September 2009 Archives

First of all, let me send out a big high-five to all of this year's Blotanical winners and a big thank you to everyone who voted for my little Texan blog. You seriously warmed my heart, and I'm a very happy blogger. It was great fun, and I'm thrilled to have been able to vote for some incredibly awesome blogs out there! And big kudos to Stuart for making Blotanical such a great community and resource.

Now then... I need help! Back in the wild portion of my backyard, I've got a pretty little plant growing and I don't know what it is. And by pretty, I recognize that it's probably not a Texas native (oh, I'm kidding -- you KNOW I think all our natives are pretty -- this one just looks quite out of place -- exotic). I'm giving it my infamous wary eye, as in "you sure are lovely, but if you are here because you are an invasive, you picked the wrong yard to be in."

I've been waiting and waiting to get a decent picture of an open bloom, but they're refusing to do more than stay in a crumpled state. So I stopped waiting and got the camera. It looks like it's some sort of pink honeysuckle, but the leaves look a little different from the pictures of honeysuckle I looked at online. It's growing as a shrub.

Here I opened up a bloom, and it's just got to be a honeysuckle. Can anyone tell me the plant name and possibly variety? EDIT: The verdict is in, and it's a Four O'Clock (Mirabilis multiflora)-- thank you to everyone who identified it for me.

I saw a little native bee trying to figure out how to get into the blooms, but they wouldn't even budge for him.

EDIT: Upon further inspection, four o'clocks might not be Texas natives but it's distributed throughout the state and considered native to U.S. I'm going to let it do its thing, until something or someone persuades me to pull it. And the blooms finally opened -- here's a nighttime picture (sorry for the horrible flash; I ran out in the dark while trying to unload groceries). They certainly didn't open at 4 o'clock!

Were you expecting Cinderella?

It's almost October, little pumpkin. Leave the castle on time or you'll turn back into... a pumpkin! Well, that's not so bad I guess.

Remember the pumpkin growing in the dead tree? What's wrong with this picture?

It really looks like this now.

The pumpkin totally took that tree down. The remaining root ball was pulled out of the ground.

 I guess I'm back to calling this my pumpkin army!

And my husband and I are now grandparents. Our son has his first tiny bell peppers growing.

They are so cute and little! Do red and yellow ones start out green, or will this one stay green? Even so, I don't think I'm ready to be a grandmother. It's probably not polite to eat your grandchildren. Can I be a fairy godmother instead? I have pumpkins at the ready! I'd be Cinderella, but I already have my Prince Charming.

It took longer than I had planned (doesn't everything), but the bird bath is finished! Well, it's got another day to cure before I put water in, so maybe it's not technically finished, but close enough for pictures! Here's the After Bird Bath.

I apologize for the darkness of the photos -- there's a thunderstorm brewing out there. I'm crossing my fingers for rain, even though the bird bath hasn't finished curing. I might go out and put a temporary cover on it just in case.

Here's the Before Bird Bath. We got this for free from someone on Craigslist. It had cracks in the top, was ugly, and was barely functional.

During a recent rainy week, my exterior painting got put back on hold, so I decided it was a good time to make the bird bath prettier. And because life likes to play its little jokes, the top part broke into three pieces when we moved it indoors, adding another day's delay in getting started on the main project.

I searched for a non-toxic adhesive that was strong enough for concrete and found JB Weld Cold Weld Compound. I spoke to a person at the company to make sure it was the best choice for repairing a birdbath, and she was confident that it was safe enough for my feathered friends and strong enough to hold the heavy concrete together. So I glued the pieces back together, and I'm pretty certain that if the bird bath breaks again, it won't be in those glued cracks, but elsewhere in the concrete.

For the pieces, I spent several days scouring the local Goodwill outlet for colorful plates I could break. What I learned while breaking them was that some plates are just too thick and porous to be useful, so in the future I will be more selective in my choices. I originally was going for color, but then later I started going for a certain thickness. Ideally all the pieces would be similar thickness, but I had to work with what was available.

I used a hammer to break the dishes in an old towel (with safety goggles on). The towel keeps the pieces contained. I kept tile cutters on hand in case I need them to trim a piece. But mostly I used the hammer.

Then came time to adhere the pieces to the bird bath. I did my best to research what materials to use, but there's a lot of conflicting information out there. Ultimately I decided to use thinset to adhere the mosaic pieces to the concrete. I chose Versabond because it was readily available and says that it's appropriate for outdoor use, but some people said they don't like it. So time will tell. Wear a dust mask when mixing this product, due to the cement dust. Follow the bag instructions -- the goop will be thick like peanut butter.

Depending on the area, I used a putty knife, a plastic knife, or my gloved fingers to spread on the thinset, then placed the mosaic pieces at random, working in small sections at a time. Other times I backbuttered the pieces (spread thinset directly on the back of the mosaic piece) so they would stick better. The downside to using thinset is that it sometimes would be thick between the pieces (where the grout also needed to be), but I tried to pay attention and make sure that the thinset wasn't too high up.

This process took a couple of days. It's a lot of work making something look random! Also, I ran out of thinset toward the end and had to buy more. Should have bought the big 25-lb bag.

I don't have pictures of the grouting process, because I didn't want the camera near the mess, and I was mostly alone when I worked on this project. But I chose a sanded grout, though again I did my research. I ruled out using more of the thinset as grout.

When mixing the grout (again, with mask), the texture of the goop is different -- it will be less thick and wet than the thinset was, and it will be more gritty. Follow the instructions on the container, then smear it into the crevices between the pieces. After the recommended number of minutes, take a damp sponge and begin to clean up the pieces -- the grout will become smoother between the pieces. I had to do this several times as I went along, and then, grumble, I ran out of grout (right toward the end again) and had to rush to the store to get more. Should have bought two boxes from the get-go. The grout is a messy process, but it's very rewarding when you see the finished look.

