Spring Is Just Too Easy

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Tina

It’s easy to love the spring garden. From traditional garden standards,

Unknown passalong Iris.

…to self-seeding weeds, also known as wildflowers,

Carolina Geranium (Geranium carolinianum) and Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana) pair well in a sunny bed.

Giant Spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea)

…the spring garden awakens the gardener’s heart and gladdens the soul.

Blooming and climbing vines wind their way along fences,

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) opens its tubular blooms

…or sometimes, a beloved daughter’s bicycle.

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) entwines and embraces Shoshana’s bicycle.

Bold foliage/bloom pairings abound in the spring garden. The vibrant purple clusters of the Texas Mountain Laurel, Sophora secundiflora, contrast beautifully with its solid and simple foliage,

…while the orange-crush, cup-like blooms of Globe Mallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua, differentiate themselves from their companionable ruffly, silvery leaves.

Sunshine yellow is plentiful at the terminal ends of stalks of Golden Groundsel, Packera obovata, .

The cheery blooms give rest to a weary Crane fly.

It’s easy to appreciate the many stunning blooms flourishing in the garden.

Not to be outdone by mere perennials however, the two back garden Shumard Oaks, Quercus shumardii,

…rush to compete with other plants, producing their own inflorescence show which has ramifications for all other parts of the garden.

Fallen oak catkins cover a newly planted area.

Oak catkins atop a potted Texas Beargrass (Nolina texana)

Oak catkins in between Mexican Feathergrass (Nassella tenuissima) and Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata).

Catkins adorn a Maneki-neko garden art.

Catkins embellish a White Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii).

Catkins float in the recently cleaned pond!

Catkins drape over a Martha Gonzales Rose bush.

Catkins decorate Asher!

Those darned catkins! They are not so easy to enjoy, nor are they so easy to clean up!

Ah well, it’s all part of the spring garden experience.

The early spring garden–easy to savor, easy to treasure.

It is a place to listen to the love songs of the Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, sung between his treats of Burford Holly berries,

….or to be charmed with the nighttime (and occasionally daytime) trills of the resident Eastern Screech Owl, Megascops asio, couple.

Mama Screech Owl waiting for a snack from her mate.

Daddy Screech Owl resting and watching in the Texas Mountain Laurel Tree.

The spring garden is lush, colorful, vibrant–and ready for new life.

Tree Following in March: A Whole Lotta Nuthin’

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Tina

I suppose to suggest that there’s nothing going on with my American Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis, would be erroneous. Truthfully, in its outward appearance, not much has changed since we last engaged in the monthly Tree Following musings.

The American Sycamore stands stalwart and skeletal, beautiful in its simplicity. It’s always one of the last trees to leaf out in my neighborhood, along with the native Pecan, Carya illinoinensis, trees. I’m not seeing much, if any, thickening of bud development for ultimate leaf-making.

But there is some action in the goings-on of birds. Cedar Waxwings, Bombycilla cedrorum, rest and chatter on the limbs.

One,

…two,

…four,

…four more,

…and six. Yes, there are six in the photo, though I cut the head off of one lad and another preens behind two full seed balls, to the amusement, or irritation, of a companion.

There have been more birds at other times too, but on such windy days all that photographed was a smear.

The seed balls, or fruits, which never dangled in quite their usual numbers this year, are fewer on the tree now. Some are on the ground in my gardens, either whole or not.

The Sycamore seed is an achene attached to hairy strands which help with seed dispersal.

There have been days when I noticed a light snowfall of individual seeds floating on the wind, wafting to unknown destinations, but this year, there was no ticker-tape celebration of normal early spring wind dispersal. The dispersal of seeds by wind is called anemochory, but American Sycamore seeds also disperse by water, called hydrochory.

The Sycamore will leaf out during the next month. The foliage will be lush, providing months-long shade for animals and people.

Thanking Pat of The Squirrelbasket for graciously hosting this fun meme about trees. Check out her blog for interesting information about trees from all over the world.

The Problem with Pollinators

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Tina

On the heels of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report about the potentially catastrophic worldwide decline of pollinators, I’d like to offer some gentle reminders to home gardeners and all others concerned about the health and maintenance of our food supply and the natural world as a whole. The report paints a dire prediction of decline and extinction of pollinators–honeybees, wild bees, butterflies and moths, and all other pollinating animals who play a vital role in production of managed crops and propagation of native plants and trees. I certainly hope that this report will bolster efforts to support educational and research organizations in their work toward encouraging local, state and federal authorities to set aside land for prairies, native grasslands, and wild space in general, and to manage that space in appropriate and sustainable ways.

Skipper nectaring at Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower.

There are simple practices that the home gardener can engage to assure a safe haven for pollinators and all wildlife in general:

Refrain from pesticide and herbicide use. Not only will abstaining from chemicals save you money and time, but usually, these chemicals create more problems than they fix. If you plant appropriately for your region, the need for chemicals in the garden decreases or disappears.

Osmia ribifloris (?), Megachilinae, sp. preparing nest in the mortar of the outside wall of a house.

Osmia ribifloris (?), Megachilinae, sp. preparing a nest in the mortar of the outside wall of a house.

Use native plants! There is no easier way to attract and sustain wildlife than to plant native plants–for pollinators, birds, bats, reptiles–every native critter will visit when their preferred food source is available. Where native plants are hard to find, plant non-invasive, well-adapted pollinator-friendly perennials and annuals. When replacing shade or ornamental trees, plant native trees; a large native tree is life-giving in so many ways. Your locally owned nurseries and Agricultural Extension Agent offices and websites are excellent sources of information on appropriate plants.

Honeybee working the blooms of a Sophora secundiflora, Texas Mountain Laurel.

Allow some “nature” in your garden. It’s perfectly fine to have a few leaves, branches, and garden detritus in your garden for critters to use as cover and for nesting purposes. The 1950’s swath of lawn and scraped garden are so…yesterday. A water-hogging, sterile lawn coupled with a few pristine, non-nectar producing plants (usually sold at big box stores) and placed solely at the foundation of a house, are antithetical to how nature exists and functions. Birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and beneficial insects have no place to live and thrive in that kind of “garden.”

Leaf litter and rotting wood as part of the garden design and structure.

Your garden doesn’t have to be wild to attract wild. No matter what garden style the gardener appreciates and aspires to, incorporating plants that are beneficial to wildlife–those providing nectar, seeds, berries, and cover–is easily accomplished as time and budget allow. Whether in a formal or a cottage garden style–or anything in between–using wildlife-friendly plants, pruning after seed production, and refraining from chemical use is the ticket to a successful and life-nurturing garden. And isn’t that what gardening and gardens are all about? The creative endeavor of nurturing and sustaining life and beauty.

Provide water! As simple as a bird bath or as complicated as a series of ponds with attached streams and waterfalls, water is a requirement for life and should be a part of any garden. ‘Nuff said.

Honeybee drinking from a bird bath.

There are already places in the world where, because of mismanagement of land and misuse of chemicals, there are no pollinators available. None. They’re all dead. Crops grown are hand-pollinated by people. Surely this is not what we want worldwide, but that scenario is exactly where we are headed. We can choose a different route and it doesn’t require great inventions or new technologies, but instead, thoughtful gardening and agricultural practices, as well as the political will to acknowledge and edit the environmental costs of industrialization.

Honeybee gathering pollen at Tradescantia gigantea, Spiderwort.

Please consider the health of your local environment when you plan a garden. Support private, municipal, and federal efforts to set aside land for wildlife. Our survival, as well as the maintenance of the remarkable and diverse biology of the Earth, depends upon our acting NOW. This is a solvable problem. Let’s solve it.