Dallas Gardening Disappointments

In my gardening experience in Dallas I have had a few surprise disappoints. My failures may be due to gardener error, but here is a small list of things I can't keep alive:

Oregano and Mint: These are by far my greatest and most shameful failures. Oregano grows in the rocky soil of Greece, but apparently either hates me or doesn't have the fortitude to survive a Dallas July. I have tried this hardy herb both in a pot placed in the shade and in the garden in full sun. My potted specimen is still struggling along, but my garden oregano shriveled up and died in mid-July.
My mint growing is equally sad. I have a potted mint specimen that I have grown inside and out side and have killed in both locations due to lack of water (despite several waterings weekly). It always comes back from the root, poor thing. I haven't tried this herb in the ground because it tends to take over.

Calla Lillies: I don't take the credit for my calla lilly disaster. I really think callas aren't a good fit for the average Dallas yard. I grew some in a pot for several years on a shady porch and they were very happy, but the callas I planted in my yard in mostly-shade have promptly died. The first two plants died after I mulched, apparently due to rot at the base of the leaf stems. The last two plants died this month from what I can only guess is heat exhaustion.

Kitchen Trends: White Appliances

Stainless steel appliances probably won't go out of style, but it looks as though white and cream colored appliances are on their way back in. Many appliance brands are beginning to showcase white appliances that are miles away from the dull finishes and standard plastic details we've seen on past models.

The new generation of white appliances features starkly modern black and stainless steel accents. This is all a part of a larger trend towards an all-white kitchen design. This month's issues of Domino and House Beautiful both feature sophisticated, all-white kitchens with marble countertops, white cabinets, and rich wood and stainless steel accents.

Jenn Air 30" Side-in range in Bisque, $1,929

Dallas Garden Report

After a few years growing my own garden in North Dallas, I've learned a few things about what works and what doesn't with our climate. While our winters get just cold enough to freeze out tropicals, our summers are hot enough to kill just about everything else. Here are a few tips about what's worked for me as well as few hints about some surprising failures.

Let's start with the good stuff

Veggie Garden Stars:

Early Girl Tomatoes: I've planted Early Girl's the last few years with great success. I've planted them on the North side of the house where they get morning and early afternoon sun and late afternoon shade. The plants produce from May to late June or mid July before it gets too hot for new buds to set on. If the summer is mild, plants may survive through and produce fruit in the fall as well. Be sure to cover with bird netting as both birds and squirrels will pick your plants clean.

Tomatillos: This is my 3rd year planting tomatillos. These plants produce like crazy in all but the hottest part of the summer. Bugs and animals steer clear of the fruit, so you'll have them all to yourself.

Bell Peppers: I've grown both green and purple varieties with success. This is my first year with these plants. They seem to slow bud and pepper production in the heat of the summer, but I got a good crop of peppers in June and July.

Basil: I've been growing basil from seed for about 5 years, both in pots and in the ground. I start my seeds inside around February and transplant outside in April. You can also seed directly into a pot or outdoor bed in late March. The leaves are best in the cooler months, but you can harvest all summer. Be sure to pinch off blooms which begin appearing in late June.

Ornamental Favorites:

Texas Star Hibiscus (pictured above): This plant is a native I picked up at the Herd Museum plant sale. I haven't taken it through a winter yet, but it has been a great plant so far this summer and is listed as a perennial. It has a red, star-shaped bloom and is heat tolerant and has not required excessive water. The blooms only last one day, so keep your eyes peeled. The plant is doing well in morning sun and afternoon shade.

Moon Flower Vine: This is an annual vine I have been growing from seed for several years. The seeds are hard to start. I recommend chipping the seed shell with a knife and soaking the seeds overnight before planting. The seeds must be planted in full sun and the vine is an aggressive climber. Once you get a moon flower vine started, it will quickly engulf a fence with broad leaves and huge white flowers that open at dusk and close at dawn. Some varieties are highly fragrant.


Don't want to make this too long, so I'll post more in the coming days.

Great Chair from West Elm

The Roundback chair from West Elm. $199 each. Leather cushion: $40.