To seal or not to seal? I searched and searched for information, but the gist of it is that grout sealers are almost all toxic and will break down over time when in water. Since this is for a bird bath, bird health is my main concern, so at the moment I have not sealed the bird bath. I found only one sealant that is considered semi non-toxic, but the woman I spoke to at the company said that it will break down in water over time. A woman at a grout company said she didn't think I should seal it at all. I'm going to read more, but I'm erring on the side of caution for my birds.

The After Bird Bath is outside near a yaupon and a window. The birds can enjoy a safe spot for splashing, and I can enjoy watching the birds. And now I get to choose plants to grow at the base! Nothing too big, so cats won't hide nearby.

While I was working on the bird bath inside the house, my cat kept wanting to lay in the top and dream of catching birds, as if I built this for her. Wrong, Tooga!

Here's a general list of materials I used:

Concrete bird bath

(JB Weld for repair if needed)

Versabond

Bucket and tool for mixing

Putty knife and/or other knife for spreading

Sanded grout (when pieces are more than 1/4 in. apart)

Hammer

Old towel

Dishes to break, or tile pieces

Tile cutters if necessary

Water for mixing and cleaning up

Sponge (not too big)

Rags or cheesecloth for buffing

Safety goggles

Dust mask

Rubber gloves

Paper towels for handy clean-up

It was a long project, but we love the results. Hopefully the birds will, too!

To all of the finalists for this year's Blotanical Awards, congratulations on your nominations and the best of luck in the voting ahead! And I'd like to extend my heartfelt thanks to those who nominated me for Best Blog Design and Best Texas Blog. My gardening experience this year wouldn't have been the same without all the wonderful garden bloggers I've met through Blotanical, and the same is true for my garden blog. You are all the best in my book. Thank you.  

Didn't sleep well last night, had to drop a kid off at school at 7am, car broke in the bus lane at school (fortunately I got moving before the buses arrived), $700 repair fee at the dealer, forgot to get my husband to move the heavy birdbath so I could grout it, my dogs are wreaking havoc on my garden, and aphids are wreaking havoc on my plants. BUT.. other than that it's a fine day.

Look what I discovered this morning! Know what these are? I just learned what they are at a lecture by a local entomologist last night, and lo and behold I found some in my garden the very next day. Life works in funny ways, doesn't it?

These are the eggs of green lacewings. As larvae, they are voracious aphid eaters. Yay, another ally in the garden! I need them because the aphids are worse than ever. I seem to have least three species now --- I'll call them green, yellow, and beige. The green I'm sure are corn leaf aphids. I have got to get out and tackle them TODAY. My veggies, my milkweed, and now my firebush plant are all having an aphid problem. The little pests took advantage of my time away from the garden during the rainy week and bred like rabbits. I'm starting to think that it's the other way around, and rabbits breed like aphids. Today I'm seeing wings on some. Gah, more colonization!

So I've got new lacewings arriving soon, and of course I've got ladybugs. More spiders are arriving, as are earthworms. The bees are getting plentiful, and I don't even have to do the veggie porn thing to pollinate my plants anymore. I truly love the way nature just naturally (ha) balances its ecosystems. Got organic wastes? Happy earthworms move in. Got flowers? Let's pollinate. Overpopulation of something? Here come the predators. And here come the predators to eat the other predators. Oh look, birdie treats. And then snakes. And hawks. Whee, life is grand.

I call these my bees because I'm so fond of them, but of course they are wild. They get a little drunk-like in their flying when they are heavily loaded with pollen -- it's fun to watch. The pumpkin flowers were all abuzz this morning with bees about, and as I took pictures, I realized that there was some hostility going on. It seems at least one other colony has found our garden, and apparently different bee colonies don't play nicely with others.

Know what else I learned from the entomologist? Feral honeybees in Texas and other states of the Southwest have all been Africanized in some way. Only beekeepers are able to keep sound European colonies because of their control of the queens.

FYI, in case I've scared anyone, bees in your garden are not a threat -- don't rush out and kill them, please! They are not in stinging mode when they are out pollinating -- that's quite counter-productive to their hive's needs. Africanized honeybees, or any bees really, are a danger only when you threaten their hive (allergies aside), and apparently they'll give a warning by buzzing around your head or actually bonking you on the head, believe it or not. If you find yourself near a wild hive, RUN -- don't walk away. Like fire ants, the Africanized honeybees give word to others in their colony by pheromones, and you need to put immediate distance (at least 200 yards) between you and the hive. Other than their defensiveness in protecting their hive, Africanized bees are not really any different from other bees. And actually there have been positive changes in their aggressiveness, too, depending on factors of colony age and breeding with European bees. It's all good. No worries. As with anything, just be aware, not necessarily beware. Ooh, I like that.

By the way, have you hugged a beekeeper today? Not only do they raise pollinators and help with honey production, they are helping tremendously by keeping domestic European bee colonies intact, as well as helping breed gentler stocks of Africanized bees by culling out aggressive queens. Hug!

Thanks to my bees, I have several pumpkins growing. One is approaching the size of a soccer ball now (it's been a week since I discovered female buds in bloom). Another is growing in the dead tree. And more are scattered here and there -- finding them is like going on an Easter Egg hunt. There's one! There's another one! Again, how I love nature.

With the rain this week, the yard is a big mudfest for the dogs, and they took advantage of it -- digging where they shouldn't, trampling through the butterfly garden, and taking turns leaping over the pumpkin vines. I'm out there yelling, "This is not your playground!" And then I realized my neighbor must think I'm nuts, because of course it IS their playground. If I can manage it, I'll try to get a picture of the husky leaping in full gallop over the massive pumpkin plants (in between my yelling at him, of course). It really is a sight to behold. 

