Elderberry dilemma

In October 2014, we planted a blue elderberry that we bought from the native plant sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For the first four years, it grew very little. I didn't know if it'd survive. Then last spring, generous rains made it grow grow GROW. Wow! 

Since March 2019, it kept going and SHOT UP. So much that recent breezes and winds sent it topping DOWN. I picked it back up and braced it as best I could, using a tomato cage. I added more topsoil, too. But it fell back down. Yesterday, James brought over two big rocks and tied the elderberry to them. We shall see. I'm wondering if it'd be okay to top it off because it's so darn leggy. Any thoughts out there?

Notes to myself

This year, James pruned back the trumpet creeper vines. He cut them back hard. I'm usually more lenient. I'd like to see if there's any difference with their grow-back.

And this afternoon, I made the executive decision to cut back the Texas barberry. We purchased that in April 2013 from the Medina Garden Nursery. It'd gotten tall and leggy. Here's hoping it turns a bit more shrubby.

Owl box occupied!

We were showing my cousins and mother around the back yard Saturday when James exclaimed, "Look, an owl!" Everyone jerked their heads up and sure enough, an eastern screech owl stared down at us. James was able to get two photos, then he/she dropped down. We've seen the owl once more since Saturday.

Last owl box has been up since May 2008. It was our first Owl Shack, built by Cliff Shackelford. We had an owl that roosted but no babies. That September, we put up a second box. The next May, we had owlets! It was so fun, especially when James did his owl rapping. But that was it. No more baby owls after that. That box needs some floor repairs. Which is probably why our "new" owl is roosting in the original box. Stay tuned!

First fox

Today we sat down for lunch today at our dining table. We face windows that look out to the back  yard. A minute or so later, I glimpsed a tail behind the inland sea oats. My first thought was What's Ms. Atlas doing in our BACK yard? Atlas is a cat. Then I got a better look. "James, there's a fox in the yard!"

I ran for my digital camera and did the best I could at grabbing photos through windows. We were careful not to make any noises. I didn't want to startle the fox because I wanted to watch her/his behavior. We knew we had foxes in our neighborhood because we've both seen them and captured pictures of them on James' game camera.

They are such beautiful animals.

The fox meandered back across our yard. Then it jumped into one of our huge live oaks (photo below). It climbed along some limbs, then went back down to the ground. While we watched through the dining room window, the fox climbed onto the chain-link fence in a far corner,  jumped down to the other side and headed toward the woods.

Mexican honey wasps on CTG

Greetings, everyone! I haven't posted much the past several months because I've stuck indoors. Winter is my time off in the gardens. But here come the daffodils and buds buds buds! It's nearly time to get back to work outside. 

In the meantime, producer Linda Lehmusvirta with Central Texas Gardener let me know that Daphne Richards plugged my blog and shared a  January 2018 post about Mexican honey wasps. The episode, "Invasive Species Dilemma," airs this weekend. How awesome is that? Thanks, y'all!

Blog: "Invasive Species Dilemma," February 6, 2020 

YouTube: Central Texas Gardener

Full episode: The Show

First daffodil February 1!

Spring has sprung!

Stock tank prep

Disclaimer: This post is mainly for my own records. I never can remember what I do for winter prepping our stock tank. I know I lower most of the plants to the bottom. But this time, I also cut them back (hence the pile of cut foliage at the bottom of the photo above)–the lemon bacopa, parrotfeather and horsetail rush. I set the rush midway down in the pond on a cement block. 

My poor dwarf waterlily is struggling to survive. Something kept digging into it during the summer. Likely those darn leopard frogs. Sigh....I'm getting to be outnumbered. Between them, the fire ants that keep moving into my potted plants and the deer that have figured out how to jump our backyard fence, I think I'm doomed.