Recurring Themes

A few thoughts on two topics that have taken over the news lately:

The Drought / Water Conservation:

KERA has run a number of stories and commentaries about water conservation this week, including a story about a man who was fined by a local city for planting a native, drought-tolerant grass that happened to be taller than the 12" maximum allowed by city ordinance. The piece highlighted the fact that many local cities and neighborhoods have landscaping ordinances which discourage xeriscaping. It's time to rethink what our yards look like. Case and point, the KERA news story noted that on any given summer day, 80% of Flower Mound's water usage is for outdoor irrigation!


Deflating Housing Market:

The news has been a buzz with predictions of an imminent housing bust for the coasts, but the Mid-West and Texas are projected to buck the trend. The bad news is that our home prices didn't see the double-digit yearly appreciation investors have enjoyed in CA, FL, and NY over the past few years, but the payoff is that our homes will lose little or no value as the real estate bubble deflates.

My guess is that prices for new-build homes will see a decrease in the metroplex. New home inventories are at a peak and builders are going to have to make concessions to attract buyers as interest rates go up. If you've recently purchased a home in a neighborhood that is still building new homes, now is probably not a great time to sell. The builders will be offering better deals for homes built to spec than you can afford to match.

Pre-owned homes in Dallas proper seem to continue to gain value. There may be a leveling off of prices over the next year or two, but all signs point to Dallas as one of the next hot areas for real estate investment.

West Elm's New Catalog

West Elm's new catalog is wonderful. The new products are classic and sophisticated without straying too far from the modern aesthetic. The main color palette is sky blue, chocolate brown, and cream with hints of silver, orange, and forest green. Especially good deals include a hexagonal wall shelf for $39, a step side table for $159, and a wood-frame upholstered daybed for $849 (price includes mattress and all accessories).

Kitchen Clutter

Kholer has some tips for taming your countertop jungle up on their site. It's all common-sense stuff, but it's a nice way to get started if you are feeling a little overwhelmed.

Via The D Home Blog

Humane Spider Catching

I saw a post about this spider catcher on Apartment Therapy. I'm not a big fan of spider webs in the house, but I can never bring myself to spray or smash my little eight-legged interloper. After all, spiders eat bugs and the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Apparently this device allows you to catch and release spiders without risking a bite or accidentally amputating their little legs.

New at CB2

Rhumba Vases, $8.95 - $12.95

Twig Placemats, $3.95

Mudra Placecard Holders, $19.95

Curvy Salt and Pepper Shaker, $19.95

City Candleholder, $39.95

New Stuff at Target

Trbeca Swivel Circle Chair, $79.99

27"x27" Bus Canvas Wall Art, $29.99

Cork Base Lamp, $49.99

Canvas Pillow with Flocked Headphone Design, $19.99

Table Lamp with Smoke Amber Glass, $49.99

7.5"x14.37" Wall Clock with Sunburst, $14.99

20"x15" Wall Shelf with Mirror, $29.99

Interior Design for Cat Lovers

If you have cats and want to give them a fun environment that just happens to look great, check out Cat Interiors for inspiration. The site is based in Germany, but many of their beds and furniture pieces look like projects that could be tackled by a determined do-it-yourselfer.

Via Apartment Therapy

Pre-Fab Do-It-Yourself

Pre-fab do-it-yourself is no longer an oxymoron. Apartment Therapy recently featured a site that does two things I love. First, it takes an interactive concept, the hack, and applies it to the off-line world in a way that inspires innovation. Second, it provides do-it-yourself project ideas for those of us without a garage full of tools. The site is called Ikea Hacker.

The concept is simple: collect tips and ideas for tinkering with Ikea products to create new, custom furniture and accessories. The blog is only a few months old, but it already has some great ideas, including the mock-DNA bulb chandelier pictured above. Have a hack of your own? Submit it to ikeahacker@gmail.com.

Shopping Deals on ebates.com

A deal hunting friend ran across a convenient way to get cash-back for shopping online, a site called ebates.com. Registration is free. All you need is your e-mail address. Once registered, you can search through hundreds of online store listings, all offering discounts and rebates ranging from 2-25%. Ebates makes their money by earning a commission on the sales they refer. They kick-back a large portion of that commission to you as a rebate. Here are a few of the rebate listings I found this morning:

Neiman Marcus: 3%
Home Depot: 3 %
Uncommon Goods: 6%
BestArt: 12%
Sur La Table: 4%
Target: 4%

Special deals and coupons are also available on the site. Happy shopping!