I've been posting so much on Texas habitats that I realized today how much I miss blogging about my garden -- after all, it's my baby. But soon, soon -- for now I have one more Austin locale to share.

A bit of history -- for many years, Austin's airport resided fairly close to downtown; it was the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. It closed in 1999 with the opening of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and the old airport sat untouched for many years. Today it has been replaced with a new community, including shops, homes, and parks, and it is home to the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. Of course, this is a commercial development (Mueller), so I'm not going to chat it up too much, but I'd like to say that I appreciate what I saw in my visit to the demonstration garden last weekend (yes, along with Hornsby Bend and Rockport -- I told you it was a busy weekend!).

Basically, the concepts are simple -- think green and sustainability. Builders and developers are making use of recycling, solar energy, native plants, high numbers of trees in parking lots, commuter service, bike paths, and more. In partnership with the Wildflower Center, large areas have been preserved as natural habitats, and homeowners are encouraged to plant native plants, educated with beautiful and/or wild examples shown in the community's demonstration garden, prairies, and ponds.

Enjoy the tour, a bit of a zoom-in/zoom-out look!

Damianita and Prickly Pear...

Gregg's Dalea... Prickly Pear, Lindheimer's Muhly, Salvia, Lindheimer Senna...

Lindheimer Senna...

Flame Acanthus, Lindheimer Senna, Salvia

  I fell in love with this mixture of Salvia greggii colors.

  Inland Sea Oats in front of American Beautyberry...

Walkway under Desert Willows...

A view of the three ponds, surrounded by native grasses...

 One of the grassland prairies... 

Among the walkways in the demonstration gardens, native plants are all sorted and identified in lists, and the plant species are far more numerous than I've shown in these photos -- this is just a sampling. In addition, there are signs that teach about certain aspects of native gardening. What an excellent way to educate residents and visitors about plants they might like to grow!

Given that this area was once an airport and was destined for development of some kind, it is nice to see such strides toward thoughtful, green building and the restoration of native plants in place of the parking lots and runways I remember.

Last weekend was a busy wildlife weekend for me. Just before zooming down to the Rockport Hummer/Bird Festival, I visited another bird paradise much closer to home. I almost didn't post about it, simply because it was difficult to capture pictures of the birds without a zoom lens, and due to circumstances mentioned below, the migrant birds were relatively few. But this wildlife habitat, the lands and waters of Hornsby Bend, is so remarkable that I wanted to draw attention to it, especially for anyone in central Texas or visitors to the area. Birding binoculars are highly recommended!

Hornsby Bend is an area along a "bend" of the Colorado River, southeast of Austin, Texas, near the airport. Once home to dense forests and thickets, a man named Reuben Hornsby settled there in 1832, clearing the land for agricultural uses. Today it is home to the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, which deals with -- yes, that's right -- our city's poop. But this is a particularly good thing, because the Hornsby Bend plant combines the treated solid wastes with residential yard trimmings (picked up curbside) to make Dillo Dirt -- a nutrient-rich compost. The plant also houses the AWU Center for Environmental Research, which studies urban ecology and sustainability.

But Hornsby Bend is so much more -- 1,200 acres of marshes, woodlands, pastures, and riparian (river) areas. Because of the incredible biodiversity along the food chain and its multiple habitats, it has become known nationally as one of the best birdwatching sites in Texas, especially during times of migration. More than 360 species of birds have been sighted at Hornsby Bend. Migratory shorebirds, wading birds, and landbirds, some from the Arctic or from the southern tip of South America, stop at the ponds of Hornsby Bend as they travel to and from their winter habitats.

Though Hornsby Bend is best known for its birds, the native plants along the shores of the ponds and river provide excellent butterfly and dragonfly viewing as well.

Members of Travis Audubon and other organizations survey the birds and other wildlife frequently year-round, but the peak months to view migrating birds are August and September, with wintering birds arriving in October through December. March and April are the peak months for spring migration.

Due to recent rains in Central Texas, the normal shorelines of the lagoons were underwater, so during my visit to Hornsby for Habitat Steward Training, there were very few migrating shorebirds, despite it being a peak month for migration through the area. Audubon viewers did note 57 different species that day, however, including various grebes, kingfishers, vireos, hawks, egrets, swallows, orioles, and many, many more. But with the cold front incoming this week, the birders at Hornsby said that many other species would be arriving, and they expected local birdwatchers to flock to the ponds (pun intended) for species viewing. Our group did see many barn swallows enjoying the insects near the ponds, and several duck species.

Near the wet grounds by the compost, many least sandpipers and other species scooted about for insects.

And humans studied them from afar.

The wooded areas along the river provided opportunities to see tree-perching birds. A quiet walk along the paths allowed us to listen to the beautiful songs of many a bird, including the white-eyed vireo.   

Another treatment area, these long greenhouses will also provide winter shelter to area birds. A red-shouldered hawk reportedly has hunted in there, in fact.

  Near the main building at Hornsby Bend, viewers can enjoy butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife visiting the demonstration habitat. Hummingbirds are particularly fond of the thriving Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea) among the many plants in the gardens.

 And there are purple martins, too, though they are absent in September.

A few words about Dillo Dirt. The Dillo Dirt program was created in 1989, the first such program in the state of Texas, and one of the oldest in the nation. The natural process of creating this compost produces temperatures up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, which kills human and plant pathogens. The compost is further cured and screened before becoming the final Dillo Dirt product. Rather than wastes filling a landfill or being dumped into rivers, this incredibly beneficial compost returns organic material to the soils of Austin yards, pastures, golf courses, and other landscapes. 

