted to add more color for the Spring, so Double Orange Poppy seeds  were sown along the edge of the pathway with Setcrecia Purple Wondering Jew (Lady in the Boat) planted for color in the summer. This Wondering Jew is a drought tolerant plant and should be able to hold up to the Summer heat since this garden faces west and gets a lot of sun.

New landscaping in circle driveway at front of house.

It has always been our thought that we would keep the grass in the circle driveway at the front of the house.  Each year the grass would die out from insects,disease and fungus. Even with treating  the area and adding compost and Osmocote organic fertilizer, by the end of Summer we had the same problems again.

Last year over half of the grass was lost due to the fungus and we decided to replace it with a flower bed along the street under the large live oak trees, and an area of  decomposed granite with a simple design near the house. The plants used in this flower bed are all similar to those used in the adjoining front garden and are all drought tolerant but will have quite a bit of color and will soften the granite areas.

Garden Path Circles Around to Upper Terrace

Garden Path Circles Around Past the Garden House

Garden Path at Back of Garden