Sunny, Summer, Sunflowers

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Tina

It’s not been a particularly sunny summer here in normally sun-blasted Central Texas. If it’s not vomiting rain, it’s cloudy and threatening to open up. A break from the Texas sun is okay with me, though having grown up in the Sun Belt, I must admit I’ve grown weary of the dreary.

The volunteer sunflowers haven’t though.

For days on end this summer, these fun annuals have invited sunshine into my garden.

These four–Moe, Larry, Curly–and Shemp–planted themselves on the edge of my front garden.

Acting as Guardians of the Gardens, they’ve grown to height and bloomed, rain or shine, and they will do so until they seed out for the birds–and next summer’s bounty.

The sunflowers along the driveway are growing in hopscotch fashion, spreading their happy flower ways,

…reaching to the sky,

…and leaning into the drive to wave a friendly welcome home to me.

These sunflowers are planted by birds who visit my black-oil sunflower-filled bird feeders. Early each spring, MANY germinate in my gardens and pathways. Actually, only a few seedlings germinate in the gardens proper because I mulch thoroughly, but in the rock walkways, scads of nascent sunflowers develop, most of which end up in the compost. One of the first chores after winter perennial pruning is weeding the dozens of sunflower wannabes. I leave a few, sometimes transplanting one or two to more desirable spots. Then I enjoy the show in late spring and summer.

This year, there’s some variety in flower form, like this giant bloom, caught toward its end,

…or a few that are channeling zinnias,

…and finally, the well-known and loved ray form of this summer staple.

And do they feed anything, you ask? Why, yes they do, as a matter of fact! My honeybees are especially fond of these flowers.

Honeys buzz around the sunflowers all day/everyday, but native bees and flies nectar too, as well as butterflies of all stripes and dots.

Once the flowers are finished, the local finch gangs will come a callin’ to gather their share of nutritious seed, assuring a future sunflower crop for my garden and surrounding areas.

In addition to the non-native, who-knows-where-they-came-from sunflowers, my beloved Goldeneye, Viguiera dentata, have made their floral debut for the year.

Their bloom time is toward the end of summer and gloriously, early fall, but there are June and July previews of the autumn show. Goldeneye feed the same critters as the larger sunflowers with both pollinators and seed spreaders.

Once the birds have eaten their fill of the annual sunflowers and have moved on, I’ll cut down the huge stalks, relegating the remains to my compost bin or yard waste for pick-up to produce Dillo Dirt, a City of Austin soil conditioner.

Summer sunshine.

Even when it’s rainy.

Sunny sunflowers!

Garden Bloggers’ Foliage Day, June 2015

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Tina

A cloudy and wet spring and early summer has gifted my garden with foliage growth galore. Joining in for Garden Bloggers’ Foliage Day, many thanks to Christina at Creating my own garden of the Hesperides for the opportunity to laud fabulous foliage in the garden.

Toward the back of my large perennial garden, the Frostweed, Verbesina virginica, are towering over the sprinkling of blooms from the coral Autumn sage, Salvia greggii, Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, and the Heartleaf Skullcap, Scutellaria ovata, as well as a Century Plant Agave americana, happily situated in a re-purposed bird bath.

Turning to the right, fab foliage continues with Iris straps fronting a red containerized Yucca filamentosa ‘Golden Sword’, paired with a cobalt-blue potted, but grey-leafed Ghost Plant, Graptopetalum paraguayense.

The handsome Soft Leaf Yucca, Yucca recurvifolia completes the spiky vignette.

Stepping back from that shot, the Heartleaf Skullcap foliage and bloom panicles add some spice to the scene, while the Purple Coneflowers add a bit of sugar to the shot.

With some twisty fun in a sparkly container, the Corkscrew Rush, Juncus effusus spiralis, has revelled in the wet year and this gardener has enjoyed not watering it!

Corkscrew Rush is a bog plant, but I grow two of them in pots and except for once or twice per week hand watering during a normal Texas summer, this plant is an easy one for the garden.

Lastly, the Purple Heart, Setcreasea pallida, is a hardy Mexican native, naturalized throughout much of South and Central Texas and an excellent shade-tolerant groundcover. With more sun, charming pink flowers appear which are favored by honeybees. This quirky set of ceramic totems play in this patch.

While this group of Purple Heart anchors a cluster of Cast Iron Plant, Aspidistra elatior, resting at the base of a graceful Mexican Orchid Tree, Bauhinia mexicana.

So much foliage, so little time! Check out other June foliage delights at Creating my own garden of the Hesperides and good GBFD to you!

Our Pals The Pollinators

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Tina

Pollinators aren’t just pretty things fluttering around our gardens and buzzing past as we hike on trails, they are critical to the health and survival of ecosystems throughout the world. Bees of a variety of species pollinate the plants that supply a large percentage of the world’s food supply and about 1,000 plants used by humans for food and other supplies are pollinated by bees and other pollinating animals. Additionally, 90% of wild plants are pollinated by wild bees of many species. Bats and birds contribute greatly to the pollination of wild plants and agricultural crops, while butterflies and moths pollinate flowering native plants in every ecosystem.