Back at the main building, the Habitat Steward Trainees listened to three speakers. The knowledge I gained this day was tremendous, from the history of the soil in the Austin area to the how's and whys of organic matter, and from butterflies of Central Texas to urban wildlife, such as coyotes and raccoons. A great day, and a great place to visit.           

When the fall migration of hummingbirds begins, many people all over North America feel sad that their little friends will be absent from their gardens for a few months. But down south, the mass migration results in opposite, delighted feelings for the dedicated residents of Rockport and Fulton, Texas. To them, fall migration along the Central Flyway means that the little buzzing flyers will make one more major pitstop in the tiny coastal towns to rest and refuel before beginning their 500-mile flight nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico toward their winter habitats.

(A word about these photographs -- try to find all the hummingbirds in each photo. Some of them are sneaky! Look for the vibrant throat colors to distinguish the males from the females.)

The town of Rockport is so enamoured with their feathered visitors that many years ago they began an annual event, the Rockport Hummer/Bird Festival, held each September unless a hurricane shows up and causes a cancellation (like Ike in 2008). This year was our first time attending the festival, and it was quite a relaxing, pleasant day (with an exception, noted farther down in this post). The event included many speakers and vendors, but the highlights were the hummingbirds themselves, and many kind Rockport residents opened their yards to festival visitors for hummingbird viewing. This year there were 25-homes on a self-guided tour, and for a fee, visitors could take a guided bus tour to many other private homes and grasslands areas.

A birdwatching festival is quite interesting and different from the perspective of one who's been to all sorts of festivals, from family-filled celebrations of peaches to flowers, to Renaissance times, to chaotic state fairs. For one thing, it's very quiet, as it should be if one hopes to observe the little birds without scaring them away. And another is that birdwatchers, while all ages, boast a higher percentage of an older crowd. My boys were two of the four children I saw at the festival, though to be honest we were there only on the last day of the event.

Rockport isn't just about hummingbirds -- hundreds of species of birds are year-round residents or migratory passers-through, and birdwatchers excitedly converge with binoculars in hand to enjoy the sheer numbers and to hopefully catch a glimpse of a rare species. At any given home on the hummingbird tours, there might be as many as 100 or more hummingbirds zooming about the feeders.

To help attract the birds, the town encourages residents to plant bushes and vines that are hummingbird favorites. There are a lot of Esperanza, for example. And there are other native plants, such as sunflowers and this pokeweed, that are enjoyed by other birds. If you look closely, you can see a remaining berry or two -- the plants have been well-stripped by visiting birdies.

Along the self-guided tour, I felt drawn to those homes with wildscapes -- native, flowering plants and small or large ponds helped draw in the wildlife. Of course, they had many a hummingbird feeder as well. At one home, my son counted 19 feeders, just in the backyard.

  But there were a variety of landscapes on the tour, and there was even a school garden, planted and maintained by students and teachers. 

Experienced birders would sometimes call out when they spotted a particular species or another type of bird, such as an oriole. And we saw a beautiful Great Blue Heron, a Great Egret, and a large duck family, among other birds, scouring residential ponds for food.

At the festival, we enjoyed learning about the art of feeding hummingbirds from expert Sheri Williamson, author of an excellent field guide called Hummingbirds of North America. Sheri also went with a few of us to select homes on the tour, and it was wonderful to have a hummingbird expert on site to describe features and behavior of the hummingbirds and to answer any questions, of which it's just possible that I might have had one or two... or three.

It was thoroughly entertaining watching the antics of the territorial hummingbirds. Their behavior is different at migration time -- because the birds need to build up their energy stores, there is more willingness for many, but not all, of the birds to share a feeder from time to time. Despite the many feeders about a yard, the hummingbirds might swarm a particular feeder, as if they think that because others are that feeder, it must be good food. But territoriality is hard to resist sometimes, especially for the males. The vibrant color of the throats of the male birds was impressive, though Sheri said that these feathers are post-mating season, and thus less vibrant than at other times. Pretty cool. 

Sometimes the camera captured behavior my eye didn't notice at the time. In the photo below, you can see two males squabbling, while another bird moves in to get some nectar.

The majority of the hummingbirds that pass through Rockport are ruby-throated hummingbirds, but several species have been sighted, and in all more than 500 species of birds have been documented.

There was another creature that threatened to bring downfall to the festival this year, the heat-seeking, blood-sucking, mass-attacking mosquito. It was unbelievable the numbers of mosquitoes everywhere, and they swarmed every person by the hundreds. The mosquitoes were so bad at the very first house we stopped at that, that our hummingbird viewing would have come to an end before it started if we hadn't decided to just go ahead and use some loaned icky chemical spray that I would never touch at home. But we were having to do a ridiculous and constant "Mosquito-Slapping Dance" until we finally used the spray, and if a green person is going to that extreme, you know it's bad.

After using the spray, we could actually focus on the hummingbirds, until we went tried to get back in the car. This act required particularly quick moves and skill to minimize the number of mosquitoes that joined us in the vehicle -- they hovered around the nice warm car until we showed up and opened the door, thinking we wanted them to join us inside. At one house at least fifty mosquitoes flew into the car, and we couldn't get them out until we were on the highway and could roll the windows down enough to send them out, if we didn't manage to smush them first. Note to self -- avoid coast just after the first fall rain, haha.

I have a much more disgusting picture of a mosquito, but I decided it wasn't nice to share it on a garden blog, so I think I'll gross out family members on the family blog instead.

Rockport itself is an interesting coastal village. Near the water, the strong ocean winds have shaped the oak trees into quite the odd shapes. You can tell that salt and drought have taken their toll on the health of those trees.

