Mostly bluebonnets

Our neighbor's first bluebonnets....

Bladderpod.....

Native plant sales this spring

Reprinted from the Native Plant Society of Texas

By Julie Allen

Searching for hard-to-find natives for that special spot in a garden bed? This time of year many Native Plant Society chapters sell plants to support their local projects. You can also find sales at botanical gardens and nature centers.

Now is a perfect time to add natives to your new or existing garden. We think you’ll enjoy seeing them in your landscape and watching the native pollinators return.

Here is a list of native plant sales coming up this spring that we know of.  

• March 15-16, March 22-23, Houston. Spring Native Plant Sale at Houston Arboretum.
• March 29, San Antonio. The San Antonio Chapter will be holding their annual Spring Sale this year at Phil Hardberger Park East.
• March 29, San Marcos. Wildflower Fiesta at San Marcos Nature Center.
• March 29, Beaumont Botanical Gardens. Beaumont Chapter will have a plant sale in conjunction with Beaumont Council of Garden Clubs.
• March 29, Burnet. Highland Lakes Master Gardeners Lawn & Garden Show. Highland Lakes Chapter will have a booth with lots of native plants including milkweeds.
• April 5, Boerne. Cibolo Nature Center Mostly Native Plant Sale. Boerne Chapter will be participating.
• April 5, Fort Worth Botanic Garden. North Central Chapter will have plants on sale.
• April 5, Flower Mound. Keep Flower Mound Beautiful Spring Trash-Off and Environmental Fair Trinity Forks Chapter will have a booth with over 1000 plants for sale.
• April 5, Nacogdoches. Spring Gala Plant Sale, Mast Arboretum.
• April 11-13, Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Our Austin Chapter and Williamson County Chapter will participate.
• April 12, Fredericksburg Marketplatz. Fredericksburg Chapter will have a sale in conjunction with the Fredericksburg Garden Club. Monarch booth with Cathy Downs.
• April 11-13, McKinney. Spring Plant Sale at Heard Museum. Collin County Chapter will have a booth.
• April 12-13, New Braunfels Folk Fest. Lindheimer Chapter will have a booth.
• April 12, Stephenville. Native and Heirloom Plant Fair, Stephenville Museum. Prairie Rose Chapter will have a booth there.
• April 26, Kerrville. Riverside Nature Center Native Plant Sale and Festival. Our Kerrville Chapter will have plants for sale.
• April 26, Seguin. Earth Day Celebration. Guadalupe County will include plant sales in our booth as part of the Earth Day celebration.
• April 26, Weatherford Blooms Festival. Cross Timbers Chapter will have a booth across from the courthouse square in Weatherford with plants for sale and other activities.
• April 26-27, Dallas. Texas Discovery Gardens Butterfly Plants Sale.
• April 26, El Paso. Flora Fest at University of Texas El Paso.
• May 3, Dallas.  Native plant sale and speakers at Love Our Native Plants and Prairies Day at White Rock Lake. Our Dallas Chapter will be there.

Yellow yellow yellow

Golden groundsel

Our agarita

Four-nerve daisy

Same golden groundsel

Same groundsel

Gourds up and ready for purple martins

Yesterday, James spent several hours, working on our two natural gourds. He drilled out entrances and drain holes. 

Then I emptied out the seeds. There were SCADS of seeds! (Maybe we'll try planting some.) 

Next James put on a coat of white exterior latex paint. Plus two more coats. 

This afternoon, we hung them up! Now if YOU were a purple martin, wouldn't you be impressed with our new housing opportunities? We are!

Now we just have to wait and see. But we're betting someone notices and moves in. Last year, our martin couple moved in about mid April.

First hummer!

James just spotted our first hummingbird of the season! I missed it–a male black chinned. We put up a feeder last Sunday. Welcome back!

Gourds!

Aren't they cool? I've been chatting with Tim in Alabama, who's hosted purple martins since he was NINE YEARS OLD! He suggested that we try using gourds this spring and nearly guaranteed that we'll get martins with them. So I ordered two from Front Porch Crafts (gourdgrower5 on eBay) in Horse Cave, Kentucky. We'll paint them white and drill entrance holes. Stay tuned!

Lost Ladybug Project

Harmonia axyridis, the multicolored Asian ladybug. Photographed Feb. 23, 2014, found inside our house and contributed to the ongoing Lost Ladybug Project at Cornell University.