Welcome to my blog. I have been gardening in containers in Austin for six years, and I specialize in bulbs. Currently, two of my favorite plants are Crinum powelli 'Album,' which has never bloomed for me, and Begonia heracleifolia, a shade lover. My failures include buying a Clematis armandii when I was first starting out and putting it in a 12 inch pot (what was I thinking?), and being in denial for much too long about rust and mildew, which are common in central Texas. I also grow houseplants, including orchids which I always thought were too hard. Never be afraid to experiment!

Like all gardeners, there are plants that I love and grow well (bulbs), plants that I have no business owning, but can't help myself from attempting over and over (clematis and cyclamen come to mind), and plants I have no space for, but fervently wish to grow (the large crinums, flowering vines, showy tulips in outrageous colors). I suffer from plant lust, and I look forward to sharing my ever-lengthening Lifetime Plant Wish List.

I'll dip into gardening literature occasionally. For instance, I'd like to reread Vita Sackville-West's Passenger to Teheran, which is laced with evocative passages about bulbs flowering in the mountains of Iran. Two books on my reading list are American Eden: From Monticello to Central Park to Our Backyards: What Our Gardens Tell Us About Who We Are, and From Yard to Garden: The Domestication of America's Home Grounds. On my nightstand are books by bulb experts Janis Ruksans and Rod Leeds. My garden writing idol is Christopher Lloyd, who had strong opinions and did not care if he offended anyone.

I hope to produce passable photos, for no gardening blog is complete without images.

I think a lot about why we garden, and I'll write about that, too.