New bearded irises blooming

After I saw some similar bearded irises blooming in Arkansas in 2022, I had to have some for our yard. In June 2022, we planted five rhizomes called 'Indian Chief.' Today they've begun to bloom! So far, the pink is more purple than the dusty rose ones in Arkansas. Oh, well. Close enough!

Lindheimer senna

This is a Lindheimer's senna (Senna lindheimeriana) that I germinated and grew at least three years ago. I gathered some seeds from a plant on a ranch near Devil's Backbone while my daughter was renting a barndominium there. Yesterday, I finally put my senna in a sunny location in the back yard. I hope she makes it! Last November, she bloomed profusely. 

In April 2013, we planted a Lindheimer's senna that was more in the shade. Sadly, it only lasted a couple of years. I love native sennas.

Tomatoes and peppers

We purchased our "spring garden" yesterday at Ace Hardware. Two tomato varieties: 'Summer Set,' heat tolerant hybrid and 'Husky Cherry Red,' cherry tomato. Two pepper plants, same variety: 'Mammoth' jalapeno.

Major repotting project

 

This is my satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu 'Miho') tree. My son gave it to me for Mother's Day in May 2004. It put on fruit for the first time in 2006. It tends to fruit every other year or so. The Good Lord willing, it will fruit again this fall if the current blooms stay on. It was repotted for the first time in August 2008, and I think again a few years later. Last fall, our neighbor Kelly gifted us with a larger pot, which she painted to match our house. Today we decided IS THE DAY. Let's do it!

 

First we gathered up some pebbles and gravel (that came off our old built-up roof) to put in the pot's bottom for drainage. James drilled some drain holes on the bottom, too. THEN came the fun part....it took a LOT of effort to get the tree out of its old pot. James had to use loppers to cut the pot away. I pounded a hammer on the top edge to help loosen the tree ball and get it out. Finally, we used a bag of FoxFarm potting soil, which Kelly had recommended. Voila, mission accomplished!

For my own info: This from a company rep––Consider using our Happy Frog Citrus and Avocado dry fertilizer to fertilize your tree. Happy Frog Citrus and Avocado dry fertilizer contains the right balance of nutrients to promote plant growth and production while also promoting a healthy rhizosphere with mycorrhizae fungi. It is super easy to apply, just sprinkle it around the base of the plant three times a year.

The waiting game

We planted our Blanco crabapple tree in April 2013 as part of my birthday. Needless to say, we've been watch and hoping to see buds this spring. But so far, nada. After all, we've had some rough weather the past few years–ice storms and droughts. But lo and behold, look what I spotted! New growth (photo below)! Yay! So it's going to survive after all. What a blessing.

In the meantime, we're still waiting for signs of life on our possumhaw (below), which we planted in September 2015. It's well established so it just HAS to be still alive. Stay tuned.

Our blooming trees and shrubs

Mexican persimmon

Mexican buckeye

Agarita

Redbud

Mountain laurel (my favorite aroma)

Peach

Mexican plum

Texas buckeye

Volunteer saplings

Mexican plum

 

Last year, we dug up a volunteer Mexican plum and a possumhaw. James put them in the ground yesterday in our back yard. He also dug up a volunteer roughleaf dogwood, which we'll plant somewhere later on. Thank you, Mother Nature!

Possumhaw

Roughleaf dogwood

Another iNat milestone....

I made it to 1,300 species this week!

This is why I weed by hand

"Don't you want to use a rake?" James asks me quite often whenever I'm weeding by hand.

"Nope," I reply as I continue to pull henbit, chickweed and bedstraw. "I want to see what I'm pulling."

Yesterday, I was QUITE surprised when I pulled away dying henbit and chickweed and found THIS in a backyard bed. A bluebonnet! Wowzer! 

After supper, James ambled up while I was working. 

"So, what do you think THAT is?" I stood up and pointed to the plant I'd just found.

"Hmmm," he thought. Then he shrugged.

"A BLUEBONNET!" I exclaimed. "That's exactly why I don't want to use a rake!" 

Humbly, James smiled. "Well, that's pretty cool," he said.

UPDATE MARCH 18, 2024 Alas, the stem broke off at the ground soon after our bluebonnet bloomed. I put the flower in a little vase on our dining room table. I am sad.

Live owl cam at Wildflower Center

Check this out, folks! So cool.

MEET ATHENA

 The Wildflower Center’s resident owl

For more than a decade, the Wildflower Center has been home to a nesting pair of great horned owls (Bubo virginianus). Lucky for us — and our guests — the female, who we call Athena, nests in a very conspicuous place, right above the entrance to our Courtyard in the sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) planter nestled in the north corner. When conditions are right and her eggs hatch into owlets, she provides a rare opportunity to view a wild great horned owl rearing her young.

Master Gardeners rescue volunteers

For at least the third time, Blanco County Master Gardeners came to our yard to dig up native plant volunteers growing in the mow zone. They'll be sold at the April 20th plant sale on the Blanco courthouse square. 

Prima was on hand to meet and greet, of course. Shown are Megan Soltesz, Bernadette McFarling and Suzaane Stevenson. It was super windy, but we got a lot of plants dug up and bagged for potting later.