National Wildflower Week on the road

It's National Wildflower Week and I'm celebrating with photos from a recent field trip with friends to Medina Garden Nursery along Hwy. 16 out in the Texas Hill Country.  Near Pipe Creek we pulled over to take a look at roadside flowers.  Those famous Texas Bluebonnets had given way to the warmer colors of late spring wildflowers.  There's still plenty to see if we take a closer look.

This year I'm paying closer attention to the mix of different types of plants in the wild.  Structural plants like Twist-leaf Yucca (Yucca rupicola) mix with taller native grasses while low growers like Four-nerve Daisy (Tetraneurus scaposa) and Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucantha) fill in the gaps.

White floral spikes of Lizard's Tail White Milkwort (Polygala alba) with Antelope Horn Milkweed (Asclepias asperula) and Square-bud Primrose (Calylophus berlandieri) distinguished by their dark centers.

Missouri Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) with Blackfoot Daisy (Melanpodium leucantha) and Square-bud Primrose.

Distinctive seedheads on Missouri Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) shows why it's also known as Big-fruit Evening Primrose.

Bright yellow Missouri Primrose flower with silvery Rabbit Tobacco filling in along the ground.



I often get questions and comments that Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) is hard to grow. It is tough enough to thrive in asphalt in its native range.  Good drainage and less watering will help it survive in our gardens.

Antelope Horn Milkweed (Asclepias asperula) and friends waiting for butterflies.

One of my personal favorites, the deep burgundy of Rayless Sunflower (Helianthus radula) stands out against the green and yellow of other native plants.  Small rays can be spotted at the base of the flower so they're not entirely rayless.  Blue Wright's Skullcap (Scutellaria wrightii) just peeking in the bottom right of the photo.  It's so much fun to see these plants in their native range.

After our wildflower road stop we headed on to Medina Garden Nursery where they've rebuilt the entry arbor with these amazing pieces of naturally curved native Ashe Juniper wood.

There's a lot of wildflower goodness behind that austere fence in the expansive gardens and meadows at Medina Garden Nursery.

Narrow-leaf Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) which is more tolerant of drought and poor soils than Echinacea purpurea.  It's one of the plants I purchased to try in my own garden.

White Winecups and Salvia greggii with a pink Anacacho Orchid as a centerpiece.  They didn't have the Anacacho Orchid in stock so I'll have to go back in the fall.

Penstemon, I think this was Hill Country Penstemon (Penstemon triflorus).

Purple Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata) which defies all attempts to establish in my garden.

Delicate Clematis pitcheri flowers attracting bees.  I purchased one of these as well.

Black Swallowtails were going nuts over the Indian Paintbrush blossoms.

Nolinas, Yuccas, and Texas Primrose in the dry garden.

Two happy guys doing what they love.  Service with a smile from Ysmael and Ernesto who always take their time to give tours and show us what's new in the nursery.

Plant shopping makes us hungry so we headed just 15 minutes away for a delicious lunch at beautiful, historic Camp Verde General Store.

What's with the Camel you might ask?  It's an interesting story about trying to introduce camels as working animals in Texas.  You can read all about the history of Camp Verde and the great Camel experiment here.

Back home with my haul of plants.  Three Muhlenbergia reverchonii ornamental grasses which stay low and produce deep pink inflorescence in the fall.  Pink Guara lindheimeri, a purple blooming salvia, two Texas Greeneyes (Berlandiera betonicifolia), Rudbeckia angustifolia, Roughstem rosinweed (Silphium radula), Texas Bluestar (Amsonia ciliata v. texana), Brownfoot (Acourtia wrightii) and Clematis pitcheri.

They're all in the ground and doing well and I'm ready for more road trips!

Wildlife Wednesday May 2017

It's time for Wildlife Wednesday hosted by Tina at "My Gardener Says" on the first Wednesday of each month.  Here's what's been happening wildlife wise in my garden during April.

First up we have a tiny dancing baby Praying Mantis.  So cute!

I'm happy to have them in the garden as they eat flies, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, and many other insects.  I'll keep an eye on the hummingbird feeder as a Praying Mantis can grasp and eat the much larger and heavier hummers.

Different stages of bug nymphs on a wire garden ornament.  They are all slightly different so tough to ID.  I looked through hundreds of photos, possibly a leaf-footed or assassin bug.

Another stage in development.  Then they all disappeared by the next day so I can't be sure how they look as adults.

Swallowtail caterpillar on a plant I typically pull out as a weed.  The plant is a member of the carrot family and similar to Queen Anne's Lace though this one is probably native.  From now on I'll leave a few for this beauty.

Speaking of Swallowtails, this Black Swallowtail enjoys a native Prairie Verbena.  These native wildflowers weren't planted, they just showed up when I put out the native plant welcome mat.



My garden isn't limited to Texas natives.  This Arizona Sister Crimson Patch butterfly is enjoying South American import Verbena Bonariensis.  Since Verbena is common to the Western Hemisphere, many butterflies on the move stop by to enjoy the flowers.  I spotted a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail (my personal favorite) on Verbena Bonariensis yesterday when I didn't have the camera.  Of course it hasn't returned now that I'm on the lookout!