  Outside of Moon Dog, where we had lunch, a lone pelican rested peacefully. It was quite the contrast to the zooming hummingbirds at the inland homes. 

Back at the festival mall, we enjoyed visiting the vendor booths, but my grand plans to buy a couple of hummingbird feeders fell through -- after looking around, I decided to stick with my favorite brand, HummZingers, but they didn't have any there. I did get Sheri Williamson's field guide, though. There were many jewelry, art, and other vendors, but we were looking for something that just "spoke to us," as my husband put it. So we bought a buzzard, because that's what one really goes to a hummingbird festival for, right? But even my husband wanted this buzzard -- its head bobbles a bit in the wind.

We'll stick it somewhere particularly ominous for visitors passing by. 

Due to some exciting goings on, my next few posts will be bird-related, so I thought I best put out a veggie garden update. But first I want to share some thrilling butterfly news -- the Monarchs, Queens, Swallowtails, and Gulf Fritillaries, among others, have finally returned to the garden! You can believe I'll be out there with my camera. I did manage to capture a picture of my first Gray Hairstreak butterfly. I was happy to see her on the Blackfoot Daisies -- those flowers are often ignored by the bigger butterflies, who go straight for the Lantana or Mistflower. I read that Gray Hairstreak caterpillars will eat bean plants. Oh well, guess I'll share.

But back to the "farm."

The cantaloupe experiment has finally come to an end, and it's report time. It's kind of sad, really. My beautiful cantaloupe plants finally succumbed to the aphids, which had become so abundant (despite the ladybugs) that their sticky "honeydew" residue, combined with the rains from last week, had led to a nasty sooty mold problem.

After several days of wondering whether to let my cantaloupes keep trying to ripen, I decided to go ahead and pull the plug. My big one just kept growing but never sweetening, and the shapes of the other two medium-ones led me to believe that I was, in fact, growing a hybrid. I suspected as much, but I decided to enjoy the process anyway.

  The big cantaloupe, cut open, actually did look like a cantaloupe. I opted not to take a bite, but I did lick a piece. Yuck... as I suspected. Though I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, I do consider the experiment a success. Growing the cantaloupes got me excited about my first veggie garden, led to my first raised beds with trellises, and really helped me get a headstart on the veggie learning curve. I did learn a lot, and I got hooked on growing edibles. Plus, one can't beat the excitement of finding out that your plant is actually growing fruit (even if it's weird hybrid fruit). I don't consider the cantaloupes my first official harvest, mind you. They were an experiment, especially after I found out that seeds from store-bought cantaloupes should not be used, no matter how much fun it might be.

So I began the process of cutting up the fruit for the compost bin. By the way, ever wonder what the inside of a young cantaloupe looks like? Pretty cool.

Removing the icky plants from the trellis was NO fun. During the process I realized why many garden bloggers opt only to show their beautiful harvests instead of what might be a failure -- it's depressing. I was out there quite grateful that my camera was nowhere near the sooty mold, and while I felt partially obligated to show the whole miserable trellis, I just wanted to get that cantaloupe and all the thousands of aphids into the trash and as far away from my sugar pumpkin plants ASAP. I didn't even want the plants to go into the compost, they were so gross.

A closer inspection of the sugar pumpkin plants showed that the aphids are starting to move over, and I plan to attack them better. I was happy to find several ladybug nymphs -- hurray for my aphid-fighting allies!

But all is well, and I'm looking forward. The sugar pumpkins are the biggest things I've ever seen. They are growing up and over and out from the raised garden bed.

I FINALLY had a blooming female bud on a sugar pumpkin, and hopefully I helped it pollinate in time. Cross your fingers! There will be more, and I must be on the lookout. There were two blooming females on the jack-o-lantern pumpkins, but I doubt they'll be big enough for carving by Halloween. At least they opened, and I did the pumpkin porn thing to help things along -- I didn't have time to watch to see whether the bees were doing their job!

The jack-o-lantern pumpkins have begun their spread into the perennial garden, so I have to monitor them. One is even taking advantage of the dead Mexican redbud. It's nice to see green on the redbud again, poor thing.  ;)    It's scheduled for fall replacement.

The corn is growing, though I've found a couple of worms hiding out in the leaf niches. I'm trying to watch for more, but they seem to sneak in when the gardener's not looking. I've also got young beans, zucchini, and snap peas growing, as well as tiny kohlrabi, carrots, lettuce and spinach seedlings.

This morning I found some strawberry plants at Natural Gardener. These are "Seascape" strawberries, and when more varieties arrive, I'll try to get some for comparison. I'm eager for strawberry success!

And another exciting find at Natural Gardener -- I finally got a gargoyle. They arrived this morning, and the staff seemed as excited as I was. Apparently they don't usually have gargoyles. He's a little guy, but his protective watch over our garden is sure to drive away all pests. Right?

Maybe he can tell me what to do about this Green June Beetle. I found it on one of my pumpkin plants. I see beetle grubs in the soil all the time. I believe they qualify as a minor pest, but I'm not sure. The beetle is pretty, as far as beetles go. Underneath is a pretty, shiny coppery surface. It's still alive, but in a jar, until I decide whether it should stay or go. I don't care about damage to turf, as I have none worth saving, but I don't want damage to other plants and fruit.

Meet the Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans), a common spider in Texas and Mexico. It surprised me when I was out inspecting my sugar pumpkin vines. I'm amazed I saw it -- its lime-green coloring makes it perfectly camouflaged against the vines, and though it was on a bloom and holding a bee, I'm pretty sure what drew my eyes to it were those hairy legs.

