What a stunning morning today has been. Come and join me as the Morning Glories greet us cheerfully, while we make our way around the garden and ….

into the fields in the yard and across the road to walk the dog. After a intensely hot and dry summer we had a record wet September. Over 9 inches fell this month – unheard of for a year with no hurricanes nearby.

We’ve had several heavy downpours for the last week and a half and it took about that long to bring the water table back up. Soils were super dry but….

the dry creek across from my property has finally got water in it again in the early morning dewy stroll.

finally dry creeks are flowing again and ditches are holding water.

Dew covered fields greet us in the early morning chill, as we make our way around the block with some straggler wildflowers enjoying late summer appearances.

Dew on wildflowers and native grasses

While attending the monthly amphibian watch in Georgetown at Berry Springs Park over the weekend we saw the natural spring gushing crystal clear cool water filling up the empty lake. Finally the aquifer has recharged enough to fill the lake from completely empty on Monday to almost full on Saturday. It was incredible to watch. Frogs and toads were singing after the heavy downpours and it seems life was being celebrated by everyone.

Moving along, the high humidity left all the fields covered in dew in my front yard. It almost looks like frost, but thank goodness we are several months (hopefully!) away from that adventure.

If you click on the image below to enlarge it you will see the thousands of water droplets on every last blooming grass blade in the front field.

Rain lilies have magically popped up out of the ground. They add a bright cheerful yet short- lived note to the garden. They won’t stay too long before they set large black seeds and disappear again.

We pass several Two-leaf Senna plants here in the fields. These range plants have been gracious enough to keep blooming since April. There are very few other plants I can say that about. It laughs at droughts but seems to giggle delightfully when it rains, looking much more vibrant and refreshed.

We stroll past a moody scene of Greenthread wildflowers which surprisingly reappeared again. This is the first time in 8 years it has bloomed in late summer for me. Usually even hose watering has never revived these after August heat waves, but this rain seems to have done the trick.

Near the driveway some Little Bluestem grasses have already started to send out their tall flowering stalks on the left while surrounded by whirls of frosty looking dew covered native grasses.

Little Bluestem is a very common and beneficial range grass still present in many parts of Texas today. Many skipper butterfly species use this beautiful grass as a host plant. It turns a bright red in late fall and provides stunning visual interest in winter when all other grasses are brown.

The Shrooms!

Gardens hold so many little secrets and all we have to do is bend down to its graces to see the magical world at our feet. All over the yard wet weather has brought out the mushrooms. I love mushrooms. They remind me of fairy gardens….

and I just know somewhere in there is a little fairy village of magical beings celebrating the bounty which only rain can bring.

Moving right along, while passing the newest garden behind the garage, Beautyberry can be found living up to its name. What a reliable and beautiful addition to any native garden. It’s beneficial to the wildlife here too. Blooming in early summer for the bees and other pollinators and then feeding the birds with it’s bright berries in late summer and fall. It was used by Native Americans as a medicinal plant. Its leaves were used as a tea for sweat baths treating fevers, and malaria.The roots and berries were sometimes used to make a tea to treat colic, and the roots were used to make a tea which treated dysentery and stomach aches. Pretty and healing – what a star.

Passing the Anacacho orchid tree – while not blooming in late summer – does provide visual interest with its unique leaves that grab and hold onto the dewy drops till midday.

The Coral Vine,  while usually only sending out many red berries this time of year, has decided to grow some pretty new leaves which seem happy to hold onto the precious moisture the air provided this morning.

Moving along to the back of the bog garden, fairies have been busy planting some lichen on the rocks around here. Perhaps this rock is a special gathering place for late evening summer firefly parties which everyone knows is celebrated by fairies.

We carefully pass the garden stork overseeing our photographic endeavors, but not being of any help in stopping the incredible mosquito invasion. These nasty insects delighted in my presence. They even had the audacity to dismiss and laugh at my bug spray which only seemed to help in making me smell of fresh cut herbs but failed in keeping them at bay.

We quickly move on as to leave the mosquitoes behind just to find another Beautyberry behind the pond. This one is 4 years older and has had time to grow many more berries than it’s younger sibling by the garage. I always watch to see how fast the birds devour the berries in fall and winter.

Kokopelli has moved this year during a bog clean-out session. He was never moved back but seems content entertaining the Irises and Cannas in the bog.

Pigeonberry – Another superlative native plant for your garden, this unusual plant flowers and fruits at the same time. Such a pretty plant, and birds love the berries which have historically been used in cosmetics. Since fruit and leaves are toxic caution must be taken and it is best appreciated from afar.

We make our way around the front of the house to enjoy the Pride of Barbados overseeing his kingdom. What a valuable landscape plant this is in our hot humid summers. It provides vibrant colors and great interest for anyone passing by.

This little fountain in the rock garden has added some refreshing water for the birds. I spent last week cutting back athe nearby overgrown Texas sage uncovering the beautiful limestone rocks. A good power-washing removed years of grime and algae and it’s starting to shine again while drying in the first rays of sunshine we’ve had in a week.As summer fades and milder temperature move in many plants are flowering to provide  much needed fuel for the incoming butterfly and hummingbird migration. Texas is in their fly zone as they make their way from up north to warmer weather south of us and my garden is getting ready to welcome them.

