Back in Business

No, my camera isn't fixed yet.  I haven't even taken it to the repair shop yet.  My fairy godmother stepped in and bought Chris and I a new digital camera to get us through this rough patch of no camera.  If you don't have a fairy godmother I really feel sorry for you.  There are times when you think how will my family ever be able to make it through this month without an influx of Kiehls and Barney's New York gift certificates.  Sometimes Edie looks up to me with those sad, hungry eyes that say, "Mommy, it's organic cotton for me or nothing at all."  And because of said fairy godmother Edie's delicate baby skin will never have to touch the likes of fabrics made from cotton grown using synthetic chemicals.  When I was on maternity leave, alone and scared with a new baby it was the daily deliveries of Starbucks and La Madeleine that got me through.  My fairy godmother knows the crucial role that a decaf cappuccino (decaf only because I was nursing) plays in the successful bonding of mother and child in those early days of life.  But like I was saying she bought us a new camera/video camera.  Here's what Chris and I have taken so far.

First picture taken with the new camera.

First video taken so far.  Yes, I know I could be a full time model but my heart belongs to the plants.

Jose and Ek pulling the dead shrubs.

Roberto loading up the dead shrubs onto his cart.

Why are the shrubs dying?  Bagworms, as seen here in its little chrysalis.

Caladiums.

I was at a dinner party several years ago and one of the other guests was lecturing me about how boring and overused he thought caladiums were in Dallas landscapes.  I didn't argue with him but I did think to myself, when you maintain over 150 acres of an intricately landscape, urban campus with water restrictions and tons of foot traffic then you can talk to me about boring plants.  Perhaps they are overused for a reason.  Caladiums will grow in both dense shade or sun depending on the variety.  Once the bulb is planted you have to do nothing to the plant until you pull it out in mid October.   No deadheading, no fertilizing, no staking, no nothing, if it's under irrigation of course. Very few annual plants last that long in these parts.  He also complained about lantana for the same reasons.  Again it's a plant I love and use a lot of because it is drought tolerant and requires nothing, blooming until fall.  Same goes for nandina shrubs-- overused and boring because they are tough and evergreen.  Once established they can survive our summers with no supplimental water which is quite amazing in these parts.  Not a lot of plants thrive in our climate and soils without constant pampering and a complete soil overhaul so when we find some that do, you use them.  I'll get down off my soap box now.

Profusion zinnias.

One of SMU's beautiful buildings.