I’ve found a wonderful juice/tea bar in North Plano that serves a delicious and refreshing mango drink. The frozen smoothie hits the spot for these warm spring days. I can’t get enough of it…and as much as I would love to try their other concoctions (guava anyone?), I can’t say no to a good Mango Blend. Thanks to Cassis Exotic Tea and Drinks for bringing the mango smoothie closer to home. I’ve now become a regular. (Oh, and don’t miss their occasional Egg Custard Tart specials!)
All posts by epicureasian
Early spring on the patio
A pleasant discovery: there is a sprinkler head position in front of my patio. So it seems my salvia and maple are getting watered without any intervention from me. I’m not certain that the maple is getting its requirement, but since the weather has been cool, I’m not increasing the amount it is currently getting.
I visited Puckett’s Nursery in Allen and picked up a rosemary bush. I’ve decided to expand my aromatic herb selection and am currently shopping for a lavender bush to add to the patio garden. I’m considering a white-flowering cultivar, compact but preferably with a strong perfume. Ellagance Ice is one cultivar I currently have my eye on.
Meanwhile, I have decided to shelve the caladium idea and try my hand at heuchera and heucherella. They possess the fiery color which I believe will pair well with calla lilies. I also hope to finally get my mitts on a couple of Salsa Asian Jasmine. I just need to paint the new planter trough I purchased and start sating my spring gardening cravings.
Buds, blooms and puppies
After a couple of days of 75F+ temperatures, I was rewarded by my first salvia blooms this morning. I was also ecstatic to see that my maple is beginning to leaf out. Beautiful weather we’re having in DFW today! The puppies were happy to be out too, exploring the new greenery.
A collection of caladiums and callas
I’ve been thinking about companion plants for callas, and I’m either going with coleus (annuals) or caladiums (perennials). While caladiums don’t boast the same color spectrum as coleus, they may be arguably the more budget-conscious choice, since they can return year after year with the proper care.
Here are the cultivars I’ve been considering:
Red Frill, strap, medium sun-tolerance
Red Ruffles, strap, excellent sun-tolerance
Pink Gem, strap, excellent sun-tolerance
White Wing, strap, excellent sun-tolerance
The Thai variety of caladiums have also recently popped up on the radar, offering bolder colors and variegations than the typical caladiums. I’m unsure of their sun-tolerances, habits, or heights, so I will have to do more research on them. But for now, a good source can be found at AsiaticNursery.com.
Meanwhile, outside of Pacific Callas and ZCallas, I have found a nice selection of Calla lily bulbs to be had at Lakeside Callas and Brent and Becky’s.
Green weddings
Wedding photographers are in a category of art unto themselves. Some amazing work I found while browsing for green wedding dresses: Green Wedding Shoes and Jeff Newsom.