Well, okay, stay, lantana

See the new growth coming up?

Back in January 2012, I declared that a Lantana camara in our Wildscape had to go. That's because they're not a true Texas native, and some biologists consider them to be invasive. This particular lantana bush (which produces pink and yellow blooms) already lived in our back yard before I moved into the house in April 2002. 

So anyway, I hacked and hacked on it in 2012. But it came back and has continued to return each spring since then. So, okay, you go ahead and stay, Lantana camara. I haven't really seen any new ones. If I do, they're the native Lantana urticoides with orange flowers. 

What's happenin'

Yay, I'm nearly done pruning in all the gardens. This afternoon, I was in the front yard, pruning and pulling, when I happened to glance down...oh, time to go fetch my camera! Can you find what I spotted in the photo above? (Answer at the bottom on this post.)

Our poor woolly butterfly bush still hangs on (sorry for the bad photo). We planted it in May 2009. I went ahead and pruned it some just to see what happens.

I'm always happy to see one of my favorite Blanco County species return for spring––snapdragon vine.

My antelope horns are coming back up!

 So is my zizotes milkweed!

I've gotten a patch of narrowleaf blue-eyed grass started in the back yard. Such pretty little flowers.

And then there's the management problem that comes with gardens, native or not. I love chile pequin, but soon you have young'uns sprouting up everywhere. So I've been yanking those along with white mistflowers and pearl milkweeds. 

Look who's still living our our back porch screened door! My thread-legged bug friend! I check on him/her every night. 

 Found this pretty moth (ID to come) the other day.  

Back to management problems. Like when you don't have enough of a host plant to feed hungry mouths. Right now, pipevine swallowtail moms are out in full force, laying eggs (above) on our non-native pipevines! It won't be long before they eat up (see the tiny larvae below?) what's there. 

 The Mexican buckeye flowers are lovely, too.

What I spotted: a white-lined sphinx moth!

First hummer!

I thought I heard a hummingbird this afternoon. So I made a small batch of sugar water. Half an hour after I hung two feeders, a male black-chinned showed up! Welcome back! 

Thank you for shooting the video, James! I do apologize for my abrupt exclamation at the end......I didn't realize he was filming.

What's up in our Wildscape

Peach tree

So I finally went outside with my big camera and got some shots of what's blooming right now. And it's a lot...

Tenpetal anemone

Yellow honeysuckle

Pink mint

Golden groundsel (can you find the snowberry clearwing moth?)

Skipper

Rosemary

Crossvine

Spiderwort

Coral honeysuckle

Oxalis

Texas nightshade

Salvias!

AND IF YOU SPOT ONE OF THESE (BELOW), PULL IT! KILL IT! FORBID IT IN YOUR GARDENS! 

THIS IS MALTA STAR- THISTLE, A DASTARDLY INVASIVE!

Springing into spring

Look! The golden groundsel is blooming! So pretty! We've had a couple of good rains this month so hopefully it's going to be a beautiful spring.

 Our daffodils took a beating from last night's rains.

Since the weather turned pretty this afternoon and I felt better (James and I for the past week had variations of the flu that's going around), I tackled more pruning jobs in the yard. James mowed my debris piles. I figure I'll prune as I can when the weather's nice, and I'm able. And oh, James took down the wooden arbor that had been covered with passionflower vines and stood over the concrete bench (above). The wood was rotting. Bummer.

Purple martin chapter done

Heavy sigh. It's true. My years of trying to attract purple martins and start a colony have officially ended. We bought the three-story house in 2009 to celebrate my big 50th birthday. Finally, a pair built a nest in May 2013 and laid FOUR EGGS! I was so excited. Right before they should have hatched, the eggs vanished, likely the victims of a rat snake (yes, we had a predator guard up). I was devastated. In 2014 and 2015, we added gourds to the house, hoping that would attract new martins. Nada. Last year, I didn't bother to put up the house. Between fighting sparrows and not seeing much martin interest, I gave up. My heart wasn't in it any more.

Today, James and I met the new owner of my purple martin house (yes, I sold everything). Michelle, who's had martins before and owns Red Sun Landscape Design, said she'd keep me updated and send photos when she gets martins. That'd be so wonderful to see the house full and busy with happy purple martins! I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for you, Michelle! Good luck!

Welcome, spring?

Gulf fritillary on last of quince blooms

Hi! Remember me? It's been a while since I've blogged. Typically, I go into hiding when the temps drop and the sun disappears. But lately, we've had a few nice days, and I've ventured outside to begin my pruning tasks. This afternoon, it's 84 degrees out there! Welcome to spring in Texas! It could be blustery and cold one day, and the exact opposite in 24 hours. 

Speaking of spring, it's begun for sure..... 

Tenpetal anemone

First daffodil!

Maximilian sunflower stems need my attention

Rusty blackhaw viburnum leafing out!

American robin

Fragrant mistflower needy, too.

I've tackled most of the inland sea oats.

Mexican hats ready to get growing!