Salvia 'Victoria Blue' (circa 2008)

(THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN MAY 2008; I tried to edit it and messed it all up) 

 

In the front yard, our little salvia 'Victoria Blue' is blooming.

 

 

 

 

 

Salvia farinacea
'Victoria Blue'

Pinks and purples...

 

Some plants are blooming for the first time. So I had to take some photos, naturally!

Hill Country penstemon (Penstemon triflorus)

We bought this last March on my birthday, and it's finally bloomed.

Spiderwort
Tradescantia 'Purple'

We bought the spiderwort on my birthday, too.

I thought this was wild foxglove. Wrong! Looks like a globe mallow (Sphaeralcea angustifolia). James transplanted it from a ranch east of town to our Wildscape nearly two years ago. 

 

 UPDATE MARCH 27, 2011–I took some more photos of the spiderwort and penstemon....

Coneflower

Coneflower

First daffodil

This morning, we have fix or six daffodils starting to bloom. James said he saw them yesterday. Gray, dreary day out there today, but I stepped out long enough to shoot a few photos. Last year, the first one bloomed February 12 so they're a bit late this year.

It should be a beautiful spring with lots of wildflowers since we've had so much rain in the past few months. Such a blessing! And a lot to look forward to.....

Backyard updates

Buffalo burr

Lo and behold, a buffalo bur (Solanum rostratum) appeared in the back yard a few days ago. Right now, you'll see their bright yellow flowers alongside highways and across fields. Beautiful though they are, their stems are VERY prickly. So it's best to admire them from afar.

Chile pequin

Our two chile pequins (Capsicum annuum) that we planted earlier this summer are blooming and putting on fruit! The little chiles will turn bright red soon. That'll be pretty!

Flame acanthus

And our flame acanthus tilted over, much to my dismay. But now it's bushing out and looking really healthy! The change in angle doesn't seem to bother it at all.

First daffodil

Even when everything seems so bleak–next to no rains in so many months, only dirt where a bit of grass and plenty of horseherb once flourished–nature never gives up. I could learn some lessons here, looks like.

Admittedly, honestly, it's been difficult for me as well recently. Personally speaking, I've been struggling as a writer. I feel empty inside. No motivation. No desire to create. Is it the winter doldrums? The recent loss of my beloved father? Hormones even? (Hey, I turn 50 next month! How's that for being candid!) I'm not sure, but it's agonizing. Because writing is what I do for my living. And for my spirit. If I didn't write, I simply wouldn't be me. So when that part of me feels so empty, so nothing, I can't describe the lostness that envelopes me.

Then today I see our yard's first daffodil.... A promise of more good things to come. A symbol of hope, beauty, newness. Rebirth. Brighter days coming. Perhaps rain. Even rain. Blessed rain.

I also spot a tiny spider (perhaps a long-jawed orbweaver), legs folded, body tucked within the flower's folds. It, too, found spring's first daffodil and doesn't want to let go.

We'll both hang on, my spider friend and me. Because as long as we do, the flower's many promises will come true. Maybe not today, but soon. Very soon.

The promise of spring

Ah, the blessings of another beautiful day. Temperatures warmed so I ventured outside this afternoon to replenish bird baths, refill feeders, and water plants. I just happened to think about checking on the daffodils, which grow along an old falling-down fence on our adjacent lot. Sure, enough, they're already busting up through the soil! In a few weeks, they'll be blooming.

They're not native, of course, but they've been residents here at the Pink House longer than I have. The former owners, the Bendeles, must have planted the bulbs years and years ago. We're only the second family to ever live in this little house, which was built sometime around 1956.

Sunflower

Underneath our bird feeder, a tiny volunteer sunflower bloomed!

Shrimp plants

Our shrimp plants–which share the corner bed with our American beautyberry–are still blooming profusely. Even the three yellow shrimp plants–transplanted by James in mid summer to save them from browsing deer–are doing great. I was surprised they survived the trauma of moving.

Non native but still pretty...

Requirements for a certified Texas Wildscape call for 50 percent or more native plants. We adhere to that as much as we can, and I'd say we have at least 75 percent or more. Some plants were already established in the yard when I arrived on the scene in 2002. I planted a few myself, such as these pretty chrysanthemums. They're special because my dear friend, Mary Malone, gave them to me soon after we moved in. I planted them in the front yard, and they've been blooming each fall ever since!

Death of a milkweed...

