Its times like these (and I have not experienced one quite like this before) that we need some good distraction to make us feel a little more connected again. Or maybe it is not a distraction, but a reminder that we all have a connection to the earth that keeps us grounded and safe and strong. We belong here and it is a good time to remember to respect and take care of this place – our home – and to love it so we can feel safe. Earth has many gifts she shares if we take the time to look more closely. They are there every day. Now is such a great time to look more closely.
Taking a walk in the yard everyday is one of the most rewarding things I can do at this time. I find myself being grateful for this pretty place. The saying: ‘Build it and they will come” holds true when it comes to gardening. I will edit it and say, “Plant it and they will come”. For me this refers to the bees, butterflies, birds and all critters that make a home in this place.
Thankfully spring came early this year and starting my stroll out in the backyard we found the Redbud and Mexican Buckeye trees in full bloom without having a killing frost to wilt their pretty blooms.
In the front yard the Blackhaw viburnum also bloomed earlier than usual….
And the Monarchs were delighted. Last fall, when we usually have a plethora of monarchs and other butterflies migrate through this area, there were none. I was so sad to see so few for the first time and wondered why. Perhaps they took a different route southward. Possibly more toward the east or west of here. But thankfully this spring has seen a bumper crop of butterflies. At least 15 to 20 Monarchs have been spotted so far starting in February.That is the most of any year I have ever seen.
They took advantage of all the early bloomers in the area and thankfully I have planted many over the years.
They nectared on Redbuds and Mexican Plums as well as other aromatic spring blooming shrubs.
As the Antelope horn milkweed – the only plant monarchs will lay an egg on and so named because the seed heads look like horns – started to sprout, we started to find tiny eggs deposited on the leaves.
Pretty soon the monarch caterpillars were roaming around….
Other butterflies also took shelter in the milkweed, like this pretty little sulfur.
And these Large Milkweed bugs are aptly named since they are feeding on the milkweed blooms which are excellent pollinator plants. Many butterflies and bees find it irresistible too.
Even a crane fly found the milkweeds a handy spot to hunker down in. Contrary to popular belief, crane flies are not giant mosquitoes, even though they look very similar to those blood sucking evil critters.
Wandering around to the front yard the Wild Onion has been blooming profusely too. It is a early starter in the year, cropping up before the taller grasses and wildflowers begin to grow and shade it out. To beat the rush they bloom, get pollinated and go to seed well before the others are even half as tall. It is a welcome early year color after a grey winter.
Next to milkweed it makes such a pretty spring show.
Moving along, the side yard is finally covered in bluebonnets and poppies. These were seeded 3 years ago and have become so profuse they have filled in the area all the way to the old cowboy fence.
Prairie Verbena adds a spark of lavender to the fields and butterflies also appreciate this nectar plant early in the year.
The front yard looks so nice and green and the Kidneywood is also finally sprouting fresh green leaves.
Always my faithful companion, Sadie will follow me around the yard, until she finds a delicious smell to investigate or gets too hot and wanders inside to leave me exploring by myself.
Alone, I stroll behind the cowboy fence to inspect the Eve’s necklace, which has been struggling to thrive for many years. Each summer I walk past it and wonder if it is the last summer it will be alive. Then the next year it will pop out it’s lovely orchid like blooms again and try its very best to grow. I am smitten by its blooms and have tried to save this tree for many years. I have added compost, fertilizer, additional summer waterings, yet nothing has helped. This year at the suggestion of an arborist I have added leaf mulch to its root zone area, in the hopes that the extra covering will protect its roots from the hot sun and the resultant decomposing leaf nutrients will gently feed its roots and bring this tree to better health. But it might just be in the wrong location and will have to be moved.
Turns out I was not alone after all. While admiring the lovely blooms on the tree I failed to pay close attention to where I was walking. Something that is not a smart thing to do in Texas, as stealthy snakes and other creepy things are already active this time of year. Luckily I looked down before I moved one more step forward and noted a coiled up snake keeping a very tense eye on me. One step more and it wouldn’t have been pretty. Luckily, this was just a harmless Banded Watersnake. They get to be about 4 feet long. I count my lucky angels that it was not something much more venomous.
This guy was hunkered down tight for the evening. Judging from his milky eye he was either getting ready to shed his skin, or already had. I can see why he chose this spot to nestle down in: Lots of cover for protection and one look up, and these lovely Eve Necklace blooms were in his sight.
Moving along to the backyard on the patio I always fill a planter with winter blooming edibles for a patch of cheer on those dreary winter days. The Calendula blooms have been such a welcome sight.
It is planted with snapdragons and violas for color.
And coming around the corner to end my walk, I find my not so faithful companion next to the bluebonnets transfixed by something I cannot even see. I’m sure she has found a squirrel or rabbit to keep an eye on.