I'm sad that it chose for its meal one of my precious honeybees, but I'm glad this beneficial spider has found my garden. It might pounce on bees, but it also feasts on wasps (which had been getting out of control during the summer) and pest moths and caterpillars (they're arriving). This beautiful spider is a female, and like most spiders, she's much larger than the typical male. The female Green Lynx spiders are fierce protectors of their egg sacs -- I'm pleased, because I'd like to see more of them around the garden.

The spines on the spider's legs seem to match little hairs on the pumpkin blooms, stems, and foliage. With her perfect camouflage, it's easy for this spider to hide and lurk, and then leap onto her prey, which is how lynx spiders got their name. 

When your son doesn't pay attention and adds dishwashing liquid to the dishwasher instead of detergent -- yes, you know what that means -- here's a tip:

After cleaning up as much bubble mess as you can (i.e. the floor, so you can get to the dishwasher), pour vinegar into the dishwasher. It helps break up the bubbles, and you get far less foaming.

I'm adding it to the list.

Well, I'd been meaning to run vinegar through the dishwasher anyway. Guess now was as good a time as any. Well, better, actually!  :)

The extended rains last week did Central Texas much good. While we are still in a major drought, the rains brought much needed relief to the scorched earth and cooler temperatures for wonderfully pleasant days.

And the plants responded right away -- greenness abounds, and among the green are the most vibrant blooms of all colors. I think fall just might be my new favorite season. I forgot how beautiful it is. Although technically, I guess it's still summer! Here are just a few of what's blooming in my yard today, for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Amazingly, of my three surviving Endurance Sunflowers, I still have three, and all are blooming. Although I've loved sunflowers all my life, this is my first time growing them, and I finally understand why bees love them so. Even my young sunflowers are really putting out the pollen, and they are only going to grow bigger and bigger. I'm thrilled! My sunflowers have a few specks of dirt on them -- because they are still babies and low to the ground, they got splashed during the rain.

I'm finally starting to see color combinations in the yard again. In the main butterfly garden, the Gregg's Mistflower is starting to bloom once more, with Blackfoot Daisy and Zexmenia nearby. The butterflies are already fluttering about again. I missed them when all my plants gave up their blooms in the heat.

The Pigeonberry plants are blooming like crazy. They berry, too, but the birds pick them off so fast.

  Here, I found a berry.

Speaking of berrying plants -- I was woken up in the middle of the night with one of the dogs trying to break through the window screen to get to something outside. While I hope it wasn't a prowler, I did get up to discover my American Beautyberry plants were missing berry clusters. I went outside to see if I could see anything -- seriously hoping at that point that it wasn't a prowler! No creature found. Bolted. Who wouldn't when that massive husky is trying to lunge for them though a mere window screen? Thank goodness it held tight.

This Red Yucca's is technically on my neighbor's property, but it's right where our yards meet, and I think I'm the only one who pays attention to it. But oh I could photograph those blooms all day. Love, love, love. Someday mine will bloom!  

The Salvias are blooming like mad. They are such an interesting flowering perennial -- it can be challenging to photograph them, as they tend to look straggly even when they really aren't, but they look wonderful backdropped by other blooming yellows, blues, or even just trees.

Though most of my Turk's Caps are the traditional red, I do have a pink bloomer in the front. It's quite special. Makes me feel like a little girl, loving that pink.

I have a new plant in the yard -- actually all over the yard, as I placed them in many spots. It's the native Texas Poinsettia, also known as Wild Poinsettia, or Fire on the Mountain (Euphorbia cyathophora). These were given to several class members of the Habitat Steward Training I'm in -- we got to pull them directly from the gorgeous wildlife garden of Cathy Nordstrom. Thank you, Cathy! The reddish-orange you see is part of the leaves, just like the red of the Christmas pointsettias. I think it's amazing. It's a spreader, so at some point I'll probably be giving some away. It's so easy to pull and replant, too. I planted them all over because I have so much land to fill.

And I have a surprise bloomer -- blooms on my newest Key Lime tree? Of course, they are all at the level where the husky lifts his leg. I don't even want to think about why the tree is blooming only there. Nor do I want to think about what I'll do if limes actually show up and get peed on.

Speaking of the husky... Camouflage FAIL, Loki.

That's not a wildflower on my head, but please don't pick it, either!

The American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, is truly a sight to behold in the fall. The strikingly vibrant magenta-colored berries stand out boldly against the light-green foliage of this open, airy shrub.

But aside from its beauty, what makes this shrub truly valuable is that it is a fall and winter food source for more than 40 different songbird species, as well as other birds. It also is enjoyed by mammalian wildlife, including the opossum and raccoon. Its deer resistance probably depends on your area and the harshness of seasonal weather. In some areas, deer leave the mature plants alone, but they're happy to nibble on young shrubs and sometimes the berries. In general, though, it's best to plant the shrub in a protected area if you are concerned about deer.

American Beautyberry is an excellent shrub for understory growth, and understory plants are a key part of successful wildlife habitats. They can provide food and/or places to hide, and despite its airy nature, the Beautyberry does both, particularly when several of the shrubs form a small colony.

In the summer, the shrub has delightful pale flowers. But it is the beautiful clusters of purple berries that really provide that wow factor come fall. There is also a white variety, but if choosing a color most attractive to birds, I'd stick with purple.

The deciduous shrub is typically 5-6 feet tall when mature, but I've seen some get more than 8 feet tall. It prefers partial sun/partial shade, but with extra water and attention, it can handle more sun, too. But as an understory plant, it is at its best.

American Beautyberry, according to wildflower.org, is native to all the states of the southern U.S., on up into Maryland, Missouri, and Oklahoma. It thrives in a variety of conditions of soil, water, and light conditions, and it is easily grown from seed as well. A worthy plant for your wildlife habitat! 

This post is dedicated to Tatiana of mycoldprairie, who commented on my last post regarding the purpose of weeds.

