The Nicest Thing

"Oh, you live in that house with the beautiful landscaping."

Wow, that's what a neighbor several blocks down the street said when we introduced ourselves and described where we lived.  Could he have said anything that would brighten my day more?  I can't think of anything just now.

After three years of hard work it was wonderful to hear a spontaneous compliment like that.  Nearby neighbors have made positive and much appreciated comments about the improvements, but this was the first time I realized that other neighbors who walk or drive by each day have noticed.

I could have politely answered "Thank you" and left it at that, but instead I told him that he had just made my day and we discussed some of the work we've done.

Okay, just had to share.  Thanks for listening out there, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Medina Lake, Native Plants, and One Big Agave

A visit to the Hill Country and Medina Lake just west of San Antonio wouldn't be complete without a look at the lake and native plants along the way.  One of my favorite things on a trip like this is to observe native plants in their habitat.  You've already seen the huge Texas Madrone tree and the thrift shops we visited.  To finish off the series, we'll visit the lake and plants we saw there.

Like many lakes in this part of Texas, Medina Lake is very low.  "Normal" level would cover this exposed white limestone almost to where I am standing.  Even the good winter rains have barely made the lake usable for recreation.  On this Friday there were a few water skiers and fishing boats on the lake.

The lake is a beautiful blue, almost turquoise with the exposed white limestone in sharp contrast.

These native Texas sotols were seen growing all along the road on the way up to the lake, I took these photos near the state park.

Several Dahlberg Daisy plants growing nearby

Verbena, opuntia, and ashe juniper just to the right of the sotols.

This might be Blackfoot Daisy, slightly different than the ones in my yard.

A huge swath of Prairie Verbena on the side of road headed down to the lake was beautiful.

This 9 ft tall Agave americana was next to a real estate office in Lakehills.

I've seen a lot of large agaves, but none this big that I remember. Most of them bloom before reaching this size.

It wasn't the only large agave around, these were just up the road and easily 6 ft tall.  More typical in size since there are a few this tall in my neighborhood, but I liked this because there were so many together.

It was fun to see the Hill Country and our native plants doing so well after such a tough two years.

Our "Outback"

You've seen the creek that runs along my backyard and might be wondering...what's across the creek?  It's a utility easement with a vacant field beyond.  Boring?  Well, that depends on whether you see native plants as wildflowers or weeds.  This area is surprisingly undisturbed given all the development around here and I enjoy searching for and observing native plants back there.  Commercial development is moving this way and soon this spot will be under a parking lot or building.

Here are a few photos of the plants and butterflies I found on a recent walk to see how the plants are rebounding from our long drought.

Black Swallowtail butterfly heading to a small blue flower I can't identify yet

 
Prairie Phlox which I will try to collect seeds from.  This is the first time I remember seeing the phlox here.

  
This Pink Evening Primrose is interesting because a bug apparently bored through the bud and creating round holes in each petal.  Almost looks as if someone used a hole punch on it.

Gulf Fritillary butterfly on Prairie Verbena, the verbena has been especially beautiful this year.

So far things are looking really good back there this year.  I don't remember seeing any swallowtails or fritillaries last year so it was encouraging to see the wildflowers and butterflies returning to this area after two years of really rough weather.

Happy Easter

Garden Junking - Lakehills, Texas

The Texas Hill Country north and west of San Antonio has many unique aspects, from interesting plants, such as the Texas Madrone tree I posted about earlier, to plenty of little shops and small towns along the way.

Last week my friend Ragna and I headed west to Lakehills, TX about 45 minutes from San Antonio to enjoy a day of thrift shopping and views of the Texas Hill Country.  Today's post is for thrift shop and garden junk fans.  There are a lot of you out there because Yeya's in San Antonio has been my most popular post by far.

Our first stop was the Lakehills Trading Post at 12410 Park Rd 37, right by the sign for Hill of Contentment which I found quite fitting for this adventure.

The exterior fits the western style of most buildings in the area.

The owner, Sharon Spears, has put together great selection of vintage glassware, collectibles and plenty of other nice items.

Plenty of pretty options for garden stakes, fairy gardens, totems, and dish flowers here.

The prices are good and less than similar shops in San Antonio.

I was thrilled to find more green insulators to add to my collection in the garden.

Very nice Hill Country style iron and wood pieces on display.

The inventory changes daily and she also sells special finds on ebay as well.  Lakehills Trading Post has a facebook page and you can also reach Sharon at 210-771-0663.

After we loaded up our purchases from the trading post, we walked across the road to Cherokee's Shop.

Rozanne Martinez features lots of rust and old tools at her shop

I liked this floor inside the shop

A different approach to bottle trees

Rusty cultivator, tricycle and other items

Old signs, tools, and barbed wire displayed on the garage

Just in case you forgot we're in Texas!

You can reach Rozanne by email at cherokees99@hotmail.com

I enjoyed our visit to both these shops and came home with cool stuff for my garden.  We headed next to nearby Medina Lake and I'll share views of the lake and plants in a future post.

Wordless Wildlife Wednesday - Western Fence Lizard

This Madrone Stands Alone

Sometimes a missed turn can present a very special opportunity.  This happened recently as I headed west from San Antonio to Lakehills near Medina Lake for a day of thrift shopping with my friend Ragna.  A missed turn is how we ended up seeing this rare Madrone tree (Arbutus Xalapensis) along SH 16 near Pipe Creek just east of the Bear Springs Blossom nature preserve.

 
About the time we realized we might have missed the first turn to the lake, Ragna spotted this tree.

Yes, I brake for Madrone trees. 

Ragna remembers "about 20 years ago when the new Hwy 16 was being built an amazing number of Madrone trees, maybe 10 or so, were exposed when the brush and trees were cleared for the new road."

This appears to be the only one remaining on this stretch of road.  The Madrone tree grows only in limited pockets of the Texas Hill Country and West Texas.  It also grows in northern Mexico, New Mexico, and California.

 
This must be one of the taller Madrone trees in this area.  The Madrone is typically a small tree, but this one is very large.  My guess is well over 20 ft, possibly closer to 25 ft, and according to the Madrone description on the Bear Springs Blossom nature preserve website it takes about 100 years for a Madrone to grow to that height.

Peeling bark is normal and attractive, and sheds as the trunk expands

The resulting smooth trunk is a beautiful mix of peach, tan, terracotta mottling.

The branches have a distinctive wavy pattern and are quite striking against the sky.

 
Beautiful shadow patterns across the trunks

 
The blooms appeared to be just past peak, it will produce red fruit in the fall.

The west (or left) side of the tree has died, possibly due to the recent drought.  The east side looks to be in good shape.

 
While these trees are rare out in the open like this one, there are other Madrone trees in parks and preserves around the Bandera area.

To the drivers who pass this way daily, a rarer sight might be two ladies on the side of the road inspecting this special tree.