Complaints about the Rain?

During our recent years-long drought I was pretty sure I would never complain about rain again.  But now it's been raining for weeks.  Amazing amounts of pouring rain.  Almost an average year's worth of rainfall in five months and double the annual rainfall of our recent drought years.  In this weather map from Sunday afternoon my house (and garden) are within those darkest spots near the top of the map.

Drought Survivability Study: Testing limits of landscape plants

Just how much water is required to keep landscapes looking good through a drought in Central Texas?  Or is the question really "good enough" during such times?  These are questions our region has been grappling with during several years of extreme drought conditions.  The challenge is more than lack of rain since our growing population increases the demand for water, while landscapes are a major drain on water resources.

Last week my friend Melody and I traveled down to the Drought Simulator southeast of town to learn more about a new research project headed by Dr. Calvin Finch of Texas A&M's Institute of Renewable Natural Resources.  This Drought Survivability Study will enable researchers to document the performance of 100 of our most popular landscape plants under different drought conditions.  The study is sponsored jointly by the San Antonio Water System (SAWS), the cities of Austin and Georgetown, and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), as well as Texas A&M.

Dr. Finch opened the presentation with an overview of the study.  I was particularly heartened to hear that Dr. Finch, horticulturist and gardener, is placing importance on keeping our landscapes looking good during drought while conserving water.  According to materials received at the meeting, currently available research indicates we may be overwatering our plants.

Hot-Hot-Hot

Early each morning I head out into the heat and turn on the hose.  It has exceeded 100F/37C eleven days in a row, and the records being toppled daily are 50-60 years old.  So it's time to water the garden again.  My poor plants are still drooping from yesterday because it stayed so hot overnight that they had no chance to make their usual recovery.

This summer of 2013, which started out so promising with rain and cooler than normal temperatures, has suddenly turned hotter than average here in Texas.  As much as ten degrees above normal--a big difference when normal is 95-97F/35-36C.  We're predicted to reach 106F/41C today.

An hour later I finished watering and headed out with my camera to take stock of the garden.  The plants in the circle garden are managing well enough.  The flowers are fading in the sun and there have been a few losses but it's going to be fine.

Garden Visitors: Megaphasma denticrus

"Everything is bigger in Texas" applies to insects as well.

This native Texas Giant Walkingstick (Megaphasma denticrus) is quite appropriately the longest insect in the US.  These walkingsticks can grow to 7" (177 mm)  though the body on this one is just over 4" (101 mm).  This one is most likely a young male according to my research, and just one in 1,000 is male.

Garden Visitors - Curve Billed Thrashers

This past summer we put out extra saucers of water around the back yard to help birds and animals weather the drought.  Birds we had not seen here showed up to enjoy our hospitality.  The Curve Billed Thrasher was one of the most striking with their intense yellow eyes and lovely song.
 
This one is fluffy after a bath

 
Another is wary of the camera
 

Up in the tree checking things out before hopping down to the water dish

According to All About Birds the Curve Billed Thrasher is native to the southwest and northern Mexico.  It prefers to live in cactus and spiny brush so they might have spent their summer in the stand of prickly pear and oaks in the back yard.

Update 12/13/2012 - These birds have been identified as Long-Billed Thrashers.  An important difference as they are only found here in south Texas.  Please reference the update here and check Sam Taylor's reply in the comments section.