Well, there are multiple purposes, actually. I want to first point out that exotic invasive weeds, to me personally, have no other purpose than to rape native lands of nutrients, water, and space and to destroy balanced ecosystems (guess what's in my yard and why I'm grumpy). BUT, speaking of native weeds in particular, they legitimately have a purpose in their habitat, and as many will point out, there's not really any such thing as a weed, anyway, other than being an annoying plant to a gardener.

What was mentioned in class last night was that weeds grow first in poor soil, and over time as they die off and decompose, they make the soil more fertile for other plants to move in and establish. True indeed. But weeds also can be valuable food sources for wildlife, through seeds, nectar, leaves, berries, and whatnot. They can serve as erosion control and as shelter to birds, lizards, and other creatures. Some even have medicinal value or food value to humans! They do have their purpose, even if you'd prefer they not be in your yard. Speaking of which, did I really manage to not get any dandelions this year? I guess they were scared off by the rampant evil nutsedge that has found its way into my yard. It has become the bane of my gardening existence. But it too has a purpose -- apparently Canadian geese and ducks and squirrels and other wildlife like it. Guess I'm not wild enough to join them in such fondness for the WEED.

Oh, and weeds are also there apparently to teach Tatiana patience. She said it, not me!   :D

Training began last night. Although it was the first night, which typically goes over the basics one might already know, I'm pleased to report that it was a great first class and I definitely learned quite a bit. Two of the lecturers shared some of their favorite native plants, some I hadn't seen before, and I learned of the purpose of weeds (they have a purpose!). Little tips and tidbits here and there, and I said a lot of "Good to Know!" in my mind. One of the best parts was learning to "Read the Land." This is something I've probably done a little subconsciously, but I know more about studying the state of plants and forests to determine how healthy it is (history, condition, and future potential). On Saturday we are going to visit some local habitats. Can't wait! Here's a glimpse of something I created for our first homework. The whole drawing is much bigger -- I might share it in the wildlife habitat pages I'm working on. Friends know how much fun I have in Paint -- the assignment didn't require anything as detailed as I made it. I just felt inspired. It's not great art, mind you. Just some fun sketching a wildlife habitat.

I haven't seen a weather report like this in a long time, but here's what it shows for Austin today.

I spent a gleeful morning thinking of rain to come. But here at my house, as of almost 2:00 this afternoon, we've gotten exactly 3 drops of water (ok, maybe not EXACTLY 3 drops, but close). Does that mean I've already met my 80% chance of rain for the day?

Regardless of what percentage of rain I do get today, it's 100% chance of zero-progress on painting the exterior of the house, which was the original goal for today and the rest of the week. So I turned my eyes to the garden and spent the morning getting new seeds into soil so that they could enjoy the benefit of the next few days of 3 drops of water, I mean rain. Veggies, bird-favorite perennials (pigeonberry and turk's cap), and even a few tree seeds (just to see what would happen) all got planted today. Since the rain didn't/hasn't come, they even got watered by me.

Of our many sunflower seedlings I planted this summer, only 3 have survived the heat and the dogs. The dogs were the main culprits in the demise of most of the seedlings -- they trampled every spot I planted the little sprouts. But the three that remain all have buds, with one slightly ahead of the others.

Over by the side yard, the birds are getting fat from the birdfeeder. Hmmm, I never realized how those bamboo windchimes in the backyard look from the front of the fence, partially hidden by the feeder. Ah well, I know where to move them!

One of life's little ironies is that while most of the sunflower seeds I purchased, planted, and nurtured didn't make it, I have several growing wild under the birdfeeder. I guess I should have saved the money on the other seeds!

One sunflower seed even managed to make its way into one of the terra cotta pots the kids left nearby. Seeing how it found its own little pot to grow in reminds me of a little homeless kitten mewing at one's doorstep -- pulls at the heartstrings. You better believe I'm going to let it grow!

So the chance of rain has ruined my painting plans, but it's the perfect opportunity to work on another project. I'm going to finally mosaic our birdbath. It's a great time to do it, and in the meantime the little birdies will have lots of other water available, I hope, when the rains do begin to pour. Oh please, oh please, oh please!

I've been getting organized, doing research, and getting my cool-season veggies underway. I've also been working on my 3-year plan for my veggies (always subject to change, of course). In doing so, I realized that it was hard to find a decent list of veggie families -- many sources only listed a few types or had out-of-date information, and after awhile the editor in me got frustrated enough to do something about it. So I gathered more information, checked the facts, and then compiled a more complete list. This list will be available on my sidebar for easy access at any time. I will also be adding a list of companion plants, and my current garden plan is there, too. I'm taking my time on the 3-year plan, as there is much to be learned, young grasshopper that I am. Wait, I'm no grasshopper (they are evil gluttons) -- I'd rather be a young padawan.

Vegetable Families

Asteraceae/Compositae/Daisy family - Asteraceae (Compositae)

• Lettuce
• Chicory/Endive
• Jerusalem Artichoke
• Globe Artichoke
• Dandelion
• Sunflower
• Safflower
• Tarragon
• Artemisia
• Salsify/Scorzonera
• Chamomile
• (Marigolds and Chrysanthemums are also in this family)

Allium family - Alliaceae

• Onion
• Shallot
• Garlic
• Chives
• Leek

Crucifer/Cabbage/Mustard family - Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)

• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Collard Greens
• Horseradish
• Mustard
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Radish
• Cress
• Rutabaga
• Bok choy
• Chinese Cabbage
• Watercress
• Turnip
• Wasabi

Cucurbit/Marrow family - Cucurbitaceae

• Cucumber
• Honeydew melon
• Cantaloupe/Muskmelon
• Watermelon
• Pumpkin
• Squash/Marrow
• Zucchini/Courgette
• Luffa