Alas, yes, I must also report the sad failures in our Wildscape. The native butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) officially bit the dust this past week (left photo...you can't even see what's left because it's so DEAD) . We planted it late in the summer by the blue mistflowers. It seemed to do well at first, then it petered out. Darn.

Last year, we planted a butterfly weed with yellow blooms, and it didn't come back. The queen caterpillars sure loved it, though. This past spring, we planted a variety with red and orange flowers (also near the mistflowers), and it's doing pretty well. Hopefully, it'll come back next spring, but I doubt it.

We'll just keep trying!

Beautiful white glory

By the passionflower vines, James planted morning glory seeds last summer. The seeds sprouted fine and grew but didn't bloom. Until just last week or so. It's hard to snap pictures because the white flowers are high atop the wooden arbor James put up. Wish they were easier to see!

Wish list

The fall asters in our neighbors' yard across street have been blooming the past couple of weeks. So beautiful! Awhile ago, I strolled over with my camera to see what kinds of insects the flowers attract. Butterflies and bees, of course. In a split second, I caught a clouded sulphur skirmishing with a bee (below). Fortunately, neither one won.


James and I have talked about planting our own fall asters to add more fall colors. So I'm putting them on our wish list, along with agarita and/or possumhaw.

Gone to seed and other things

Gone to seed...that's what many plants are doing now. Like the heartleaf hibiscus (above and below).

(Click on the picture for a better view!)

And the blue mistflowers (above), which are attracting scores of queens and occasionally some monarchs...


The little native butterfly weed didn't bloom much its first season, but it is putting out seeds. I noticed some bugs hanging out on the plant and seed pods, which meant I had to stop and figure out what they were...


Would you believe...small mikweed bugs (Lygaeus kalmii)? Yep. Below is a phot of a group of nymphs, clinging to the inside of a seed pod.


Wondering what an adult looks like? Here's a good close up. And I found an interesting discussion on milkweed bugs here (there are two species–large and small) on a monarch website. Check it out! Hmm, should I knock mine off or let'em stay?

Street view

Here's our Pink House from the street. The (non-native) crape myrtle's in bright bloom. This also gives a good perspective of how really old and huge our live oaks are. The last squirrel baby that I rescued (see Aug. 23 entry) was up in the massive oak on the far right side.

This is primarily our "salvia" bed. A pretty heartleaf hibiscus lives on the far left side. We planted it last year, and it's doing really well.

The bougainvillea has taken OFF! It should bloom soon. I was so elated when it came back after we thought it might not survive being in the ground. I treasure this plant because a dear friend–Mark Malone, who died in 2003–and his mother, Mary, gave it to me after I moved into the Pink House in April 2002.

Here are some shots of our plentiful Salvia coccinea and lantanas. We love this bed. You can barely see the birdbath for the blooms.

Clouds of wings

This week, dozens and dozens of queens are visiting our blue mistflowers. Sometimes whenever I walk by, they lift and flutter, like a beautiful cloud. If I'm really quiet, I can even hear the soft sound of their wings beating. These photos can't even begin to capture the wonder of this sight. And when a monarch happens by, OH MY! They are even more lovely than the queens.

(Click on the photos for a better look.)

Sign of life

In our front yard, we attached our Texas Wildscape sign to a low black trellis. Every few days, we spot a resident anole perched on it. A day or two ago, she was shedding her papery skin. I snapped a photo or two before she scampered away into the nearby turk's cap.

This evening, I ran for my camera when I saw this praying mantis, also enjoying the view from our sign. They are just the coolest insects!


I still had my camera out when the sun back lit the cat whiskers in our back yard. As I was shooting, some kind of fly or bee zipped into the picture for a few frames. Nature is just so beautiful and wondrous.

James shot this pretty angle of the cat's whiskers....

Blessed rain....

Sapphire showers

We've had more than 2 inches of rain in the past week. Such a blessing! I took my camera outside a few times yesterday. While I was shooting closeups of the sapphire showers, a tiny jumping spider jumped on the blossoms. I snapped off two photos, and the above turned out the best. The spider only stayed on the flower a few seconds. So I was lucky to catch it at all!

In the evening, James spotted this load lounging in the Sanctuary, and I got a few photos. The water's muddy because the ox beetle shoved dirt from its hole in a pole near the plate. The toad didn't care!

In the soggy soil, we spotted some kind of tiny, round mushrooms.

Another mushroom? It's definitely not a "plant."

James transplanted the gold shrimp plant from the front to the back because hungry deer kept browsing on them. As you can see, they love their new location. As for the deer, recent rains have kept them at bay from our yard. We hope.