That's the wildlife report from my garden for May.  Be sure to follow the links at "My Gardener Says" to see garden wildlife from across the world.

Inside Austin Gardens Tour Preview

Last week I joined a group of Austin gardens bloggers for a preview of the Inside Austin Gardens Tour which will be held Saturday May 6th.  Sponsored by Travis County Master Gardeners the tour occurs every 18 months alternating spring and fall.  This year's tour is especially convenient for San Antonio garden tour fans since two of the gardens are just up the road in Spicewood which makes for an easy and beautiful drive.  I made it home to North Central San Antonio in under 90 minutes.  "By gardeners, for gardeners" is the theme of the tour and since one of my favorite things besides touring gardens is learning gardener's stories, this tour is right up my alley.

We'll begin our preview in Shari Bauer's garden overlooking the Pedernales River (Perd-n-alice for non-Texans) near Spicewood.  Titled "A Journey Through Fairyland" on the tour website our journey reveals a treasure trove of colorful and artfully arranged found objects.  Shari's garden was featured on Central Texas Gardener in April.  We began in the shed filled with pretty vignettes.

And then there's that view from the porch.

A porch just right for sitting with friends and family.

In the garden this Willys Jeep from the 1940s makes a cool fountain.  The headlights turn on at night along with many lights throughout the garden.  Friends drop off garden fairies for Shari's "fairy rescue" project.

Multiple outdoor seating and dining areas give Shari and her husband places to enjoy different areas of the garden each day.

Natural Spanish moss is a dull gray so Shari dyes it to add bright color to her arrangements.

Don't miss the succulent draped and fringed piano.

We also loved this beautifully detailed succulent dress form.

Along the way you'll find doors to secret gardens to enjoy.

Next up is Dorothy Thering's Wildlife Restoration and Preservation garden just a few minutes away in Spicewood.

They've embraced timeless Texas Hill Country style.



A huge raised-bed vegetable garden is just one of the destination spots on this large property.



A solar powered fountain makes sense in this full-sun spot down the hill from the house.

We stopped to feed sweet and friendly Miniature Nubian goats named Lucy and Ethel.

Dorothy's turquoise-accented shed draws attention on the other side of the drive.

Festive style inside and out

The shaded shed side garden invites on a hot day.

This view reminds me so much of summers in the hill country.  Before they built their house Dorothy, battling breast cancer at the time, would find respite in the beauty of this place.

"Sun and Shade" is our next stop on the tour.  I looked forward to meeting Velia Sanchez-Ruiz having remembered her garden from Central Texas Gardener in 2015.  She was away at another garden event but I'm sure she'll be there on tour day.  Check out the video, so much to learn from her love of gardening.



As a member of the Austin Daylily Society, Velia has quite a collection which are all carefully labeled.

Velias style shows throughout her garden.

The shady back garden features Jasmine on the trellis and lots of passalong plants to peruse in the garden.

Shrimp plant is one of those passalongs we rarely need to purchase in Texas.  A recirculating ceramic fountain completes a shady corner vignette complete with hanging mirror.

Daphne Jeffers' "Birds, Butterflies, and Zen" garden is a study in contrasts with its colorful sunny front beds.

That exuberance is cooled by a quiet Japanese garden in the back.

The screened building holds bird feeders.  The screening is large enough for small birds to get through while keeping doves and squirrels at bay.

Bamboo fencing adds authenticity to the garden.

If you're gardening on a slope Peggy Hart's Earth-Kind garden shows how to make it work while saving water and energy.  Her minimal lawn front yard features native and adapted plants.

A great example of how to landscape a shady side yard.

Peggy tamed her steep backyard with steps and terraces

More goats!  This time they're pretend goats and this steep slope is a good place for them.

Bevo too!

Peggy has added a keyhole garden for veggies and herbs.  She has a deer problem necessitating the netting and wire cages.  You will also see Ollas at work to efficiently water her raised beds.

A huge rain collection system gives access to plenty of water.

The relaxing deck....

...features Texas-style touches.

Stop and enjoy the view.

This preview post is just a taste of  each garden to encourage you to head up to Austin to see these gardens in person and I'll post more detail in the next few weeks.

The Inside Austin Gardens Tour is this Saturday, May 6th, from 9am to 4pm.  You can find more information at the link.

On the Door for Good Friday

When Peter the Outlaw Gardener went searching for spring at Watson's, a beautiful garden center near Tacoma, I found inspiration in his photos of grapevine basket wreaths on display.   After I spotted this large wreath on the curb at trash day earlier in the week it was time to give the idea try.

Grapevines from my garden are a decorative top layer since I used wire for the basket and to hold the moss in place.

Plants were my only purchase for this project and all will easily transplant to my garden at a later date.  L-R:  Guara Lindheimeri (white flowers just ready to open), Zinna 'Crystal Orange', Oregano 'Jim Best', Basil 'Crimson King', Dichondra 'Silver Ponyfoot', and Zinnia 'Double Fire'.

A happy Easter weekend to all!