Potato/Nightshade family - Solanaceae

• Eggplant (Aubergine)
• Pepper
• Potato
• Tomato, tomatillo
• Paprika
• Chile pepper 

Pea and Bean family - Fabaceae (Leguminosae) (restore nitrogen to soil)

• Alfalfa
• Lentil
• Peanut
• Bean
• Soybean
• Clover
• Lupin
• Pea

Umbellifers - Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)

• Carrot
• Celery
• Fennel (always plant ALONE)
• Dill (don't plant with carrots or tomatoes)
• Parsley
• Parsnip
• Cumin
• Coriander/Cilantro
• Caraway
• Queen Anne's Lace

 Goosefoot/Beetroot family - Amaranthaceae (Chenopodiaceae)

• Beetroot
• Quinoa
• Spinach
• Goosefoot
• Swiss Chard (Spinach Beet)
• Amaranth
• Sugar beet
• (also Lamb's Quarters)

Poaceae/Grasses family (Poaceae or Gramineae)

• Corn/Maize (grow after carrots)
• Oats
• Rice
• Rye
• Sorghum
• Barley
• Wheat
• Mallet
• Sugarcane

Miscellaneous

• Lamb's Lettuce/Corn Salad (Valerianaceae)
• New Zealand Spinach (Aizoaceae)
• Purslane, Portulaca, Miner's Lettuce (Portulacaceae)
• Rhubarb, Buckwheat (Polgonaceae)
• Okra (Mallow family, Malvaceae; cacao is also in this family)

A citrus tree walks into a bar and says to another citrus...

"Hey, orange you the cutie!"

The lime tree should be careful, lest someone think she's a little tart.

These little trees developed quite the drinking habit during the summer drought. Maybe they just really wanted to let their hair down.

  But they should be careful, because excessive drinking can lead to wanton behavior and unexpected results, like babies.

I guess I should stop now. I've probably gone over the top with these bad jokes.

They're real lemons.

(Disclosure: No plants were harmed in the making of these photos. The bottles are filled with water, of course. FYI, only one makes use of a Plant Nanny, while the others are placed straight into the soil. The key to success with bottle watering is to make sure the soil is wet BEFORE you put the bottle in, then the roots just take in more water as they need to. Also, the eggs are ladybug eggs, from my happy little busy bugs. The corn silk is just beautiful every day. And the sugar pumpkins have at last conquered the 8-foot trellis, and then some.)

It's just one week until I begin Habitat Steward training, 2009 class, and I'm very excited. This four-week training program is a volunteer opportunity for the National Wildlife Federation, and in Austin it is co-partnered by the Travis Audubon Society. Habit Stewards work with the community to educate adults and children about wildlife habitats, as well as help remove invasives and plant habitat gardens. There are similar training classes all over the nation, and you can learn more at NWF's volunteer page or for Austin at the city's volunteer page. I just finished my first "homework" assignment, and class hasn't even started!

The berries of this Yaupon, Ilex vomitoria, are in the process of changing color. During winter, the bright red berries are a favorite source of food for mockingbirds, cedar waxwings, robins, and several other bird species. The berries are only on the female trees -- there must be a male tree nearby in order for berries to appear on the female. Cooler seasons can bring food hardships for birds and other wildlife, so planting year-round food sources is a major part of creating a wildlife habitat.

While the gardener is away, the kids will play.

What they were SUPPOSED to be doing was creating a bed edge using some chalky limestone pieces and digging a hole.

Instead, what I came home to find was this:

And this chalk-covered creature:

    And about -- no lie -- 80 other pictures of an action-sequence of Zombie Boy, or whatever they were calling this character. I'm just glad they couldn't find the video camera.

And no, I still don't have a garden bed edge or new hole dug.

The formal corn wears tassels and silk

to an elegant affair. Would you care to have this dance? A pollination waltz, perhaps?

Four honeybees partake in the jitterbug, flitting about from cantaloupe flower to cantaloupe flower. Their heavy pollen sacs don't slow them down.  

Just a few feet away, male sugar pumpkin flowers have finally opened up in the cooler temperatures, but their pollen grains have yet to entice the busy little bees.

Perhaps when the females start to open, the bees will move over to help the pumpkins along.

The cantaloupe grows big, and a ladybug kindly pauses to give a size comparison.

It won't be much longer before the melon is ripe, and there are more cantaloupes waiting their turn.

Meanwhile, other ladybugs are busy... (gasp) Avert your eyes!

The assassin bug nymph doesn't notice. He's too busy waiting for a tasty dinner companion.

Would that it might be this black bug, the larger version of the unknown little red bug...

Their numbers are dwindling, thanks to the ever-watchful predators and (perhaps more so) quick little fingers.

The trellised garden nears the top.

With the promise of a harvest, one hopes that the squirrels that ate their way into the birdseed container won't turn their little black eyes toward the veggies and fruit.

The jack-o-lantern pumpkin plants get bigger and bigger. The male flowers come and go, but the cooler temperatures bring promises that females will bloom soon. 

A checkered garter snake leads the way to another discovery...

that a pumpkin plant is trying to do the great escape...

behind the air conditioner, which broke just last night, thankfully timed with the cooler temperatures.

The "dwarf" papyrus continues on its world conquest, one pond at a time. Its sheer size and weight helped it shift off its support and into deeper waters. Its plan to quickly send out new growth and roots was soon foiled, however. It's been raised back out of the water depths and is marked for major division very, very soon.

Is that a ghost haunting the house?

  It's too early for Halloween, so it must be tricksy little pole bean seedlings.

An easy move to a planter,

and then nestled in bed...

for another busy day in the garden.