Water Conversation

North Haven Gardens will be hosting a four-part lecture series on conservation, starting with a presentation on saving water. The series, which begins on August 20, also includes lectures on trees and turf. With many of the Northern suburbs already rationing water, it's time for all us to take a look at how much money and wet stuff we waste keeping our yards green.

If you can't wait until August to find a solution for your wilting grass and yellowing flowers, peep some outdoor water-saving tips at savedallaswater.org.

I'd venture a guess that low-water landscapes will be all the rage next year.

Great New Product - Duo Curtain Rod

Those who've tried to hang a towel to dry in a small bathroom, there is now an alternative to tossing it over a wet shower curtain. In a nod to this dilemma, the Duo curtain rod was created with one rod for the curtain and one to hang your towel on. It's more efficient and more sanitary, and the product is one of the 108 2006 IDEA award winners.

Duo Curtain Rod, $49.99 at Home Focus.

More Art on the Cheap

Here are a few more options for finding affordable art. I picked these up from a post on Apartment Therapy, but I've screened them for actual affordability for real people (i.e. $30 - $300).

Etsy - Check out the art section of this site which specializes in hand-made goods.

Tiny Showcase - Postcard sized prints of original art. There's a new piece each week.

ebay Art - All sorts of art up for sale to the highest bidder.

Art Prostitute - Original art and prints for sale.

Pixel Girl Shop - Another site selling handmade goods, original art, and prints.

Art on the Cheap

Painting a Day blogs have been the subject of more than a few articles recently. Touted as a cheap "in" to purchasing original art, the blogs feature postcard sized paintings done in one sitting (1 - 3 hours in most cases). The subjects range from simple household items to outdoor scenes, most accompanied by the artist's description of their inspiration. Many of the paintings are quite stunning, like this egg by Duane Keiser. Keiser's works are available for sale on e-bay and sell for $100 and up.

Other Painting a Day Artists:

Elin Pendleton

Julian Merrow-Smith

Karen Jurick

Weekend Excursion

I found this on the Shop Better Here Blog:

Christmas in July

The weather outside is frightful, all right -- frightfully hot - but there are only 172 shopping days until you know what. Whether you have holiday gift-buying in mind or not, stop by the Texas Pottery and Sculpture Guild’s 15th annual Christmas in July sale to browse through a variety of one-of-a-kind works from more than 30 clay artists, including functional pottery pieces, sculptures and objets d’art. The sale starts Friday night with a “meet the artists” reception where you can meet the artists and continues on Saturday at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. Don’t forget to register at the door for a chance to win a piece by acclaimed Acoma-style potter Debbie Brown.

Norma Cavazos
* Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy (just east of the Kimbell Art Museum), Fort Worth. 817-738-1938 and 817-964-0152.

* Free admission.

Shakers Shake it Up

This is a photo of yellow trim in a Shaker home from one of the aforementioned posts on Apartment Therapy.

Trend Watch: No More White Trim

I'm tired of white trim. When we bought our home last year, I dreamed of repainting the living room doors, built-ins, and trim in a chartreuse. After a brief foray into trim painting in our extra bedroom (we use it as an office, and the teal wall color we chose made the white trim look sad), I have realized this is a job best left to the professionals or the infinitely patient.

Our home was built in the 50s, and though I hate to admit this, the trim paint on our bedroom door has a few chips and cracks. Underneath several coats of white, I can see that the original trim color was a grey-green. Clearly, trim used to be the domain of more than white and cream.

A few weekends ago, we trekked out to Stonebridge Ranch to take a look at new homes. We found a charming neighborhood of craftsman-style homes by Darling, which offered the option of taupe trim. It looked great on the vintage-style mouldings. I've also recently run across several posts about colored trim on Apartment Therapy. Doors and trim are meant to be decorative. Unless it's a part of the room design, there's no reason they have to be white. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of dull trim.