`Tulips and Rice Owls in Houston

Blushing orange tulips greeted me last week in Houston in my friend Amy’s garden. Spring hadn’t yet cracked open buds on trees and perennials. But oh, those tulips — such impractical magic!… Read More

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February 23, 2026

Blushing orange tulips greeted me last week in Houston in my friend Amy’s garden. Spring hadn’t yet cracked open buds on trees and perennials. But oh, those tulips — such impractical magic!

Amy told me her designer, David Morello, plants a handful of tulip bulbs each fall in large terracotta pots as part of his maintenance of the garden. The orange-on-orange flowers warm up the garden in early spring, and it doesn’t take many to make an impact.

With her hot-pink shirt, Amy was giving spring vibes herself.

Meet the Author event at Rice University

Photo by Friends of Fondren

That evening, Amy and I appeared together at Rice University for a Meet the Author event coordinated by Rice Alumni and Friends of Fondren. In front of a full room (plus a Zoom audience) of alums and other attendees, with Amy leading the conversation as moderator, I shared about my years at Rice and how my writing career and new book evolved.

Photo by Friends of Fondren

Amy and I go way back — to our freshman year of college — so it felt especially meaningful to sit beside her and reminisce before a crowd of Rice Owls. I pointed out that three of the featured gardens in my book belong to alumnae: Amy’s in Houston, Dacia Napier’s in San Antonio, and my own in Austin. Gardening Owls across Texas!