May 17 , 2012
Bee happy|Succulent strategies|Natural Bridge Caverns
One thing I love about wildlife is that they do n’t mind if my garden gets a tad messy . As long as the place is clear ( no pesticide ) , they ’re snuff it for the atmosphere — free food in a diner that ’s open all twelvemonth . This combo platter of shrimp flora and oxalis attracts a broad selection of client , including hummingbird , bees , and butterfly .
Thanks to the rain , the sunflowers tower over us ! Perhaps they ’ll entice some Bordered Patch or Painted Lady butterflies to consist their eggs . sure , they ’ll be attracting birds , who planted these in the first place . These natural designer picked an inspiring spot !
In the front bed , there ’s something for everybody , too : pink skullcap , shrimp flora , Asarum shuttleworthii skullcap , ashen mistflower , zexmenia , pig canyon daisy , eupatorium , pine muhly , setcresea ( Purple Heart ) , Mexican bush sage and evergreen sumach . WithYucca recurvifolia‘Margaritaville ’ .
Greg nabbed a picture ofCoreopsis tinctoriaon the creek bank behind our fence . I go for some of the seeds cease up in our back “ prairie ! ”
My baby skeleton - folio goldeneye daisy seem to be MIA , but I ’m convey more ! In the lag , here ’s a beneficial wasp ( I think ) on one at theLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center .
Another I ’d like to have again is ‘ David Verity’Cuphea , good to insects and hummingbirds . My former one froze in the “ big chill ” two years ago . I did n’t supersede it since it was n’t getting enough Sunday , but I ’ll find a spot to have one like this !
Gaura ( Gaura lindheimeri ) is another that I did n’t give enough Sunday . So , I ’m glad a neighbor is growing it in a new red-hot strip curb bed , convert from lawn .
It really does take a village to eat the wildlife . If everyone in the neighborhood plants even a few plants , the “ strip mall ” cluster attracts a bigger crowd .
Along with masses to attract the batch , the closed book to diversified wildlife is radiate food , even in wintertime . While we ’re sipping hot chocolate , honeybees head for narcissus .
In early spring , they make a beeline to Mexican plum , viburnums , and rose like this Mutabilis .
And aboriginal annual baby blue - center .
I laugh like gaga to see this bee gleefully tramp around in the Pink evening primrose .
More Adam in poppy . Sights like this are my favorite part of horticulture .
This modest winter , everyone head for aSalvia coccineathat did n’t immobilise . It was protect by other plant life in a warm ecological niche , where spuria irises served sweet on April flower .
In summertime , when this hotness - loving annual salvia usually performs , it attracts bee and butterfly .
My “ frequenter ” all rave about my fall goldenrod , though it was n’t my recipe . These perennial native just wandered in on their own .
Since bees are so of import for pollenation , this calendar week Tom meets with Kellan Vincent , landscape painting designer , and Beekeeper and Pollination Strategist .
What a fascinating quick primer on the lifestyles of honeybees , bumble bees and solitary bee , like Mason bee ! Here ’s a native Apis mellifera on my rosemary in January .
Mason bees chop-chop line up my theatre , a gift fromTravis Audubon stewardsGeorgean and Paul Kyle , who handcraft this . You may fuck them best for their delicious handmade toys atRootin ’ Ridge Toymakers , but they also make the bee houses , razz nest boxes and solid food perches .
This week , Daphne answers : why did our fall - flower plants show up this spring ?
Daphne’sPick of the Week is Texas Star Hibiscus , a native hibiscus that feed wildlife all summer .
That ’s a silver screen catch from our circuit this week toNatural Bridge Caverns(hence why it looks a little funny ! ) . We did n’t go on the cavern enlistment , though you should ! Our focus is what ’s on top : design concepts for home garden , plants for wildlife ( no pesticide ! ) , and mainly , a bright example to prompt us that what we rain cats and dogs on top of our gardens or to kill insects ends up in our water .
Jeff Pavlat from theAustin Cactus & Succulent Societypremieres hisfirst Backyard Basicswith something we ’ve wanted to do for years : show off Jeff ’s toolkit for working with spiky industrial plant !
Sources : Jeff gets his knives and cover , methamphetamine hydrochloride Georgia home boy , brushes and crushed rock bins cheap at a restaurant provision store . On Amazon , I found several sources for these instrument . But Jeff gets the big pincer ( forceps ) , hemostat and the sharp direct pair of tweezers atMiles ’ To Go cacti and succulent nursery . And also fromRainbow Gardens Bookshopthat specialise in cacti and succulent plant books . The toolkit is a fishing tackle box from Academy .
Until next week , garden good ! Linda
tag :