Habitat loss, over-reliance and misuse of pesticides and herbicides, invasive species, as well as disease and parasite infections are leading causes of the startling decline of all pollinator animals worldwide.

In the United States, over 40% of honeybee hives were lost last year.

Though wild bees haven’t been studied to the extent that honeybees have, nor do they suffer from the disease/parasite issues common to the honeybee, we know they are declining.

The beloved North American Monarch butterfly has declined by 90% in the past 20 years. The process to list the Monarch as an endangered species has started, with plans formulating for the expansion of its migration habitat, though unfortunately, no limits were placed on the use of the herbicide Roundup, which is the primary culprit in the decimated Monarch populations.

I could go on (and on) lamenting the problems that wildlife, and nature in general, are experiencing, but what the average gardener, homeowner, and citizen should know is that nothing in this world exists without balance. In all parts of the world, preservation of wild space is vital to all life.

Fortunately, understanding about the threats posed to pollinators is beginning to find way into the mainstream consciousness of people and their governments and perhaps it’s not too late to prevent a catastrophic decline in the pollinator partners whose work is requisite for human existence.

Pollinators should be appreciated for their contribution to a healthy and vibrant ecosystem, their role in plant preservation and evolution, and their beauty.

They deserve to exist.

As I was thinking about Pollinator Week and what I wanted to say, this lovely, simple, but profound post from Forest Garden popped up in my email.

I can’t add anything to this, in either text or visuals.

What to do?

Well, there are the usual things: walk, bike, carpool and take public transportation when you can–make that a lifestyle change to lessen your carbon impact. Recycle and reuse when possible–there’s enough junk in the world. Avoid the use of home chemicals and support companies/products that are cognizant of the dire consequences resulting from unfettered and irresponsible industrialization. Through volunteerism and/or donations, support the many organizations that are educating and lobbying for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Vote for public servants who are friendly to the idea that our society must set aside more public space for pollinators–and other wildlife. Whether it’s supporting the dedication of a swath of land bordering I-35 from Minnesota south to Mexico thus enabling the Monarchs to continue their remarkable migration, or setting aside more land as green space in cities and towns, or recovering and protecting natural habitats–of all sorts–support leaders who promote these endeavors with your time, money, and votes.

Also, if you own or rent a single family home, commit to removing that stretch of boring, wasteful, high-maintenance lawn and instead, prepare and install a wildlife friendly garden or pollinator garden. You won’t be sorry you did.

The American love affair of the lawn is baffling to me. Most people don’t even do anything with their lawn, except to walk on it when they mow. The traditional expanse of lawn feeds almost nothing, except for some grubs and other problematic insects. The lawn requires much watering, fertilizing and mowing and that is unsustainable. I guess one positive aspect to lawns is that the maintenance employs people.

To paraphrase: Love the mower, hate the mowing.

A more efficient, environmentally appropriate, and attractive use of outdoor space is to plant for pollinators and other wildlife. Nature isn’t over there, but indeed, should be welcomed and nurtured in your own backyard–and front yard. Additionally, a well-planned, established pollinator garden is not only more beautiful than a lawn, but also less work in the long run.

A wildlife or pollinator garden requires some planning and thought and like a good paint job, preparation is key. Dig out the existing grass and/or solarize, so that you begin your soon-to-be-stunning garden with a blank slate. If you have poor soil, some soil amendments are recommended; home-grown compost is probably the best thing you can add to a garden. If you’re gardening on thin soil with rock, you might build raised beds, either with rock, wood, or steel edging.

Some general design elements are practical to remember: addition of trees, large and small, are important, and larger plants are best placed toward the back, medium and smaller plants, toward the front of a garden.

Planting for blooms throughout the year means choosing a variety of different plants. Mix reseeding annuals with perennials, if you like. Many plants can be purchased in four-inch pots and as seeds and that lessens the cost of a yard transformation. Share plants with friends and neighbors. If possible, choose plants that are native to your region. Native plants require less water and effort because they belong where you live and will attract the wild bees and other pollinators that you’re aiming to support. There is a direct link between native plants and their pollinators. Locally owned nurseries are usually at the front line of providing invaluable information for what to plant for your particular area. Also, check out the “Resources” tab on this blog to link to organizations such as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Wildseed Farms. Beloved plants such as roses, daylilies and the like can certainly be in the palette of the well-designed pollinator garden, so you don’t have to give up the plant that your grandparents grew and that you would love to add to your garden.

Finally, start small. You don’t have convert the entire landscape THIS YEAR. Add a bit of garden each year and before you know it, your space with be a living garden–full of life, color, pollinators, and all manner of beauty. Your outdoor space will be more enjoyable and less onerous to maintain than the grass that you removed.

If you live in an apartment, townhouse or condominium, encourage the owners and /or managers to do all of the above instead of having the mowing crew show up, once-per-week, spewing hydrocarbons and noise.

Most of us are granted only a small part in helping to heal the world. But if many step up, speak up, and change the “yard” maintenance paradigm from wasteful lawn to wildlife/pollinator habitat and garden, what a difference that could make.