Notes to myself

This summer, I'm trying a tomato plant in a container. It's a 'Husky Red' variety, purchased at the Arnosky Farm.

Wildscape presentation

Photos by James Hearn

Last Wednesday, I presented my program, "Window on a Texas Wildscape," to about 20 nice folks at the Gem of the Hill Community Center here in Blanco. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did! Afterward, about eight people toured our gardens. The weather was perfect.

Madrone update

Our Texas madrone child (Arbutus xalapensis) turns two years old in the ground this week! She was gifted to us in March 2017 by Mike Prochoroff, who owns The Madrone Way nursery near Dripping Springs. I'd say she's quite happy in our Wildscape, wouldn't you say?

Bees of Central Texas

What a great resource! Bees of Central Texas

What rains can do

What can ample rains do? Send some plants into a growing frenzy, namely weedy ones like chickweed, field madder and bedstraw. ARGH! But take a look at these plants. Above, our blue elderberry, which we bought in October 2014, has taken off like gangbusters. For those first four years, I thought it just wasn't going to make it. It stayed at barely a foot high. Now look!

 Texas skeleton plant happy, happy, happy.

 Our standing winecup, which we bought last year at the Medina Garden Nursery, has turned into a MONSTER!

The pincushion daisies (fragrant gaillardia) have mushroomed, too. So far, this spring is amazing! Stay tuned for more to come.

New project in the Meadow

This past week, James created a "viewing area" in the Meadow. He'd been wanting to do this for a while. Now we're waiting for the wildflowers to take over so we can sit in the middle of them. We're going to have a wonderful stand of bluebonnets. 

First hummer March 10

This post is late in coming so it's mainly for my records. Plus, the photo is terrible. We were rushing for a camera when the black-chinned showed up at the feeder. Actually, we thought we'd seen and heard one the evening before. So I put up a feeder March 9. Yesterday (March 13) I saw our first male chase a second hummer. Time to put up an additional feeder!