That concludes our adventure for the day. As dogs do, Sadie had a blast on our walk,  sniffing out her world and even picking the odd flower or two. Soon she will be resting on the cool tile floor waiting patiently for tomorrow’s new adventure when we do it all again.

Happy fall ya’ll!

“When there are no more flowers on the tree”. John Dromgoole

Well it’s definitely still the height of blooming time here! What a glorious spring.

We had record cold snap this year. A 7 degree cold snap in fact. The coldest we’ve had so far. Our Bottle-brush tree died to the ground this time. It’s shooting up new sprouts but it has left a huge open hole in the garage garden.

This is what it looked like just a couple of years ago:So Sad!! What a beaut!

We can’t seem to decide if we want to pull the stump and plant something else there, or give it one more chance. Decisions decisions.

We lost the Anacacho Orchid tree also and I miss it’s cheerful while blooms in late April.

Moving along to more cheerful sightings, snapdragons are out sunning themselves after a cold snap.

But it didn’t stop the bluebonnets from popping up in this very Texas looking garden. You can still see the cold burn on the pads of the cactus.

Perennial Blanket flower has been a big hit for the bees so far. It’s a relatively new cultivar and the label said that it should bloom for longer than the annual blanket flowers bloom. I bought this plant this spring  – I just couldn’t resist – so we will see how it handles the tough heat and drought.

And the Coral honeysuckle is doing really well so far. It didn’t flinch in the cold and sent out a flush of pink blooms which the migrating hummingbirds appreciated. This is its 2nd year in the ground near the arbor and is steadily making its way up and around.

Their flowers almost look like an alien with the feelers sticking up.

Corsican violet does NOT disappoint so far.  I planted it in the new garage garden early April and it’s pushed out lovely blooms all month. We will have to see if it can hold up to the Texas drought and heat. It’s in afternoon shade so it should handle it ok. It adds a measure of blue cheeriness to this bare new garden while other plants are barely visible still coming out of winter dormancy.

Last summer I threw some bluebonnet seeds into this garden too. I was hoping it would have the same effect and it sure did.

Coreopsis ‘Uptick Yellow and Red’ sure did not disappointing either! What a gem to the early spring garden. I planted it 2 weeks ago and already it has bloomed and attracting all manner of critters to its pretty petals.This poor fly unfortunately did not fare too well but I bet the spider is pleased.

I planted a bunch of yellow perennials in this garden so it would look cheerful in spring. And so far it has worked wonders.

On to the birds in the garden: Cedar Waxwings really only spend late winter and early spring with us and I was just so thrilled to find them enjoying one of my fountains. I was even more thrilled to finally get an amazing close up shot of them. It’s usually hard to get any good photos of them because they flock high in tall trees and are pretty shy of humans. Imagine my delighted surprise to see them bathing in the fountain near the back window. Birds just can’t resist moving water. Cedar Waxwings are highly social and spend the short months here in large flocks stripping every last berry off the hollies before flying north for the breeding season. Fly safe little ones.   

A surprise visit of a Painted Bunting sharing a bath with a Tufted Titmouse. These birds are pretty shy too. They stay the summer and breed here. It would be so lovely if there is a nest nearby.

Irises are up for the early April bloom cycle. I used to have all the colors of irises in there from red, to blue to yellow to purple. Over the years only the blue and purple have remained. I’ll have to go shopping for another one – maybe a yellow.

I’ll end this post with a semi action shot of Sadie and her surprise squirrel visitor. She was sunning herself around the bird feeders and I guess Miss Squirrel was hungry and couldn’t wait any longer to get some lunch and took her chances. Let the standoff begin!

Happy spring everyone. I hope it warms up soon for all my northern friends. I know it’s been a tough winter for many out there.

This summer was hot! But the insects and flowers didn’t mind too much and my cucumber plants were growing very, very well! They were happy cucumbers!

As the season has been winding down, cucumber leaves become inundated with hundreds of aphids. I don’t mind them too much and I never spray with insecticide since I have already harvested the cucumbers and other visitors have arrived to help me out. You see, with these aphids come the sugar ants that farm the aphids, tending to them and milking them of their honeydew. Honeydew is just a nice word for aphid poop, which is very sweet. and who can resist things that are sweet. As the aphids feed on the leaves, they become a great source of food for the ladybugs who have come by the hundreds to feast on them. On any given day you can see the ladybugs flying around the leaves and then laying their eggs. Soon after the ladybug nymphs hatch (see below) and….

start devouring the aphids in short order. Of course ladybugs aren’t the end of the food chain around here. No, with so much wildlife inhabiting the cucumber patch, it was only a matter of time before the Texas Spiny lizard would come along and take advantage of the buffet too.

Moving along to the Texas sage, it has been very prolific this ear, blooming with every change in air pressure we got from passing thunderstorms. These flowers smell very pungent which some people don’t like. But the bees certainly love them. and this little Anole here loves the bees!!

