It’s Not All About The Flowers

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Tina

I do so love flowers.

But a primary reason why I choose native plants and xeric (drought tolerant) plants for my gardens is to attract wildlife.

Neon Skimmer, Libellula croceipennis, (male).

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio polyxenes.

Scarlet Tanager, Piranga olivacea.

Also, I choose natives/xerics to limit water usage. I choose natives/xerics to challenge myself in the study of plants and related fields of interest. I choose natives/xerics to experiment with aesthetic design of those plants in my gardens. I choose natives/xerics to add beauty to my corner of the world.

I digress.

When I began the re-landscaping efforts from my boring, water-thirsty lawn to the diverse, water conserving, perennial garden that I now enjoy, I scattered seeds of Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, purchased from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. This was 18 or 19 years ago–my children were wee bairns. What I remember about that patch of Coneflowers is that when the butterflies were startled as they sipped Coneflower nectar, they would flutter into the air en masse. There were so many butterflies that I could actually hear the whoosh of their wings. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that many butterflies (or any other pollinators) in my gardens. Drought, habitat destruction, climate change, overuse of commercial and home chemicals have devastated wildlife of all sorts.

Even so, there are still butterflies around. Recently, I watched this common Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta, enjoying the spring nectar of a Coneflower.

He (she?) posed nicely for me.

Gardeners usually have competing reasons for the gardening they undertake and appreciate the bounty that a garden grants.

Thanks to Deb at austin agrodolce for introducing me to BugGuide.net

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, May 2014

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Tina

As we roll into our long warm season here in sunny Austin, Texas, perennials segue from the early cool season blooms to heat-loving (or at least heat-tolerant) late spring/summer blooms. Several different native yucca plants grace my gardens this May, such as a Pale-leaf Yucca, Yucca pallida.

Another native yucca, Red Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora,

will bloom continually until fall. The flowers are delicate looking and favored by hummingbirds.

Another native yucca, Twistleaf Yucca, Yucca rupicola, shot up a bloom stalk this spring.

Heat-loving Zexmenia, Wedelia texana, begins its long bloom cycle in May. This hardy perennial blooms prolifically throughout our hot summer and into the cooler October.

A favorite spring and summer bloom for butterflies, bees and people is the Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea.

Here it resides across from patch of cheery Zexmenia.

The Heartleaf Skullcap, Scutellaria ovata ssp. bracteata, is a beautiful, spreading ground cover which develops stunning blue/lavender flowers, blooming April through June.