So where have you been?

I've been getting that question a lot lately. If you're a regular reader, you've no doubt noticed a looong absence of posts. There's a good reason - I've been on the trip of a lifetime.

My sister Gloria and I spent three weeks in Europe. Our travels took us to London, Paris, Rome, Tuscany, Edinburgh, Dublin and across south and west Ireland. It was fabulous. You'd think at least one thing would let you down, but other than being stuck for two extra days in Tuscany because of the Iceland ash cloud (not exactly a hardship), everything was more than we could have expected.

I saw lots of new plants, several gardens (although time didn't permit touring Kew Gardens in London, much to my sadness) and the greenest green you can imagine in Ireland and Scotland.

I'm sorting through the 1,750 photos I took (seriously) and will post many of them here later. We'll start with these lovely irises at the fabulous B&B Agriturismo Il Rigo, San Quirico d'Orcia in Tuscany (http://www.agriturismoilrigo.com/).

Of all the places we stayed, this was one of my two favorites. If you are traveling to Tuscany, I can recommend this B&B without reservation. It is a 500-year-old farmhouse that sits high on a hill in the Tuscan countryside. It's minutes from several lovely villages. Everywhere you look is a picture-postcard perfect view, with lots of flowers and gardens.

Tulips from Amsterdam

These are the tulips Stephanie brought back from Amsterdam. She also brought back a box of pink ones for herself. She waited a week or so before planting hers, so we are anxiously awaiting their appearance. They should be lovely.

If you plant tulips in Southeast Texas, understand that they are annuals here, even though they are bulbs. Instead of digging them up, storing and replanting next year, as you can in cold climates, you might as well toss them after blooming.

Tulips are classified by their bloom time: early spring, early to mid-spring, mid-spring and late spring. The ones Stephanie brought back are late-blooming, since in Southeast Texas, the usual time to plant tulips is late December or early January. By mixing bulbs of different bloom times, you can enjoy the beautiful blooms longer.

For her birthday each February 10, I gave Stephanie a vase of purple irises and yellow tulips for several years. They make a striking combination, with the yellow tulips bringing out the yellow in the irises' throats. If you're looking for an elegant arrangement, try it I like them simple, with no added greenery, in a tall, cobalt blue vase. The tulips droop gently, creating a wreath around the tall iris stems.

First iris of the season

Spring is soooo close.

Here's the first iris to bloom so far.

Lots more to come, I hope...

Multi-tasking Gardener

I like to think of myself as a multi-tasking gardener. I've always got any number of gardening tasks going at one time. Right now, I'm doing a lot of fall tasks, from clearing out a small bed that borders the brick walkway to digging up plants that I put in the wrong place or would do better elsewhere.

The truth is, my husband would say, is that I am easily distracted. Example: Saturday, I was weeding the brick-bordered bed and digging up old plants to put in annuals for the fall and winter. I dug up all the irises in the bed, along a Texas gold lantana. The irises will go elsewhere, but I called my sister, Billie, to see if she wanted the lantana. She did, and asked about some shell ginger I had offered her a while back. So I started digging up, or shall I say, tried to dig up, some ginger. The roots have grown so dense and deep that after an hour of solid digging, I was only able to break off three roots for her. I have a deep trench dug around the roots, and they still show no signs of budging.

Sunday, I woke up with a monster stomach virus and fever and chills and stayed in bed all day. This morning, I woke up better, although tired, and went outside to see what I wanted to tackle today. As I looked around the south side of the yard, my version of a secret garden, I had to laugh at what I saw. I have a bed waiting for new plants, partially-dug ginger, The Fairy climbing rose prunings I completed Saturday that need taken out back, a Peggy Martin Rose I planted Saturday that needs tied to the trellis and mulched, and empty pots in the herb garden that need filled. I counted at least six tasks already begun and none completely finished.

I don't mind. I can work on whatever my level of energy permits. Like today. I'm still recuperating, so I will go into town, as we country folk say, and pick up supplies: mulch, fire ant killer, plant ties and new plants for the brick border bed. Tomorrow, I will be able to take my pick of any number of works-in-progress.