Another stunner today is the begonia a good friend gave me. It has flowered beautifully this year.

The pond has been pretty good about giving us a water lily display this year.

And the Mutabulis rose has sent out some pretty blooms that are being eaten as soon as they appear by the many deer around here.

I found this really neat red jumping spider in my lemon tree. He is welcome there, as I have some ants and mealybug he possibly could clean up for me.

And speaking of jumping spiders, (my favorite type of spider) here is a Bold Jumping spider. They are so darned cute.

And eating my fennel we have some swallowtail caterpillars. Butterflies is the only reason I have fennel in my garden.  In a couple of days he will go and find a hiding spot to pupate…..

and turn into this lovely beauty. This big fella is just emerging and in the process of extending his wings by pumping fluid into the veins.

After about 15 minutes his wings will have unfurled into their full glory and he will be ready to  flutter off in search of some nectar.

Speaking of butterflies, time is flying on and fall is on our doorstep. With it will come hundreds of butterflies migrating down from our northern states . They will stop over here in this garden and replenish their energy stores on plants like this Blue Mistflower. This queen butterfly is just one of many that will eventually fly to recharge .

They say Texas does not really have seasons, but even though it may not be as obvious here, the seasons bring different animals and insects and blooms and temperatures. Thankfully our winters are not too cold and there is always something happening in the garden to keep us on our toes.

On Friday the weather forecast warned us of a strong cold front threatening to spread freezing temperatures over central Texas. I was dismayed! All the Sunflowers, Salvias, Lantanas have been in full bloom. They’re taking advantage of the inch of rain and the much cooler temperatures.

Butterflies are in the height of their migration season on their way to South Texas and Mexico, stopping by our gardens to refuel and rest. Bees are filling their hives with honey and wasps are feeding on the many moth butterflies that are still devouring my kale.

Everything was in jeopardy of being bitten back by the cold, so it was with sadness that I took some quick photos of the blooming beauty that is around and bid adieu to the flowers and bugs. I told the Monarchs to “Hurry up and go south already! The cold is coming.”

But it was with delight that I woke up on Sunday morning to find my tomato plants intact and undamaged, the flowers still blooming and tons of bugs, butterflies and monster-sized horn-worm caterpillars still enjoying the bounty even after a 30 degree night. Continue to stroll through my garden below to see what other treasures await, and give your eyes a much needed little beauty rest:

Swallowtail butterfly on Turkscap bloom.

Toothleaf Goldeneye with a Grey Hairstreak butterfly

Skipper butterfly enjoying Plumbago blooms

Ermine moth on White Mistflower

Dark Night Bluebeard plant humming the Bumblebees

Passionflower or Alien – still not quite sure

Zinnia in the veggie garden

Monarch on a sea of Mexican Bush Sage

See? Don’t your eyes feel rested and cheered?

Summer is here. Brutal heat, little rain and lots of activity nonetheless. Nesting season for the song birds is winding down. The little Mockingbird nestlings I found in mid April…have became strong little nestlings under the watchful care of their parents,and fledged successfully. Momma Mockingbird was not too happy with my excursions to her nest to take the photos, practically growling at me from the top of the tree while I was taking these photos and only to happy to see me walk away.

Now I see those little fledglings playing rambunctiously around the garden, scrapping with each other on the feeders and in the birdbaths.

And a pair of Wrens chose an odd place to nest (as wrens do) in a paper bag on our woodpile near the house.

We were blessed with so many wild flowers this season and Kokopelli was practically swimming in flowers all of June:Heart leaf Skullcap and Stiff Greenthread spent some time together in the warm evening sun. The woodland garden next to the  bog was lush and vibrant this time of year.

Birds weren’t the only thing busily raising a family:

Lacewings laid their eggs on my elephant’s foot plant in the gentle shade of my back patio.Here’s a closer look at those little eggs on sticks they lay. Lacewings are so good for the garden, devouring aphids by the dozens.

It truly was a bouquet of flowers in the garden this year!

And as the weather heated up our local foxes appreciated the ground birdbath we set out for just this purpose. What a beauty he is.

With the early June rains the Hairstreak butterflies appreciated the flowering Kidneywood shrub. We appreciate it too. It smells so lovely when it blooms, like strong, spicy honey.

Young fledgling cardinals were everywhere, trying to figure out their new life adventure, begging their parents for more seed,….trying to figure out how to get into these weird bird feeders,…or enjoying a refreshing summer splash in the local pool:

A Painted Bunting blessed us with it’s presence at our fountain. They do so love the gurgling water. As do all the other songbirds around.

The pond finally came into it’s own too.

Leopard frogs returned to lily leaves to sun themselves;

and gentle rain showers left little diamonds glittering in plants and shrubs…

making for lovely afternoon shots.Rain is always appreciated by everyone.

Even Sadie came out to relax with us on the patio. But her primary focus was that dinner would be served soon. See those begging eyes? Who can say no to that sweet face??